by zorro | Mar 25, 2013 | SMB Technology
Mobility in the workforce is increasing productivity and driving savings for small to medium sized companies. Recent research from the Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) uncovers 73% of small businesses surveyed cite they have a mobile device strategy driven by moderate to heavy focus for Mobility to make employees in the field more productive. Moreover, 58% of respondents have productivity gains for travelling employees as a moderate to heavy focus to include smart phones, tablet PCs and laptop computers in their businesses. Connecting employees with customers was cited as a moderate to heavy focus for driving Mobility strategies by 55% of those surveyed, while 48% cited eCommerce as a moderate to heavy focus in their Mobility strategies. To take full advantage of smart phones, tablet PCs and laptop computers in your company, there are a few precautions to consider when rolling out a mobile solution. Here are a few tips to consider to get the most from your Mobility solution: Check your Mobile Security Policy Some mobile devices may be vulnerable to trojans, malware and phishing schemes. Ensure that your Mobile Solution includes security measures to keep devices connected to your network, corporate applications and data are up to date with mobile anti-virus and mobile-anti malware protection. Passwords aren’t enough to protect your devices, therefore, companies must also encrypt corporate data on mobile devices and be prepared to remotely locate and wipe lost or stolen mobile devices. Check your Network Bandwidth for your Mobility Solution Some mobile applications can put a strain on your companies wireless network. To receive maximum productivity from your employees using mobile devices in the...
by zorro | Jan 28, 2013 | SMB Technology
Data Privacy Day may not be a holiday for your IT Support Professional, however, it is an international holiday dedicated to education about Data Privacy. On this day many private, government and academic Data Privacy and IT Security Professionals get together and discuss key issues about Data Privacy. What is Privacy Data and What Does This Mean to Your Business? Privacy Data can include a combination of Name, Address, Birthday and Taxpayer information. It can also include other information you may have related to employee health records, personnel records, customer data, supplier data and more. Keeping this data protected and secure from data leaks and hackers is important. You may face fines, suffer damages, loss of reputation and even loss of revenue if Privacy Data is leaked from your company. What Can You Do on Data Privacy Day to Protect Your Business? It is important to educate your employees about Privacy Data and the Risk of Loss. In today’s world where social networking is acceptable in many workplaces, employees may not realize the risks of sharing Privacy Information. The more your employees are aware of Privacy Data and the Risk of Loss the better. How Can I Protect Privacy Data on My Company Network on Data Privacy Day? It is important to keep you systems in compliance with O/S Patches, as well as, up to date with the latest Anti-virus and Anti-malware definitions. It is also a good idea to monitor your network for unauthorized access. You should also maintain a current backup of all of your privacy data. If you have a data leak you may be required...
by zorro | Dec 7, 2012 | SMB Technology
2013 IT Trends There are a number of driving factors that will influence 2013 IT trends. These trends include Mobility, Cloud Computing, Disaster Recovery and IT Security. These 2013 IT trends will influence IT budgets and plans, while enabling companies to take advantage of mobile computing, enterprise infrastructure, software as a service (SaaS), social networks and more. Here are some predictions for 2013. Mobility A top 2013 IT Trend is Mobility. Mobility and mobile device management go hand in hand. Most IT industry analysts agree market growth of smartphones and tablet computers will outpace PCs in 2013. The IT Industry research firm IDC is now projecting that 172.4 million tablets will ship in 2013. Mary Meeker, former internet analyst turned venture capitalist noted 24% of Black Friday shopping occurred on a smartphone or tablet in 2012. Microsoft also hopes to get a large share of the tablet PC market with its recent release of Microsoft Windows 8 RT Tablet. This trend in mobility will drive the greater need for Mobile Device Management and mobile security as more corporate data will reside on and be accessed by mobile devices than ever before. Cloud Computing Another 2013 IT Trend is Cloud Computing. In 2012 many companies turned to the cloud to access enterprise class infrastructure, remote support, online backup and software as a service (SaaS) for critical applications, such as email, sales force automation (SFA) and customer relationship management (CRM). Expect additional growth in cloud adoption from managed security solutions for anti-virus and anti-malware protection, as well as other data protection services. IT research firm Gartner predicts by 2015 ten percent...
by zorro | Oct 26, 2012 | SMB Technology
Upgrading to Windows 8? Microsoft started shipping their newest version of their flagship product Windows 8. According to Microsoft , over 1,000 new devices have been designed to take advantage of Windows 8. But what about upgrading your existing computers from Windows 7 or even Windows XP. Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before you begin upgrading to Windows 8. Did I Backup my PC? Before you install Windows 8 you should verify that you have a recent and reliable backup of your application data and an image of your PC. These backups become vital if you need to reinstall your older operating system for any reason while upgrading to Windows 8. Is My PC Configuration Compatible with Windows 8? Systems requirements for Windows 8 are slightly higher than Windows 7. To upgrade to Windows 8 it is advised that you have a minimum configuration of 1 GHz or faster processor, 1GB (32-bit) or 2GB (64-bit) of RAM, and a DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver. Keep in mind, these are the minimum requirements for upgrading to Windows 8. Are My Installed Applications Compatible with Windows 8 When a new operating system is released some application developers may be in catch up mode to ensure compatibility with the new O/S. While developers of your favorite software title are busy upgrading to Windows 8 you may experience performance issues and uncover some bugs. It is a good idea to test the software on a separate machine or install Windows 8 on a secondary hard drive for testing before you upgrade all of your...
by zorro | Sep 27, 2012 | SMB Technology
Beyond Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Many businesses have adopted an IT policy of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) to save money and provide employees with the flexibility of staying connected when they travel, work from home and spend time in the field. The BYOD policy allows employees to use personal smart phones and tablets for business purposes. According to research firm Computer Economics, companies can save between $1350 and $3500 annually by adopting a BYOD policy. In addition, employees can be more productive and have higher job satisfaction with a IT mobility plan. According to research by the Computer Technology Industry Association, CompTIA, security is the primary issue for IT Managers when it comes to mobility. The number one risk cited is loss or theft of a mobile device. Seventy percent of those surveyed implement mobile device password locking as part of their data protection plan for mobile devices. However, a four digit password in itself is not enough security, so there are a number of additional precautions companies should take to protect valuable corporate data. Here are a few recommendations you may consider to help mitigate risk from your BYOD policy: Have employees agree to a policy of notifying the company in a timely manner when a device is lost or stolen. If the company uses technology to “wipe” corporate data from the mobile device ensure employees keep personal data separate or prevent company data from residing on the mobile device all together. Local laws may prevent an employer from wiping or “rooting” a mobile device upon loss, theft or employee termination. If you do business in foreign countries be aware...
