Tristan

what’s coming up

mail

letter from the director

september

september

Wednesday 4th The Hunter Business Chamber will host their monthly Business Development Forum at Souths Leagues Club. The topic for September’s breakfast is ‘Climbing the Small Business Summit’, with guest speakers including Myrtec’s own, Alison Hough. The panel discussion will be facilitated by Heidi Alexandra Pollard, with questions covering a broad range of issues affecting small businesses.

Saturday 7th This year’s Federal election has been brought forward by a week from the original date and will be held on Saturday 7th September. As much as we love all of the advertising that comes with an election, it will be great to bring some certainty to the political climate, whichever way the vote falls! Polling venues are open between 8am and 6pm, leaving plenty of time for you to have your say.

october

october

Tuesday 22nd The 38th Annual University of Newcastle Alumni Awards will be held this year at Newcastle City Hall. The event celebrates the innovation, creativity, professional excellence and leadership of UoN graduates from across the globe. Finalists have already been announced (visit newcastle.edu.au for details) with tickets going on sale in September.

Saturday 26th Jazz in the Vines has become one of the Hunter Valley’s signature events, and this year is sure to be no exception. James Morrison heads a lineup of jazz artists from around the world who will provide the soundtrack to what is sure to be a gorgeous sunny Spring day. Tyrell’s Vineyard host this year’s event, with tickets available via jazzinthevines.com.au.

november

november

Saturday 9th

Friday 15th

This year’s Christmas Lights Spectacular at Hunter Valley Gardens is sure to be a winner with the whole family, with over a million lights featured throughout the Gardens. The festivities include children’s entertainment with Santa making an appearance most nights! The Spectacular wraps up on Australia Day 2014, with tickets available from huntervalleygardens.com.au.

Founded in 2011, Pink Rose Day raises funds for Central Coast Kids in Need, a volunteer organisation that provides support to local families with seriously ill children. You can show your support by ordering some gorgeous pink roses or sponsoring the gala dinner to be held at Terrigal Surf Club. Visit pinkroseday.com.au for more details. a m p f e w

Suite 2, 27 Annie St, Wickham 2300 PO Box 155, Hamilton NSW 2303 02 4032 7200 02 4017 0065 [email protected] www.myrtec.com.au

September 2013 • Issue 8

2013 is shaping up to be a transformational year for technology. Each quarter, worldwide figures report a decline in server and desktop shipments. Last quarter, Lenovo, the world’s largest PC vendor, reportedly sold more smartphones that computers. The humble server that once took its position in the server rack or cupboard of every small business is gradually disappearing. In it’s place is a cloud service or smartphone app that accomplishes as much or more than what could be achieved with a traditional desktop. Users are now expecting more from technology, whether that is the ability to work from home or on a smartphone at the beach. As software vendors catch up, the reasons to replace a server are gradually disappearing. So the question is - what old servers are you hiding in your closet? Do have a plan to get rid of them?

you

Regards,

Tristan

This issue, we introduce you to Deskscaler, a virtual desktop solution now available to Australian businesses. We have a number of clients already working in this environment who are enjoying the flexibility that comes with working anywhere, anytime. There’s so many great events coming up in the next few months, you’ll want to be out of the office!

Myrtec Support 02 4032 7202 .au [email protected] rt myrtec.com.au/suppo

meet the staff

Mullane and Lindsay Solicitors is leading the way in providing expert legal advice in the Hunter region.

Jack Higgins I.T. Support Officer Since Jack first arrived on the scene as a Work Experience student back in March 2012, he has made regular guest appearances in the technical support team. He has been working hard this year to complete his Certificate IV in Information Technology at the Hunter Institute of TAFE and will join the team on a more regular basis over the coming weeks. To contact Jack, call 4032 7200 or email [email protected].

DiG Festival unearthing entrepreneurs Newcastle is fast becoming a hub for innovation and entrepreneurial excellence and in early October this will be showcased to world in the inaugural DiG Festival and Conference. Loosely based on the SXSW festivals in the US, the DiG Festival will be held at Newcastle City Hall between the 2nd and 5th of October 2013. Bringing together local and international keynote speakers, the conference program includes a series of events and workshops delivered over the three day event. To purchase your earlybird tickets, or for more information, visit digfestival.com.au

meet our clients

Established in 1976, Mullane and Lindsay provides a comprehensive range of legal services covering areas such as family, commercial and employment law. Their team of expert lawyers strive to combine their technical legal skills with common sense and ‘plain english’ language, to provide clients with the best practical, cost-effective, legal solutions for their problems.

The directors of Mullane and Lindsay Solicitors have many decades of practical legal experience and recruit the brightest lawyers - including graduates from the University of Newcastle’s law school and accredited law specialists - to ensure their advice, skills and legal services are second to none. Mullane and Lindsay has offices in Newcastle, Tea Gardens and the Central Coast, and services clients across NSW. To find out more information, visit mullanelindsay.com.au or phone 02 4928 7300.



boosting your energy

introducing Deskscaler, Myrtec’s virtual solution

just a thought

When many businesses first approach Myrtec for help, they are struggling with legacy infrastructure, rising support costs and reduced staff productivity. The challenges of managing the financial aspects of maintaining and upgrading infrastructure have often come at the expense of business growth. Fortunately, the accessibility and affordability of virtual desktop solutions has enabled businesses to achieve greater results with less initial and ongoing outlay. Myrtec are now able to offer our clients an innovative new virtual solution, Deskscaler. Deskscaler Virtual Desktops are hosted on servers within a cloud based data centre and can be accessed securely over the internet anytime, anywhere, with any device. Virtual desktops replace the processing and applications from your traditional desktop computers with a system that is scalable and centrally managed. When you log into your Virtual Desktop ,you enjoy the same applications, files and settings whether you are in the office, at home, at a client’s site or overseas. You still have access to control what applications are installed and what level of access staff have to company resources. Deskscaler manage the integrity of the network, servers, data backup, security and application upgrades so you can focus on your core business. Contact the Myrtec team on 4032 7200 for more information, or visit deskscaler.com.

