As an increasingly more important component of the modern technology infrastructure, the cloud can be a daunting new addition to any organization’s business strategy. Yet, many businesses still haven’t made the jump to the cloud, perhaps out of fear that their use of the cloud won’t significantly benefit them.
Firewalls are one of the most common IT security measures on the market today, and for good reason. They act as the first line of defense against any incoming threats, and without them, your organization would have to deal with one data breach after another. Of course, that’s only if you’re taking advantage of a proper firewall; if not, you should seriously consider doing so as soon as possible.
Mobile devices have taken the workplace environment by storm, and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t use their smartphone, laptop, or other device for work purposes. This trend, called Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), helps employers spend less on new solutions, but it also presents a risk that needs to be managed: the Internet of Things (IoT).
Businesses thrive on technology, and constantly use it to push their initiatives forward. However, the latest solutions and business technology can often be complex, and it usually requires the attention of skilled professionals in order to guarantee its optimal efficiency. The only problem is that small and medium-sized businesses often don’t have funds to hire in-house IT technicians for their technology maintenance needs. Managed service providers offer a unique benefit for these budget-minded organizations.
Business owners are taking great strides toward freeing themselves from the confines of the office environment once and for all. This means integrating wireless technology into every aspect of the way you handle operations. However, there are still some uses for wired technology that wireless cannot facilitate.
In today’s online business environment, security is nothing to scoff at. Yet, there are many businesses that don’t play by the rules when it comes to monitoring account security on a shared network. This puts both themselves, and their businesses, in danger.
When it comes to storing data locally on your organization’s workstations, you have a couple of options. There are solid state drives and hard disk drives, but the average user isn’t tech-savvy enough to understand the difference between the two. Regardless of what kinds of devices you use for your business, you should be aware of how they work and what you can expect from them.
So far, 2015 has been relatively calm compared to the hack-fest that was 2014. However, we’re only halfway through the year, and there’s still plenty of time for hackers to make short work of networks. Remember, all it takes is a single mistake to expose your business’s network to a host of different threats. Understanding what these threats are and how to handle them is of the utmost importance.
There’s no question that data backup is absolutely critical for the success of any modern-day business, but how does your organization go about it? Just like how we rely on quick snapshots to capture moments with our smartphones or digital cameras, most backup solutions take advantage of image-based backup technology. How does this kind of data backup work, and what are the benefits it provides your business with?
Technology can be a fickle thing for small and medium-sized businesses, especially if they don’t have a dedicated staff whose sole responsibility is handling the maintenance and management of IT. It becomes much easier to simply outsource the responsibility to a managed service provider, but even choosing this has implications that should be considered before making such an important decision.
Your computer network is only as strong as its weakest link. One of the most overlooked links is your network switch, and if your IT infrastructure is becoming more dependent upon wireless technology, then you’re going to want to perhaps upgrade your network switches.
For your business’s IT, it’s important to consider both the short-term and long-term benefits of new technology solutions. However, which of these offers the greatest return-on-investment in terms of profitability and workplace efficiency? Some might argue that short-term IT (think break-fix IT) is more in line with a business’s immediate needs, while long-term IT (i.e. managed IT) considers longevity and proactive thought.
One sometimes-frustrating aspect about computer networking comes from the always-changing nature of technology. For example, let’s say that you have your network perfectly set up with everything running smoothly, then comes along some newfangled IT trend or mission-critical technology workflow that requires you to change everything. You can’t prevent this from happening, but you can stay on top of the latest IT trends so that you’re not caught off guard.
Vendors can be a hassle. You need their product or service to keep the gears of business turning, but sometimes, having to deal with vendors can be way too time-consuming. This is where our vendor management service comes in.
Most of the time, when it comes to cybersecurity, businesses tend to focus primarily on external threats rather than those that might be lurking in the shadows of their internal operations. Believe it or not, the most dangerous entities out there could very well be working for you, right under your nose.
Putting together an IT budget is an exceptionally tricky procedure. Every year presents unique technical challenges that need to be addressed, but the slightest miscalculation can be detrimental to an IT budget. Here are five tips to give your organization some breathing room when it comes to planning out next year’s IT expenses.
If you don’t already have a backup solution put in place, no time is better than the present to consider what it would cost your business if you were to lose everything in one fell swoop. There are plenty of ways you can back up your data, but the reality of the situation is that if you were to lose your business’s information, you wouldn’t be able to continue operations. It would put the entire future of your company in jeopardy, so you need to be absolutely certain that your backup and disaster recovery solution is fool-proof.
One of the primary threats that business networks are trying to protect themselves from is malware. We’re all aware of how much damage a stray piece of malware can inflict on a business, as they can perform functions like lock down files, steal sensitive data, and distribute crippling viruses. In recent developments, studies are showing that malware is now involved in less than half of all reported hacking attacks, and that more sophisticated measures are now being taken to exploit unwary users.
You and your staff require certain software applications to get work done, whether it be your line of business app, your accounting software, or even Microsoft Office. This brings up a crucial question: do you know where all pieces of software you require came from, and are your licenses valid and up to date?
Mobile devices are changing the way that businesses look at the workforce, but one of the main draws (and possibly detriments) is how the industry continues to change rapidly as new solutions are made available. In order to maximize your business’s efficiency with mobile devices, it’s important to consider these three trends shaping the way that organizations handle modern mobile device management.
