Smartphones in the Workplace Why don?t we start with the truth. Yes, smartphones are a distraction and largely a hindrance to productivity. Some businesses deal with it more than others, but a study conducted suggests that employees spend an average of 56 minutes per day on their phones. Since for the full-time worker that works out to about 1/8th of the time, that means that productivity is at least 10 percent lower than it should be. Until you factor in the other way that smartphones affect an employee?s performance.  Businesses today want their staff to be available more than ever. You don?t punch a clock anymore, you use software to track your time, so when a work-related issue comes up in non-work hours, waiting for the answer can make a big difference. The modern employer takes advantage of their staff?s reliance on their personal devices by effectively extending access to their knowledge around the clock (more about this later). With a chunk of the day being spent on their phones, the modern worker has to know that this behavior isn?t in the best interests of the organization. Conversely, management has to know that their staff can?t possibly care less about their concern. They get their salary–or more frequently their hourly wage–to come to work and do a job. They need to have a life outside of work, after all.  With this thought in mind is where companies start to go wrong. Managers realize that it is much costlier to onboard new people who don?t use smartphones, or who are less willing to do so, so they create archaic and completely unrealistic policies and are left scratching their heads when even their best performers don?t comply with the policy.  The truth is that since people are going to use their phones, making them understand where you stand on the issue is the best policy. You have to make it clear that you understand that people have hobbies and families and all the other things that have people spending all that time at work; and, ask them to respect the organization. In doing so you set a very solid guideline to what facilitates wasting time on phones that people will do their job and use their phones more sparingly. The fact is that trying to control an uncontrollable situation will leave you tearing your hair out and should be avoided if possible. Smartphones Out of the Workplace Outside of work is where the business can make up some of that ten percent. Since it?s obvious that everyone uses their phones inside your office (where it is taboo), it stands to reason that they will be constantly using their phones outside of the office. For the most part, this is true. Studies routinely show that people use their phones between three and four hours per day on average. That means that the average person is on their phone for over three hours per day outside the office. At first glance, this seems like a ridiculously high number, but when you begin to think about it, the smartphone is a major part of so many people?s lives that four hours per day seems about right. How long do you last without checking yours? This opens up opportunities that haven?t traditionally been there to engage […]

What is SQL Server? SQL server is Microsoft?s relational database management system (RDMS) application. It is used to manage the data found in the databases your company uses to effectively utilize applications. While there are several types of RDMS servers on the market, they typically have specific applications they are used with. The SQL Server RDMS has been updated numerous times in the 11 years since SQL Server 2008 was introduced and the nine since 2008 R2 launched, with all types of additions for new dataflows and cloud resources.  What Are Your Options? Since the end of support date is only four days away, your options are severely limited. If you choose to keep using the SQL Server 2008 or 2008 R2 titles, you will run into problems as any software that doesn?t get frequent patches and updates will inherently have vulnerabilities that hackers can use to deliver malware, steal data, and otherwise make your IT administrator?s life difficult.  Since it may be extremely difficult to sufficiently modernize a new in-house server before the deadline, Microsoft has extended organizations that use these RDMS titles a lifeline. They have offered three additional years of support as long as the organization moves their existing databases to the Azure cloud–a pretty solid deal since the software will no longer be supported otherwise.  By migrating your SQL Server 2008 to the cloud (in Azure), Microsoft will continue to support your software through July 2022. This extended support gives organizations time to come up with a viable plan without having to move forward with unsupported software that could present a whole litany of security problems.  If you are staring down the July 9th deadline, a migration to a secure Azure environment may be your only hope to avoid very serious security issues. For more information about RDMS platforms and hosting, reach out to the IT professionals at White Mountain IT Services today at (603) 889-0800.

An application?s API is often a web-based interface that returns data, but the API is actually just the code that governs the access point or points for the server. All an API does is provide the ability to receive data from outside sources. Think of it as the door into the software. The developer sees the API as a way for their software to communicate with other pieces of software. For example, a database that is accessed by your application might be structured outside of your development platform, meaning that you?ll need an API to allow developers a way to call the data from the database for use in your development platform. In this way, developers use data from other applications in your favorite solutions, allowing for integration between them. One great example of how APIs work is how you can sign into your favorite news site using your Facebook or Google account. This is because the developer of the website uses the Facebook or Google API to give you access to the content. It?s clear that APIs are extremely important for mobile application development. APIs are able to provide the following benefits to mobile application developers: Accelerated app development: APIs give developers the ability to eliminate wasted time through building specific integration methods. Increased app functionality: APIs provide access to data from other applications, allowing for enhanced functionality. Improved application marketability: More integrations mean more usability in various markets, meaning that it will be more common and useful for more people. This only scratches the surface of what an API is and does. What are some other tech terms that you?d like to see covered on our blog? Let us know in the comments.

