Directive Blogs

We all know companies collect a lot of data. After all, your business is no exception to this rule, and you likely collect significant consumer data to facilitate operations. But if you get the itch to protect your personal privacy (and you should), there are ways to limit how much advertisers, criminals, and other companies can gain access to. Here are just a couple of ways.

Does your business have an internal IT department or dedicated IT resource? We know it’s hard sometimes to find the talent you’re looking for, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Here are some of the issues you’ll want to keep in mind if you want to get an IT technician on your staff.

The cloud is a cornerstone in modern business processes, repeatedly proving its worth. However, the cloud must be properly secured against threats like any aspect of your business' technology.

That’s the purpose of today, World Cloud Security Day: to remind you of how important this security is and to evaluate your use of the cloud to examine where your business could improve.

Bring Your Own Device, or BYOD, is a common approach for businesses that want to take advantage of mobile technology to kickstart productivity. Instead of supplying each individual employee with company-owned devices, businesses allow employees to use their own devices for work-related purposes. While this is great on the budget, it’s only really effective (and safe) if the employee prioritizes security on their devices; otherwise, it’s a liability.

An expiration date helps to make sure you aren’t buying fast-turning foods at the grocery store, and now, the technology industry is making strides to establish a similar standard. A new industry report recommends new legislation pushing for End-of-Life (EoL) disclosure, which would, in theory, allow businesses and consumers alike to make more informed purchasing decisions. What does this mean for your business?

Today—March 31st—is World Backup Day, an annual reminder to think about how well you’re protecting your data. Is your business prepared to prevent—or recover from—a data loss disaster? And while you’re at it, have you taken steps to back up your personal information as well?

Artificial intelligence is taking over enterprise computing. So much so that there is some degree of cynicism among CIOs and other technology leaders about what exactly AI can do for them. The reality is that AI can do some pretty remarkable things and is advancing pretty quickly, but if you are expecting it to transform your business with minimal effort, you might be in for a rude awakening. This month, we want to take a look at how AI is beneficial for businesses and what to expect from the technology in the near future. 

It isn’t uncommon for many people to make up an answer that they feel seems plausible if asked something they don’t have an answer to. It happens all the time.

As it turns out, this is a tendency that artificial intelligence has inherited from us.

Technology is the cornerstone of most modern business operations, making supporting this technology more important than ever. That’s one reason we’re so proud to provide IT assistance to our fellow businesses.

As we’ve done so, however, we’ve noted that some assistance is required more often than other forms of support. Let’s go over what some of these usual suspects are, and why it is so helpful to have someone (ideally, us) assisting you in managing them.

Absolutely nobody likes dealing with passwords. They’re annoying, hard to remember, and yet, somehow, hackers seem to have no problem cracking them. That’s where password managers come in. They take the stress out of remembering a hundred different logins while keeping your business secure. If you’re still relying on sticky notes or using the same password for everything so you can remember it, it’s time to make the switch.

For businesses, one of the scariest threats out there is that of compliance fines for not holding up your end of the bargain with your customers’ data. But what goes into compliance, and what does it look like? We won’t be digging into the nitty-gritty of what these specific regulations require; rather, we’re performing a broad analysis of what businesses should be doing to ensure compliance, regardless of the protocol or the industry.

We’re sure your business has at least a couple of employees who spend part of their workday in a different location, but are you doing all you can to help them be as productive as possible? While remote work is beneficial in so many circumstances, there are a lot of caveats to it that must be considered. Today, we want to go over how you can mitigate risk and keep remote work from becoming a liability for your company.

Phishing and email-based attacks are now the #1 method cybercriminals use to infiltrate business networks. These deceptive tactics are growing more sophisticated by the day—tricking employees into clicking malicious links, downloading harmful attachments, or handing over sensitive data.

No matter how advanced your IT infrastructure is, it only takes one uninformed click to compromise your entire system.

Imagine owning an elevator that you would only service if it broke down? Sounds ridiculous, right? Well, that’s exactly what businesses do when they rely on a break/fix IT strategy.

