Macro Systems Blog

Technology is meant to be the wind in your company's sails, propelling you forward, simplifying tasks, and making operations smoother, right? Sometimes, it is! Other times, it feels more like a mischievous gremlin has been let loose in the engine room, and certain seemingly small habits can escalate into full-blown operational nightmares.

Here at Macro Systems, we've seen a pattern or two. Listed below is a look at three common technology mistakes that might be silently sabotaging your productivity or even worse, leaving your digital doors wide open.

Do you ever wonder why some businesses seem to have endless technology issues? It’s not by accident. It's usually a matter of not having the smart, simple habits in place to combat problems that present themselves. Listed below are three ways that your business can avoid large technology headaches.

For small and medium-sized businesses, a data backup plan may seem difficult or even impossible to implement without the right in-house IT expertise. That’s no excuse to neglect data backup. Listed below is an explanation of the 3-2-1 backup rule, which is an ideal standard to aim for.

You see it everywhere, again and again: how much return an investment into proper business technology will bring, with little to no context behind these claims. We want to fix that.

Listed below is a look at why so much information about today's IT options can be less than helpful, and see if we can’t clarify what it means. Simplifying technology for the businesses we work with is one of our primary goals, after all.

Do you know what goes into a successful data backup strategy? If not, understand that your business relies on these contingencies to confidently face the challenges of the modern business world. Listed below is a break down of the essentials of a sound backup strategy, which is more complicated than you think.

Deals are great; offering some money and getting more than you’d expect in return… It’s the next best thing to free. It’s also really nice to get something fast.

Not so fast, though. As nice as they can make things seem, “cheap” and “quick” aren’t often synonymous with “effective” or “valuable.” In fact, selecting the presumably easy route regarding your business technology can ultimately lead to bigger problems in the form of something called tech debt.

Third-party vendors are essential for today's businesses; they deliver mission-critical resources and tools to the organizations that utilize them, including raw materials, software, and other services. Alas, these vendors can also serve as direct lines into your business for a cyberattack to take advantage of for their own purposes.

Listed below: how you can still lean on your vendors without sacrificing your critically important security.

The constant talk about cybersecurity can really be overwhelming. While some Internet tales may be exaggerated, the reality is that these cybersecurity risks are a serious concern for every organization. Is your business truly prepared to confront the sophisticated digital adversaries of our time? Listed below is a look at three prevalent cyberthreats that could inflict significant damage on a business, and what you can do to keep them from negatively impacting yours.

For all the effort and investment a modern business needs to put into its cybersecurity, it is equally critical to acknowledge each team member's role in an organization’s security protections. Many of your employees, through no inherent fault of their own, are themselves a vulnerability as they allow many cyberthreats into your infrastructure via scams and simple mistakes. That being said, this doesn’t have to be the case.

Listed below: why it is imperative that you train your team to be a cybersecurity asset and how to do so.

We're all busy. Whether you're steering the ship or making sure the daily operations run smoothly, cybersecurity might feel like another drain on your time. Imagine a day when everything grinds to a halt, trust evaporates, or significant money vanishes into thin air. These aren't abstract fears, they are all-too-real consequences of cybersecurity oversights, creating moments that everyone in a business, from top to bottom, desperately wants to avoid… and can.

There are many ways that a modern small or medium-sized business can experience an issue that puts their IT out of commission in one way or another. Each one can hit one of these businesses especially hard in the wallet.

Let’s review some today and discuss how they can be resolved.

How often do you find yourself feeling the weight of your agenda stressing you out, and, counterproductively, distracting you from the task you’re currently working on? One of the best ways to power through and stay on track is to step away and take a minute to get your stress back under control. 

Technology is woven into almost everything we do, from collaborating on projects to connecting with clients. Making sure we handle this technology correctly is critical for the efficiency and security of your entire business. In this month’s newsletter, we just wanted to go through a couple of actions that can help any professional enhance their technology.

The difference between embracing current business technology and sticking with antiquated technology that has served you well in the past can be stark. It's not just about avoiding disaster; it's about harnessing power, speed, and agility to reach new destinations.

Technology is a big deal for any business, but for small businesses, keeping pace isn't just a good idea; it's becoming necessary to the survival and success of the whole endeavor. Every instant gratification and falling behind can have a real effect on an organization’s ability to support their offerings.

Growing your business means making smart choices, which definitely includes getting the right technology. Finding the right tech can often feel like a balancing act: you need powerful tools to compete and grow, but you also need to be mindful of your budget.

At Macro Systems, serving businesses right here in the Metro Washington, DC area, we help you find that sweet spot where your tech investments truly support your goals without unnecessary costs.

If you feel like you never have enough time to work through your to-do list, you’re far from the only one. If you make small adjustments to the way you tackle everyday tasks and responsibilities, you may be able to change your productivity habits for the better. Listed below are tips on how you can make the most of your workday with simple, easy tricks.

Robust IT tools and services are not a luxury, but the very lifeblood for businesses of every size. They offer the essential direction, unwavering stability, and seamless connectivity required not just to survive, but truly thrive in an increasingly digital world.

Yet the questions remain: what exactly constitutes these pivotal "IT tools and services," and more critically, why should they take a top spot on your business priorities?

While it’s the longest-running joke in the world of IT, the question “Have you tried turning it on and off again?” is still an imperative one to consider when things are going awry. There’s a good reason why it’s such well-known advice, too: turning your device off can help solve a significant amount of technical issues. Why is this the case, and what can you learn from it?

There are a few occasions that we get a very apparent example of how imperative basic cybersecurity is, regardless of where you are, and this year’s National Football League draft provides one such example.

For those who don’t follow the NFL or the draft proceedings, multiple draftees received prank calls during the process, although one in particular is applicable to businesses of all kinds. Let’s examine this situation to reinforce a few important cybersecurity best practices.