Factors to Consider Before Choosing an MSP For Your Business

Business advancement is never an easy task. Many business owners try to look for ways to keep their businesses running and meeting the current market trends. With outsourced IT services, businesses can modify their cloud services, unified communication systems, enterprise-level cybersecurity solutions, and more. However, some businesses accidentally end up settling for an MSP who lacks vital knowledge on how to deliver clients’ needs. The following are important things to consider when choosing an MSP to ease your business operations.

Experience

An MSP is expected to provide basic services like help desk support, data recovery, 24/7 monitoring, and backup management.  Adding on that, the technician should have skills to manage complicated IT tasks like virtualization and cloud migration.

In this case, you need to consider checking out for a technician with great experience and who has specialized in the fields you want. IT is a diverse field, and you should consider one with specific skills as proof of specialization and professionalism.

Proactive approach

A proactive MSP will have various ranging from basic to complex skills. The technician will help you to avoid basic problems, for example, network downtime or server, to complex issues like cyberattacks. Such a technician can detect problems early enough, looks for solutions, and works to improve the business's IT infrastructure. These skills are vital in making sure that such problems are prevented from reoccurring. Moreover, a proactive MSP can ensure the business obtains new technologies that increase productivity and improve work quality.

Comprehensive cybersecurity and regulatory compliance

Hacking, data breaches among other serious cybercrimes that can damage the reputation of your business. Such attacks are known to compromise companies' operations leading to a reduced profit gain. This calls for improving the company's cybersecurity to avoid cybercriminals from accessing the company's secrets. However, designing a comprehensive cybersecurity solution is never an easy thing. You need to hire an expert with vast IT knowledge.

Service level agreements

A service level agreement is a contract that provides details on what service providers ought to deliver to their customers. As a client, you need to evaluate an MSP's SLA to determine whether the expert has all it takes to meet your needs when issues arise. Check out what the SLA has stated in case your MSP doesn't meet your expectations like the penalties, compensation, and remedies. Therefore, examine the MSP’s warranties and compensation policies before making your choice.

Sustainable pricing model

When a business is operating, you expect a variety of problems cropping up from time to time You are likely to experience issues with your IT systems like network outage, computer crashes, and server failure. Such issues can cost your business if not managed appropriately. You don't need to be hiring an IT technician whenever there are such occurrences as it led to data loss and leakage. Also, it can't be sustainable and is likely to drain your budget the more the issues occur.

You should consider an MSP that offers a range of pricing models enabling you to choose the payment scheme best for you. Therefore, your business will not strain to pay for the services.

4 Technological Devices To Use in Your Small Business

While small businesses aren't generally known for being technically oriented, tech can be highly beneficial for a growing company. It allows you to stay modernized and attractive to customers. You may not be able to obtain as much tech as larger businesses, but even a few devices can make a substantial difference. If you're unsure about what to get, here are four technological devices to use in your small business.

1. Printers

While the modern age calls for far more online documents, this doesn't mean that you should get rid of physical ones altogether. In fact, from making fliers to creating precise copies, the right printer can be highly beneficial to your company. There are also many different types of printers nowadays, so take the time to consider which one could work for your business. For instance, an industrial color printer might be excellent for an arts-based organization.

2. Mice

Not everyone can navigate a laptop perfectly. In fact, many individuals lose productivity while struggling with the touchpad in particular. It can be difficult to use, especially for those with less fine motor control. In order to circumvent this, you could get wireless mice that connect to these computers. Mice are generally easier to move around and might reduce stress levels in your employees.

3. Noise-Cancelling Headphones

If you can afford the funds to do so, getting noise-canceling headphones for your small business may be very helpful for productivity. Noise is a difficult thing to balance in a building, especially with the growing popularity of open space in offices. Too much noise can be very distracting, but too little may make your employees fidgety or bored. Unless your office space relies on verbal communication, using headphones can increase productivity by personalizing everyone's experience. Just be sure that you trust each employee to do assigned work while listening to other noise. 

4. External Storage Devices

Nowadays, businesses usually turn to online data storage to maintain safety and efficiency. This method also nearly ensures that data can't be lost. However, these storage systems aren't limitless. If you have a lot of data to save, it's likely that you'll run out of room eventually. In this case, it's vital to use external storage devices such as USB flash drives. These items, while not connected to the internet as a whole, can still contain your information in a digitized state.

Staying technologically updated can be difficult, to say the least. Therefore, instead of getting too caught up in every recent device, you should try to find products that will benefit you in particular. Spend wisely and use your tech to the fullest.

7 Ways Managed Services Provider Can Boost Your Business

IT support is essential for every kind of business, whether by hiring an IT employee or outsourcing to IT professionals. Most businesses are, however, too small to afford an IT employee or team.

What then is the alternative?

Using managed services, of course.

There are many reasons why every business, regardless of size, should consider investing in a managed service provider [MSP]. Leveraging the skills and experience of managed services provider has many benefits to your business, as highlighted below

Cost-effective

Maintaining in-house infrastructure and networks can be overwhelming, especially if you are a start-up business with limited resources. Fundamentally, you will be spending on obtaining tools in plenty, which you may not currently need to manage your cloud infrastructure.

However, with a managed service provider, you only pay for what is needed. The professionals are equipped with the necessary tools to set up infrastructure on the cloud and a maintenance team. This way, you spend less on operational costs and overall budget and focus on your business strategy.

Reduced risks

Failing to optimize your business software can bring potentially bring down your company, especially in this age of fast-developing technology.  Out-dated protective procedures and other loopholes can be accessed by anybody, not to mention the government rules that necessitate every business to run the IT sector in specific ways.

Leverage a team of professionals

Cyber threats are rapidly evolving, and it takes time and effort to stay informed on current trends. This calls for resources for your in-house, which can drain a company financially.

Hiring an MSP is more effective as you will have an entire team of adept security professionals, and your team can focus on other aspects of the business. Leveraging a team of professionals guarantees protection at its best. What’s more, it more affordable than hiring an IT employee.

Improved efficiency and scalability

If your company is expecting or experiencing some growth, the efficacy and scalability from an outsourced IT expert can be the way to go. This is because a managed service support model is set to scale with a business effortlessly. This is all thanks to IT support and an IT-friendly environment that adapts to your business growth.

Technology provided

Some MSP companies provide all the technology for your company, such as servers, workstations, and software. You only need to pay for the service. This means that your company does not have to spend any dollar on tech expenditure and allows you to focus that capital on other areas of the business.

