XFER Blog

Good communication is essential for any business. It can be as basic as having a phone line or as advanced as using tools that help your business grow. For small businesses, communication can be challenging. Limited budgets, growing teams, and the need to stay flexible often make traditional systems too expensive or outdated. That’s where cloud-hosted communications come in as a modern and better option.

DETROIT, MI — On January 23, local managed IT provider XFER and numerous other businesses supported this year’s edition of Soup City, the Coalition On Temporary Shelter’s fundraiser against homelessness and generational poverty at downtown Detroit’s Roostertail.

Have you ever thought about whether a hacker could secretly read your emails with your clients and coworkers? If you handle your own email system, it's really important to know about email encryption. Encryption helps keep your emails safe and private so you can focus on running your business without worrying about hackers.

Here are three big problems you could face if you don’t encrypt your emails:

Imagine this: a factory floor is silent, machines are turned off, and workers stand around with nothing to do. Or think of an office where employees sit idle because the computer system is down. This is downtime—a period when a business’ operations drag to a halt. While it might not seem like a big deal initially, downtime is one of the most significant drains on a company’s resources. In this month’s newsletter, let’s take a look at why this is.

Every January 28th, with cyberthreats on the rise and consumer trust more vital than ever, Data Privacy Day is your perfect reminder that you have the power to take charge of your data. Whether you’re a small business owner or an executive in a larger organization, safeguarding sensitive information is not just a legal and ethical responsibility—it’s a strategic investment in your company’s future.

Water cooling is a common method of keeping computing hardware at reasonable temperatures, particularly for gaming PCs, data centers, and similar high-demand applications. What if, however, a business used a similar method to keep their entire building climate-controlled?

Microsoft intends to do so in some new data centers, as many residences have begun implementing a version of this system.

Keeping your smartphone safe for work is something that we all need to do. Not only do you have all of your personal data, if you use it for work, it probably has access to work emails, files, and other sensitive information, making it a target for hackers. To make sure it stays secure, here are some simple tips anyone can follow.

While most browsers offer a bookmark feature, allowing a user to save certain web pages for repeated viewing, Google Chrome adds to this with an added functionality: Google Saved.

Previously known as Google Collections, Google Saved gives users a convenient place to keep track of things they want to return to later… similar to a bookmark, but more so.

The official end-of-support date for Windows 10—October 14, 2025—will be here before you know it. This means you must prepare to transition to Windows 11 as soon as possible, assuming you haven’t already done so.

Here are a few tips and best practices to keep in mind to help make this transition as smooth and painless as possible.

Productivity is typically a top priority for any business, which is why there are countless technology solutions promising to help you work more efficiently. However, what happens when these solutions don’t work as intended? Your team’s efficiency can plummet, leading to frustration, downtime, and unnecessary costs.

As an information technology provider, we are tasked with helping your business make the best decisions possible related to your IT infrastructure. In this role, we offer a gentle recommendation that you purchase hardware you expect to need over the next year as soon as possible. If you don’t, you might be left high and dry without any good options to choose from.

Securing your network is essential in this age of near-constant cyberthreats. One of the best ways individuals and businesses have to secure their accounts is through two-factor authentication. How do you make the most out of it? Let’s discuss the best practices to ensure your 2FA setup keeps your digital life safe.

Smart products are everywhere nowadays, ranging from video doorbells and assistants to more niche appliances… including breast pumps and floss dispensers. However, despite all of these devices being very different, most have one thing in common.

It just so happens that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission is concerned about this commonality, as it’s the fact that many don’t publicize when updates are available—or even provide them at all.

With new tariffs on imports looming and Microsoft ending support for Windows 10 in the near future, now is the time to reconsider your organization’s hardware needs. 

While it might feel convenient to wait until the last possible moment, there are compelling reasons to act sooner—both for cost savings and to avoid future system vulnerabilities. We break down why these changes matter and how you can protect your business by upgrading now.

Who handles the tech decisions for your business? If it’s you, are you sure you have all the knowledge you need to make the best choices for your company’s tech future? If not, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered with a service called a Virtual CIO.

Technology brings a fair amount of automation to any organization that chooses to use it. One of the most popular ways that automation is used is by sending emails. Automated emails can be used in support of nearly any action your business takes, but there are questions whether some of them actually offer the value you think. Today, we discuss some of the pros and cons of automated emails. 

Happy New Year! The coming weeks and months hold great promise for us all. Unfortunately, “us all” includes cybercriminals and hackers looking to use cutting-edge tactics to their fullest advantage. As a result, it is even more necessary to be aware of and prepared for the cybersecurity threats that 2025 is likely to see.

Using a computer can be frustrating when things go wrong, but you’re not alone. Everyone has dealt with annoying tech issues at some point. Let’s look at three super common tech problems and how you can handle them.

For many, the New Year is a time of renewal and fresh starts, allowing us to turn the page and begin our next lap around the sun on the right foot. That said, the holiday is also steeped in traditions—for instance, the Times Square celebration, where a massive ball is slowly dropped to signify the countdown until the calendar officially shifts from one year to the next.

This tradition has a fascinating history, based mainly on the technology of the times.

Many businesses today operate across the globe, thanks to fast Internet speeds that support remote work. By hiring workers from different parts of the world, companies can create and deliver their products or services more efficiently. In this blog, we’ll look at the key changes businesses need to make when working with remote teams.