Here are some of the best reasons your organization can benefit from remote workers being implemented into your operations. Your Real Estate Costs Are Lower If your employees aren?t arriving in the office every day to get work done, you don?t need as much room in your office. Businesses save a considerable amount of capital due to this. This has led to downsizing, but in a very different context compared to how you usually hear the word used. With tools allowing for remote meetings utilizing Internet conferencing solutions, there?s no excuse for never holding a meeting again. Remote Workers Can Be More Productive Some remote workers exhibit higher levels of productivity compared to their office-bound counterparts. They don?t need to use any time or energy getting to the office, meaning that they are more fresh and ready to go in terms of their mental wellbeing. Furthermore, they are generally in charge of their own schedule, meaning they can work when they will produce their best results. There?s a Larger Talent Pool For the most part, your organization will be limited to employees that either live locally or are willing to relocate. Remote workers aren?t limited by these geographical factors, giving you more opportunity to attract top talent that you otherwise wouldn?t be able to. Many workers, including 68 percent of surveyed millennials, would prefer to use this option, and it very well could help you maintain retention rates. Remote workers present a certain value for your business, and the right habits can make them an extremely useful asset. Be sure to encourage these behaviors with your remote workers. Smarter scheduling: A remote employee needs to be responsible for their own time, meaning that a manager can?t always keep tabs on them. Encourage your staff to keep to a routine. This helps them get the most out of their time, and it will help your in-office team know when they are available. Establish a workspace: Working from home gives people the image of someone curling up on the couch with their laptop, but it?s better to have a dedicated place to work, like a home office.  Dress for the office: You don?t technically have to dress up to work from home, but doing so might help you mentally prepare yourself for the day. Want more tips on how to be successful while working remotely? Subscribe to White Mountain IT Services?s blog.

First, it?s important to recognize that threats can be classified in one of two ways: external, and internal. External Threats As their name suggests, these threats are those that originate from outside your business? network. This category includes most threats, especially those that you may have heard of before. External threats include the likes of: Viruses and Malware: These nasty bits of code and malicious software are able to be customized by a hacker to carry out a particular task, whatever that may be. Unfortunately, we have neither the time nor the space to list all of the potential uses for viruses and malware, as the possibilities are virtually limitless. Ransomware: This is another nasty attack, where a user?s files will be encrypted and the attacker will demand payment in exchange for the decryption key. These attacks are often effective, as businesses need their data in order to operate. Regardless, it is important that the demanded ransom isn?t paid, as it only encourages more attacks down the line. Spam: Email has proven to be an effective means of attack for hackers to leverage, sending infected messages in the hopes that someone on the other end will download them and leave the business open to threats. While spam is largely preventable, it is also easy to fall for, leaving a network vulnerable. Internal Threats Internal threats can be particularly insidious, as they can come from effectively anywhere within an organization – even its most loyal and well-meaning employees who simply made a mistake. Unfortunately, these threats could also be the result of some employees acting maliciously against a business, actively attempting sabotage. A brief sampling of internal threats include: Phishing Attacks: Hackers have a good understanding of where your business? biggest weaknesses are, and most of the time, they?re sitting at their workstations. While you may have a handle on security best practices, your users may not. This leaves them vulnerable to phishing attacks, where they could easily be convinced to click the wrong link, provide sensitive information, or download a malicious attachment. Account Hijacking: What would happen if a hacker managed to take over one of your employee?s accounts? Sure, you could see that the account was active, but if you didn?t know it was actually a hacker using it, you could find your data stolen? or worse. Lack of Access Control: Firing an employee is never pleasant, and there?s a good chance that there will be some bad blood after the fact. If the former employee is angry enough, they may be tempted to access your network and create some problems for you. Not only would this be embarrassing for your business, it could put you into an uncomfortable situation down the line. This is why it is so crucial to cut off a former employee?s access as quickly as possible. There is no shortage of threats out there that could negatively impact your business. White Mountain IT Services can help to keep you protected from them with advanced and effective security measures. Reach out to us at (603) 889-0800 to learn more.