If given the opportunity, would you rather manage a room full of big, bulky servers to maintain an in-house data network, or would you prefer to decentralize your infrastructure to make it more accessible, redundant, and secure? A data center can help you do just that, and it’s not nearly as difficult or as complicated as you might think to utilize one.
Think about running a small or medium-sized business. It's like trying to juggle a million things at once. You're super focused on keeping your customers happy, making sure your team is doing well, and, of course, making money. Among all of that, there is something that often gets overlooked: the technology that makes all of your efforts possible.
Technology is the engine driving success in our community. From managing daily operations to engaging customers, reliable IT is no longer optional. Keeping that engine finely tuned—ensuring hardware, software, and networks are always up-to-date—presents a significant challenge. Technology evolves at lightning speeds, and managing it can feel like a constant, resource-draining battle, pulling you away from focusing on your core business.
Is your current IT setup empowering your growth, or is it quietly creating risks that could derail your progress? Many businesses operate with technology that feels "good enough," unaware of the hidden dangers lurking beneath the surface.
VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is great. It can be a pivotal tool to help you transform your business’ communications infrastructure, provided you implement it with intention. Today, we want to share three of the biggest benefits your business can expect to enjoy from switching to a VoIP solution.
Data storage is hardly the most interesting topic out there, but it’s one that your business needs to consider if it’s going to flourish in the modern era. The cloud offers you real benefits from traditional on-premises file storage, all while being cheaper and more efficient. Let’s take a look at three reasons you might consider cloud storage over in-house infrastructure for your company’s data storage needs.
There are plenty of reasons why a business might lose some or all of its data, ranging from cyberattacks to hardware failure. Unfortunately, there isn’t any real reason your business won’t be one of the unlucky ones.
This makes it imperative that you prepare for this eventuality. Let’s discuss how to do so with the help of data redundancy.
Security should be at the top of any business owner’s list of priorities. While cybersecurity often gets the spotlight, physical security is just as critical; after all, if someone can walk in and steal your equipment, all the firewalls in the world won’t help you. Fortunately, technology has made it easier than ever to protect your business from physical threats. Here are some physical security technologies small businesses can use to keep their assets safe.
Running a business today without technology is pretty much impossible. Whether it’s email or messaging for communication or point-of-sale software for stores, every business depends on tech. Where there’s tech, there has to be someone to manage it.
We all know companies collect a lot of data. After all, your business is no exception to this rule, and you likely collect significant consumer data to facilitate operations. But if you get the itch to protect your personal privacy (and you should), there are ways to limit how much advertisers, criminals, and other companies can gain access to. Here are just a couple of ways.
So, you’ve gone ahead and upgraded to Windows 11. You’re ready to explore the fresh design and all the new features. But instead of smooth sailing, your computer slows to a crawl… random errors start popping up… and you can’t install any security updates…
That’s the nightmare faced by businesses that try to run Windows 11 on unsupported hardware.
Hardware requirements are a checklist you should use to make sure your business devices can handle an upgrade.
Think of it like a recipe: If you’re missing a key ingredient, the dish won’t turn out quite right. And while you might like to improvise in the kitchen, it’s better not to risk it with your business tech.
Windows 11 brings a leap forward in both performance and security. If you want to make that jump, you need a solid foundation in the form of modern hardware that can support its advanced features.
One of the key requirements for Windows 11 is something called TPM 2.0. This is a small chip that acts like a security vault for your PC, locking away passwords, encryption keys, and other sensitive data. TPM 2.0 is also essential for preventing certain types of cyber attacks. Without it, your system is more vulnerable.
Other requirements – like enough memory (RAM), sufficient storage, and a compatible processor – help to make sure your device can run Windows 11 smoothly.
Microsoft has warned that forcing Windows 11 onto unsupported hardware is a risky move. Sure, you can do it – but you’ll be on your own if things go wrong. Your device won’t receive updates, including critical security patches that keep your systems safe from cyber attacks and other threats. Without updates, your business’s devices become an easy target.
