La Piazza

As we told you in the post Instagramming any normal day at Panda Security, courses are periodically held at Panda. Well, this week there was a course on social media at the headquarter offices of Panda Security in Bilbao. The course was taught by one of the Panda social media managers, Ana Castillo (@anakas86). Today, both Ana and Marta López
(@mlpzcastellanos) will tell us about social networking at Panda.

Hello Ana and Marta, tell us something about yourselves

Ana Castillo: I am from Granada but I have been over eight years in Madrid. I have a degree in Communication Studies and slowly my professional career focused in the field of online marketing and social media.

From left to right: Ana Castillo and Marta López

Marta López: Like Ana, I have lived many years in Madrid – eleven! but I am from Oviedo and presume of my Asturian origins whenever I can. I have a degree in Journalism and a Masters in Communication Management and Advertising Management. My professional career began in offline communication but, almost without realizing it, I moved towards the online environment.

In 140 characters, what qualities do you think a social media manager must meet?

You have to be very creative and get an overall view of marketing, but more especifically: empathy, listening skills, being a good communicator and, occasionally, a small dose of patience.

Why do you think a company should implement a social media strategy?

Social networks are currently one of the most active and important media that users have. Through them we talk with our friends, with our family … and, inevitably, talk about our lives and our experience as customers of different brands. If the company wants to control this side conversation, be able to respond to problems, improve its brand image and influence the purchase decision process, the ideal is to develop and implement a social media strategy. Currently, most users decide which product to buy heavily influenced by the recommendations of their contacts and friends.

On which social networks is Panda Security present?

We are currently present in Facebook, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter. These are the social networks with most users, where the majority of our customers or potential customers are and where we can get higher return. Here go just a few examples:

• Panda Security Facebook
• Panda Security Twitter
• Panda Security TechSupport Twitter
• Panda Security Google+
• Panda Security LinkedIn
• Panda Security YouTube
• Panda Security YouTube TechSupport

What are your main goals for this year?

Mainly, to strengthen the Panda Security brand. We want the world to know that Panda Security is a modern brand, constantly evolving and adapting to the customer’s needs; it is a very dynamic company, always growing and improving. We want to get closer to more people, to give them the opportunity to try out our fantastic products and to build a strong and global community of safe and protected users.

Of the initiatives that you have put in place on social networks, which is the one that has given you greater satisfaction?

Facebook is probably the most rewarding social network.

There, everyone is more open and predisposed to start a conversation, people love to tell you something about their life and they often express how much they like our products and praise Panda’s outstanding customer service.

Well, thank you Marta and Ana very much for sharing your “social ways” with us!

If you want to be part of our community, why don’t you just join us?

Published by Leyre Velasco

A couple of years ago we explained how Technical Support had evolved and adapted to the web 2.0 trends. The term Web 2.0 is associated with web applications which facilitate interactive exchange of information, data sharing, and collaboration on the world wide web. It is thought to have been coined after a conference held by O´Reilly Media in 2004. The web 2.0 philosophy promotes web-based communities, hosted services, web applications, social-networking sites, video-sharing sites, wikis, blogs, not to mention social networks aimed at various sociological profiles.

Companies are more and more implementing community knowledge bases enabling users to solve product and customer service issues on their own. In Panda Security, we are particularly sensitive to this issue and have deviced additional means of Support such as forums, multimedia tutorials, blogs, etc. Check out the Homeusers Support website for proof! The Panda Security International Technical Support Forum for example, enables not only moderators, but users to directly help one another.

These new sources improve the quality of support as massive feedback is obtained directly from the users themselves. Community knowledge bases create smarter, more informed customers and users. Content can be authored by both internal and external resources providing a rich source of information relating to the company’s products and services. What´s more, collaboration is a key issue: It improves decision-making, and enables knowledge workers to meet mission objectives with the best information available. However, for an average user, technology in this regard may have already gone too far, and the user finds himself not really prepared to face the trend in technology, some users even questioning the validity of all these tools.

So, before web 3.0, the natural evolution of web 2.0, spreads, let´s test how web 2.0 you are!!  Simply fill in this quiz on social media and web 2.0 by Quizible and check how many of the 32 icons you recognize!!

Which form of interactive 2.0 means do you prefer? Blogs? Forums?Social networks?

Published by Ana Etxebarria

Continuing our series of articles on children and new technologies, today we give you some simple tips to make sure your children stay safe on the Internet.