Business continuity

Most businesses worry about what would happen to their systems and data in case a disaster strikes. You need not worry about this with MSP by your side.

Managed services providers are professionals and can create an efficient disaster recovery plan guaranteed to keep your business running.

Automated responses

MSP already has plans to handle common issues. They have set solutions for problems you may encounter and can resolve them even before you know they occurred. They keep a keen eye on your systems to eliminate any problem before it grows.

The Value of Managed Services Providers

Managed Service Providers (MSP) are companies that both possess and remotely oversee a technology or service and authorize the use of their technology to businesses through subscriptions or contracts. 

The main type of MSP is Information Technology (IT), an area that most businesses tend to always need assistance with as it changes rapidly.

IT Managed Services

Managed IT Services are the methods of improving or rebuilding business administration processes by an outside entity. 

Over the last decade, managed services have been rapidly growing, mainly in the information technology sector. 

Their role entails managing the core network of companies remotely and carrying out IT maintenance responsibilities 

Growth Of The Managed Services Market

Managed services have grown tremendously, with experts anticipating that the IT managed services sector will grow by an astounding 250 Billion dollars up to 2022. 

With an invariably thriving market for managed services, providers are strongly funding their technology and service businesses to guarantee state-of-the-art technology solutions for their clients.  

Purposes Of Managed IT Services

Managed services are customized according to the type of companies, their size, and the services they offer.

Some services are similar and provide solutions to several vital business obstacles encountered by companies.

Companies who use MSPs see a reduction in hardware costs, growing specialized technologies, reduction in personnel cost, qualified team at their disposal, and round the clock maintenance.

MSP Differences

MSP differences include categories, technologies, scopes, and operation prerequisites, so there will always be alternatives. 

Eventually, selecting a favorable, IT managed services provider is dependent on the varieties of services you expect and the extent of your endeavor.

However, be mindful that there are three common categories of managed services providers: conventional, advanced, and NextGen, based on what degree of service you require.

Traditional Managed Services

The conventional managed services can effortlessly assist with addressing network pauses or setbacks.

The traditional MSP includes incident and problem management, which is the basis for restoring regular service as rapidly as possible. These MSPs, however, lack vital services such as root cause analysis, which is crucial to deduce why the problem occurred initially. 

Another critical area is the comprehensive administration and optimization of a consumer’s established technology infrastructure that allows IT staff to concentrate on crucial strategic sections inside their company.

Also, there is patch management to ensure they are correctly executed without adversely affecting consumers.

Advanced Managed Services

A step above traditional, advanced managed services gives assertive services to perceive difficulties before they arise and protect your system from being destroyed.

AMS involves enhanced monitoring of possible problems before they propel into major occurrences. Often, equipment is inserted into the network to facilitate the system to monitor status around the clock.

Also, it has service management, which delivers a vigorous reporting, warning, and information outlet to assure a timely view into your covered networks and comprehensive life span monitoring of all occurrences.

Your Mac Is Processing Slow? Know How To Solve It

A fast processing system makes working more fun. If your mac gets slow or starts lagging while you are working, it increases the work pressure and also affects the productivity of work. Even a new device will start to lag with time and according to the software and applications you use. It is essential to keep them up to date so that they work smoothly.

There are various factors that cause slow processing such as new applications, filled disk drives, outdated hardware, etc.

Background Application

The unnecessary applications running in the background makes the processing of mac slow. When you start your mac it opens a few applications that you may or may not use. You can use an activity monitor on your mac to know which application or process is consuming more processing power, and if you don't need them, you can close them. It helps in improving the processing and also in saving the battery life of your mac.

Notifications

Every app or website that you use sends its notifications. These news updates and push notifications make the processing slow as they take space in virtual memory and slows down your browsing experience. To boost the speed of your mac, you need to disable notifications. You can do that by opening system preferences and then click on notifications, and uncheck the ‘show notification’ on the right side.

Items in Your Preference Panes

Preference panes are where all your widgets are displayed. Various third-party apps also add their widgets in here and increase the load on macOS. These unnecessary additions in your preference panes cause the processing more issues and also creates software conflicts. You can shrink down this pane by going into system preference and deleting the items you do not want in your widget list.

Startup Items

When you boot your Mac, few applications launch automatically. These create a burden on the memory of your device and create a hindrance in working. You need to disable them directly to enhance the performance of your mac. After you turn off these apps, mac becomes more responsive and faster.

Visual effects

The dynamic desktop feature in mac can also reduce the processing speed of your device as it uses processing power to change the wallpaper. Older mac has the option of visual animation in them. Turning these off makes the processing faster and gives your larger battery life.

Out of date Software and OS

Old software on your Mac also slows them down. Especially when you use heavy consumption applications, outdated software makes it difficult to work with them. With regular updates, you can fix bugs and the efficiency of programs. Similarly, it is important to keep the OS up to date to improve the overall performance of your mac. The update of OS and software takes time, so it is important to put it on the update before bedtime so that there is no hindrance in updating.  

Knowing what application makes the processing slow, helps in removing unwanted files and in enhancing the speed and performance of Mac. It only requires a few clicks to boost your mac and make it work like brand new.

3 SureFire Ways To Keep Your Small Business Secure

If you have recently launched a new business, the chances are that you are more concerned about funding and finances than cybersecurity. In the Covid-19 world, the economic climate has turned on its head with unemployment becoming rife and businesses folding.

While you may be worried about your financial situation, you cannot neglect the importance of your cybersecurity. The pandemic has allowed many cybercriminals to hack into vulnerable systems and take advantage of a chaotic situation. To combat this, your cybersecurity measures need to be maintained to enable your assets to remain safe. Read on to find out how to keep your small business secure.

Integration Software

When you are looking to streamline your business, you will inevitably welcome more tech into your company. New software can result in a vulnerability in your systems and processes. However, if you head to virtusflow.com, you can employ a full digital automation process that has cybersecurity at its heart through strong governance features. When you are installing apps or document integration tools, you need to know that they are impregnable. Always opt for a reputable supplier of software with exceptional aftercare and support should any security flaws need patching.

