Recent Blog Posts
With Any Luck, It Won?t Flash Player and other software based on Flash have been largely phased out over the past decade or so, so ultimately it was just a matter of time before Flash Player was officially retired. Furthermore, Flash has also experienced some security issues, leading to the major players?Google, Microsoft, and Apple?basically leaving it behind as well. So, while this news isn?t unexpected, it does still warrant saying that Flash was a big part of what shaped the Internet that we know today. However, nostalgia aside, the retired software needs to be removed from all systems to prevent it from becoming a vulnerability in your network. Just as is the case with any software that will no longer be supported, Flash Player will not be reinforced against any future threats. This will effectively turn it into an exploit that a cybercriminal could use to introduce a larger threat into your business? infrastructure. Fortunately, all it takes to avoid this outcome is to properly update your IT away from any Flash-based software. White Mountain IT Services can help with this, as well as so much more. For assistance with your IT management, maintenance, and security, give us a call at (603) 889-0800.
Identify Purpose There are pros and cons to utilizing a wireless network. If you are considering enhancing mobility and bringing more flexibility to your workforce, setting up a WLAN is the easiest and most cost effective way to do so. Sharing network attached resources with users inside your network is an absolute must for most businesses, so in that case, having a wireless strategy is mandatory. Wireless is very customizable as well, so you can do a lot more things, more simply with Wi-Fi than if you choose to wire everything up. Plan Coverage Area Your Wi-Fi has to do what you need it for, it?s that simple. If you are looking for a way to connect your users to your business network and don?t want the signal available outside the building, you can absolutely do that, but one would suggest that you?d by-in-large see faster transmission speeds if you used a wired network approach, but that can be costly. You will want to plan the space you need your Wi-Fi to go and then start planning where you will place your hardware. Bandwidth You need to know how much bandwidth your business will need at the time of implementation and an estimate of how much it will need in the years to come. By estimating your organization’s bandwidth needs you will be able to know a couple crucial details: How much you will pay for the bandwidth and how your bandwidth will be spent. Once you know all the particulars, you can successfully calculate your business? networking costs. Procure Hardware Getting the hardware you need is a pretty simple job, but you will want to consider what standard you plan on using. The most prevalent for high speed wireless transmission are 802.11a and 802.11g. 802.11b delivers slower Internet speeds, but also reduces the prices of the hardware substantially. For your business you will want something that meets the wireless needs of your business. Deployment The placement of the hardware is the biggest and most important consideration. If you need more than one network to fill your business? needs then you will need to work that out with your ISP. Most businesses build their wireless network to include guest use, so you will also want to consider how available your wireless signal is in order to fulfill the next task. Plan and Implement Security Just like you work to secure your user accounts with password protection and other forms of security, you will want to ensure that all of your security steps are taken care of. Most times, this is a little more complex so your business would really benefit from a professional perspective. While you may understand that you need to update firewall permissions, assign user access, and much more, a professional will understand the specifics of it and can really work to keep your Wi-Fi network much more secure than it would otherwise be. Here are a few suggestions, should you want to undertake this procedure yourself: Change your router?s admin password – The first step in most security practices is changing the password. It is the same for setting up your router(s). Turn off Service Set Identifier (SSID) broadcasting – This doesn?t allow passersby to see that your wireless network is up and available. Change default SSID […]
How much does your business rely on technology to keep your organization running forward? As business technology becomes more complex, it’s becoming increasingly popular for organizations to have their own internal IT departments to manage and maintain it. Yet, small businesses don’t often have the necessary funds for such a feat. How can your company afford quality IT service? You can start by pursuing managed IT solutions from a managed service provider.
Profitability is less the measure of being able to turn a profit, and more the measure of how much profit you can make. For the successful small business, the integration of technology can dictate what kind of annual margins you are looking at. For the new company, however, it can be something even more critical: the difference between setting a course for success, or wallowing in failure. Today we analyze the cost difference between hosting your IT in-house, or choosing to host it in the cloud.
There is no question that a small business can benefit from technology, as has been proven time and time again. However, an issue can arise if a business bites off more than it can chew, so to speak, and ultimately creates a spike in costs. A responsible business owner will resist this temptation and prioritize the solutions they need over the ones they want – building profitability and generating capital needed to make other improvements. In this blog, we’ll examine some of the implementations that can deliver a good return on investment to a small business.