Last week I posted an article describing two different approaches to parenting in the digital age: controlling and permissive; and despite I am clearly in favor of the latter approach, I am also aware that you cannot lower your guard when dealing with Internet risks.

I still believe that interaction on the Internet is not very different from real-world interaction, and people who manage well in real life do at least equally well in the virtual world. In any event, I must admit the online world may pose additional risks due to the Internet’s immunity and anonymity.

How can you help your children deal with that threat?

1. Just as you know about your children’s friends, you better also know who your child contacts on the Internet.
2. Keep an eye on how much time your children spend online, including other points of Internet access too, like smartphones and gaming consoles.
3. Just as you teach your children never to talk to strangers or accept gifts from them, remind them never to physically meet anyone they’ve only become friends with online. If they decide to meet a cyber-friend in person, go with them.
4. Talk to kids about the types of information they post online and how it can impact their reputation and future. Kids can unknowingly give out personal details about their life that could be maliciously used… And embarrassing and inappropriate photos and comments can stay with you forever.
5. Teach them to be cautious with giving too much personal information, such as their location, their parents’ working hours, hobbies, etc. The less potential ‘unfriends’, the better.
6. As Facebook makes frequent changes to its privacty policy, it is a good idea to sit with your kids and check out their online profiles with them. Pay special attention to their privacy settings and which messages, photos and personal details are accesible to whom.

Are you comfortable monitoring your child’s online world? What are your family’s technology ground rules?

Posted by Leyre Velasco

As we have previously said in many posts, social networks enable communication among millions of users from around the globe. And, just like any form of communication, the Internet is a community that has its own form of etiquette. In my own case, I just have to look at how my Facebook friends or the people I follow on Twitter behave to know how to act, as it is users themselves that have made these rules.

Today, we’ll help you avoid the biggest etiquette pitfalls with these tips:

1. Thank people for their retweets. On Twitter, a ‘retweet’ (or RT) is a previously tweeted message that you share with your followers. It is important to thank for RTs on social media. There are several ways to thank someone for a retweet, and some of them are really funny, as you can see in the following article: 30 Ways to Say Thank You for a Re-Tweet.
2. Use #FF: On Twitter, keywords are preceded by # symbols (or hashtags). If you tag a user name and then the hashtag #FF or Follow Friday, you are signaling to your followers that you endorse those people and they are worth being followed. Now, if someone has included you in a #FF list, you should give them a #FF recommendation as well, thank them for doing so, or both.
3. Attempting to follow someone and then unfollow them before they can follow you is considered rude.
4. Don’t ask your friends for a RT of your tweets. Retweeting a message should be a personal option. If someone likes your tweets, they will retweet them, don’t worry.
5. Don’t use Twitter to promote yourself. Some people only tweet their own blog posts or use Twitter for their own professional gain only.
6. Avoid bombarding your followers with tweets that will flood their timeline. Even if you think your tweets are irresistible…

Well, these have been a few tips on Twitter etiquette. I must admit I don’t always follow them and it is not out of rudeness, as I am truly convinced of the value of good manners, but sometimes I don’t have as much time as I’d like to fulfill the protocol to return mentions, retweets or follow fridays. And on the social networks just like outside the net, I don’t think an untimely response is considered good manners

How do you act on the Web?

Published by Ana Etxebarria, November 2011

I have recently read an article claiming that millions of preteens have signed up for Facebook, as indicated by a recent survey carried out in the US which showed that parents actually helped them lie to do it. I have 4 kids under age 12 and all of them have Facebook accounts, so I feel very much related to this issue.

Facebook sets the minimum age for using its service at 13 to comply with US federal laws that protect children’s online privacy.

However, a new survey from Microsoft and such top universities as Berkeley and Harvard has found that half of all parents with 12-year-olds and 1 in 5 parents of 10-year-olds knew their kids were using Facebook.

Asked how the children signed up for the service, thus violating the site’s terms of service, nearly 7 in 10 parents admitted they helped their kids set up the accounts.
The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, drew from a random sampling of 1,007 parents with children ages 10 to 14.

The survey comes amid a debate over children’s online privacy protection in a new era of mobile apps and other technologies. Consumer reports recently reported that 7 million underage users were on Facebook.

Do age limits for Internet services really stop children from using age-restricted sites? Should companies be allowed flexibility to experiment with new services and technologies without new regulations?

Most parents, me included, want our kids online as early as possible. We don’t want to be told how to be a parent. We want our children to be part of the digital world and be able to communicate with relatives and friends using current technology tools.