Training

It’s vital that you are able to give some refresher training to your staff every year. Your staff can quickly become complacent when it comes to cybersecurity. Everyone knows that they aren’t meant to be opening those dodgy looking email attachments, and yet this remains the number one way adware or malware infects your systems. Encourage your staff to change their passwords every three months and to utilize random alphanumeric combinations. Passwords need to be hard to break and hack. You also need to make sure that your staff is signed up for cybersecurity policy. With the onus on them to keep your business assets secure, they will be more inclined to actively think about their behavior across the network and online.

If in doubt about your cybersecurity, outsource your IT requirements to a third party. They will ensure that your data remains secure. They'll also complete regular backups of your systems to minimize the risk to business integrity should a data breach occur.

Working From Home

With the Covid-19 crisis, working from home has become the norm as explored at forbes.com. This has made company assets more vulnerable. You don’t know how to secure home WiFi systems are, so you are placing trust in your staff team to be responsible and use common sense. Ensure that the most sensitive documents are accessible by only those people who really need to see them. The more permissions you grant, the more likely it is that a security breach will occur. There is no reason to distrust your staff team, but you can encourage more responsible online behaviour.

Your business needs to be secure and have backed up data, so should a breach occur you can carry on trading. Give your cybersecurity measures the attention they deserve to ensure that your business can thrive in a post-pandemic world.

4 Benefits of Solar Panel Energy

The sun provides enough energy in one hour to meet a year’s worth of global energy needs. It is a powerful energy source, one which researchers and experts are trying to get a good grasp on. There is still more to be done to harness the power of the sun, but for those that have been able to use solar power, they enjoy several benefits of this renewable energy source.

A Renewable Energy Source

The best thing about solar energy (usually in the form of solar panels) is that it is a renewable energy source. Places all over the world can tap into the power of the sun, and it is available without fear of running out. As long as the world has the sun, there will be solar energy. As scientists estimate, the sun will be around for another five billion years.

A Reduced Utility

Solar panels will be able to reduce your electric bill since you will use harness the sun’s energy to reduce your dependency on fossil fuel sources of electricity. Your heating and cooling bill could be drastically reduced, but there is a possibility that you will be able to get some money back on your solar panel investment. Any extra energy that you send back to the grid (your panels generate more energy than you use) could result in a credit on your account or a surplus payment.

Diverse Applications

You will be able to use solar energy for many different applications. Solar energy can be used to generate heat or electricity, and the ability to access the sun anywhere in the world makes it easier to use the power for a number of different projects. You can use solar energy to pump water into remote areas or you can have the energy integrated into various construction materials (like transparent solar energy windows). Solar panels are made from cycled materials, with silicon wafer polishing priming the parts for durability in each use.

Low Maintenance Costs

In addition to saving money on your electricity, you will also save money on maintenance needs. Your basic task will be to keep the panels clean, and this only needs to be done a few times a year. There are specialized cleaning companies that can do this for you. Your panels may also come with a 20-25 year warranty, though there is no wear and tear of moving parts.

There is a significant up-front cost for the installation of solar panels, but the end result should be cost-saving and eco-friendly.

How IT Failures Can Impact Your Business

No matter how big or small our business, or what sector we are in, IT is vital to keep us running. When it’s going well, we take it for granted but the second something goes wrong, we realize the impact on our business is enormous. In some cases bringing our whole company to a standstill.

There are lots of ways this can happen. Your server could crash, or you could have a massive power cut. Data storage can malfunction, leaving you with a monumental crisis on your hands. The impact can cost you a fortune, and your business could permanently lose vital data. 

When your IT fails, the stress between it going down and coming back online can make time almost standstill. Even if you were offline for a few hours, it could feel like days. You won’t be able to work on essential tasks, and if you have employees, they will be sitting around struggling to do any work. This isn't easy if you are about to reach the end of a deadline for a client. Stress levels go up along with financial costs, and productivity goes down. 

One of the worst issues is data. If you have an outdated server or an overloaded server, then you could end up with a complete system freeze or even full crash. This could lead to corrupted or lost data which is a disaster. There is a lot of pressure for Healthcare IT providers to keep systems, like pacs systems, alone because a loss of data in the healthcare sector could be fatal for patients. Additionally, any company that has payment information for clients online would have huge issues in the event of a crashed server. 

There are legal issues too. You could be prosecuted if you lose your client's data. This would add even more costs to the mounting problems that have already come your way.

Avoiding IT failures is something you need to hire a professional for. There are things you can do yourself, especially if you run a small business. Make sure you have a secure cloud-based infrastructure. This will ensure everything is backed up and stored in a safe place. You can access this from anywhere in the world at any time. You should also ensure you are up to date with all cybersecurity systems to avoid failure due to someone hacking your systems or accessing all your data. 

Research all the possible issues that could affect your business and build a solid contingency plan. Prevention is always better - and cheaper than a cure. You need to understand everything that could go wrong, why and how. Once you have that knowledge, you feel a little less lost when things go wrong. If you don’t use an IT management team, get to know someone local and reliable that can get to your business in an emergency. That way, you will limit your staff's downtime and get back up and running as quickly as possible.

Using Business Technology to Cope with COVID-19

COVID-19 has created tough financial circumstances for people all over the world, especially when it comes to connecting with others. The good news is, technology offers a wide range of solutions when it comes to helping businesses cope with the climate COVID-19 has created. If you want to know more about how technology is helping businesses during the COVID-19 crisis, we've got you covered.

Connectivity

One of the most important benefits technology has to offer in the face of COVID-19 is the ability for people to connect no matter where they are. Industries all over the world rely on a connection between everybody involved in that industry, and those connections are tough to make when so many facilities are closed down. Technology allows people to work remotely and keep in touch with each other without having to make physical contact.

Another unique benefit to technology during the COVID-19 crisis is the way it's allowed education to continue on a somewhat normal path despite the disruptions. Students everywhere are attending classes through online chatting and screen-sharing programs, making it easier for both teachers and students to communicate with each other and learn.

Finances

If there's one thing that plays an important role in every type of business in the world, it's money. No matter how hard you try to focus on any other aspect of your business, you have to accept the fact that the money that funnels through your company is what keeps it alive. That being said, you can't afford to have a problem with your financial services that leaves you unable to pay vendors or receive payments you're owed.

Simple financial transactions are among the many benefits that technology provides when it comes to the business world. This is especially true when it comes to transferring money from one country to another for business purposes. If you need to transfer money to business associates in Mexico, there are plenty of services that make that a simple process. Years ago, transferring that money would have required a lot more paperwork and processing.

