December 28th, 2017 by admin
Avoid costly data security breaches by training your staff to check for secure connections when handling private information on the Internet. Secure Hyper Text Transfer Protocol, or HTTPS, is a technology legal, healthcare, and financial businesses use...
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Tags: consulting services, HTTPS, managed IT services
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security
December 28th, 2017 by admin
There are many ways to reuse an old computer. Replacing an old computer that still works is a good feeling. The device survived the replacement cycle. However, some desktops and laptops have the potential to lead second lives in the workplace. Re-assigning...
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Tags: consulting services, cost savings, productivity, software updates
Posted in: Solutions
November 22nd, 2017 by admin
After years of improving smartphone glass durability, a shift design is bringing back the perils of dropping the device only to discover the glass has cracked on impact. The newly released iPhone 8 and iPhone X aren’t doing well in drop tests, with screens...
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Tags: consulting services, mobile devices, productivity
Posted in: Hardware and Software
November 16th, 2017 by admin
Businesses use surge protectors every day without thinking about them; however, they are an incredibly important piece of technology that can make the difference between a $20.00 and a $2,000.00 equipment replacement. While uncommon, a power surge can...
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Tags: consulting services, cost savings, productivity
Posted in: Hardware and Software
November 8th, 2017 by admin
It's inevitable: employees working hard on a time-consuming project and then out of nowhere, the lights start to flicker and the power goes out. Suddenly, those workers express their frustration by pulling out their hair because they've just lost hours'...
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Tags: consulting services, cost savings, productivity, tips and tools
Posted in: Hardware and Software
October 24th, 2017 by admin
A new spear phishing technique, being used in a hacking campaign called FreeMilk, takes advantage of a Microsoft Office vulnerability in order to hijack existing email conversations to spread malware to high-profile targets. This new technique phishing...
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Tags: malware, phishing
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security
October 17th, 2017 by admin
So far, 2017 has been an eventful year for increasing access to password-alternative smartphone and laptop unlocking techniques. Notably, Samsung added Face unlocking to the Galaxy S8 line and Apple introduced Face ID on the iPhone X. Of particular note,...
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Tags: BYOD, consulting services, passwords
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security, Hardware and Software
October 10th, 2017 by admin
Wireless charging in the workplace has the potential to make it easier for your employees keep their arsenal of devices running throughout the day with fewer of those pesky low battery warnings. Until recently, wireless charging hasn't been as good at...
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Tags: Android, consulting services, cost savings, iOS, productivity
Posted in: Hardware and Software
October 3rd, 2017 by admin
The 2017 Equifax hack is teaching a painful lesson about the necessity of businesses keeping up with software patches for IT security and to avoid catastrophic damage. The hack, which resulted in potentially exposing the financial information necessary...
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Tags: backup and disaster recovery, identity theft, security threats, software updates
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security
September 26th, 2017 by admin
With proper planning, your business can take advantage of USB flash drive technology to increase productivity, while eliminating most of the medium's inherent risk. The USB flash drives likely lying around your business offer excellent opportunities to...
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Tags: backup and disaster recovery, cost savings, encryption, productivity, security threats
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security, Hardware and Software
September 19th, 2017 by admin
Setting up your conference room for wireless screen mirroring is the answer to employees sharing in a collective groan when it's time to connect a computer or mobile device to show a presentation. While setting up the conference room television or projector...
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Tags: Android, BYOD, iOS, Mac OS, Microsoft Windows, productivity, screen mirroring
Posted in: Hardware and Software
September 12th, 2017 by admin
It's easy to take a functional Internet connection for granted until it's no longer working. When that Internet connection inevitably goes down, your business could be left scrambling to figure out how to keep working until service is restored. The best...
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Tags: backup and disaster recovery, cost savings, mobile devices, productivity, Wi-Fi
Posted in: Solutions, Hardware and Software
September 6th, 2017 by admin
Online retailers are already working on business strategies for the Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday online shopping weekend months in advance. These three days are the busiest online shopping days for retailers, bringing in nearly $6 billion...
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Tags: consulting services, infrastructure, scalability
Posted in: Hardware and Software
August 29th, 2017 by admin
Adobe Flash, the web content standard the Internet loves to hate, will soon meet its ultimate demise: Adobe will finish phasing out the platform in 2020. Flash, first introduced in the early 2000s, has been on a gradual decline for almost as long as it...
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Tags: Adobe, managed IT services, mobile devices, security threats
Posted in: Hardware and Software
August 22nd, 2017 by admin
In July of 2017, some Windows 10 users received an error message when trying to install the Creators Update, stating, "Windows 10 is no longer supported on this PC." This first-of-its-kind problem stems from an incompatibility with a handful of Intel's...
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Tags: consulting services, Microsoft Windows, productivity, security threats
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security, Hardware and Software
August 15th, 2017 by admin
According to a 2017 published study by Advisen and Experian, one of the biggest threats facing small businesses comes from within, such as overconfidence in the organization's ability to protect itself and recover from cyber security attacks. While businesses...
