Business Solutions & Software Group Blog

Paper documents, manila folders, and file cabinets have long been symbols of office work. Today, these once-proud symbols are looked down upon, due in part to the public being more environmentally conscious, as well as advancements made in cloud computing that make a paper-centric workflow an inefficient option.

As a business owner, it’s your responsibility to account for each and every one of your organization’s software solutions, but do you know the exact value that your business is getting from them? This can be challenging when managing software solutions locally on each of your workstations, but the cloud makes this astronomically easier.

One major advantage of the cloud is that it allows users to easily share files. Although, due to just how easy it is to share files, this advantage may also prove to be a disadvantage, especially when inexperienced users are the ones doing the sharing. The next time your business shares a file with a cloud-based file sharing service, be sure to account for these three risks.

Implementing a cloud solution is a difficult choice for many businesses, primarily because it represents a change in the way your organization functions. If you make a rash decision before doing your research, it might lead to downtime or a decrease in operability. Therefore, it’s important to understand why businesses move to the cloud, as well as what’s available for implementation.

Decision makers for small and medium-sized businesses certainly have a tough job. Each choice they make on the behalf of the business has repercussions, which could potentially influence the rest of the company, for better or for worse. Therefore, we’d like to take some of the pressure off of the decision makers with a recommendation: if you haven’t done so, consider utilizing Office 365 for your business’s various needs.

Making the move to the cloud is far from an easy task. You need a process that’s tailored specifically for your organization, and one which is open to adaptation. If your plans are foiled by unexpected complications, it can be difficult to keep on track, and your cloud’s migration could become a nightmare.

When hosting your IT infrastructure in-house, it’s nice to know that your servers and network equipment are being cared for to your specifications. However, are you providing the maintenance and management needed to maximize ROI and minimize downtime? The solution is virtualization.

Every business owner is keenly aware of how prominent a role technology has in today’s business environment. Yet, the vast majority of companies aren’t doing enough to keep up with the latest developments, and therefore, risk missing out on serious opportunities for growth, or even going out of business.

When it comes to implementing enterprise solutions, everybody in your organization must be on board, or else operations will be hindered. In the case of a technology like cloud computing, you may discover that some of your staff have reservations about using it. Here’s how you’ll want to address the top three misgivings about the cloud.

When it comes to cloud computing, there may still be business owners who are hesitant to take advantage of it. This may be due to major security breaches reported in the news, or just that the idea of hosting their sensitive data off-site doesn't sit right. However, cloud computing security has come a long way over recent years; consider these three ways that the cloud enhances IT security.

Not too long ago, cloud computing was considered more of a luxury than a commodity. Nowadays, however, many companies, even those who are just getting their feet wet in the business environment, are fully capable of using the cloud for all sorts of purposes. As the cloud transforms into a more accessible technology, many large companies have pushed their cloud platforms to offer secure storage, software deployment, and communications, in an effort to reduce costs.

We talk about the cloud and how it changes the way that businesses approach their technology solutions a lot, and for a good reason. It’s become so commonplace in the business environment that you’d be hard-pressed to find any organization that doesn’t take advantage of cloud computing in some form or another. In a competitive industry, the small business needs all of the help it can get, and the cloud delivers.

Eventually, you’re going to have to upgrade your company’s technology. Sure, you could attempt to save money by holding out for as long as possible. In the end, this strategy may actually cost you money since you'll be stuck using outdated, inefficient equipment and software. How do you know, for sure, when it’s the ideal time to upgrade your business' technology?

Security is a primary concern for businesses that take advantage of the cloud, but the industry often dictates to what extent a business is concerned about cloud security. Yet, despite the varying cloud needs of industries, there are several variables that should be addressed when thinking about cloud security, including data permissions, account compromisation, and, of course, malware and other common online threats.

Now that the cloud has become an affordable and versatile part of the business environment, more organizations than ever are moving to take advantage of it as much as possible. However, for the folks who are new to cloud computing, you might want to hold your horses and take a look at how you can prepare to move your business to the cloud. Doing so can alleviate some of the challenges that come from overhauling your IT infrastructure.

Technology is everywhere. Coincidentally, that is exactly where every political candidate wants to be. With the 24/7 news cycle and social media leading the charge, technology has become one of the most important aspects of election season. The lead-up to any election is a tense time for the candidates, and for their supporters. With public arguments being had about different philosophies, ideologies, and platforms, it’s important to understand how today’s candidates handle technology while on the campaign trail.

Organizations are taking to the skies with cloud computing solutions in the workplace, and it’s proving to be a valuable investment. However, such unprecedented growth doesn’t come without its fair share of risks. How does the cloud affect your business’s ability to function without unknowingly compromising your data infrastructure, or risking heavy downtime?

In a world where technology is continuously being improved upon to suit the needs of the modern business, your organization’s needs can quickly (and drastically) change. The need for cloud services grows more apparent with each passing day, primarily because it has so much to offer for a small business. Granted, talking about the cloud and implementing it are two entirely different things. So, it's important that business owners ask, "What can the cloud do for my organization?"

The advantage of managed IT service is that it allows businesses to secure the IT support they need, without having to take on the responsibility and expense of managing these services. When coupled with the development and deployment of computing resources, it becomes clear that outsourcing IT is the smart way to go for small to medium-sized businesses looking to do more for less.

Cloud computing has reached a point where the majority of businesses are utilizing the technology to some extent. According to a 2014 survey, about 70 percent of enterprises either have infrastructure or applications in the cloud. As more companies migrate more of their operations to the cloud, we’re getting more questions about what it takes to make such a transition possible.