XFER Blog

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

While we all know how much magic the workshops up at the North Pole rely on to produce presents for the good children of the world, we have it on good authority that they also rely on quite a bit of technology. For instance, there are a lot of letters that need to be sorted and read before Santa’s big ride. Let’s read up on what our partners up north frequently deal with in their critical operations.

If we told you that someone could guess information about you just from looking at an image, what would you say? You’d probably say, “yeah, no $!#?!” but we’re not talking about minor details… we’re talking about a lot of details. Paragraphs, even—plenty enough to be concerning.

Having tools that help enhance your ability to support your customers is rarer than you may expect. One of the best tools a lot of businesses employ is Customer Relationship Management (CRM). The CRM system can transform how a business operates, but to make the most of it, you’ll need to employ some strategies. 

Dealing with computer problems can be frustrating, especially when you’re trying to get things done. Sometimes the solutions are simple, but other times, you might need help from an IT expert. Let’s talk about some of the most common issues and how you can fix them.

Want to be a business without hearing how artificial intelligence is changing the industry? Good luck; it’s a big deal that this technology has flourished in recent years, and businesses have found all kinds of ways to implement it. While AI has significant capacity for growth and to be an excellent tool to help human society, a lack of AI regulation has led some to believe that it’s only a matter of time before something bad happens that ruins a good thing for everyone.

Digital security cameras have changed the game when it comes to keeping places safe. They can be beneficial in all types of situations. Offices, retail spaces, warehouses, and other properties should be covered by some type of surveillance. This not only allows for real-time security, it can reduce liability and have a positive effect on an organization’s bottom line.  Here's a breakdown of three big reasons why they’re better than old-school analog cameras.

With technology being such a crucial element of many businesses and their operations, it only stands to reason that it ultimately pays to invest in and maintain it. That said, many businesses lack the resources in one way or another to properly manage their IT independently.

In these cases, it pays to outsource some or all of your IT support, and for various reasons. Let’s go over three of the major benefits to be had.

Productivity is what fuels your personal or professional goals, and it’s easy to tie it into your self-worth if you’re not careful. It’s hard to be productive all the time, though. Today, we want to give you some actionable tips on how you can keep your productivity levels reasonably high.

Have you ever imagined what life would be like if you weren’t buried in papers all the time? Loose sheets of paper, sticky notes, printouts… it’s all so wasteful and bad for the environment. But you can make a difference by going 100% paperless; that is, if you have the gumption for it.

Google is all-in on artificial intelligence, as evidenced by their creation of Google Gemini, the company’s AI platform. As one would expect, this means that Gemini has a substantial list of capabilities that today’s businesses can take advantage of.

Let’s run through some of them as a refresher and, perhaps, introduce you to new opportunities.

Technology is so ingrained in business that it’s nigh-impossible to operate without it. For this reason, cyberattacks on businesses are even more devastating, as they can halt operations and expose important data. Today, we want to highlight five common problems you might encounter with your cybersecurity.

Sometimes, one of the most effective ways to be productive is to step back for a moment. Consider how long a chess grandmaster will sit and stare at the board, planning the moves and maneuvers for the next seven turns.

So, to boost your productivity, approach your tasks like a chess grandmaster. Let’s discuss how to go about doing so.