Outreach

Arguably the most important part of having technology on your side when it comes to running a business is how easy it makes outreach. There was a time when reaching out to a customer meant making a phone call or sending a letter via snail mail, but those times are all but gone thanks to technology. No matter where you are in the world, you can get in touch with your customers or prospective customers to make sure you're communicating the way a business should.

Call center services are one of the best ways to keep your business in touch with your customers during the COVID-19 crisis. During these times, customers want answers more than ever. Unfortunately, it's tough for people to be available during these times. By always having somebody there to answer your phones, you don't have to worry about whether or not your customers are reaching someone when they call your number.

If you aren't able to hire a call center service, you might consider investing in an automated response service. These services allow you to respond to emails and contact requests automatically to let your customers know that somebody will be in contact with them shortly.

Running a successful business isn't easy, especially during the trying times of the COVID-19 crisis. The good news is, technology is on your side when it comes to overcoming obstacles. If you want your business to succeed in these tough times, leveraging technology is one of the best things you can do.

4 IT Services Every Business Should Consider

In this day and age, the majority of us are technically sound. Over the past decade, pieces of hardware and the applications they hold have slowly crept into our society. Those that were vehemently against the idea of making everything mechanized are even taking part in the advanced world we’re living in. The 21st Century is well and truly remarkable. 

That said, as a business person or an aspiring entrepreneur, you’re going to want to take full advantage of the digital age. You might be able to get away with making money the old fashioned way, but these days you’ll get to where you want to financially much quicker with the help of technology. There are even firms out there with one purpose: to help you out technologically – and you might want to consider soliciting a few of these! 

So, what’s on offer? What kinds of businesses or freelancers can you acquire that can send your business (or potential business) on an upward trajectory? Well, here are five for you to think about:

Web Designers

All businesses need a website. Sure, not all of them do, but those are dying breeds – they’ll be swallowed before long by companies that are well into the 21st Century. That said, it’s good to have an experienced and accomplished designer backing up your businesses with a gorgeous website. You’ll be able to create a simple one yourselves using modern software, but would you rather get a pro to help or use your own amateurish efforts? Easy answer.

Marketing Agencies

Marketing is what’s going to get people staring at your work. You can have the most attractive and necessary product/service, but if nobody will see it, then there’s no need to even bother creating it. Everyone has a spot of creativity in their arsenal, but it’s not exactly something we can ALL accomplish. That’s why marketing agencies that want to help us are around. They’ll specialize in helping you build your brand and get yourself noticed. Social media, banner ads, SEO, and all kinds of different strategies are part of their collective repertoire. 

Managed Support

You’re not completely invincible, and your computer systems are not exactly the most impenetrable pieces of equipment on the planet. You are susceptible to malicious online attacks whenever a hacker sees fit, unfortunately. That’s why it’s probably wise to get some high-quality i.t. support to supplement your business – especially when the business has grown a little. Managed IT support from an established IT firm will basically mean you’ll have guardian angels watching over you. The payments may be a put-off at the start, but it would be worth it – and, as we mentioned before, the bigger and more valuable you become, the more of a target you become. 

Graphic Designers

As well as web designers, graphic designers would also come in handy. The brand itself, the logo, and everything that needs to be nice on the eyes should be taken into account. Humans are picky and judgmental – if they don’t like what they see initially, then they can be put off for good. Make sure those first impressions are great by using an artist that has honed their craft. 

Silicon: The Secret Ingredient Powering Your Electronic Devices

Most people rely on many technological devices in their day-to-day life. For the average person, computers, cell phones, and many other devices are a daily staple for work or pleasure. Although technology has embedded itself into everyday life, few people understand the inner workings of their devices — how the phones they need and the computers they use to operate. Silicon is the fundamental component of smartphones and computers

Silicon: What It Is and How it Works

Silicon is the second most prominent chemical element on the earth and the secret force driving our devices. The element is a powerful semiconductor that is used in almost every electrical device you can think of. Part of what makes silicon an excellent element for semiconductors is its lack of impurities and micro-particles—it is an extremely clean and easy to use element. Modern semiconductors need impeccably pure substrates to do their job. Silicon wafers are the name designated to the engineered silicon component that goes into our devices. 

Why Silicon Is a Great Semiconductor

Silicon is a highly used semiconductor due to its malleability and mobility at both high and low temperatures. Additionally, the element performs very well at room temperature. Other chemical conductors are utilized in specific products and applications, but silicon is the universal semiconductor in tech products.  Its ability to quickly pass electrical currents through conductors makes it the top choice for manufacturers. 

How Silicon Wafers Are Used in Technological Devices

Silicon wafers are used as semiconductors in the production of chips and microchips in most of the commonly used electronic devices.  These highly conductible components are used in creating integrated circuits, which control the way electrical currents move through your devices. The integrated circuit is the command center for most modern technologies sending currents in different directions when they are needed. 

Silicon Wafer Dicing: How it Works

Engineers refer to each individual silicon wafer as a die. Manufacturers and engineers use the process of silicon wafer dicing to alter the chemical composition of silicon to have different properties. After an individual silicon wafer has been created, they will be diced to create integrated circuits.  The dicing process could involve sawing, laser cutting, and scribing. After dicing, the individual silicon chips are put into carriers that are then used in the creation and manufacturing of electronic devices.

It is often easy to overlook the processes that power the contemporary world. Huge technological innovations have made our devices smaller and sleeker. Silicon is the fundamental element powering the world's modern devices. 

The DevOps Mindset: Why Some DevOps Transitions Fail (And Some Don’t)

If you’ve been working in tech for a few years, you’ve probably seen a devops transition. The experience tends to be illuminating, which is to say it often reveals volumes about company management, for better or for worse. Restructuring in any company is a difficult process, but devops restructuring is uniquely difficult to pull off. It’s never smooth, but differences in company culture and communication are magnified during a devops transition and often translate directly to differing levels of success. Some companies get there with only minor bumps and scrapes along the way. Others go through the expense and effort only to find themselves bleeding capital and talent as their org charts devolve into utter chaos.

The difference is the mindset. The key to devops restructuring is to reorient your development and operations practices around the goal of continuous software delivery. It’s more than just adding this team here and these roles there—if the changes you are making aren’t totally in service of the goal of delivering software continuously, your restructuring is doomed to fail. More broadly, this means that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for converting to devops, and neither is there a discrete endpoint where you can dust off your hands and declare the restructuring to be over and done. That is the devops mindset; a perpetual commitment to live delivery of excellent software. Every other move you make has to be in service of that goal. 

