XFER Blog

Coming up with new solutions constantly can put a strain on your business. This can take up a significant amount of time, and before you know it, implementing revolutionary ideas meant to improve efficiency can get in the way of your day-to-day operations. Wouldn’t it be nice to integrate a complete solution in a quick, all-inclusive package?

Technology helps business owners around the world achieve greatness on a regular basis, and it’s become so attached to the office that the two are inseparable. The only issue with this is that you become completely reliant on it, making technology issues feel catastrophic. Instead of paying for an on-site visit from a technology support provider, wouldn’t it be more convenient to just pick up the phone and have someone fix the issue immediately?

We’ve all had days where our office is bustling with activity and everyone is producing a desirable amount of work. These kinds of days are what make being a business owner so fulfilling. This fulfillment, however, can be replaced with panic and discord in a heartbeat. All it takes is a disaster or hardware failure to bring down your entire operational infrastructure. Thankfully, all it takes to make a disaster a minor inconvenience is to be proactive about disaster recovery.

In order to keep up with the latest industry trends, businesses are turning to technology management solutions that help them better leverage their assets to garner leads and optimize operations. One such technology is virtualization, which improves access to desktop infrastructures and data stored on virtual servers. In fact, you can even use virtualization to make your applications much more accessible and flexible.

A business owner knows how important data backup is, but they might not have the time or knowledge to seek out the best solution for their business. Unfortunately, disasters can happen when you least expect it, and this unpredictability holds the future of your company hostage. Before jumping into a particular backup solution, think about where your business currently stands, and what options you have available to you.

The cloud offers modern businesses ways to store and run applications that couldn’t even have been imagined several years ago. While some companies have decided to go with the flow and take advantage of cloud computing, others might find that their cloud services aren’t meeting the standards set upon them. What can they do about this?

As you are no doubt aware, BYOD, or Bring Your Own Device, is taking the business world by storm. This forces employers and IT departments alike to consider the security ramifications of letting employees use their personal devices in the workplace. What’s the security situation of your BYOD policy look like?

Businesses that take advantage of outsourced IT are successfully able to cut costs on their IT budget, but did you know that there are several other benefits that can be taken advantage of by integrating outsourced IT? For instance, outsourcing IT gives you access to several skilled individuals, all with different skillsets, that your IT budget might not normally support.

In business, you need to be competitive to experience growth. Otherwise, your competitors might catch up and surpass you when you least expect it. When your computer network is reliable, you can know with certainty that your employees are operating at optimal efficiency. For a small or medium-sized business, this can mean all the difference.

Small business owners, beware. On July 14th 2015, Microsoft will stop supporting the aging server operating system, Windows Server 2003. If your business is still operating servers using this outdated OS, you need to upgrade away from it before the end-of-support date. If you don’t, you run the risk of hacks and security discrepancies.

Technology is vital to the success of any business, but even the most common issue can prevent users from accomplishing their day-to-day goals. Even technology that’s known to be reliable can fail at any given time. This is especially true for the notorious hard disk drive, which is required for the average workstation to function properly. In order to get the most out of your technology, and to avoid data loss, look for signs of hardware failure before the deed is done.

As technology grows ever more complex, the average garden-variety threats grow exponentially. As such, security measures grow more comprehensive to battle the myriad of new threats that appear every day. If you’re not protecting yourself by maximizing your network security, you could be weak and vulnerable.

Hardware virtualization is an increasingly popular trend in the workplace, and it’s easy to see why. However, another viable option to save on electricity and operation costs presents itself with thin clients. With the advent of virtual desktops, it’s easier than ever to take advantage of thin clients in the office, but are they right for your business?

We’ve been known to discuss the importance of proactive IT solutions and handling issues before they become problems. However, the difference between the two isn’t always as clear as it should be. The true value of our managed IT services can only be understood if the difference between the two can be distinguished.

When it comes to your data infrastructure, accessibility and mobility are two of the top necessities. Many businesses take advantage of a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to meet this requirement. A VPN has the ability to extend your company’s network virtually over the Internet, allowing remote users to access your infrastructure. However, considering the popularity of the cloud, it might be time to reevaluate your VPN solution and make sure it’s still relevant.

A common occurrence in the business world is the employee who wants to use their sweet new smartphone for the purposes of work. The average business owner might be ecstatic that the employee wants to get more done in the day, especially when the device isn’t on the company’s dime. However, some professionals forget that these smartphones aren’t immune to being misplaced or stolen.

Today’s technology has transformed the business world into a land chock-full of emails and text messages, where the spoken word is a nearly-lost practice. This makes phone calls even more special than they used to be, and can make or break the satisfactory customer experience. As your business grows, the costs of a legacy telephone system grow along with it. VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is a desirable solution to decrease communication costs both in and out of the office.

It’s important to understand that you as a business owner wouldn’t be as successful as you are today if it weren’t for the talents of your professionally-trained team. You need to understand that the complexities and time constraints of running a business put a lot of responsibility on your shoulders, and you can’t take matters into your own hands as often as you’d like. The ideal situation is one where your team’s professions encompass all aspects of your business. This is especially true for IT.

As you are well aware, your business’s data is one of its most treasured assets. It could be gone in the blink of an eye if you aren’t careful in defending it. If an unexpected hardware failure or power outage were to occur, would your business be able to bounce back with minimum downtime and without any data loss? Businesses must always be aware of the importance of data backup, especially in the technology age where personal or sensitive information can easily be stolen or destroyed by a seasoned hacker.

With new technology being produced every day, it’s only natural that the IT industry grows alongside it. Due to this, you might have a lot of unused junk lying around from continuous upgrades. A lot of this old technology might still be perfectly usable, if a bit old; but it’s important that you know when to say “goodbye” and replace your IT equipment.