Business Solutions & Software Group Blog

Renowned tech company Intel has announced their next line of laptop processors, but an unfortunate aside caused significant frustration amongst the IT market. Intel has broken from the tradition of releasing new processors each September which will be improved upon later. Instead, Intel has jumped the gun and released a new processor, rather than improve their Skylake processor from the previous year.

The processor has been named Kaby Lake, which is optimized for 4K video handling and editing and can improve battery life. However, it’s not these changes that have resulted in confusion; rather, it’s something as simple as a name change that has IT professionals up in arms. Prior to Intel’s most recent release, there were two lines of processors which were given the titles of Core i and Core M. The 'i' line of processors is the stronger of the two, while the M processors were reserved almost exclusively for tablets. The confusion came when the Core M processors were renamed to represent the 'i' series.

Keep in mind that there has been no change in the capabilities of the processors. The change is in name only. The difference can only be seen in the product numbers. What this means is that when someone is researching components for a workstation, they may accidentally purchase the wrong i7 processor (a significantly less powerful one). The only way they can really determine the change is by digging into the product’s specifications--which, if you’re not technically inclined, won’t mean anything.

This leads to our next point; while the average consumer may not notice a difference in performance, business owners want technology that meets the specific needs of their organization. Granted, this is assuming that a business owner has the time and resources available to research the available solutions. The problem here is that the average business owner probably doesn’t have this time available to them, and it takes much more than identifying the proper product number to make educated decisions about your IT infrastructure.

If your business doesn’t want to waste time sifting through product numbers and specifications, Business Solutions & Software Group is happy to help. Our skilled technicians can help your organization procure only the best technical assets that are designed to meet your business’s specifications. To learn more, reach out to us at (954) 575-3992.

Throughout your journey through the business world, you may have heard rumors, hushed whispers of a deep, dark world beneath the surface of the Internet. Well, it’s real, and it’s known as a hotbed of corruption, where hackers can sell stolen credentials and personal records. However, contrary to popular belief, the Dark Web isn’t as mysterious as it’s made out to be.

You may have heard of the Chromebook. It’s an inexpensive alternative to a laptop that allows for web browsing over an Internet connection, using Google’s own Chrome OS. The problem isn’t its functionality--rather, its lack of functionality when it’s not connected to the Internet. Thankfully, with a couple of apps, you can take advantage of some of the Chromebook’s more dynamic features, even when you’re not connected to the Internet.

Multitasking is no easy thing for a human being to do, no matter what anyone says--our brains simply are not wired to focus on more than one task at a time. To resolve this dilemma, there are apps that will automatically carry out an action if triggered by a user completing some other action. These are called automation apps, and they are becoming extraordinarily useful in today’s dynamic workplace.

There’s no questioning that smartphones have done wonders for the world of business. Yet, some workers aren’t willing to adopt smartphones, and prefer their unbreakable nostalgia-filled flip phones.

Is your business accustomed to paying for Windows operating systems up front? Microsoft’s latest “as a service” offering, Windows as a Service, might throw a wrench in your business model, but it could welcome shifts in your IT policy that ultimately allow for more flexibility on your part. Regardless, Windows as a Service provides businesses with the opportunity to reassess their approach to software solutions.

These days, businesses practically expect disaster. With so many high-profile hacking attacks in the news, people are paranoid and fear for their data. Yet, even more businesses don’t fear enough, which can lead to unexpected data loss from hackers, natural disasters, and even user error. As a business owner, it’s your responsibility to ensure that your organization is prepared to handle disasters of all kinds.

With the National Football League gearing up for its preseason games this August, there are plenty of teams out there looking to get a competitive edge. One way they’re doing so is through virtual reality training, which is a growing platform that may prove useful in preparation for the upcoming season.

It has been quite a year for Microsoft, at least as far as Windows 10 is concerned. Since the release of Windows 10, over 300 million devices worldwide utilize the operating system. If you have considered upgrading, it is strongly recommended you do so as soon as possible.

Everyone knows that it’s beneficial to upgrade your company’s technology and use the latest and greatest solutions. As much we all enjoy using new technology and shiny gadgets, is there a point when upgrading goes too far?

Having an Internet connection is an important part of your business’s operations. Why are we stating something so obvious? Sometimes you might be experiencing network issues that could be caused by heavy or unexpected traffic, technical difficulties, or worse. Depending on the problem, it could be as simple as restarting your modem. We’re here to help you figure out why your Internet connection is less than optimal, and what you can do about it.