Excellent Software

It should go without saying that the product you deliver has to be quality. Your prior infrastructure was hopefully dedicated to creating a good product, but the shift to live service will test that infrastructure like never before. Quantify your ROI as early as possible and monitor it continuously. Metrics are paramount; bundle them along with your deliverables to demonstrate the value at every step of your process. That said, the nature of devops communication is a two-way street. It is vital that your monitoring process is feeding back into your development objectives. The effectiveness of that feedback loop can make or break your devops transition.

Live Delivery

The most high-profile piece of the devops puzzle is the shift to live delivery, as well as the piece your project managers are probably having nightmares about as soon as you announce the restructuring. Suddenly, your release timeframe is a matter of weeks rather than months to a year. This compounds all the usual headaches of software development—QA in particular—and requires you to solve these problems as they come within an equally minuscule timeframe.

Part of the mindset for this approach is a paradigm shift away from traditional testing and deployment methods. Accept that part of your resources are now dedicated to live QA and, further, consider those resources to be fluid. There will be times where development will need all hands on deck to combat a critical issue, and times when a release proves stable enough to divert some development resources to anticipate a future need. 

Perpetual Commitment

A world-class devops infrastructure is always forward-thinking and continuously improving itself. So your entire team has their expert azure devops certification; what next?

To be effective, devops infrastructure needs to be future-proofed and forward-thinking; simply focusing on what works today will surely doom you to eternally playing catch-up. That means continuous revisions and a real commitment to the virtues of agility. It's all too common for organizations to claim the importance of agility but in practice remain set in their ways until external circumstances force change onto them. Devops infrastructure is at its most effective when you are prepared for changes before they need to happen, so expect to continually tweak roles and responsibilities. What clicks for one project isn't guaranteed to work for the next. Managing a devops team is like devops itself; it requires sharp intuition and holistic solutions, and the commitment to change for the better must be perpetual.

A devops restructuring is a daunting challenge, and even the best plans for one will go awry. You will not be able to anticipate every issue. The best solutions to the challenges posed by a transition to devops infrastructure begin with mindset--a focus on what works and a readiness to undergo continuous change. That mindset is the difference between a disastrous devops shift and an effective one. 

Is Technophobia Stopping You Improving Your Finances?

Some of us hate having to adopt new technology. It can mean having to give up the old familiar way of doing things in exchange for new and unfamiliar habits. As a result, some of us stay set in our ways out of convenience. However, in the long run, this can result in greater inconvenience.

When it comes to managing personal finances, digital technology has made it much easier to monitor our money and to make better financial decisions—and yet some of us still refuse to embrace this technology. Here are just some of the ways in which you can use digital technology to improve your personal finances (and why you shouldn’t be afraid of this technology).

Online banking

Online banking had made it possible to check one’s balance, move money, and even cash checks without having to travel to a physical bank or a cashpoint. It can save you time—and in some cases money. For instance, say you’re ordering food in a restaurant but have bills coming out and don’t want to spend too much—being able to check your balance on your phone using online banking could stop you overspending.

Online banking is incredibly secure. In fact, online banking apps and websites tend to have some of the strongest digital security available. Even if you do get hacked and money is stolen, your bank will likely have protection in place to reimburse you.

All banks nowadays have online banking options, and many are actively encouraging more people to bank online rather than visiting a branch (as well as canceling statements to save money and the environment). It may not be long until certain processes can only be carried out on the web.

There are even some banks that operate entirely online. Some of these online banks are able to offer much higher savings interest rates to customers due to not having the overhead of running physical branches.

Budgeting/saving apps

There are many apps out there that can also help with budgeting, as well as helping you to save up and invest money. These are worth taking advantage of.

Budgeting apps can be linked up with your accounts and can be useful for keeping your spending under control. If you’ve got bills coming and are at risk of spending too much money, such apps can alert you. They may also be able to help you with savings goals by telling you how much left you need to save up and what you can do to spend less.

Some apps can meanwhile help you build savings by contributing small amounts of money every time you make a purchase. This could include rounding up every purchase to the nearest dollar and putting the leftover change into a savings account. Some of these apps can even help you invest these savings.

Many of these apps are free, while others may only charge small fees. Having online banking and mobile payment set up may be necessary in order to use these apps. You can do your research online to help find the best budgeting apps and savings apps for your needs.

Online credit reports

You can also use digital technology to monitor your credit score. Knowing your credit score could help you when taking out loans or contracts so that you know your chances of being accepted (after all, getting rejected could harm your credit score in some cases).

There are many apps that can be used to track your credit score so that you can always check it. These apps may also be able to offer tips on how to improve your credit score. They may even be able to help you find loans with good rates that you are likely to be accepted for.

Automated trading software

For those that want to invest in stock and shares or get involved in forex trading, there is also digital technology out there that can be of use. A growing number of robo-advisors and automated trading programs now exist which pretty much play the role of an investment broker. The advantage of these tools is that they can offer unbiased advice (when using a human broker, you can never guarantee this). It could also cost you less than using a broker, although fees can vary depending on the software you use.

Some investors are a little dubious of putting their trust in a robot, while others assume that learning how to use this technology is difficult. However, such fears are generally unjustified. Automated trading software tends to be very reliable and many programs are easy to use. It is often possible to test such software – you may find that simulators exist to guide you or that there are walkthroughs on YouTube. By reading reviews, you can also get a good idea of which programs are for novice investors and which are for more serious investors.

Digital investment strategies

On top of helping to make many traditional investment strategies easier, the internet has also given birth to many new investment strategies. Some of these could be worth looking into if you’re an investor looking to broaden their portfolio—you could be missing out by sticking only to traditional methods. A few digital investment strategies include:

Cryptocurrencies

These are digital currencies such as Bitcoin and can be traded in a similar method to real currencies. Cryptocurrencies are constantly fluctuating in value—often at a greater rate than real currencies—which has made them a popular way of making a return fast. You can use cryptocurrency exchanges to buy these digital currencies. A number of guides on cryptocurrency can be found online.

Peer-to-peer lending

Peer-to-peer lending is a way of borrowing and lending money to other individuals online. A number of peer-to-peer lending platforms exist for this purpose and some may even allow you to set your own interest rates when giving out loans. It’s worth going through a recognized peer-to-peer lending site where you will often be offered protection if a borrower defaults on payments.