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Tags: Internet of Things, mobile devices, phishing, ransomware, security threats
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security
August 8th, 2017 by admin
Ransomware, a type of malware that holds a computer hostage and tries to force the victim to pay money to recover access, is a nightmare for any business, but the healthcare industry faces the more severe side of a ransomware attack. The healthcare industry...
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Tags: cloud platform, healthcare, malware, phishing, ransomware, security threats, software updates
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security, Partners and Industries
August 1st, 2017 by admin
Hijacked accounts are an IT security nightmare, so it makes sense for your company to look at new technology for better ways to keep your digital assets safe. While security professionals are working out new ways to look at what account credentials are,...
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Tags: passwords, security threats, two-factor authentication
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security, Hardware and Software
July 25th, 2017 by admin
In June 2017, WikiLeaks released secret documents that exposed the tools the CIA uses to infiltrate public and private networks through routers. These documents have shined a light on how easy it is for someone to hack a router.
This begs the question,...
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Tags: Internet of Things, passwords, security threats, software updates
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security, Hardware and Software
July 18th, 2017 by admin
Spending far too much money on excessively overpowered computer hardware can quickly deplete your company's IT budget, taking funding away from other important expenses. Two exciting products released in June 2017, Apple's new iMac Pro ($4,999) and Intel's...
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Tags: Apple, consulting services, cost savings, Intel, managed IT services, productivity
Posted in: Hardware and Software
July 11th, 2017 by admin
If your business is using 2-factor authentication, or 2FA, methods to secure your important accounts, you may need to investigate better ways to implement the practice. Security experts widely recommend using 2FA, a system which utilizes a second security...
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Tags: consulting services, passwords, security threats, two-factor authentication
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security, Hardware and Software
July 5th, 2017 by admin
It happens in every office eventually: an employee is going about their workday and suddenly their computer or monitor won't turn on. Fortunately, there's gold in those unused desktops and laptops stuck in the storage closet. Aside from the computers...
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Tags: backup and disaster recovery, cost savings, managed IT services, security threats
Posted in: Hardware and Software
June 27th, 2017 by admin
Getting caught off-guard in a cyber security attack is a disaster for any business, large or small—and the frequency of attacks is only getting worse.
According to the CyberEdge 2017 Cyberthreat Defense Report, hackers successfully compromised...
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Tags: backup and disaster recovery, malware, mobile devices, passwords, ransomware, security threats
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security
June 20th, 2017 by admin
Amazon Alexa, the voice-based intelligent personal assistant you may have seen an early adopter friend use at home, has surprising business use potential to increase productivity in the workplace. Like Apple's Siri, Google Assistant, and Microsoft's...
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Tags: cost savings, managed IT services, Microsoft Windows, productivity
Posted in: Hardware and Software
June 13th, 2017 by admin
Many small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) have taken to hosting their own intranet to increase productivity in the workplace. For those unfamiliar with the term, "intranet" is not a typo, but rather an internal network that behaves like a private Internet....
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Tags: cost savings, productivity, software updates
Posted in: Solutions
June 6th, 2017 by admin
Computer memory market trends could play a role in your business’s decision on when to upgrade or replace employee computers. According to PC World, the technology research experts at Gartner predict that prices for both RAM and Solid State Drives (SSDs)...
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Tags: cost savings, mobile devices, productivity
Posted in: Hardware and Software
May 23rd, 2017 by admin
When trying to determine if a piece of technology is simply old or completely obsolete, keep in mind that there are different criteria for Android and iOS devices than for desktop and laptop computers. An employee stuck using an obsolete device is likely,...
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Tags: Android, Apple, iOS, managed IT services, mobile devices, productivity
Posted in: Hardware and Software
May 16th, 2017 by admin
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) solutions can help small and medium businesses increase productivity by enhancing your communication potential. VoIP isn't just a simple digital upgrade over your existing office analog phone service: It opens the...
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Tags: cost savings, managed IT services, productivity, scalability, VoIP
Posted in: Partners and Industries
May 10th, 2017 by admin
It happens to everyone: You turn your computer back on after you intended to leave the office, or come in early to get a head start on a new project, only to be greeted by a 20-minute operating system (OS) update session. This common workplace frustration...
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Tags: malware, Microsoft Windows, productivity, security threats, software updates
Posted in: Hardware and Software
May 3rd, 2017 by admin
Anyone who has ever lost years of work due to computer failure will tell you that backing up your devices can save you considerable heartache and frustration. Reliable, redundant, and regular data backups are your business's best strategy for disaster...
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Tags: backup and disaster recovery, managed IT services
Posted in: Hardware and Software
April 26th, 2017 by admin
Email and social media accounts provide a wealth of cyber security challenges for businesses. Hackers often look for exploits in account operations to steal information and seize control—both of which can be extremely damaging and difficult to combat....
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Tags: email, financial services, healthcare, law firms, passwords, security threats, tips and tools
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security, Partners and Industries
April 19th, 2017 by admin
Samsung's March 2017 announcement that its flagship smartphone would support first-party peripheral that makes the device work like a desktop computer could mean big changes for how people look at their productivity devices.
While this is not the first...