Break/fix IT means waiting until something goes wrong before calling in the experts. While this might seem like a cost-saving move, in reality, it’s a fast track to frustration, downtime, and lost revenue. Let’s break down why this approach makes no sense in today’s business world.

Every year, new malware, ransomware, and general cyber-nonsense emerge from the depths of the internet, evolving like a villain in a sci-fi movie. One moment, you’re minding your own business, and the next, your company’s data is held hostage and someone is demanding you pay them in Bitcoin.

One of the biggest things that businesses need to consider today, from an IT front, is how artificial intelligence fits in. One way many companies are integrating AI into their businesses is through chatbot technology. Today, we will tell you everything you need to know to get started with chatbot technology.

Running a small business comes with many challenges: managing customers, handling inquiries, scheduling appointments, and marketing your services, just to name a few. While these tasks are mandatory for the creation of a successful business, they can also be extraordinarily time-consuming. That’s where chatbots come in.

Businesses run on collaboration, and thanks to technology, working together has never been easier. The right tools can make all the difference, helping teams communicate better, stay organized, and keep projects moving forward. Let’s go into the aspects that make some of the key collaboration tools businesses are using today work.

Antivirus is a staple security solution for businesses and everyday PC users, but have you ever considered how it works? By thinking through some of the details, you might gain a greater understanding of how antivirus works, what it does, and why you need to keep it updated. Today, we’re going to discuss just that, starting from square one.

Whether you’re aware of it or not, you’re likely already utilizing the cloud in at least some capacity. The trick is to find the best way to manage your business’ cloud so that it works for your organization’s specific needs. Today, we want to look at the different types of cloud management policies and why you need to weigh your options to get the most value for your business.

Little can be more frustrating than thinking you’re doing everything right, only for your desired outcome to elude you… for instance, if your marketing prospects aren’t being drawn in.

Let’s explore some potential reasons why your prospects aren’t converting and how you can resolve the issues that may be present. 

It’s no secret that Google Chrome is one of the most popular web browsers in the world, if not the most popular. Still, most people don’t use the browser to its full potential, and they leave so many wasted opportunities to save time and resources on the table. Today, we want to highlight some of these tips, but also a couple of features that perhaps you didn’t know existed for Google Chrome so you can continue to get more value out of it as a business and productivity tool.

Skype, once a popular and beloved video chat platform, has reached the end of its rope (in a manner of speaking). Microsoft is discontinuing the 20-year-old communication application, instead focusing its efforts on Microsoft Teams. The last update to Skype will be on May 5, but that doesn’t change the impact Skype had on the development of modern communication tools.

The modern business is more technologically driven than ever before, but there are some out there who haven’t embraced the benefits of technology and have alternatively chosen to stick with their more analog, tried and true methods. In today’s blog, we’ll discuss why technology is important and how to get started if your business is stuck in the 20th century.

The Android operating system periodically receives updates and patches detailed in online publications called Android Security Bulletins. In the March 2025 edition, Google announced that 43 malicious bugs had been resolved, two of which were zero-day vulnerabilities.

Let’s talk about how to implement these fixes and why this is a practice that should reach every aspect of your business’ IT.

We will always reinforce how critical it is for everyone in any workplace to have a grasp of cybersecurity best practices, regardless of their role or responsibilities. However, based on a survey conducted by UK-based cybersecurity firm Ramsac, this baseline is not being met by a long shot.

Why do we say this? Simple: this survey revealed that one in three adults failed a cybersecurity test designed for 11-year-olds.

It should come as no surprise that cybersecurity is a big challenge for businesses and individuals alike. The problem: life pretty much revolves around being online these days, so there’s no avoiding it. Therefore, it’s your responsibility to ensure that any data you collect from your customers, employees, and other key stakeholders in your business is well-protected, otherwise you will face severe consequences.

