Business Solutions & Software Group Blog

As the world’s top telecom supplier and a major phone manufacturer, Huawei has been placed in a precarious situation due to its close ties with China’s government. In response to potential spying allegations, many countries have banned the use of the Chinese company’s networking equipment, throwing a wrench in the manufacturer’s plans to become an even bigger global force in the telecom industry.

Are you looking to get your current IT situation under control? Whether you are dealing with repeat issues, slow response times, or you are simply looking to grow and upgrade what you currently have, it’s important to know what you are up against and have an idea of where to go next.

Mobile devices have become a staple in contemporary life, with more business uses added regularly. Unfortunately, this makes them a more enticing target for cybercriminals to go after. To help you keep your phone secure, we’ve assembled a brief list of best practices for you and the rest of your company to follow.

We’ve all worked late nights, but that’s just the reality of modern business - our technology allows us to be productive whenever we have the opportunity to be. However, our physiology doesn’t always agree with our work habits - or the tools we use. One example: the influence that staring at a screen late into the night has on our ability to achieve restful sleep.

Security threats are commonplace in the business environment, as any organization that turns a profit is sure to hold valuable data that is of use to criminals. Some people have an easier time identifying threats than others, but with so many different types of threats out there, it’s no wonder that some have trouble handling these scenarios. Here is a guide on some of the more common types of malware, as well as what you should do to avoid a dangerous run-in with it.

Communication is a key business need, and as such, there are a variety of solutions devoted to improving your business’ communications strategy in some way, shape, or form. Here, we’ll go over these solutions, and discuss why they aren’t really “options,” but actually requirements for today’s business.

Have you ever opened a file on your PC only to not be able to find what you are looking for because it’s an absolute mess? It has numerous file types, folders, and applications just sitting there providing absolutely no continuity. Well, today we’re going to help you out by giving you some tips on how to organize your files so that you can easily find what you are looking for and maneuver around your OS or cloud-based file storage efficiently.

Microsoft Windows is a common sight in the modern office, but no matter how great the solution, it will eventually grow outdated and require updates in order to maintain security and efficiency. Businesses often have trouble adjusting to Windows End of Life events, and with a major one just around the corner for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, you need to consider moving away from these solutions if you haven’t done so already.

Everyone in a business has set responsibilities that they need to fulfill, one major one being proper security maintenance. A failure to uphold this responsibility could have serious consequences, including the very real potential of a security breach. It could be argued, in fact, that if you aren’t patching your systems, you’re inviting cybercriminals in.

The importance of effective data management cannot be overstated in today’s business environment. After all, the data you collect is of little use if you fail to leverage it properly, and successful data leverage starts with choosing where to house it. This week’s tip is dedicated to how and why to utilize a data warehouse for your organization’s needs.

Many businesses have begun to take advantage of the benefits that come with having remote workers. One tool that has seen an increase in utilization as a result is a conferencing solution. Communications are extremely important for the growing business, and with a full-featured conferencing tool at your disposal, you can expect to see the following benefits. 

How would you feel if a video of you appeared online, saying things that you never actually said? While you may not be the one targeted by this kind of action, this situation is very real, thanks to a relatively recent development in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Known as “deepfakes,” these videos have made it crucial to examine media from a place of skepticism.

We always recommend cloud platforms to our clients, especially those who need a central place to host important data and applications. However, it is possible to go too far when implementing cloud services. We’ll discuss how you can monitor your cloud computing costs, as well as how access to cloud solutions can be a detriment to your organization.

The Cloud. That big, vague entity where a lot of us our entrusting our information has lifted a huge burden off of businesses by alleviating the need for expensive onsite hardware. It makes user management a little more user friendly. It keeps us connected and in communication no matter where we are.

After years of talk about individual data privacy, and years enacting regional laws, the European Union’s flagship individual privacy law, the General Data Protection Regulation went into effect a year ago in May. Suddenly, if your organization does business inside EU member states, you will be under a stringent regulation concerning individual data privacy. Today, we will look at the GDPR and what has changed in the year it has been law.

Microsoft is saying goodbye to OneNote 2016. Although the handy note-taking app will still be supported until October 2020, with extended support for a few more years after, Microsoft has decided to no longer add features to it, and instead, they are focusing on the new version of OneNote that comes bundled with Windows 10.

Microsoft’s handy little note-taking app, OneNote, is gearing up to hit the old dusty trail and retire. At least, that’s the plan for OneNote 2016, whose end of life coincides with the rest of the Office 2016 suite in October, 2020. Fortunately, most of us already have OneNote 2016’s successor installed. Wait, what?

A decade-old version of Microsoft’s popular database software SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 R2 is losing support on July 9,2019. If your business hasn’t moved away from the software, you are looking at a few real pressing problems. Let’s take a look at the software and what options businesses that haven’t moved on from SQL Server 2008 or SQL Server R2 have going forward.

It is said that software runs the world, but it wouldn’t necessarily be so without the ability to integrate applications with others. What exactly makes these integrations possible? For this week’s tech term, we will briefly introduce you to the application programming interface, or API; and, why it's so crucial in software development today.

Every business has their version of risk management. Nowadays, with all the technology organizations use for productivity, collaboration, and communications, managing risk can often be difficult. There are numerous threats that come from the Internet that could put a damper on productivity, create inefficiencies, or shut down production entirely. Regardless of how large or small your business is, you need to prioritize the security of your computing network.