1. Easily scalable 2. Access from any device 3. Reduce capital expenditure 4. Control sensitive data 5. Reduce hardware budget 6. Increase user productivity 7. Improve disaster recovery time 8. Reduce maintenance costs 9. Consistent user experience 10. Greater business flexibility

too big to ignore campaign On Friday 16th August, the Too Big to Ignore road show rolled into Newcastle, with the Skyboard Mobile Business Lounge set up in Wheeler Place. The Too Big to Ignore Campaign gives small business owners, employees and supporters the opportunity to get involved and have their collective voice heard. In the lead up to the September election, the campaign appeals to local candidates to cut the red tape, simplify the tax system, make employing staff easier and build better infrastructure. Guest speakers at the Newcastle event included local candidates, Sharon Claydon and Jamie Abbott, as well as Alison Hough, Myrtec’s Operations Manager.

Did you know that you can do more for your energy levels, performance and overall wellness if you incorporate a few sneaky movement tactics into your day? Incidental exercise during the day can help improve your blood sugar levels, mood and mental alertness.... and your productivity! Here are a few tactics to help you and your staff get moving more throughout the day: 1. Wear a pedometer and compete with your colleagues to see who can clock up the most steps (a prize for the most and push-ups for the least!). 2. Set an alert in your Outlook calendar every hour to remind you to stand up and walk around the office for a minute or two.

These are tough times. The flow-on effects from a downturn in the mining sector have been felt far and wide, with the number of Hunter residents made redundant by their employers over the past few months continuing to increase. Yet the Hunter has traditionally been a resilient business community, having experienced the effects of economic decline many times before. When BHP closed in 1999, the unemployment rate in Newcastle jumped three percent to 12% within a year. The region diversified, tried new things and focused it’s attention on developing a presence in sectors other than manufacturing. And we will do so again. The downturn in the mining sector over the past twelve months comes at a time when other areas of the local economy are booming. Initiatives such as the DiG Festival are testament to the talented and innovative entrepreneurs that are contributing to the growth of the technology sector in the region. These may be tough times, but the future is bright.

3. Dedicate 10 minutes of your lunch break to walking outside - fresh air, vitamin D and blood sugar control done! 4. Take the stairs EVERY time, rather than the lift. 5. Park your car further from the office or get off the bus/train a stop earlier and walk the rest of the way.

heard the news? Hunter Headline is an online news source that was created to provide another avenue for Hunter region business to highlight their successes or demonstrate their expertise. It’s free to submit content and businesses can provide a news article (such as a press release) or write an expert article - to express your opinions or to display your knowledge. An added advantage is the Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) benefits you get from having your article published online. All posts include your online links – whether that is just your website, or also your Facebook page, LinkedIn profile, YouTube Channel, Pinterest account, Twitter handle and more! And for the Hunter business community it’s a place to go to read all about the latest developments in our local corporate space. To view the latest news visit www.hunterheadline.com.au or to submit an article email [email protected].

update on myrtec partnerships This quarter, the Myrtec team are delighted to announce two new partnerships - Amazon Web Services and Huawei. Both companies are leading the way in ICT innovation and service development, and Myrtec’s formal partnership enables our clients to have greater access to their products and services. Amazon Web Services provides a virtual computing

6. Move the printer further away and only print single jobs at a time so you have to get up from your desk more often.

environment that is completely controlled, flexible, reliable,

To find out more about how to eat for energy, performance and enjoyment, book a ‘Lunch and Learn Workshop’ for your business...plenty of delicious food tasting, demos, recipes and simple ideas to keep your office productive, happy and healthy.

Huawei is a leader in global ICT solutions, providing

- Lisa Mills, Lisa Mills Inc Lisa is a holistic wellness and lifestyle coach, fitness trainer, presenter, chocolate lover and mother of two. She believes that simple, everyday routines and rituals are the pathway to gaining more energy, motivation and to revitalise your entire life. Visit lisamillsinc.com.au or lisainmypocket.com.au for more handy hints.

secure and most of all, inexpensive which is fit for small to growing businesses looking for an effective cloud computing resource and experience.

end-to-end advantages in the line of telecom networks, cloud computing and devices which are suited to businesses looking for competitive solutions in the field of telecommunications.

congratulations to award winners the next step in online learning This year’s Hunter Business Awards were celebrated at a gala dinner on Friday 2nd August. Myrtec would like to congratulate all of the night’s winners, with a special mention to James Reid, winner of the Young Business Executive Award. James co-owns Doc’s MegaSave Pharmacy and completed the Marathon des Sables earlier in the year to raise funds for Ronald McDonald House. Congratulations!