Is your business using Windows 10? If so, did you upgrade because you wanted to improve operations, or to stop Microsoft’s endless upgrade notifications? Regardless of why you upgraded, you’re now one of the 25.3 percent of people using Windows 10. But are you using Microsoft Edge as your preferred web browser?

The last time you implemented a technology solution, how did it turn out? Was it a great initiative that continues to provide a return on investment, or was it a failure that hurt your company? As it turns out, half of the IT projects started by businesses turn out to be a failure, and the numbers are only increasing with time.

More students today are earning online degrees than ever before. Thanks to online learning management systems, the classroom experience can marginally be replicated in an online environment. One of the biggest problems associated with online teaching, however, is that students have trouble getting the attention they deserve. Enter: Artificially intelligent teaching assistants.

If your computer is underperforming, then it may not have enough RAM to do what you’re asking it to do. When selecting a PC, how do you know if you have enough RAM?

Microsoft Office 365 can enhance a company's operations in a variety of ways. Yet, due to the fact that not every business is the same, your organization will benefit more from a solution that’s customized to meet your needs. This is a big reason behind Microsoft’s customizable offering: Office 365 Business Premium.

If we told you ten years ago that you would be able to print machine parts out of your printer, would you have believed us? Probably not; yet, that’s just how far technology has progressed in the past decade. All types of industries, particularly manufacturing, have found that 3D printing is a great alternative to traditional manufacturing processes.

Before 3D printing became possible, there was a ton of hype surrounding it. People thought it would be a game-changing innovation. Yet, some skeptics (who we like to call negative Nancys) and falling stock prices may give people the wrong idea about 3D printing. There are plenty of reasons to be excited about 3D printing, especially in the form of successful implementation into finished products. 3D-printed car parts are being used in the manufacturing of vehicles. While 3D printing may have once been viable only as a prototype printer, parts that are being produced in this way are more than capable of being used in end products.

Here are some statistics from a PwC study concerning the implementation speed of 3D printing:

• 31.4 percent of manufacturers are using 3D printing for prototyping, 6.6 are using it for end-product production, and 13.2 percent are using it for both; all three of these figures are considerably higher than they were in 2014.
• 17.4 percent are experimenting with 3D printing - down from 2014, when 28.9 percent claimed to be experimenting with 3D printing.
• 42 percent of manufacturers feel that 3D printing will be used in high-volume production within the next 3-5 years.

Granted, it’s important to take into consideration the repercussions that mass-producing 3D printing machines will have on the manufacturing industry. While the costs of 3D-printed goods are dramatically lower, will this disrupt the status-quo of how traditional supply chains work?

Furthermore, there is some concern over how 3D printing will affect intellectual property. As the demand for 3D printing technology increases, the costs will decrease, and the results of this innovation will become more apparent. Then there’s the problem of meeting the required quality and retaining enough speed to efficiently make use of the 3D printing technology. These uncertainties are why organizations are slowly moving toward implementing 3D printing, rather than jumping the gun and diving right in.

Whether or not 3D printing becomes a major part of the manufacturing environment may be up for debate, but it’s a great example of how innovative technology solutions can directly affect an organization’s bottom line. By efficiently managing your organization's technology solutions, you can achieve the best return on investment for them. However, just like a manufacturer implementing 3D printing, your business needs to carefully consider how implementing new solutions will affect your current operations.

To achieve an understanding of this sensitive topic, feel free to give us a call at (954) 575-3992. Business Solutions & Software Group’s technicians will be glad to discuss any new technology that your business wants to take advantage of.

Data systems are always looking to improve the way that data is stored. The efficiency of your data storage systems is a crucial part of managing your data infrastructure, and there’s a constant search for ways to improve the way that it’s done. Scientists are now turning to the field of optoelectronics to develop new ways to store incredible amounts of data, for enormous amounts of time.

As a small or medium-sized business, your network is one of your most valuable assets. It allows your team to access information and applications in a quick and convenient way. However, your network is a very sensitive thing, and even the slightest change in its speed or nature can be a sign of negative things to come; namely, expensive downtime that can potentially harm your operations and break your budget.

Technology has changed the world. It has changed individual lives, businesses, and the way people communicate with one another. The main reason for this is that technology, and the use of it, happens everywhere. In fact, the world has seen a huge spike in the addition of microprocessors to ordinary objects which allows them to communicate with the digital world. This trend is known as ubiquitous computing.