Sep 15, 2020 | SMB Technology, SMB Technology, SMB Technology, SMB Technology, Technology News
In our current situation, the ability to work anywhere is even more important. Whether at the office, on the go–or quite commonly these days, at home–unified communications (UC) supports the ability to communicate by voice or email and send information back and forth. Read on to learn more about how this technology can help your business always be available. According to a recent Gartner report, Unified Communications is expected to grow by $167.1 billion over the next five years, an average of 16.8% per year. This technology brings together various modes of communication–phone, text, web conferencing and email, providing a streamlined way to keep businesses connected. Employees working at home can collaborate via web conferencing, send data via email, and communicate with customers by phone. Voice Over IP (VoIP) supports this technology by providing phone connections via the Internet. Companies no longer have to rely solely on analog or private branch exchange (PBX) systems. Chat and email with customers and other employees is made easier. Applications like CRM can be integrated to expedite service, too. The Need for Software-Defined Wide Area Networks (SD-WAN) Unified Communications technology, enabled by the cloud, needs a fast and reliable network. Software-defined wide area networks (SD-WAN) uses multiple carrier service providers to furnish a wide area network with failover; if one part of the network experiences a bottleneck, another can pick up the traffic. Not only does SD-WAN provide a highly available network, but it can also save costs over legacy MPLS with added flexibility and a variety of carriers. Unified Communications can test the limits of your company’s network. With SD-WAN, your company’s...
Sep 8, 2020 | SMB Technology, SMB Technology, SMB Technology, SMB Technology, Technology News
Our unusual times have pushed businesses into adoption of cloud computing, the main reason being the increased demand for remote work along with the ability to maintain business operations. Gartner’s prediction for increase in cloud revenue in 2020 was 17%, from $227.8 billion to $266.4 billion, even before COVID 19. It’s possible that that revenue may increase even more. The “why” of moving to the cloud is easier to define for some than the “how.” Read on to learn more about the benefits of moving your line-of-business applications to the cloud. Benefits of Cloud Computing for Business Applications The question on the minds of many business owners is how to migrate critical business applications to the cloud. Some applications are cloud-ready (for fast migration) or cloud-optimized, running on Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) or Platform as a Service (PaaS) delivery models. As with all options, these have their benefits and considerations. Another option is cloud-native or SaaS applications, wherein computing resources are available via the Internet. The cloud service provider provides the infrastructure, too, so there is no need for costly capital expenses. Instead, SaaS provides an economical, subscription-based delivery model for cloud services, services which provide a wide range of mission-critical applications–CRM, accounting, HR, email and more. These can be accessed both in office and–very important, now–away from the office for remote workers. Another benefit of SaaS is that customer-facing applications (online chat, for example) can be rapidly deployed. Considerations for Cloud Migration As ever, a business needs to consider its business needs before cloud migration. What are the mission-critical applications that need to...
Aug 17, 2020 | SMB Technology, SMB Technology, SMB Technology, SMB Technology, Technology News
Data breaches have become so common that they are no longer news. Gartner predicts, “as more companies look to benefit from data, there will be an inevitable increase in data use and sharing missteps.” However, organizations that have a culture of ethics for data use will be better prepared to avoid such mistakes, and to handle them well if they do occur. Read on to learn how your company can have not just a data protection plan, but a culture that revolves around protecting the personal data of your customers. Protecting Your Business and Your Customer’s Data In spite of the occurrence of data breaches, your company can be protected. If you haven’t already done so, you might draw up a data-protection plan that will address what to do in case of a breach. Ideally your organization will already have technology in place to prevent data breaches–tools such as updated antivirus and anti-malware definitions and network monitoring, for instance. Hopefully, there is also a culture of ethics around use of customer information, including transparency with customers about what is done to protect their personal data. Countries and entire regions, such as Australia and Europe, have put legislation into effect to protect customers. Europe’s GDPR mandates a notification within 72 hours of a data breach. Australia’s Consumer Data Right gives its citizens the right to delete information that is no longer needed, as well as stopping data collection at any time While the U.S. has no nationwide law, individual states have their own regulations. For example, California gives their residents certain rights under the California Consumer Privacy...
