Author Archive: Network Support Essex

Online sales security

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Amazon pilots video calls to verify third-party sellers. They are in the process of cracking down on third parties selling fake goods. It is a simple plan involving video calls, ensuring that customers are guaranteed online sales security.

Find out more by clicking the link: www.theverge.com/2020/4/27/21238026/amazon-seller-verification-video-calling-fraud-third-party-sellers

Online sales security

Amazon take security seriously. They are cracking down on third party seller verification.

Video calls to vet third-party sellers

Amazon will use a proprietary machine learning system to review hundreds of unique data points to spot potential risks. Such as whether the account is combined with another concealed account. The company will set up a video call with future sellers and verify that their ID match the documents submitted in their application. Trained agents will review third-party sellers before approving them.

The company launched in-person seller checks earlier this year. However, changed to video calls in February due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

There are some problems with third-party sellers and a need to have deeper brand control. As a result, some larger retailers pulled back from the platform. Last November, Nike announced that it would pull its products from Amazon. As well as Birkenstock, they said in 2016, it would no longer sell its products on Amazon in 2016.

Recently, marketplaces like Amazon and eBay are working to reduce the fake goods sold on their platforms. There a few reasons why consumers turn to knockoffs in the first place.

Fraud control

The company added the live check process via video calls and will be trialled in the US, UK, China and Japan. It involves Amazon matching the documents that a seller has provided. The process involves original documents, as well as using facial recognition tech to verify identities. This will increase customer morale and ensure complete online sales security.

If you would like to discuss your online security, anti-virus and anti spam: Please contact our sales team on 01245 323900 or email enquiries@lisltd.co.uk

#ShouldHaveDoneItBefore #JustPickUpThePhoneJeff

 

 

Technology supports NHS

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AUS-based Starship Technologies believe their robots will change food and package deliveries. They offer people a convenient new service that improves everyday life. The technology supports NHS workers who can have supplies delivered by robots using Starship’s mobile app.

Did you know that automated delivery robots are a common sight on the streets of Milton Keynes?
Technolohy supports NHS

Takeaways benefiting from contactless deliveries and make use of technology.

Starship Technologies have completed over 100,000 deliveries and NHS workers can use them for free. This is also available to the general public  and has proved popular with residents that are having to isolate and social distance during the virus.

Henry Harris-Burland, VP of Marketing at Starship Technologies, commented. “We want to make life a little bit easier for people in these stressful times. NHS staff work 80 hour weeks and they don’t have time to go to the local grocery store. So, they use our robots for their shopping and we are honoured that we can be part of that solution.”

He added: “The residents have been reaching out to us online asking us to deliver to their neighbourhood. We are doing everything we can as quickly as possible. We want to expand and offer this service to more people, especially at this really important time.”

Starship Technologies have been operating robots in the Milton Keynes area since 2018. The company have been trialling the use of its robots with Tesco and Co-op to deliver grocery orders to its customers.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-robots-in-milton-keynes-deliver-shopping-to-nhs-workers-11978670

Technology supports NHS

Co-op deliveries in Milton Keynes are now being made each week using the delivery robots.

The Mayor of Milton Keynes, Councillor Sam Crooks, said. “The robots have become an iconic sight in the town. Everyone’s excited at the prospect of them delivering in the town centre. The technology supports NHS staff and for the 180,000 people who work in the centre of Milton Keynes. This new technology can deliver lunch easily and save time during their working day.”

Preparing to return to your work

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No one really knows when the lockdown will end and when we can start preparing to return to your work. Why not try to start planning to get ready for when you are allowed back into your place of work.

Preparing to return to your work: Three things to consider

  1. Your employees. If it is a phased end to lockdown, you might have some people at work and some still working from home. It is good to form a plan now for every scenario as we might not return to the “old normal” for a long time yet.
  2. Look at your hardware and software. What’s been difficult during lockdown and caused frustration? What needs to be upgraded or changed? Identify what you need and plan for this to be implemented quickly. To help you stay efficient in case we have another lockdown.
  3. Finally, look at your data. Now is the time to check your data security has not been compromised in any way.

