When it comes down to it, your employees are being paid for their time spent at work. Business operates on the principle of “time is money,” which means that every minute wasted cuts into your bottom line. If you’re looking to squeeze the most productivity out of your employees, then there are technologies available that can take back those precious minutes.
Macro Systems Blog
The topic of online pornography can be rather uncomfortable to discuss, but it’s an issue that business owners need to be aware of; especially considering that 70 percent of all online porn access happens during business hours! Whoa. This statistic has some naughty implications for what your employees may be doing on company time.
During the broadcast of Super Bowl XLIX, Coca-Cola premiered a bold new commercial meant to inspire viewers, make the world (wide web) a happier place, and of course, sell Coca-Cola. To be sure, it was a monumental marketing effort, but for those of us in IT, we find it cringeworthy and must object to the commercial’s content.
As seen by the recent Superfish app debacle, software that comes preinstalled on a new PC shouldn’t always be trusted. Most of the time, the innate software on a device can be trusted; but the Superfish application is an exception. This app, which came preinstalled on new consumer class Lenovo PCs, such as those that are available at local retailers such as MicroCenter and BestBuy, between the months of September and December of 2014, can potentially compromise the security of your machine.
Smartphones may have been some of the first Internet-connected mobile devices, but they are still as vulnerable to attack as ever. This is especially true for those who forsake any sort of mobile device security policy. With modern businesses utilizing mobile devices, it’s more important now than ever before to have solid security practices in place.
We often discuss why it’s important that a business takes proactive measures to resolve IT issues before they become problems, but these definitions might be lost on some of our followers. In order to understand the true value of our IT services, it’s imperative that you’re able to distinguish the difference between these two disruptive sources to your technology.
Accessibility and mobility are important parts of a business’s data infrastructure. To this end, some businesses take advantage of a Virtual Private Network (VPN), which has the power to extend a personal network over a private network like the Internet. However, with new services like cloud computing gaining traction, is it time for businesses to switch up their VPN policies to stay relevant in their industry?
Recently, we’ve been approached by clients asking us about an employee wanting to set up their company email on their iPhone. The business owner thought, “Hey, that’s great! They’re getting more work done and I don’t need to pay for the phone or the service.” We then brought up a crucial point: “What happens when your employee leaves the company or loses their smartphone?”
Some businesses are finding hardware virtualization to be an effective alternative to hosting their own servers in-house, and for good reason. They save money that would ordinarily be spent on electricity and operating costs associated with owning machinery. Similar to these virtual servers and workstations are what are known as “thin clients.”
When it comes to business communications technology, you don’t want to be caught using technology that’s outdated. Thanks to the innovations afforded to your company by Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), you can have access to lots of game-changing telephone features that blow traditional phone systems out of the water. Has your business switched to the VoIP advantage?
There’s no denying that computers have become a central figure in the rapid growth and success of Western culture. With it brings commentary. In the second half of the 20th century and the first decade-and-a-half of the 21st century, humans have turned to the motion picture to tell the stories they deem important and noteworthy. The growth of technology has not only presented us with our new lifestyle, it has virtually erased the lifestyle of our ancestors, and this revelation leads to fear.
We’re all aware of how the proliferation of mobile devices is changing the workplace, but let’s take an objective look at this trend. Are mobile devices changing the workplace for the better? Are employees actually using their personal devices to get more work done? Or, is the BYOD trend a bunch of hype and nothing’s really changed? Let’s find out.
Technology has come a long way since 2003. It seems like just yesterday that Microsoft dropped support for Windows XP, and in just a few short months, they’ll be dropping support for Windows Server 2003, as well. If your business is one of the many still utilizing this server operating system, you’ll want to make sure that you upgrade away from it before July 14th, 2015. Otherwise, you’ll be running without security patches or updates.
A couple of big names stand out when it comes to hacking attacks, but the recent Sony hack has really taken the cake. The GOP, who call themselves the “Guardians of Peace,” have exposed a ton of details to the public, including the company’s budget, their plans for layoffs, and 3,800 employee Social Security numbers. Now, they’ve released even more information; this time, it’s leaked personal emails, and judging from the content of them, Sony never wanted them to see the light of day.
The IT landscape has changed so dramatically over the past decade that businesses need to stop and consider the latest solutions before cycling out their old IT equipment. In the past, when it came time to replace office technology, one would simply run down a standard list of IT equipment. Now, much of this standard equipment is no longer necessary.
Seasoned business owners understand the value of working with professionally-trained teams. Due to the complexities and time constraints of running a business, there’s no way that one person can do everything, much less doing everything well. Therefore, it’s ideal to have a professional team dedicated to every aspect of your business, especially when it comes to IT.
Your business’s data is one of the most important assets your company has, and with the bat of an eyelash, it could all be gone. Imagine an unexpected hardware failure causing your business downtime and severe data loss. All businesses should be aware of the importance of data backup and recovery, especially if they utilize personal or sensitive information.
In a world where brief emails and instant messages inundate our day-to-day lives, there’s something to be said about taking the time to pick up the phone and talk to your customers. As your business grows and your client base expands, this can become increasingly expensive. VoIP is the perfect communications solution for your growing business.