Domain names

A more unusual form of investment is domain names. Some domain names rise in value over time, making it possible to sell them and make a profit. There are sites set up specifically for buying and selling domain names. It’s worth doing your research in this form of investment before getting involved so that you know which domain names are most likely to make a return.

Online savers

As discussed with online banking, there are a number of online-only banks out there that offer high-interest savings accounts. If you’re looking for a low-risk form of investment, these online savings accounts can be a good option.

Online coupons/digital loyalty cards

Many companies offer discounts to customers in the form of online coupons and digital loyalty cards. Without embracing this technology, you may not be able to apply for such discounts.

Online coupons can be found on coupon sites. These could allow you to get discounts on anything from clothes to vacations. Joining up to these coupon sites is often free and you can apply to mail lists in order to receive constant news of promotions.

Digital loyalty cards meanwhile may be offered by certain retailers and come in the form of a mobile app. Every time you make a purchase you can scan the app and get points. Coffee shops and gas stations are a few examples where you may be able to collect points.

Comparison sites/apps

There are also a number of sites and apps that you can use to help you compare prices out there on the market. This can help you to find the best prices before you buy.

For instance, there are sites that can help you to compare the prices of flights or the price of car insurance. These are constantly updated so that you’re getting accurate price quotes (although it is sometimes possible to ring up directly and get better deals).

There are also apps that can help you to compare rates in your area for purchases such as food shopping, car repairs or even gas. These can be worth downloading to help you save money on purchases wherever you go.

Time to beat your technophobia?

Clearly, there are many ways to improve your personal finances by adopting digital technology. The key to success when adopting this technology is to do your research and to be patient. The research will help you to find the cheapest, the most effective and the most secure options out there. Patience meanwhile could be necessary when setting up such technology and learning how to use it. The earlier you get involved, the more time you will have to reap the benefits of this technology.

Support for Transitioning to SAP S/4HANA

In today’s technology-driven environment, information systems are an important piece of business infrastructure. At the core of this is a company’s ERP architecture. These systems often provide critical services to a business operation such as procurement and demand planning, customer order processing, and data information storage. Having a cutting-edge ERP system can allow an enterprise to be more nimble in the modern marketplace.

It is for this reason that SAP introduced its newest S/4HANA suite in 2015. This is the next generation of enterprise software, and the package provides several advantages over its predecessor. But how does one go about incorporating this new infrastructure into a corporation? That can depend heavily on the current state and what system is being transitioned from. One avenue may be an upgrade from a previous generation of SAP software. Another scenario may be a move from a functionally different ERP system. Whatever initiative a company is undertaking, having a knowledgeable resource can help make the sap s 4hana migration go more smoothly.   

Basic Components of the New Edition

There have already been multiple proven benefits discussed when it comes to upgrading to the S/4HANA suite. One key feature is that the software is built to run as an integrated package that runs solely on the SAP HANA database. This differs from previous versions that could operate on other third-party backbones. Another integral attribute is the offering of a cloud edition. Adopting this type of platform can allow a company greater flexibility and may cut down on the initial costs due to the need for less hardware. There are several other rollout benefits as well:  

• Clearer and more responsive user interface.

• Increased performance throughout the suite.

• Greater security options, especially on the cloud.

• SAP will drop the support of previous versions in the year 2025.

Path for Migration

Transitioning to the SAP S/4HANA infrastructure is not a quick and easy process for any company, regardless of where the migration scenario is coming from.  There should be a well thought out plan and evaluation of how to get from the current structure to the HANA architecture. This should include an assessment of current capabilities and data storage, and what the desired future state aims to be.  

The end result should be a working Proof of Concept (PoC), which will enable a company to evaluate the changes in a sandbox environment prior to full migration. Mapping out the steps to get to this point can be intensive, which is why pairing with an experienced partner familiar with SAP systems is essential.   

Three Types of Software you NEED to Protect Your Business

After many, many news stories over the past couple of years detailing extensive fraud, hacking, and data breaches across various countries and sectors, more and more businesses large and small are ramping up their efforts to combat fraud.

Where does your business lie in these efforts? Have you upped your efforts to try and not only detect but to deflect and actively combat fraudulent activity from outside sources as well as inside ones? If not, you should be. 

No matter if you have a very small retail business, or are in charge of a large corporation, you should be doing everything you can to safeguard your livelihood and that of your employees (and clients/customers) by implementing practices, procedures and protocols to prevent fraud. Below, we’ve listed three types of software that are essential to safeguard your business from fraud, no matter what type of industry you’re in. 

Secure Web Hosting/Domain Protection

There are so many types of web hosting and domain names out there for purchase, but not all of them are created equal. Before forking over your bucks to secure one of these domain names, or paying someone to host your site (or both), vet the companies associated very carefully to make sure they are legit. Hackers are notorious for stealing web domains right out from under hard-working businesses, then selling them at auction in plain sight. You might wake up one day and find out that your website is now “owned” by someone else, who had no idea they were buying a stolen domain. This can cost you thousands and thousands of dollars in legal fees, and no guarantee that you’ll get your site back.

Avoid this by carefully vetting any domain name you purchase and making absolutely sure that your web host is 100% on top of security. Paying a monthly fee to ensure that your website is always protected is definitely worth it. 

Analytics

Fraud can be an easy thing to miss, believe it or not. If you run a fairly large business, sometimes the numbers can run together and you may not always notice a trend that seems suspect until it’s too late. 

This is why link analysis for fraud detection, software that analyzes data and specifically looks for fraudulent behavior, is such a good idea. There’s always room for error when human eyes are looking for a needle in a haystack - it’s easy to miss fraudulent activity. But analytics software can detect fraud quickly and easily, pinpointing fraud through huge amounts of data, highlighting everything from credit card fraud to data breaches, phishing, hacking and more. You’ll be more on top of your business than ever before, always informed. 

Safe, Secure POS

For a retail venture, especially one that primarily sells online, you need a point-of-sale (or POS) software that is safe and secure, preferably one that has built-in safeguards against hacking, credit card fraud, and more. 

Over the years, many POS systems have cropped up that have easy to use interfaces, multiple features (such as analytics, in-site discounts and incentives, marketing tools, and more) that have safety measures built right in. Sites like Shopify and others can detect abnormalities with credit card info, addresses, email addresses and more, and will alert you every time you receive an order or a payment that seems suspect. This will equip you with the ability to decide in real-time whether an order is legit or not. 