Smart speakers have been around for a while, but let’s be honest—they haven’t exactly changed the world. Sure, they’re great for playing music, setting timers, and answering random trivia questions, but beyond that? Not much has evolved. So, how did we get here, and what’s next? More importantly, can they actually be useful for businesses, or are they just another gadget collecting dust?

Running a business is basically a never-ending series of potential disasters just waiting to happen. Some are easy to fix, change a process here, tweak a strategy there—but others? They can completely derail your operations if you’re not prepared. That’s where smart technology steps in to save the day.

Let’s look at some nightmare scenarios that could spell disaster unless you have the right IT in place.

Besides all of those people who are advocating for the scaling back or non-implementation of tools to save jobs, most people understand the benefit of automation when it makes sense. Not only do machines tend to do certain tasks more effectively, they never willingly take a day off. Unfortunately, for every task that needs to be completed less than half can be automated, and that number drops even further when you take into account everything a human does at their job. Today, there are very few jobs that can be fully automated; even as AI has begun to be used more for business. This week, we wanted to discuss why automation may not be the answer you are looking for and why training humans holds a lot of value.

The entire purpose of modern IT is to improve the processes that work requires us to do. Today, we wanted to address a few business priorities—productivity, cybersecurity, and accessibility—that the right tech can help you accomplish, explicitly exploring how different tools can contribute to your success.

If I were to ask you what technology your business possessed and where it all was right now, could you give me an answer? If not, you’ve demonstrated the importance of keeping an accurate inventory of your business’ IT.

So, let’s go over some best practices to make managing your business’ IT inventory more effective.

Tech can be a real pain for small businesses, especially if you don’t have a dedicated IT person handling everything. Most businesses have someone who sort of knows their way around tech, but for a small team, that’s a lot to put on one person. That’s where managed IT services come in. It’s used not just for its convenience but because it actually makes a business owner’s life easier in ways they might not even realize.

Picture this: You’re heading out on vacation, but while you’re enjoying some well-deserved time off, cybercriminals are hard at work, setting the stage for their next phishing attack.

In this Micro Training, learn how scammers can exploit your Out-of-Office auto-reply emails, and what you can do to stay protected.

QR codes are a handy way to direct someone to the right place online, like your business’ website, but did you know that they are also pretty easy to make? Let’s go over how you can whip up your own with the help of Microsoft Excel.

We’ve all had to confirm we’re not a computer when attempting to log into an account. This is the core purpose of what once was called CAPTCHA… the Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart. However, it seems surprising that computers don’t easily overcome these simple-seeming tests.

Let’s dig into why these simple tests actually are effective at differentiating between human users and automated bots.

We can’t tell the future—no one really can—but it is both possible and vital to make predictions based on present trends and current events. Let’s look forward to the rest of this year to see what predictions we can make for business IT and the notes we should all take over the next few months.

You don’t want to get spammed; nobody does. Unfortunately, it happens to EVERYONE, and it’s just getting worse. All this unwelcome correspondence happens over the phone, through email, and especially on social media. In today’s blog, we’ll talk a little bit about how social media puts users at risk and what you can do to keep that risk from becoming a problem for you. 

New technology is always a bit intriguing. It can also be scary for some. Business owners typically only see the cost, even if it presents solutions to their organizational problems and can err on the side of caution as to not too much strain on their budget. There are a couple of really cutting-edge technologies businesses can use today that can help them confront problems they have. Let’s take a look at them in today’s blog. 

In the United States, tax season is prime time for hackers to take advantage of law-abiding, tax-paying citizens. They do this through all kinds of nefarious activities, such as phishing attacks conducted through text messages and emails claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service. If you want to avoid getting scammed this tax season, be sure to keep the following tips in mind to stay safe while you conduct your typical tax routines.

October 14th will be here before you know it, and when that happens, Windows 10 will no longer be safe to use. Without extreme and expensive measures in place, almost every threat will have nothing to stop it.

In short, you need to prioritize your migration to Windows 11 to ensure you aren’t facing severe challenges.

