POST CATEGORY : Information Technology

Safeguarding Against Natural Disasters with Cloud Computing

When Hurricane Sandy hit in late October, it wasn’t only the people along the East Coast who felt her wrath. As New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania were darkened by power outages, computer users and businesses everywhere also suffered a blackout of sorts.  Data centers were knocked off-line, taking popular websites down with them. The outages also meant that some remote employees didn’t have access to their company network.

Cloud computing has benefits in a number of situations, but it is especially during a natural disaster that its value really shines through. The cloud can be advantageous in protecting data loss during a disaster by allowing organizations to perform offsite data replication to a cloud storage provider, Chris Trautwein, chief information security officer with  (ISC)2  pointed out.…

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Back It Up: Choosing The Right Storage Solution For Your Business

Choosing The Right Storage Solution For Your Business

Regardless of the size of your business, you need to have a data storage solution that protects your data and acts as a backup in case your primary storage fails. Just take a minute to imagine how you would go about trying to recover if you suddenly lost all of the information stored on your business computer, and you’ll quickly realize the necessity of data storage. Consider a wide range of options, including both on-site and remote storage, and pick the one that best meets your small business’ needs.

Pros and Cons of On-Site Storage

Keeping your data on-site may seem like the smart choice, given that you feel like you have the most control over data there.…

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Laptop pregame: What to do to your company laptops before you give them to employees

Giving employees company laptops is a great way to allow for maximum productivity both in and out of the office. You don’t have to worry about software incompatibility issues – everyone will have the same make and model of computer. Employees who couldn’t work out of the office will now have the ability, regardless of whether they owned a computer in the past.

What to do to your company laptops before you give them to employees

There are a few things that you have to do to your company laptops, however, before you can hand them over to your employees. By taking a few precautions now you can help avoid massive headaches and potentially expensive issues later on.…

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Cloud Support Services Work To A CEO’s Advantage

Your chief information officer (CIO) may be in the loop about the latest cloud support services and offerings, but how about the company’s CEO? What many don’t realize is that technology consultants often recommend that business leaders who choose to place their data in the cloud, or use cloud-based applications, allow third parties to manage it.

cloud support services

In addition to giving you the ability to improve vendor relationships, cloud support services can help streamline service management, support company growth and give your IT employees the opportunity to focus on revenue-related projects.

Additional advantages of cloud support services include:

A focus on business outcomes.…

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Managing Business Growth: Fail To Prepare, Prepare To Fail

Managing an expansion is a difficult task. Should you be overzealous or over ambitious, you could end up doing your business more damage than good. Equally, it’s important not to be overcautious, subsequently missing opportunities. It’s up to you as a business owner to find the right balance and largely, your knowledge and experience will dictate this.

tips for managing business growth

That said, there are steps you can take to ensure you navigate the process more smoothly though. Here’s some things to consider before you undertake a big expansion…

Recruit wisely

With expansion, comes the need for extra staff. Integral to this process is a HR manager, so make sure they’re amongst the top of your recruitment priorities.…

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Cloud Questions That Your CEO Will Ask

One of the first things a young lawyer learns is “Never ask a question in the courtroom that you don’t already know the answer.”

Now put yourself in the conference room with your CEO. Topic of discussion: The Cloud. You’re boss will be taking the opposite approach of a lawyer; they’ll be asking you a lot of questions that they don’t know the answer to.

questions about cloud computing

Will you be prepared to answer all of your boss’s questions about how cloud services can help his company? It won’t take much to get up to speed especially if you use the following questions and answers as your guide:

1.…

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How To Reduce The Costs Of Technology In Your Business

Every company is concerned about the bottom line. Without that attention to detail they’ll constantly be throwing good money after bad. The quickest way to score points with upper management is to show initiative through developing cost cutting measures.

how to cut technology costs

One area where you might have an advantage is by taking a comprehensive review of the costs of your business’ use of technology. Here are some helpful factors to consider when approaching the issue of cost cutting technology.

1.   Find the Cost

There are many layers to a company’s technology infrastructure. In order to target costs you have to become familiar with those layers.…

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Keeping Cloud Computing Costs in Check

keeping cloud computing costs down

The cloud is a boon for companies with small budgets and small (or no) IT staff. It is seen as a way to keep costs in check.

But as so often happens with budgets, there are expenditures that you plan for, and then there are the costs that  seem to appear out of nowhere.

The cloud, of course, is not immune to cost overruns. According to Carl Fransen with CTECH in Calgary, Alberta, cloud-related costs seem to be nice at the start  but can add up after a while.  “Many cloud services charge extra for exceeded bandwidth, extra processor power, etc.,”…

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Prevent Cyber Crime: Tips To Combat Cyber Criminals At Your Company

preventing cyber crimes in your business

Imagine what would happen if your company’s data was compromised. Cybercrime can cause a company to lose money, credibility and customer trust. Cyber criminals work hard to gain access to your files and personal information. Needless to say, protecting your company against cybercrime should be a priority.

Don’t Rely on Firewalls Alone

Just because your company’s network is protected by a firewall doesn’t mean it’s totally safe. While the use of mobile marketing, desktop mobility and social media make branding and engagement easier, these new technologies also make data much more vulnerable to malicious threats. Because the threats are constantly evolving, the approach to cyber security has to follow suit.…

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Are You Consultant-Phobic? Check Out These 6 Mind Blowing Benefits to External Advice

benefits of hiring a business consultant

Ever think about hiring a consultant? Think your business is too small to benefit from a consultant? You’re wrong! Check out these 6 benefits before you say “No Way”.

Regulatory Compliance: A consultant would be able to help decide on the most optimal structure for your specific situation. Other compliance requirements like documentation and tax filing are also better done by a third party. Most regulatory provisions are open to interpretation and a consultant would help you to minimize your compliance costs without incurring any penalties for violations.

Performance Optimization: Consultants typically have access to benchmarking data across diverse industries on areas such as best practices, cost elements, strategy options and so on.…

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