These three types of software are must-haves for any businessperson, especially those with an online business, to avoid phishing, hacking, theft, and fraud. With just a few affordable and easy-to-use tools, you’ll be able to weed out fraud from the ground up. 

9 Essential Apps for your Business

As a small business owner, you might not have the manpower to support several different departments so it’s necessary to stay up to date with the latest advances in technology to keep things running as smoothly as possible. You can utilize various apps to do your work for you. Cutting edge technology not only helps you to provide a better service but also makes a good impression on the client and you appear more legitimate. Here are some examples of essential apps to get your business booming.

Dragon Anywhere

The number one voice recognition app is Dragon Anywhere. This app boasts powerful voice editing and formatting and you also get unlimited dictation to the cloud. 

Gusto

Dealing more with staff and payroll, you save on a whole department. Gusto handles all of your tax deductions, benefits, and other issues and emails everything automatically to your employees as well. 

HubSpot CRM

HubSpot assists you with sales and transactions. With an extensive range of online tools, it aims to provide an all-in-one approach. Essentially a digital sales department, the CRM product tracks and manages interactions between a company and its customers and prospects. It allows you to analyze and forecast your revenue. It’s also free and integrates well with all common, modern software.  

Pocket

Pocket is an app that means you can save any information and read it later. Things like articles, videos, web pages, and emails, or whatever you can’t read at the moment. Being busy running your own company you won’t always have the time to read everything, so it’s easier to save it for later. 

Social Media apps

Instagram 

Instagram is the most effective way to market your business as there are millions of active users and 70% of people are reported to view a business page before buying. Set up an account and post as often as you can.

Facebook Pixel

This allows you to advertise on Facebook. You have to pay for the adverts but the service is very effective. 

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the most well-known app for facilitating business connections. This will help you to increase your client base and also to get in touch and network with other business owners. 

Square

Square is an app that allows you to set up a point of sale and take card payments for example. You can make online and offline payments and it also helps to grow your business with real-time analytics. This will allow you to have a quick and easy process for invoicing and payments. Many devices can be equipped for card payments which means you make transactions anywhere. 

Wave accounting

Wave accounting, on the other hand, manages your companies finances. It keeps track of sales, invoices, expenses, receipts, and general reports. This helps you to keep an eye on all of your transactions without an accounting department. 

With the technology in place, you will likely need a support system, however. It’s advisable to get in touch with an IT consultancy firm like www.techsquared.com to help you stay on top of any technical issues.

Essential Tools That Every Startup Has to Utilize for Success

When it comes to growing your business, the use of a variety of different tools becomes extremely important. These tools can help you achieve many things with your business, such as enabling different workflow improvements and also protecting your business data from cybersecurity threats. Even as a startup, it’s vital that you take advantage of as many as these tools as possible so that you can adjust your business infrastructure to take advantage of them.

Many of these tools are scalable solutions that can be adapted to your business in the future, but they can also be fitted retroactively, albeit at the cost of some additional work on your end. Alternatively, you can always reach out to an IT services provider to help you install, configure and utilize these different tools.

Cloud-Based Tools

Cloud-based tools are essential for any business that utilizes a set of remote features. For example, if you have a business that involves working with clients across the country, then giving your employees the ability to create and submit reports in real-time regardless of their location can be a huge advantage.

Cloud-based tools can include collaborative software, storage options, and even cloud-powered applications that take advantage of hardware that is located off-site. Below, we’ve included a couple of specific cloud-based software tools that are essential for your startup’s success, but it’s important to understand that there are many other cloud-based tools that we won’t be mentioned because they can be replaced in the future. This includes cloud-based accounting software, data storage, and office productivity tools.

Communication Tools

We also consider communication tools as an essential component of startup success. This can include VoIP communication tools to speak with clients and customers over the phone, but it can also mean internal communication software such as Slack which is used by employees and remote workers. With so many options available for communication, it’s important to look at the features that each software package has, the cost involved (if any), and also how scalable it is to your needs.

Communication tools are essential for keeping your team on the same page, but they can also be used to formally communicate with investors. This is where software can be used to set up virtual meetings with investors. This often includes the use of cameras and sophisticated software to share facts, figures, and other important data to your clients and investors while explaining it.

Customer Relationship Management Tools

CRM tools are great for helping you establish new leads, interacting with existing ones, and also communicating with clients on a regular basis. There are countless ways to take advantage of CRM software, but your options can vary greatly depending on the type of software you use.

In general, we suggest examining each CRM tool so you can understand their features and how they work. Most CRM software packages offer some kind of trial or even a free option with limited access to premium-level features. While they are used in conjunction with analytical tools, you don’t need full sets of data to start using them since much of the data is drawn from your interactions and engagements with your customers.

Analytics Tools

One of the best ways to examine your competition and view current market conditions is to use analytics tools such as the Whatagraph reporting tool. This tool can help you understand your position in the market and also your audience, giving you actionable sets of data that will grow your business and open up new options.

Using analytics tools can be difficult because you need to understand what data is useful to you and what should be ignored. It can be overwhelming to try and analyze large sets of data with no context, so make sure the quality of the data is high and from a trustworthy source. There are some sets of data that will need to be purchased, but this is usually an option reserved for larger businesses that need to understand everything that’s going on in the market.

Scheduling and Tracking Tools

Keeping your team on schedule is difficult without using a scheduling or tracking tool. These are essential for helping you stay organized, especially with a large team. However, these tools can also be used to plan future goals and establish roadmaps for your products.

We suggest taking a look at tools such as Trello if you’re looking for a scheduling tool that can be used online and shared with all of your team members. It can take a bit of time to learn all of Trello’s features, but it’s a fantastic tool that many professionals and large companies use to ensure that all of your team is on the same page. For larger businesses, it’s fairly common to see Trello being used by individual departments.

Cybersecurity Software

As your business grows, it’s vital to have security features that can keep your data safe. Between your business-related data and files to a customer’s personal information, you have to put a lot of work into establishing security measures that will protect this data.

Thankfully, there are many ways to improve your cybersecurity, and the heart of that comes from your cybersecurity software of choice. While simple to install, configuring it to your needs can be difficult especially if you have multiple computers or even networks to protect. We suggest speaking to a cybersecurity specialist, but you can also hire a full-time security team if your business is large enough to warrant that level of expertise and on-demand assistance.