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Tags: backup and disaster recovery, mobile devices, productivity, Samsung
Posted in: Hardware and Software
April 11th, 2017 by admin
If your business hasn't already made the switch from Windows 10's predecessors to a new operating system, it's time to make the initiative a priority. While your IT staff doesn't need to upgrade every computer in your office, it's necessary to make sure...
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Tags: backup and disaster recovery, Microsoft Windows, security threats, software updates
Posted in: Hardware and Software
April 5th, 2017 by admin
If one of your office computers always seems to shut down or slow to a crawl at the busiest of times, you may have a case of overheating on your hands—especially if IT can't find anything wrong on the software level. Performance hiccups might seem like...
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Tags: consulting services, Mac OS, Microsoft Windows, productivity
Posted in: Hardware and Software
March 28th, 2017 by admin
If the sounds of disgruntled employees complaining about poor Wi-Fi connectivity are all too familiar in your SMB, it's time to consider switching to a mesh network.
Unlike traditional Wi-Fi networks that use a single point of origin and optional...
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Tags: Android, cost savings, iOS, mobile devices, productivity, Wi-Fi
Posted in: Hardware and Software
March 21st, 2017 by admin
With a little bit of effort, your staff can reap all the benefits of a laptop, and many of the perks of a desktop, with a little bit of planning and some additional hardware. It's a common perception that laptops lead in portability, while desktops specialize...
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Tags: backup and disaster recovery, consulting services, managed IT services, productivity
Posted in: Hardware and Software
March 14th, 2017 by admin
The malware infection, discovered in late January, that's been hiding out on Mac and Linux devices for more than two years doesn't mean the security floodgates are open, but it is a reminder that these devices aren't invincible. Apple is calling this...
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Tags: Apple, biotech, healthcare, Mac OS, malware, security threats, software updates
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security
March 9th, 2017 by admin
Network-Attached Storage (NAS) servers are a great asset for small businesses managing data. For the uninitiated, NAS is essentially a streamlined server designed specifically for sharing files between devices.
Because of their simplified...
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Tags: backup and disaster recovery, cost savings, productivity, security threats
Posted in: Hardware and Software
March 1st, 2017 by admin
When it comes to your office computers, a little bit of spring cleaning goes a long way. Sure, cleaning office computers can seem tedious. But think of it like preventative maintenance on a vehicle: In the best-case scenario, you'll never know all the...
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Tags: backup and disaster recovery, malware, software updates, tips and tools
Posted in: Hardware and Software
February 23rd, 2017 by admin
It's quite common that, over time, Windows systems accumulate a laundry list of programs that load when a user signs in.
While generally benign, most of these "startup" programs are unlikely to actually benefit the user—so the computer ends up...
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Tags: managed IT services, Microsoft Windows, productivity, tips and tools
Posted in: Hardware and Software
February 15th, 2017 by admin
It's a familiar sighting in the workplace: the employee with half a dozen sticky notes attached to their computer monitor. While not the most confidential or elegant solution, these employees are on to something.
Fortunately, technology has stepped in...
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Tags: Mac OS, Microsoft Windows, productivity, tips and tools
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security
February 8th, 2017 by admin
Your employees' computers may not be up to speed anymore after two or three years of use, but in many cases your staff can upgrade or tune up these devices to keep pace with work demands. Upgrades can often be purchased and installed for under $100 a...
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Tags: backup and disaster recovery, cost savings, Microsoft Windows, productivity, tips and tools
Posted in: Hardware and Software
February 1st, 2017 by admin
Multi-tasking wizards have a secret: Modern operating systems offer a handy technique for managing multiple windows while maximizing available screen space, significantly increasing productivity. Depending on the OS, this feature may be referred to as...
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Tags: Mac OS, Microsoft Windows, productivity, tips and tools
Posted in: Hardware and Software
January 24th, 2017 by admin
Unlike most IT security threats, phishing scams attack the human element instead of the machine element. Phishing scams try to bait a person into exposing confidential information by posing as a legitimate, reputable source, typically by email or phone....
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Tags: backup and disaster recovery, managed IT services, passwords, phishing, security threats
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security
January 18th, 2017 by admin
Depending on your industry, modern virtual reality (VR) devices could offer impressive options to improve productivity. The video game industry, for one, has been a major player in pushing VR technology. Despite a handful of flops like Nintendo’s 1995...
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Tags: consulting services, cost savings, healthcare, productivity
Posted in: Hardware and Software
January 11th, 2017 by admin
For anyone unfamiliar with the Google Applications platform, Google Docs et al. are a Cloud-based spin on mainstay office suite programs that can help your staff work better together.
With a zero-dollar price tag (compared with Microsoft Office's...
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Tags: Android, cloud platform, cost savings, iOS, Mac OS, managed IT services, Microsoft Windows, phishing, productivity
Posted in: Hardware and Software
January 5th, 2017 by admin
If your small-to-medium business (SMB) isn't looking at ways to increase productivity through Cloud services, you could be missing out on exciting opportunities. But while the Cloud offers countless opportunities for business expansion, it can also taking...
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Tags: cloud platform, consulting services, cost savings, managed IT services, productivity
Posted in: Hardware and Software