But, what do privacy advocates say? Well, they say that parents are not fully aware of what data is being collected about their children. If parents knew that sites such as Facebook collect information to deliver customized ads, they would be more cautious. This is total nonsense in my opinion. Or is that TV stations don’t bombard our kids with advertising in children’s networks?

Now, the question is: Is it really good for Facebook to have those underage users illegally? Well it must be, otherwise they would do something about it.

What do you think?

Published by Ana Etxebarria, November 2011

Customer experiences are on the brink of a new era. Web sites have become critical to influencing decision making and building a stronger relationship between the brand and the end-customer. And already the sheer number of devices consumers have at their disposal – and the types of interactions they expect- quickly make today’s “be4st practice” tomorrow’s old news.

Let’s have a brief look at some impressive figures provided by Gartner:

• 30 billion pieces of content were added to Facebook this past month.
• Worldwide IP traffic will quadruple by 2015.
• More than two billion videos were watched on YouTube … yesterday.
• The average teenager sends 4,762 text messages per month.
• 32 billion searches were performed last month … on Twitter.

So, the question is, how is Social Media paving the way for the future of Customer Service & Support Centers?

Like in the majority of areas within an organization, social media is changing the way customer interacts with the software vendor.

YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc. have taken the CRM world by storm and now it is a business norm to interact with customers in real time utilizing this modern technology. Customers that follow companies on social networking sites expect that we will be able to get a fast response. If that need for a response is not met, this has the potential to escalate into increased complaints on social networks and a poor public impression of a company. If customers are pleased with companies, however, they can also use Facebook or Twitter to praise those companies, leading to a more positive public perception.

Panda has already an official Twitter account for Technical Support and Customer Service @PandaTechSup and a Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/PandaSecurity. In 2012, we can expect to have to do more customer service online and dedicate resources to staying on top of online commentary and responding to it in a timely manner. The old saying, “the customer is always right” is more important than ever in a competitive and difficult economy. Customer loyalty and satisfaction is a key component to any organization’s success and bottom line.

Written by Benjamín Kroitoro, October 2011

At La Piazza we are always committed to giving you the best advice on how to protect yourself from the dangers of social networks and the Internet.

On this occasion, we are giving you a summary of the article published by Benjamín Kroitoro, General Manager of Panda Mexico, in the PC World Mexico magazine:

Social networks are fantastic. They allow you to interact with old friends, meet new ones, stay in touch with people from all over the world… but they can also pose serious risks and dangers.
Avoid risks and enjoy social networking sites by following these simple tips:

• Don’t share sensitive personal information: your phone number, your address or other private information.
• Just as you wouldn’t accept a gift from a complete stranger on the street, don’t accept files or anything else you might be offered by email, on the Internet or social networking sites.
• If you have been using email for any length of time, I am sure at some point you have probably received a message from a friend with a text similar to “Just saw this picture of yours. It’s so funny!”. The best thing to do is make sure that the email you have received is legitimate. Ask your friend whether they have actually sent you the message before opening it.
• Never accept to be friends with people you don’t know. Avoid chatting with strangers.
• If you are using a shared computer, make sure you log off completely from any programs you have accessed using a user name and a password. Otherwise, other users could easily access your professional, Facebook or Twitter profiles, etc., get private information like addresses, account numbers or passwords and use them to steal money from you or carry out other malicious activities.

This may seem a bit repetitive, but remember, prevention is better than cure

For more tips like these, go to the ‘Internet in Safe Hands’ campaign website: http://protectyourfamily.pandasecurity.com/es/

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Read the full article here (in Spanish): Consejos de seguridad para las redes sociales.

Published by Blanca Carton, September 2011

In the past, looking for a job basically involved checking out the classified ads in the local newspaper or handing your resume out to relatives and friends in case any of them knew of a job you could fill. Today, in addition to this, you must also post your resume on the top job sites: InfoJobs (www.infojobs.net), Monster (www.monster.es), LinkedIn (www.linkedIin.com),…

Companies turn to these sites to select candidates quickly and easily. During the selection process they gather both ‘traditional’ information on applicants (education, work experience, etc) and also data regarding their online reputation.

Bear in mind that “First impressions are now shaped by the digital footprint you leave online, long before you meet someone in person”. “When you consider search engines are the first place people go to search for information, you can see that understanding your online reputation, as well as the techniques to protect, manage and enhance it has never been more important” (source: Ben Cotton “5 basic things you should be doing to manage your online reputation”).

