Let?s go over some of the basic questions that you should be able to answer about your data backup and disaster recovery system, as well as how you should be answering them with the appropriate solutions. Who Is Responsible for Taking Data Backups? With the traditional method of taking data backups, you might have someone whose duties include taking backups manually. This method has traditionally utilized tape backups that must be set and taken manually every night. You can see how this might become a problem in the future, as there is always the possibility that, with manual solutions, someone might forget to set the tape. This can easily be avoided through the use of a cloud backup system that automatically takes the backup and eliminates the possibility for user error. Where Are the Backups Stored? In the aforementioned backup system that utilizes tape, where exactly are those tape backups being stored? They are probably collecting dust in a part of your office that could be better utilized for other purposes. Plus, if your office is destroyed in the event of a disaster, you risk losing your backups in addition to your physical infrastructure. It?s better to store your backups in the cloud or an off-site data center where they will be safe from any events that would spell trouble for your company. What Hardware is Receiving the Backups? Once you have determined how and where the data backups are being stored, it?s time to consider what happens when it comes time to actually use them. Do you have hardware ready to go in the event that your business needs to deploy the backups in a moment?s notice? If not, we have news for you–chances are you will suffer from considerable downtime as you struggle to get operations back in order. You need to have some sort of hardware that can accept a cloud-deployed backup in at least some capacity to keep operations running on at least a minimal level. This is crucial to prevent downtime in as great a capacity as possible, as the real killer of businesses is the time spent not profiting or doing business. If your data backup and disaster recovery strategy leaves something to be desired, White Mountain IT Services can help you get it up to speed. Not only can we automate the entire process, but we can also equip your organization with the tools needed to ensure that a disaster does not completely break your business (or the bank). Furthermore, we will be there to support your organization every step of the way so you can come out of any disaster scenario swinging. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.
Where Do CC and BCC Come From? CC and BCC are holdovers from the good old days of paper communication, where it was common practice to carbon copy a document by layering a carbon sheet between two pieces of paper. When a writing utensil applies pressure to the top sheet of paper, the carbon is applied to the second, making (for all intents and purposes) a perfect copy of the message. For the time, this method of duplication was efficient and effective, and can still be seen in certain contexts. In the context of an email, CC?modern shorthand for carbon copy?simply means that you are sending a copy of the message to another recipient, whereas BCC?or blind carbon copy?signifies that the copy is to be sent to a recipient without the other recipients seeing that the BCC?ed person was added as a contact. When Should You Use CC and BCC? In fairness, there doesn?t seem to be much difference between CCing someone and sending them a regular email? So why make such a big deal about using the CC field at all? In a word, manners. While there are few differences between the ?To? field and the ?CC? field, the intended use of each is the notable exception. ?To? is the field that you fill out to send an email to the main recipients. ?CC? is what you should use when the recipient isn?t directly involved with the conversation, but they should still be kept in the loop. Basically, you should use CC when you want someone to have a copy of an email to reference. BCC, on the other hand, offers its own utilities. When sending an email to a recipient in the BCC field, any of the other recipients will not see who the email was sent to. It is useful for your recipient?s privacy, as well as sending messages to a long list of recipients. Hopefully, this will help you use your email more effectively as a communication tool. White Mountain IT Services can help you with other variables in your IT to help use it all as effectively as possible. Give us a call at (603) 889-0800 to find out what we can do for you.
Defining Remote First Positions First, we should probably clear up what we mean by ?remote-first.? By this, we mean that remote-first companies make it a priority to hire remote workers for most, if not all of their open or available positions. As such, they have a limited in-house workforce, choosing the flexibility that remote work allows for rather than limiting operations to a centralized office location. Some companies that consider themselves remote-first include Intuit, Facebook, and Amazon. But how does this policy of remote-first employment translate to knowledge workers? Not in the way that you might expect. Defining Knowledge Workers Knowledge workers are those that provide value in the workplace through their knowledge, i.e. knowledge they have obtained or developed over time. Some examples of knowledge workers include programmers, pharmacists, lawyers, engineers, and scientists. In a sense, you can consider knowledge workers to be ?problem solving? workers. Why Does This Resistance Exist? As reported by TechRepublic, the resistance to remote-first work policies seems to be in areas that have traditionally not had strong policies surrounding remote work. This compounds in regions that have historically not had strong turnout for knowledge-based workers. These companies are stuck in a difficult position. They cannot find local talent, but they have also lagged behind in the shift to hybrid and remote work. Additionally, there appears to be a disconnect between offices that are trying to stick to the old way of doing things and their employees. Consider the past few years and the number of offices that were forced to transition to remote work due to circumstances surrounding the pandemic. Employees got a taste of what it felt like to work remotely, and they do not want to give it up. They are ready to embrace a more flexible way of doing things, but can workplaces keep up with this? While there might be some resistance to remote-first work for knowledge workers, we don?t think that your business should be one of them. Thanks to remote technology solutions that allow employees to work from anywhere with relative ease, you too can jump on the remote work bandwagon and reap the incredible benefits that come from employing remote workers? assuming that you have a solid strategy in place for adding them to your workforce. That?s where we come in. One of the key challenges facing companies employing remote workers is the technology involved in maintaining access to important resources and establishing communication between the office and the workforce. White Mountain IT Services can help your organization make this transition seamlessly. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.