It’s undeniable that the smartphone has transformed computing. In fact, not only is more computing done on mobile devices, they are by far the most purchased computers in the world. Well over 90 percent of people own some type of smartphone. So how do you use these devices for productivity? This month, we will discuss some ways to make this happen.

With remote work remaining popular, employees can benefit from flexibility and work-life balance, but at the cost of certain challenges on the business side. The big one is security, as your network ends up spread out across multiple locations rather than siloed in-house. Here are three rules you should consider when planning out how to approach remote work.

Unfortunately, crises happen, so the only responsible course is preparing your business to deal with them. Let’s walk through what modern crisis management should look like for businesses of all sizes, identifying the steps to address these risks and protect your operations.

The Internet is a fantastic place to shop, connect, and learn, but people also have to deal with the minefield of scams—especially in 2025, where opportunists are getting even craftier with AI and other high-tech tricks. This month, we take a look at four simple ways you can spot an Internet scam before it drains your wallet or your personal data.

All it takes is a couple minutes on social media to see all of the “outrage” over whatever is happening in the world at the moment. Before you know it, you’re invested in some issue that you’ve never heard of up until that moment, and you’re left wondering, “Why?” Today, we want to explore this phenomenon of how social media brings you to care so deeply about things that are rarely actually your problem (and why it can be so harmful).

Despite some of the headlines that we saw last year, it wasn’t all bad news regarding ransomware. Critically, 2024 saw ransomware payments plummet by hundreds of millions of dollars… despite many large-scale attacks and one record-breaking whaling payment of $75 million by one victim.

This is undeniably great to hear… but with that in mind, we cannot let ourselves slip into complacency.

Artificial Intelligence is one of the most disruptive and innovative technologies that has come down the line in a decade. It can do things in minutes that would take people hours or days. It will only get more sophisticated from here. Unfortunately for business owners, the use of AI can mean that sometimes you lose sight of just how valuable your human employees are. This month, we take a look at why human employees can be an important part of keeping your automated tools in check. 

Hardware is far from the most fun topic for a business owner to learn more about, but that doesn’t diminish its importance. If you want to ensure your business stays ahead of the game, then you need to be strategic about your hardware implementation. Otherwise, you risk falling behind, put your business in danger, and—even worse—imperil your budget. Today, we want to help you get the most out of your hardware, long before you have to invest in anything new.

Think about the apps you use daily—Google Drive, Netflix, Spotify, even Instagram. All of these run on cloud-based services, which basically means they store and process everything online instead of relying on one physical device. Businesses, big and small, are making the same shift because, honestly, it just makes sense. Let’s take a look at why you should be looking to use cloud services in your business.

Did you know Americans lost over $65 million to Bitcoin ATM scams in just the first six months of 2024!

In this Micro Training, learn how these scams work and how you can protect yourself.

Running a small business is no easy feat, especially when it comes to managing supply chains. You’ve got to keep track of suppliers, shipments, inventory, and customer demands—all without losing your mind. Luckily, technology is here to help. Let's break down some of the key tech tools that small businesses are using to make their supply chains smoother and more efficient.

Success and failure aren’t just about how motivated you are. Most of us who own and/or operate a business are very detail-oriented, and it’s easy to get tangled up in the small details. Sometimes, getting stuck on the minutiae can really get in the way of launching and succeeding.

Let’s discuss some common pitfalls businesses often get stuck in that prevent them from driving their operations forward. 

Artificial intelligence is seen practically everywhere now, including at the top of Google’s recommended search results. If you don’t want these generated results appearing whenever you perform a search, there are ways to turn them off. In fact, you might really want them turned off… especially since they’re found to be wrong, depending on where the AI pulls this information from.

Windows 10 is rapidly reaching the end of its secure lifetime, with support scheduled to end on October 14, 2025. While this doesn’t mean that the OS will no longer be available to use, it does mean that it will no longer be able to be safely and securely used—a critically important distinction.

That is, however, unless you pay for the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates… but is this a feasible or maintainable strategy for businesses?