So, you might be thinking – why not just stick with Windows 10?
Here’s the thing: Microsoft is ending free support for Windows 10 in October this year. After that…
There is an option to pay for extended security updates, but it’s not a permanent solution. Upgrading to Windows 11 helps to make sure your systems stay secure for the long haul, without extra costs and headaches down the line. And beyond the security benefits, Windows 11 comes with loads of productivity tools designed to make your business run more smoothly.
If upgrading your hardware feels like an unnecessary expense, think of it as an investment. Modern devices don’t just meet Windows 11’s requirements; they run faster, last longer, and reduce the risk of downtime.
The bottom line is that hardware requirements aren’t just suggestions – they’re there to protect your business and give your team the tools they need to succeed.
If your devices don’t meet Windows 11’s requirements, now is the time to plan your next steps. Don’t wait until Windows 10 support ends or your systems become a security risk for your business.
We can help you upgrade without the stress. Get in touch.
An expiration date helps to make sure you aren’t buying fast-turning foods at the grocery store, and now, the technology industry is making strides to establish a similar standard. A new industry report recommends new legislation pushing for End-of-Life (EoL) disclosure, which would, in theory, allow businesses and consumers alike to make more informed purchasing decisions. What does this mean for your business?
There you are, working on the most important project of your career. You’ve worked through the initial problems and are making progress, and then your computer crashes. Panic sets in. You reboot, hoping that will fix the problem. It doesn’t. This is the nightmare scenario that haunts businesses and individuals alike. If you don’t have a solid backup plan, you’re one spilled coffee or rogue virus away from disaster.
Technology is the cornerstone of most modern business operations, making supporting this technology more important than ever. That’s one reason we’re so proud to provide IT assistance to our fellow businesses.
As we’ve done so, however, we’ve noted that some assistance is required more often than other forms of support. Let’s go over what some of these usual suspects are, and why it is so helpful to have someone (ideally, us) assisting you in managing them.
For businesses, one of the scariest threats out there is that of compliance fines for not holding up your end of the bargain with your customers’ data. But what goes into compliance, and what does it look like? We won’t be digging into the nitty-gritty of what these specific regulations require; rather, we’re performing a broad analysis of what businesses should be doing to ensure compliance, regardless of the protocol or the industry.
One of the biggest things that businesses need to consider today, from an IT front, is how artificial intelligence fits in. One way many companies are integrating AI into their businesses is through chatbot technology. Today, we will tell you everything you need to know to get started with chatbot technology.
Running a small business comes with many challenges: managing customers, handling inquiries, scheduling appointments, and marketing your services, just to name a few. While these tasks are mandatory for the creation of a successful business, they can also be extraordinarily time-consuming. That’s where chatbots come in.
Antivirus is a staple security solution for businesses and everyday PC users, but have you ever considered how it works? By thinking through some of the details, you might gain a greater understanding of how antivirus works, what it does, and why you need to keep it updated. Today, we’re going to discuss just that, starting from square one.
Skype, once a popular and beloved video chat platform, has reached the end of its rope (in a manner of speaking). Microsoft is discontinuing the 20-year-old communication application, instead focusing its efforts on Microsoft Teams. The last update to Skype will be on May 5, but that doesn’t change the impact Skype had on the development of modern communication tools.
The modern business is more technologically driven than ever before, but there are some out there who haven’t embraced the benefits of technology and have alternatively chosen to stick with their more analog, tried and true methods. In today’s blog, we’ll discuss why technology is important and how to get started if your business is stuck in the 20th century.
We will always reinforce how critical it is for everyone in any workplace to have a grasp of cybersecurity best practices, regardless of their role or responsibilities. However, based on a survey conducted by UK-based cybersecurity firm Ramsac, this baseline is not being met by a long shot.
Why do we say this? Simple: this survey revealed that one in three adults failed a cybersecurity test designed for 11-year-olds.