Redundant Business Travel Can Be Eliminated Business travel hit effectively unprecedented lows throughout the pandemic, as many people remained secluded in their homes as much as they could. However, it quickly became apparent that the activity that business travel revolved around didn?t actually require a physical presence to be fulfilled. With the solutions that enable remote work in tow, employees can do more than just virtually commute to the office? they can effectively ?travel? anywhere they are needed in a matter of moments. This can save you and your team members a hefty chunk of change in fuel costs alone. Remote Tools Actually Aid Communication and Collaboration We?ve found that so many of our preconceptions about the best way to do things are, in fact, not the best way to do things. Meetings that involved people present as well as people calling in often found those calling in overlooked more often than not. However, when everyone is relying on remote communication, the playing field is leveled out. Security is Better with Zero Trust As companies hurriedly adopted remote work processes, it had the unfortunate side effect of greatly expanding the threat surface of their infrastructures. After all, it isn?t as though your home network is exclusively dealing with work processes. There are other users doing their own thing on the same network, making a zero-trust security approach a necessity. By demanding verification and authentication for every device, user, or application that tries to access resources, the zero-trust model helps to prevent unauthorized usage. Remote Work Benefits the Environment With the environment becoming a greater priority for many people as time passes, green technologies and business practices have been emphasized. Remote work, by virtue of the eliminated commute, is a very effective way for each employee to cut down on their carbon footprint. Hybrid Work is the Best of Both Worlds As remote solutions continue to improve, a rift has grown. Some employees are perfectly content to continue working from home, while others want the ability to work alongside their teammates once again. This will likely result in the adoption of a hybridized work environment, where employees combine remote operations with in-person processes. White Mountain IT Services can ensure that your business is in the position to operate wherever your employees may be. Give us a call at (603) 889-0800 to find out how we can help.
Windows 8.1 is Only Kind of Windows 8 The difference between Windows 8 and 8.1 might seem slight at first glance, but it?s actually a pretty major one. Windows 8, released in 2012, was supposed to be Microsoft?s attempt at making an operating system for all devices, including mobile, laptops, and desktops. Unfortunately, this approach did not pay off, as the layout messed with peoples? expectations of what a Windows operating system really was. They much preferred to stick with their beloved Windows 7. Microsoft took the hint and released Windows 8.1, a huge update that restored features that Microsoft users expected of a new OS, including the Start menu. The 8.1 update was Microsoft?s big chance to effectively replace the failure that was Windows 8 with a better product that meet consumer expectations, and as such, they cut off support for Windows 8 well ahead of the schedule they normally adhere to when it comes to these end-of-life scenarios. There has not been a huge campaign to upgrade away from 8.1, and that is because it is only used by about 3.5 percent of the install base, unlike other major operating systems like Windows XP and Windows 7. What You Need to Know The important thing for you to know is that you must start considering your exit strategy for Windows 8.1 as soon as possible and at least start the upgrade process to Windows 10. While you could wait until Windows 11 launches later this year or into next, you will want to make sure that you have the hardware required to run it on. If you do not take action to upgrade away from 8.1, well, you?re risking your operating system going unsupported by Microsoft, and that end-of-life date stops for no one. Why Is It Important to Only Use Supported Software? Like other types of software, each new Windows operating system comes with modern conveniences and features that fit right into the business environment, as well as security features that take the fight to modern security threats. If you are not regularly updating your operating systems, then not only are you missing out on these features, but you are also leaving security on the table. Therefore, we recommend that you start thinking about your upgrade strategy now while Windows 8.1 is still supported by Microsoft. Failing to do so is putting your company at risk. For assistance with this process, White Mountain IT Services can help. Our trusted technicians can support you throughout the implementation process of any new operating system or the hardware it runs on, from procurement to deployment to continued maintenance and management. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.