If you need help preparing to return to work for the “end of lockdown”, let us make it happen quickly and efficiently contact us.

The governments five key points

1. Work from home, if you can

Take reasonable steps to help people work from home. Are you unable to work from home or is work place open?  You should then go to work. Staff should speak to their employer about when you will be opening.

2. Carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment, in consultation with workers or trade unions

This guidance operates within current health and safety employment and equalities legislation and employers will need to carry out COVID-19 risk assessments in consultation with their workers or trade unions, to establish what guidelines to put in place. If possible, employers should publish the results of their risk assessments on their website and we expect all businesses with over 50 employees to do so.

3. Maintain 2 metres social distancing, wherever possible

Employers should re-design workspaces to maintain 2 metre distances between people by staggering start times, creating one-way walk throughs, opening more entrances and exits, or changing seating layouts in break rooms.

4. Where people cannot be 2 metres apart, manage transmission risk

Employers should look into putting barriers in shared spaces, creating workplace shift patterns or fixed teams minimising the number of people in contact with one another, or ensuring colleagues are facing away from each other.

5. Reinforcing cleaning processes

Clean office more frequently, paying close attention to high-contact objects like door handles and keyboards. Employers should provide handwashing facilities or hand sanitisers at entry and exit points.

#returntowork

Preparing to return to your work

Help to control the virus. Staying alert. Follow the rules. We can continue to save lives and recover from coronavirus.

Working From Home Advice

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Working from home advice given to you by your employer will keep you safe and stay focused. Record numbers of us are now working remotely from home, so allows some businesses to carry on trading. Sudden increases of home workers with the arrival of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) will help business play their part in reducing the risks. The more you prepare now for the end of lockdown, the easier it will be.

Many businesses are trying to help their employees work from home, if they can. Some technology companies which produce software used by remote workers that include Zoom and Slack, have received a bump in share prices in recent days.

Make sure you have space to be productive

It’s fair to say that life has become more difficult for everyone right now because COVID-19 has changed everything. We are all struggling to adjust to new ways of living and working. As companies implement work from home policies, employees are tasked with trying to be as productive without their normal resources.

When you’re working from home, it can be all too easy to blur the lines between your work life and your personal life, because they blend into one. You are working on spreadsheets, on a conference call, cleaning the kitchen, and feeding the dog all at the same time. Seems impossible, right? That’s because it is.

Routine is an important part of work and it doesn’t become any less important because you’re working from home. So, that coffee you make at 10am every day in the office? Do it at home. The lunch you take at 1pm? Put it in your calendar. That task you unconsciously do while chatting to your colleague on a Monday morning? Keep doing it.

There are some perks to working from home (bye bye commute!), but feeling stress, boredom, anxiety and uncertainty is also completely normal. Alongside this, many of us are worried about future job prospects and trying to look after kids as well. Dedicating a room or corner of your home as workspace will enable you to be more productive.

Working from home (WFH) is not for everyone

It takes time to get used to working from home, communicating with colleagues and avoid distractions of a home environment.  With the right tools, setup, mindset and empowering good habits will come naturally with this new method of working.

So here we are six weeks into Corona lockdown and for some this will have been a first experience of WFH. Even though the talk is now all about returning to normal, we think the new normal will contain a lot of WFH for many of us. Time to work out the wrinkles and turn the emergency response into a long-term viable solution. Here are some working from home tips for getting the most out of your working day. We hope this guide will help.

Click here to download our useful guide about working from home advice.

Working from home advice

Contact us for managed IT services, network support and telecoms.

#coronavirus #wfh #workingfromhome

Networking Problem – Resolved

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We are receiving reports of network issues affecting some broadband and leased line customers. Engineers are investigating and we will update this notice when we have more information.

Apologies for any disruption.

The issue was related to LINX (the London Internet Exchange), which has now been resolved and would have potentially affected several Internet providers in the UK. We are awaiting a full RFO from them to confirm the cause.