Text messages are great. They’re a quick and effective means for us all to communicate. 

Unfortunately, this does bring some downsides, too… namely, they’re a relatively simple means for a scammer to spread their attacks. Let’s discuss why this is so dangerous and how you can identify and avoid these threats.

Running a business is already confusing enough without worrying about security at all times. Whether you’re a small business owner or a multi-level enterprise, security is just as important for all the same reasons. Today, we want to share a couple of security strategies you can implement today to feel better about the current state of your infrastructure moving forward.

Phishing is a common trick where hackers pretend to be someone you trust to steal your personal information. For example, they might send an email that looks like it's from your bank, asking you to verify your account details. Here's why it's so effective.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Today is a day to celebrate love, romance, and every butterfly that has ever fluttered in a stomach. However, the greatest loves can bring the greatest sorrow… particularly when the time comes to say goodbye.

Take Windows 10, for instance. PC users have loved the OS for a decade, but in a few short months, it will no longer be a good relationship for anyone—particularly business users—to maintain.

Nowadays, the average business leans pretty heavily on mobile devices to some degree, particularly as they make business productivity—and thereby, competitiveness—more easily attainable. However, this also makes it essential that a business using mobile devices has a means of managing them effectively.

Let’s explore the concept of mobile device management, and discuss some ways that your business can take advantage of it.

If you didn’t know Windows can save a list of the text and images you copy, I feel for you—you’ve missed out on a simple trick that could’ve saved you a lot of time. But don’t worry, it’s easy to set up, and I’ll show you how.

Websites also make excellent use of keyboard shortcuts you use every day to improve your productivity. YouTube is an excellent source of entertainment and education, so today, we want to help you get more value out of it with keyboard shortcuts. Here are some of the best that you should know.

Mobile device security is critical for modern businesses, especially as they play a more prominent and significant role in daily operations. However, data loss is also a problem, regardless of the source… including if a device is wiped via a reset.

While Apple has offered a feature to prevent this for the past year or so, Android 15 now provides the same, referred to as Identity Check. Let’s explore how it works, and how to enable it for yourself.

Phishing is the most common way hackers “get you,” so /to speak, but have you ever wondered why it’s so effective? Today, we want to explore the reasons why phishing schemes are so enticing to even the most security-conscious individuals out there. You might be surprised to know that even security professionals can fall prey to these types of attacks, and for very good reasons.

When hackers steal data, they don't just sit on it. Sometimes they delete it, but most of the time, they sell it or use it for illegal activities. A lot of this stolen data ends up on the Dark Web, a hidden part of the Internet where people do shady things. That's why it's so important to keep an eye on the Dark Web to protect your business.

These latest scams are designed to lure you in with enticing job offers. The catch? You’re not even looking for a new job!

In this Micro Training, learn how scammers are getting more creative with fake job recruitment scams that could expose you to identity theft, malware, or financial fraud.

Earlier this year, a location data broker called Gravy Analytics suffered a huge data breach that compromised a dataset with 30 million points from devices all over the world. With this data, hackers can track users and their movements through healthcare, government, and military facilities.

Your business needs software, along with the various integrations it allows for to keep your operations going. A little planning goes a long way, especially if you want to get the best return on your investment. Today, we want to look at how you can find the right mix of software for your business without breaking the bank or experiencing the dreaded “tech sprawl.”

Every business’ worst nightmare is a data loss incident, and if you’re caught unawares, such an incident can set you back financially and operationally for months. Today, we want to cover some of the common data your business collects that you absolutely need to have backed up. If you don’t, you could become subject to serious fines due to regulations and other industry-specific mandates.

While technology has brought us a long way, there are still some telling remnants of how things used to be done. Take, for instance, the terms “cut,” “paste,” and “copy.”

As you should be aware by this point, the Windows 10 operating system is reaching its end of support on October 15 of this year—meaning that it will no longer receive updates of any kind afterward, including critical security updates. What you may not know, however, is that Microsoft is following suit and pulling Office support around the same time.

