HOUSECALL information technology

For our Congressional clients interested in videoconferencing solutions we recommend you visit our page about how Polycom products can benefit your office: HouseCall Videoconferencing Solutions via Polycom

HouseCall Systems Administrators (SAs) are well versed in providing end-user tech support – that is one of the key components of our business.  In fact, our SAs pride themselves on their ability to rapidly troubleshoot problems and find solutions.  However, in many cases they must rely heavily on the user to give accurate information about what is happening on malfunctioning equipment (computer, printer, BlackBerry, etc.).  The more accurate and comprehensive the information you give, the quicker and more effectively we can solve your problem.  So here are a few tips on how to help us help you:

-Write down any error messages that is displayed on your screen and what program you were working in when they were displayed

-Note how frequently you have received the error or if you have seen it before

-Let us know if there have been any drastic changes to your equipment recently (i.e. your BlackBerry was just replaced, you just installed new software on your computer, a technician just worked on your printer, etc.)

-Have you rebooted your computer recently? *Note – rebooting your computer every 1-2 days is recommended for better performance

-Is there anything special about your equipment that makes it different?

Remember, the more information you can give us, the faster and more effectively we can help to solve your problems!

For those of us who use our BlackBerries (BB) day in and day out quickly typing, sending messages, and navigating on the BlackBerry has become easy.  We thought we would pass some of our top BB shortcuts on to you.

Keyboard Shortcuts in Messages

C – compose new message
U – takes you to the next unread message
T – takes you to the top of the list
B – takes you to the bottom of the list
F – forward
R – reply to message
L – reply to all
P – takes you to previous day
N – takes you to next day
S – search
V – view saved messages
Space – takes you down one page

Address Book Lookups:

Your BB is connected to an LDAP server so you can do lookups in the Global Address List.  That means if you need someone’s information and they have a House.gov account you may be able to find their info using your BB even if you haven’t created a personal contact for them.

When sending a new message simply type in the person’s name (usually LastName, FirstName works best) and select “lookup” (it will be highlighted below where you are typing).  It may take the BB a few seconds to find them so be patient.  If it doesn’t find them try typing their name a different way.

When looking for a person’s general contact info go to the Address Book application and start typing their name. Once you have entered it select “*No Address*” and your BB will perform a Global Adress List lookup.  The BB will take a few seconds to do the search and then display a list of results.  Once you have found the person you can add them to your address book by selecting them, pressing the applications button (the button to the left of the scroll ball), and choosing “add.”  Even if you are not sure how to spell their name make a guess – you can even leave out part of the name (EX. Tim Seym will find Tim Seymour) and it will still give you a list of possible people.  You could even search just by last name or just by first name – its almost like using a phone book!

Typing Shortcuts

To make a selection hold the Shift Key (Caps) and scroll with the ball.  That will make a selection. You can then copy, cut, or paste into that region depending.

Double click space key – puts in a period
Hold down a letter key – makes a capital letter

Remember, the typing shortcuts work everywhere on the BB, so use them!

Organizations with whom we work have assured us that the patch necessary to  protect against CONFICKER/DOWNADUP has been updated to computers we support.  Antivirus software that is deployed and managed by the organizations we support should also further protect your computer.

Despite the protection that has been deployed, one potential vulnerability found is when staff introduce infected USB keys or external hard drives and iPods to the network.  If they do not have necessary protections on their home computers and they are infected, there is a chance the virus can be transferred to a removable hard drive and that hard drive could infect a work computer when it is plugged in.  We strongly encourage staff to be careful on their home computers, especially if there is a data thread that can link the home computer with a work computer by way of a removable storage device.  Please recommend your staff install the patch below on their home computers if the are Windows-based and to be careful with what they put on removable data drives.  I recommend that a removable drive only be plugged in when it is needed, to save or transfer a file from the computer to the device; then remove it immediately.  This won’t completely protect you, but it could minimize exposure.

Ideally, staff should consider not using removable drives with computers that are not on their work network or have not been configured to comply with their organization’s security, wherein we have a controlled environment. The exception is if they have assurances that the non-work computer is completely protected with bellwether antivirus, antispyware and firewall products.  At this time, even work laptops should be considered a risk unless they are on the organization’s network often enough to update remotely.  If you have any laptops at staff homes, may I suggest you ask them to bring them in so we can make sure they are up-to-date?

Patch for home computers: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS08-067.mspx

If you get any sort of warnings on your computer about viruses, please let your HouseCall System Administrator know immediately, so we can help you take care of them safely.

One of the tricks used to get viruses on computers is by loading software that claims to protect your computer from viruses. These fake virus protection programs will pop up with a screen that looks like a real anti-virus program. It includes warnings that your computer is infected with viruses, malware, and/or spyware and tells you to “click here” or “click ok” to remove them. Instead of removing the virus, clicking will actually infect your computer.

These viruses have been known to pop up from legitimate news websites, but they can come from many places on the web.

Here at the House, we use Trend Micro anti-virus. Below is an example of what a Trend window would look like. Anything else telling you about viruses or malware is highly suspect and shouldn’t be touched.

Videoconferencing is an excellent way to communicate with district offices and hold meetings across the country or even the globe. It’s the closest thing to a face-to-face meeting without actually traveling to meet in person. HouseCall is proud to be Polycom’s partner on Capitol Hill. Polycom leads the pack when it comes to providing solutions for communication and productivity over distances.