Aug 10, 2020 | SMB Technology, SMB Technology, SMB Technology, SMB Technology, Technology News
While many businesses have already adopted cloud computing to a certain extent, others are still new to the technology. Whether your business is using cloud computing already, or is considering a move, it’s never too soon to develop a strong strategy. Read on to learn more about developing a strategy to guide your business in considering cloud computing. Strategy, Then Implementation A key feature of a cloud strategy is that it addresses why a company might move some or all of its operations to the cloud. According to a report by Gartner, “a cloud strategy explores and defines the role that cloud computing should play in an organization.” Formulating a strategy is a task of the entire organization, not simply the IT department. Departments such as human resources, legal and finance can provide valuable input, since they will use the computing resources that the cloud can provide. A company that has already moved some of its data and applications to the cloud can also develop a strategy moving forward. It’s easy to assume that if a business has moved to the cloud, it’s too late to develop a strategy. Quite the contrary, a strategy can help refine a company’s motivation for adopting cloud technology, based on lessons already learned. Strategists can examine how the cloud has benefited the business so far, meeting its needs (conforming to data regulations, for instance). Along with accomplishments, it gives a business the opportunity to correct any mistakes going forward. Once a strategy has been formulated, then implementation (including choosing a provider and a cloud environment) can begin. Contingency Plans as Part of Your...
Jul 20, 2020 | SMB Technology, SMB Technology, SMB Technology, SMB Technology, Technology News
Your organization’s computer network is the backbone of your IT operations, supporting data and applications such as Voice-Over IP (VoIP), call center and more. Monitoring this network can help save time and money. Read on to learn more about the benefits of network monitoring, and what to consider before adopting a solution. Benefits of Network Monitoring Network monitoring is a proactive way to detect and mitigate threats to your network’s security. One key function of network monitoring is identifying and solving small problems before they become larger issues. Network monitoring can identify possible intrusions from virus and malware, stopping data breaches before they occur and saving your business money and reputation. Network monitoring also helps identify any bottlenecks and reroutes traffic to keep data flowing, allowing your system to adapt in real time and data-intensive applications like VoIP and call centers to operate at their best. Why Monitor Your Network? Before adopting a network monitoring solution, consider the most critical needs of your network. One factor is your IT budget; how much should you allocate to avoid unnecessary downtime and performance issues? Loss of productivity, inability to service or communicate with customers and other business interruption can add up. Another factor to consider is how you will respond to remediate any notifications and alerts. With businesses partially closed because of COVID-19, remote network monitoring might be the best option. Remote monitoring constantly looks for potential bottlenecks and intrusions, removing the need for an on-site visit. Remote monitoring and management provides additional operating system patches and ensures anti-virus and anti-malware definitions are current to block possible data breaches. Again, this...
Jul 13, 2020 | SMB Technology, SMB Technology, SMB Technology, SMB Technology, Technology News
Cloud computing is now a common way for small to medium-size businesses to provision computing resources for flexible, cost-effective results. Read on to learn about how one cloud model–Infrastructure as a Service or IaaS–can help your business manage spend and maximize results. IaaS Provides Flexibility According to Gartner, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is a standardized, highly automated offering, wherein computing resources, complemented by storage and networking capabilities are owned by a service provider and offered to the customer on demand. With the infrastructure owned and managed by the cloud service provider, the business using the resources no longer needs to maintain infrastructure on-premises. The business can let the provider do the work of maintenance and updating, which converts a capital expense to an operating expense paid on a monthly or annual basis. In an IaaS model, a company can purchase extra resources for experimental technical initiatives, then scale back when needed. On-site infrastructure is available, to which new applications can be added. What to Consider Before Adopting IaaS Infrastructure as a Service, with its many benefits, still needs to be evaluated according to business needs. Some companies such as health care organizations are subject to compliance with HIPAA and HITrust, and will need a private cloud environment. Encryption of health-care data is vital, when it is in motion (as in the case of a telehealth appointment) or at rest. IaaS offers the most control for health-care organizations, including the ability for IT admins to modify how data is handled and stored. While some organizations might need to spend more for this level of security, maintaining security and compliance...