With the end-of-support date for Windows 10 looming later this year–October 14, 2025–you need to take action now so you don’t find yourself in a difficult situation. We have some tips for you as you make this transition, so we encourage you to use them to upgrade as quickly as possible ahead of the end-of-support date.

In business, innovation and productivity go hand-in-hand. When you think outside the box, you open up new ways to get things done faster, smarter, and more effectively. In this month’s newsletter, we thought we’d discuss five innovative strategies to help your business reach new levels of productivity.

At the beginning of this year, a massive data breach struck a location data broker called Gravy Analytics and took possession of a dataset with 30 million points from devices worldwide. This data could potentially be used to track individuals and their movements, tellingly, through healthcare, government, and military facilities. 

Unfortunately, nothing can be done about data that has already been breached, but preventative steps can and should be taken to protect your business. Let’s discuss how to prevent your applications from tracking your movements.

With so many devices connecting to the Internet, it’s natural that a term would emerge for devices that don’t typically have Internet connection, but nowadays do anyway: the Internet of Things. Businesses can leverage the IoT to take advantage of incredible benefits, but these devices come with an inherent security risk. Why does the IoT matter for businesses, and what can you do to keep your organization secure?

We manage all types of files in the course of doing business. Some are more important than others and often need better security, and they need to be filed a certain way so that retrieval is fast and painless. Today, we will go through three of the best practices in file management to help you get a better handle on the ever-growing amount of data you have to store. 

Normally, we try to keep the focus on business technology, but this guide is geared toward the typical home user, who may not be that high-tech.

These days, nearly all human beings are wrapped up in a little technology, and there isn’t a huge divide between protecting yourself as an employee at a company versus protecting yourself as an individual—at least as far as cybersecurity habits go. Even if you feel like you are pretty low-tech, you still have to worry about protecting your identity, financial information, and personally identifiable information online.

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.

Unless you’ve been living off the land in the wilderness for the past couple of decades, you’ve heard of Facebook, Twitter (now X), and Instagram. Most people have some type of social media presence on one or all of these platforms (or at least on LinkedIn, TikTok, or YouTube). Many businesses once used or currently use these platforms as a part of their marketing efforts, and despite being billion-dollar companies, there are some serious concerns about the viability of these platforms going forward. In this week’s blog, we will discuss some of the problems people are having with these established social media platforms and how alternatives might just be the future of social media.

Do you want superhuman productivity? Thankfully, it doesn’t take much to be more productive than the majority of workers out there, and a couple of small tweaks to your day can make a world of difference. Today, we’ll cover some strategies you can use for prioritization, time management, and focus, allowing you to get more work done.

Communications are an important part of any business’ offering. This can be as simple as having a phone line to as complex as to need integration of multitude of different tools designed to push your business forward.

Did you know that phishing is, by far, the most common security risk to your business? Just think, any of your employees could become the target of a phishing attack, and all it would take is downloading the wrong file or clicking on the wrong link to expose your organization to security threats. Today, we want to offer a refresher on the throwaway signs of a phishing attack and how to protect yourself and your team from harm.

One of the most asked questions we get is “How can you help us save money?” It’s the priority for anyone looking to outsource anything. So, naturally it has to be one of the first questions answered. In today’s blog, we’ll go through three ways that our brand of managed IT services functions to save our clients money.

Passwords are one of the best ways to protect your online accounts and information. Strong passwords are especially important for small businesses because weak ones can cause significant problems, like security breaches. Let’s break down how to create and manage passwords the right way.

Net neutrality has long been an embattled topic, with rules flipping every few years depending on the opinions of those with influence. Recently, the Federal Communications Commission had its most recent net neutrality policy struck down by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals… in such a way that sets the concept back to square one.

Let’s discuss why this is a particularly dangerous decision, and very well could put small and medium-sized businesses at a distinct disadvantage moving forward.