Just like in real life, your online reputation will follow you everywhere, for good or bad: the way you interact on the Web with companies, teachers, students, friends, relatives…, your posts and tweets (your interests, what you share and who you share it with), etc.

What are the conclusions that a recruitment agency tracking you online might reach? Maybe you want companies interested in hiring you to see that you are someone who likes solving problems, researching or sharing information, etc.

Having a good professional online reputation will work in your favor. Keep protecting it. If, however, you have spent all these years posting inappropriate comments, photos or content, don’t sweat it, you can still restore it.

Here are some basic tips to manage your online reputation:

Understand your current online reputation

• Discover what websites the Internet equates with you. Begin with a simple search of Google, Bing or Yahoo for your name. Don’t just look for your first name and last name. Enter your first and last name, the + symbol and the place you study or work at… You can also perform searches on people search engines, like 123people.com or PeekYou.com for more information.
• If, during your search, you discover that your identity has been stolen without your knowledge, report it. It is a crime.
• Remember that in order to prevent identity theft you must keep a good antivirus installed on your PC. Don’t forget this when you surf the Web or interact on social networks.
• If, once you have analyzed the results, you realize that you need to clean up your online reputation, you can request to cancel inactive or inappropriate profiles, delete certain content or hire the services of a company specialized in cleaning up online profiles. Wipe the slate clean as they say.

What to do next:

1. Don’t lie. When you are interacting with people online, be honest and never pretend to be someone else.
2. Keep your ‘professional’ identity (sites dealing with your professional life) separate from your ‘personal’ identity (sites where you interact with friends, etc in a more relaxed way).
3. Pay attention to your privacy settings on the different sites (LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter). Set proper restrictions and permissions. Bear in mind that anything you post on the Internet with public permissions will be immediately made public for everybody to see.
4. Take part in social media regularly and create constructive content (blogs, podcasts, videos or photo albums). This will improve your reputation in recruiters’ eyes, as they will see that these contents take planning, creativity and compromise.
5. Finally, monitor how often your name is mentioned on the Web. How? You can use free tools like Google Alerts. This tool will send you an email whenever your name is mentioned on the Internet.

I hope you find these tips useful to avoid any nasty surprises with your online reputation .

Published by Blanca Carton, February 2011

As you know from previous posts, our YouTube Tech Support Channel contains video tutorials explaining how to use our antivirus products.

The videos we have posted so far are as follows:

• How to install your antivirus product

• How to download the latest product version

• How to activate your antivirus product

We finish this series with the video How to register your antivirus product.

This video will guide you through the registration process that will let you enjoy exclusive services like access to the latest product versions and special discounts when purchasing your license.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/AntivirusSupportUSA/v/sIXxN2-5duQ?hl;w=425&h=344]

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I would like to conclude by thanking you on behalf of the entire team that collaborated to create these videos. We have seen views increase day by day and there is no better reward for us.

They have been up on YouTube just for a month and they are already very popular, check these figures out:

Subscribe to our Tech Support Channel on YouTube and keep up to date on our latest videos. Send us your comments!

Published by José Manuel Bernal, February 2011

We are happy to announce that we just released Panda Cloud Antivirus version 1.4

If you are reading this after seeing a “Panda Cloud Antivirus has upgraded automatically!” message on your traybar, then you already have this latest version installed and running.

If you don’t have Panda Cloud Antivirus installed yet you can download it from www.cloudantivirus.com

What’s new at the latest Cloud Antivirus version?

This version includes the following improvements:

• New notification system. This system is integrated in the console and displays the most appropriate message to users depending on the characteristics of their product (type of version installed, time elapsed since the product was installed, whether the Panda Security Toolbar has been installed or not).
• URL filtering toolbar compatible with Internet Explorer 9 and Firefox 4.
• The ‘Free’ and ‘Pro’ texts have been included in the antivirus main screen in order to clearly identify the installed product.
• Fixed translation errors.

Panda Cloud Antivirus version free and Panda Cloud Antivirus version paid

The basic version will remain free, and those who wants to buy superior version with more features and tech support can pay for the Pro one for 29,99.

Panda Cloud Antivirus Support Forum

I’d like to encourage anybody who needs help to contact me or any other moderator through our support forum. I am sure we can be of great help to answer any questions you might have.

You will have a whole support team available to you, including the following moderators: budee, GoneToPlaid, Ibrad09, intrepid44, kilps, Shadowman and swejuggalo. Also, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them all for their great job.

Take part in the forum and tell us your opinion!

Note: More information in Panda Cloud Antivirus Blog