XFER Blog

Nowadays, when someone mentions the cloud there is a 50/50 chance they are talking about the amorphous brumes in the sky. Many times what they refer to is the internet cloud. The concept has taken off exponentially over the past couple years and now is available to everyone. There are dozens of services dedicated to secure cloud-based file sharing and backup. Outlined below are three of the most well-known options currently available their similarities and their differences.

Does it sometimes feel that business is going well, yet your bottom line is taking a hit? If time is money, then downtime is anti-money, and downtime may be your biggest budget buster. To help you determine exactly how much your IT downtime is costing you, we have two mathematical formulas you can apply to your business.

Most companies will look at ways to save by spending less on products and services, like downgrading to store brand cola when budgeting. These cuts are never popular and have been known to incite office mutinies, "Dr. Thunder, are you kidding me?" Before you deprive employees of premium products, first take a look inside your server, it may be full of savings!

Ever since the first microfilm machine was rolled off the line 100 years ago, mankind has been striving to achieve the paperless office. If you are too young to remember using microfilm, think of an arcade cabinet, except, instead of Mortal Kombat, documents battle it out over a projected screen. Thankfully, we have come a long way in 100 years.

If you are reading this, then you obviously have an internet connection. Most internet users browse websites, check emails, and perhaps play a game or two, but if these activities are the extent of your internet usage, then you are missing out on a powerful, cost-effective tool called VoIP that uses the internet to entirely replace your old phone system.

Someone is laughing their way to the bank when it comes to printer ink prices, but it isn't small businesses. A gallon of printer ink can cost a minimum of $2,000. Granted, Michigan small businesses usually don't purchase a gallon of ink at a time. Suddenly, walking to the office printer and finding two copies of a 50-page .PDF file that had been printed accidentally and left for recycling would take on new significance.

Voice over IP phone systems revolutionize voice communications for small businesses by providing plenty of big benefits. VoIP uses the Internet to send signals as opposed to standard telco phone lines. Let's go over a few major benefits that businesses see when they switch to VoIP.

Server Virtualization has been around for a while but has quickly become more popular for small businesses due to the long-term costs saved when your servers are virtualized. What exactly is server virtualization and how can it benefit Michigan businesses?

Time is money. Benjamin Franklin offered up that poignant piece of business acumen in his 1748 pamphlet Advice to the Young Tradesman, Written by an Old One. Travel to the present day and it's one of the most frequent sayings used by businesses professionals. Attempting to find the highest degree of productivity is the goal for everyone that believes that the bottom line is, in fact, the bottom line. One expanding technology that is helping businesses increase efficiency is the Global Positioning System (GPS).

Businesses are inundated with information, programs and quick solutions on making companies green. Some of these suggestions can be implemented today, others my take more time. However, going green, can save your organization significant amounts of money. Wasted paper, plastic cups and wasted electricity are all money literally thrown away.  Here a few suggestions to get you off on the right foot:

Saving a little on your technology can go a long ways, but cutting too many corners can lead to additional problems and expensive downtime. Here are a few ways you can cut costs without creating long term issues.

As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, it's a good time to step back and look at ways to rejuvenate your day-to-day operations and do some spring cleaning. These practices won't cover dusting up cobwebs but will offer a few practices to improve your overall IT.