Have you ever suspected that a hacker could silently observe your email interactions with your clients and your staff? If you manage your own email infrastructure, we want to highlight the importance of email encryption. Encryption keeps your business’ email communications secure and compliant so you can worry less about security and privacy to focus more on running your business.

For years, the telephone has been one of the most tried-and-true business communications solutions, and that trend will continue into 2025. If you’re still using the phone solutions of the past, however, you’ve got some upgrading to do. Here’s what you need to know about the best communications investment you can make: Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP.

Does your technology need an upgrade? Now might be the perfect time to get on it, especially since hardware prices are expected to rise dramatically this year. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits you can expect from working with us when outfitting your business with new technology.

Many market analysts and industry experts foresee an increase in the cost of hardware. We recommend that you take matters into your own hands to dodge the price hike and purchase your new IT now before it costs you more to do so. The implementation of any proposed tariffs could impact the market as early as February 2025, so we wanted to discuss what you should consider when purchasing new hardware today.

The Internet is full of threats, but one of the most alarming ones making headlines lately is called an SS7 attack. It’s severe enough to have the U.S. Department of Homeland Security scrambling to find solutions. Let’s break down what SS7 attacks are, how they work, and why they’re so dangerous.

By now you’ve already heard about the dark web and the deep web, but what about the gray web?

In this week's Micro Training, we will be further exploring this less distinct yet crucially important space to understand when navigating online environments.

If you want more productivity from the workday, then multiple monitors can help you achieve this goal. You might run into the issue of “ghost monitors,” though, where your PC believes you are connected to screens when you’re not. If you experience this issue and your application windows are off-screen and unobtainable, you’ll find this week’s tip helpful.

Who makes the tech decisions for your business? If it’s you, are you sure you know enough to make the best choices for your company’s tech future? If you’re not sure, don’t stress—we’re here to help with a service called a Virtual CIO.

As a provider of information technology services and support, a big part of our job is helping the businesses we work with make the best decisions regarding their critical IT. This responsibility means we often provide an advisory role to business leaders.

In that role, we strongly advise that you make any intended technology purchases and upgrades right now… because if you wait, you may have no good options left.

With the price of hardware at risk of skyrocketing, it’s no wonder that many businesses are looking to virtualize as much of their operations as they can. This is where the cloud comes in; you can virtualize just about any solution, including some that you might not have considered in the past. Let’s explore how an SMB might use virtualization and cloud computing to skirt hardware acquisition costs.

Do you ever feel at home in your business’ server room? That is, assuming you have a server room, and it’s more than just a stuffy closet in an isolated part of your office. If you’re not confident that you can provide your servers with the management, maintenance, and monitoring they need, we recommend you work with a managed IT company to ensure you get the most value you can from your server units.

So you got a new computer for a holiday gift. That’s great! We’re excited that you’re excited. But you also need to consider how you are going to dispose of your old device and how to do so in a safe way. Today, we want to discuss how you can safely discard, or potentially even reuse, your old device so you don’t put your data at risk.

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.

Business technology can sometimes seem like a hedonic treadmill: you maintain a baseline level of operation with your IT, but it will inevitably fail, leaving you in the tough situation of having to replace it. Today, we want to help you get ahead of the curve a bit with a technology needs assessment. We’ll discuss the benefits of a needs assessment, as well as what it focuses on both now and in the future.

Your Android device offers a lot of capabilities in its little frame, with many people relying on theirs to keep their lives organized and generally handled. Many businesses even rely on Android mobile devices. This should only reinforce how critical privacy and security are.

In light of this, we’ve shared a few simple tips anyone can do to help make a smartphone that much more secure. 

If your job is running a business, it’s pretty likely that making time to fully compare and understand every piece of business technology just isn’t in the cards. Even if you are pretty comfortable around computers and networking equipment, there are a lot of solutions out there, each with a big list of pros and cons. Finding exactly what you need can be challenging, time consuming, and cost you a lot of time and money if it doesn’t quite fit in with what you already have in place.