VoIP

VoIP is a type of internet telephony that uses the internet instead of a traditional telephone line.

VoIP enabled phones are becoming more popular because they allow people to make and receive phone calls over the internet. The VoIP service provider will provide an app for the customer’s smartphone. This app can be used on tablets as well as smartphones. These apps can also be used for video conferencing, voice mail, and call forwarding.

Hopefully, this list of essential startup tools has given you some helpful advice on how to begin growing your business. We understand that working with a variety of different tools can be difficult, especially if you’re not accustomed to using them. Thankfully, there are plenty of easy-to-follow guides if you want to install or use them on your own. Alternatively, there are plenty of managed IT service providers that can help you get started with different types of startup tools for business growth.

Tech Tools and Freelancers: Practical Tips for Soloprenuers Looking to Grow Their Business

By: Courtney Rosenfeld

While being an entrepreneur and a solopreneur are similar in many ways, there is one key difference that sets a solopreneur apart. At its core, being a solopreneur means that you are running a business on your own—as the name suggests—as opposed to putting together a team to run the business like entrepreneurs generally do.   

Solopreneurship allows you to maintain complete control of your company and brand, work from anywhere you choose, learn a vast array of new skills, and quickly adapt to changes in the market, among other benefits. However, none of this means that you have to do everything without any outside help. You can utilize tech tools and hire freelancers to grow your business, all while remaining a solopreneur. In fact, doing so will likely become necessary at some point if you want your business to become and stay successful.

If you’re a solopreneur looking to take your business to the next level, here are a few practical ways you can do just that: 

Use an online voice recorder.

Sometimes, you may not have the time to write down an idea or type out important information that you need to use for an email, meeting, or other purposes. That’s when an online voice recorder can be helpful, as it allows you to quickly record your information and transfer it into MP3 format. Also, some services will even transcribe your recordings into text so that you can use it for a variety of purposes.

Use video conferencing.

Video conferencing enables you to meet with customers, clients, and freelancers remotely. That is, if you’re in California and need to conduct a meeting with people in Australia and France, no problem. You simply make sure each party has access to a video conferencing service, and you’re good to go. GoToMeeting, Zoom, and Skype are popular services to consider.

Track your time.  

Time is precious to any business owner. But when you’re a solopreneur, every second can make a difference. Tracking your time is a way to hold yourself accountable and figure out if there are areas in which you’re wasting time. It also helps you to determine how much money you’re actually making for your time, and it can show you what jobs or projects you should consider hiring out. Time Doctor, Wrike, and VeriClock are examples of reputable time tracking solutions.

Hire a web designer.

Few things are more important for business owners these days than having a good website. And unless you have expertise in web design, it will ultimately save you time and money to hire a professional to build a quality site for you (or make your current one better). Yes, you can use a platform with free features, but your site will probably end up looking like hundreds of other sites and your capabilities will be limited.

Hire a content writer.  

No matter what your product or service is, chances are you can benefit from giving your customers and clients a steady flow of industry-related content on your website and social media pages. And even if you are a decent writer, you probably don’t have the time to put out creative and compelling content on a weekly or daily basis. Hiring a freelance content writer is a great way to expand your audience and grow your company’s authority in the industry.

Yes, you can get help from tech tools and freelancers and still maintain your solopreneur status. Consider using online voice recording, video conferencing, and time tracking to boost your business operations. Also, bring in a web designer and content writer to enhance your appeal to customers and clients. Doing so will allow you to maintain full control of your company and help you to experience the growth you’re envisioning.  

Image via Unsplash

How to Detect IT Threats

It’s all well and good knowing about the different kinds of IT threats you can come across and how to deal with them, but before you can do that, you must first be able to detect them on your servers.

Spotting a threat early, or even just a vulnerability that can lead to a threat means that you can consistently keep your systems safer and more secure. Detecting them soon is integral to maintaining servers and systems that remain immune to the effects of threats and can keep running smoothly without any issues.

Even the most secure of security systems can have small things slip through the cracks, so it’s essential that you know to spot them.

Threat Intelligence

There have been many cyber-attacks and security breaches over the years, and you can use the information on these attacks to your advantage. Technologies like antivirus protection utilize this information to detect and inform you of any known threats.

This type of data is perfect for detecting attacks from known sources or threats, but you will need to combine it with other detection techniques to be able to identify unknown threats.

EDR

EDR, Endpoint Detection, and Response is an effective security tool and solution which detects and analyses suspicious activity on a host or endpoint. It not only analyses individual threats but as an ongoing solution, it also identifies patterns within risks to better detect other threat activity. This allows it to detect threats faster which means you can resolve the threat before it becomes a real issue for your data.

Installing EDR from McAfee to your network is a great way to detect oncoming threats. It will even send you an automated response to notify you of any threats that it does detect.

Threat Search

Unfortunately, sometimes waiting for a threat to appear in your system can be too late. If you actively search for a threat, you can test it against your current protection method, and you will know if your detection methods are working accurately. However, this is an advanced tactic and it should be approached with caution. 

Firewalls

A firewall is probably the most common and well-known type of threat detection and prevention and it is worth making use of one. It is an appliance that screens for dangerous activity or unauthorized access and automatically undertakes the appropriate reaction and solution. This type of detection is perfect for protecting the network itself and actively blocking any potential threats that it comes across.

Combinations

Individual threat detection components will not be able to cover your entire network and servers by themselves, which is why it is important that you employ a combination of technologies to make sure that all of your bases are covered and prepared for any kind of attack.

Speed is integral to detecting and blocking all types of cyber threats, which is why protection systems that also possess the ability to automatically notify you or operate a counterattack towards detected threats are an essential part of your security system.

Book Review: The Digital Transformation Cookbook

As someone who has always been interested in modern technology and digital transformation, I have always searched for the best resources on the topic. Recently, I came across The Digital Transformation Cookbook: How to Transform Your People, Process, and Data by Invonto and found this guide to be the easiest and most informative on the topic.

Maulik Shah, the CEO, and co-founder of the leading technology consulting firm Invonto teamed up with Brian Maya to create this simple guide. Both Shah and Maya take the reader down the digital transformation journey—covering how even the newest entrepreneurs can understand what digital transformation means to their business, the digital transformation drivers, technologies involved, how to architect your own digital transformation plan, and what companies are leading the movement today.