Surprisingly, using a Polycom videoconference unit is less difficult than it appears. As long as your Polycom unit has been setup properly (ask your HouseCall system administrator if you’re not sure) you can begin your videoconference in just five easy steps (For calls originating from Congress):

1. Make sure the television and Polycom unit are turned on.
2. Select the correct input on the television. This will depend on your television unit, but most TV remotes have an “input” button or several input options to chose from. You may need to press the “input” button several times for the view from the Polycom camera to appear.
3. To rotate the camera, press the maroon arrow buttons. The zoom buttons control the camera’s depth.
4. Press the green “call” button to make a conference call. You can only make outgoing calls, not receive incoming calls for security purposes. You will need to know their IP address.
5. Enter their IP address by typing it in with the number pad on the remote, and pressing the green “call” button.

Of course, any HouseCall system administrator would be happy to assist in getting your videoconference running smoothly.

If you do not currently have videoconferencing equipment and are interested in seeing what is available, contact your HouseCall system administrator for options and quotes. You can also browse the Polycom website to see what solutions are available.

Blackberry mobile devices have become an invaluable tool in facilitating communication in Congressional offices. So when one stops working it is expedient that the device return to normal operation as quickly as possible. This case study presents obstacles and then methods used to fix those problems.

Email has provided the world with a fast and reliable form of communication; whether it is across the nation or around the globe, we are now able to transmit information almost instantaneously. But all of this is rendered useless unless someone is on the other side to receive that information. That is why many offices have come to rely on Blackberry devices for even more reliable and instantaneous communication. On Capitol Hill, everyone from senior staff to entry-level employees to even the Member of Congress rely heavily on their Blackberry. Most of the time their Blackberry is a simple means of communication used to convey short messages or to stay in sync with the day’s calendar.
One very convenient feature of Blackberry devices is the ease of transferring all of the data from one existing Blackberry to a newer model. While, for the most part, it is a very reliable and straightforward transfer, it can be extremely frustrating when it doesn’t work correctly and has to be done over again. Since all the information is copied from the old device, there is always a backup in case things don’t transfer correctly. The transfer process goes as follows:

* First the old device must be synchronized with the user’s Outlook. This will insure that the two contain the same information in terms of contacts, address book, emails and calendar items.
* Once everything has been synced with Outlook it is time to use the switch device wizard in the Blackberry Desktop Manager. This will automatically backup all of the old emails, contacts, third-party software, and general settings. Once it has grabbed everything from the older device it prompts for the new device at which point it will load all those applications and settings back onto the new device. It usually takes about 20 minutes if things run smoothly.
* Once all the data has been transferred, the Blackberry device then must go through a process called Enterprise Activation, which authenticates the device with the Blackberry enterprise server. This will enable the device to send email as a user. This is where most of the frustration with switching users comes in. It has to go through all the services and sync those settings with those of the existing account. Depending on how much the user has utilized their Blackberry, it can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. It often appears to freeze at a certain percentage of completion. When this happens, most of the time, removing the battery and starting the process over again forces the activation to complete. But, if the user has utilized their phone heavily, it may just have to authenticate a large amount of data and take a longer amount of time.

I encountered a problem with a set of Blackberry devices in a legislative office that was particularly perplexing. When the user made a call which didn’t connect or went to voicemail and, simultaneously, received an incoming call – the phone would go into conference mode. However, when the call ended, it wouldn’t leave this mode. Instead, it would just refuse to make any outgoing calls. When this happened, only taking out the battery would re-enable the phone. Because this started to really affect a Congressman, it quickly became a priority to get it fixed. After ‘googling’ the problem with no success, I decided that the best attempt would be to update the firmware on the Blackberry. It was a long process that first backed up the entire device and then updated the firmware. After that was completed, it reloaded the backed up data. Following that procedure the Blackberry worked without further support needs.

HouseCall, an up-and-coming IT company based in the Washington, DC area, launched their new website today: www.housecallit.com. The website harnesses web 2.0 technology to create an interactive experience for clients and visitors. Furthermore, the website includes new features including the HouseCall blog, detailed information on HouseCall’s services, and a robust service reporting system.

Gregory Roney, Founder of HouseCall, LLC, has been working on Capitol Hill for nearly twelve years. Since the company’s support model inception in 1997, HouseCall has grown into a team of professional technical support specialists providing support in Washington, DC and in over 120 locations throughout the United States and her territories. Roney hopes the launch of the website will lead to a streamlining of client and IT professional interaction, which will provide for enhanced quality assurance for IT and resources for education. “Harnessing what web 2.0 has to offer is a powerful way to communicate with current clients and discover and attract new opportunities to partner not with just future clients, but colleagues and other professionals within our industry. Our goal is to add an educational experience and professional interactiveness that goes beyond the typical services website” Roney explained.

HouseCall combines the technology know how, industry experience, and commitment to client success to provide solutions that help meet the needs of federal government and commercial clients. HouseCall’s professional technicians and engineers have been providing Technology services to the US Congress in both Washington, DC, and satellite locations for over twelve years while strategically partnering with select industry leaders in government contracting.

The new website represents HouseCall’s forward-thinking solutions and history of providing clients the best technical support Capitol Hill has to offer. The enhanced website gives clients a new way to request and monitor support. Clients will also be able to stay in the know by reading updates on the HouseCall Blog and Case Studies. Clients and guests alike will appreciate the clear explanations expected for best practices and know-how while traversing the world of IT.

To access the HouseCall, LLC website, please visit: www.housecallit.com.