Does Your Company Have a Mobile Computing Strategy?

BYOD, mobile device, Mobile Management, mobility, SMB Technology

Cloud computing, broadband Internet, and consumerization of IT are fueling the demand for mobile computing. Supporting employees in the field and traveling employees and connecting with customers are top areas of focus for IT today. Support for employees working from home and mobile commerce also drive the demand for mobile computing. The outbreak of mobile computing raises a number of concerns, including device theft and loss, mobile-specific virus/malware, and personal use of business devices. Additionally, mobile users may put additional strain on your corporate network and WiFi connections.

Is Your Network Ready for Cloud Computing?

Cloud, Cloud Security, Hybrind Cloud, IT Systems Compliance, Network Management, private cloud, SMB Technology, WAN, Wide Area Network

Cloud-based computing adoption is increasing among many businesses. According to the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) Annual trends in Cloud Computing study, 60% of business owners reported having 30% or more of their IT Systems in the cloud. Additionally, research firm IDC predicts cloud-computing solutions to total $24 billion by 2016.

Avoiding Downtime by Having a Business Continuity Plan

Backup and Data Storage, Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, Online Backup, Proactive IT Service, SMB Technology

Companies small and large are increasingly reliant on their IT systems and infrastructure. Having a Business Continuity plan is a proactive way of avoiding unnecessary downtime due to a disaster, human error, or security breach. Not only may downtime cause data loss, but also according to Gartner Research, a conservative estimate of the cost of downtime for a computer network is $42,000 per hour. For a small business without a Business Continuity plan, such downtime could have long-term crippling implications.

Heartbleed Bug: What a Business Owner Should Know

Cloud Security, data protection, IT Managed Services, IT Security, IT Systems Compliance, O/S Patch Compliance, Proactive IT Service, public cloud, SMB Technology, Website

The name Heartbleed OpenSSL Vulnerability (aka Heartbleed bug) is as scary as it sounds. Some reports say up to two thirds of all secure websites (e.g. those with a web address starting with a green https://) are using OpenSSL. It has been reported that Google was first to discover the Heartbleed bug that compromised sites including Yahoo, Tumblr, Flickr, Amazon, and other websites relying on OpenSSL for security. This security breach may provide hackers access to accounts, passwords, and credit card information.

Mobile Security: Does Your SmartPhone need a Kill Switch?

data protection, IT Security, mobile device, Mobile Management, mobile security, mobility, SMB Technology

Many Smartphones and Tablet computers have access to corporate applications and their data through Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies and corporate-sponsored mobility strategies. Mobile Security has become a popular topic for good reason. According to CIO Insights, mobile data traffic is expected to increase eleven-fold by 2018. Because of increasing data traffic on mobile devices, some government agencies are looking at legislation to require manufacturers to add a smartphone kill switch to remotely wipe a mobile device if it is lost or stolen.

Will Smartphones and Tablets Kill the PC?

BYOD, iPad, iPhone, mobile device, mobility, public cloud, SMB Technology, windows 8

With Windows XP support ending soon for millions of PCs, many companies are considering a variety of replacement strategies. The adoption of smartphones and tablets is clearly on the rise. According to IDC, PC shipments are expected to decline by 6% in 2014, and that trend is expected to continue. Meanwhile, shipments of tablets surpassed shipments of PCs in 2013 and are expected to outpace shipments of PCs by 2015. Does this mean death to the PC? Likely not, here is why…

Windows XP Updates to End on April 8

anti-malware, anti-virus, data protection, IT Security, IT Systems Compliance, malware, Network Security, O/S Patch Compliance, SMB Technology, windows 8

According to Microsoft, support is ending for Windows XP after April 8, 2014. Technical assistance, including automatic updates that help protect your PC, will no longer be available after this date. Microsoft will also stop providing Microsoft Security Essentials for download on Windows XP.

Why You Need a Bullet Proof Computer Network

anti-malware, anti-virus, Cloud, Cloud Security, IT Security, malware, mobile device, Mobile Management, Network Management, Network Security, SaaS, SMB Technology, Wide Area Network

Your Computer Network is the information pipeline of your business. But what if your network goes down? If your computer network is not operating properly, you may lose access to critical applications and their data. If you are using mobile applications, software as a service, or other types of Cloud Computing, your computer network needs to be highly reliable and readily available. While reading this article, you will learn about information technology trends that impact your Computer Network.

Avoiding Pitfalls to Cloud Computing Migration

Broad Band Internet, Cloud, Cloud Security, SaaS, SMB Technology, software as a service

It seems a majority of companies are adopting Cloud Computing as a significant portion of their IT infrastructure. According the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) 4th Annual Trends in Cloud Computing, sixty percent of companies surveyed, reported they rely on Cloud Computing for at least thirty percent of their IT infrastructure.

Transitioning to Cloud Computing? Here’s How to Avoid the Turbulence.