For many small businesses, the difference between the various types of technology management might seem trivial, but the reality is that they can be budget-breaking when mismanaged. Take break-fix IT management; it worked for businesses in the past, but how much did it really help? After all, the entire premise of break-fix IT management relies on the breaking and fixing of technology, when in reality the goal should be to prevent the breaking from happening in the first place. This is why managed IT is such a valuable investment. It actively prevents IT issues from hampering your business? operations, meaning that downtime doesn?t become a problem. In a way, managed IT takes your organization?s capital expenses related to technology and transforms them into operational expenses, saving you lots of time and money that can be spent elsewhere. However, you don?t want to implement just any managed IT provider. You want to work with only one who can answer the following questions in adequate detail. Does this provider help my business become more competitive? Can this provider help my business leverage technology more quickly? How does this managed service provider help my business utilize the cloud? How transparent is this managed service provider? How can your investment in managed IT free up funds that are better spent elsewhere? How quickly can the provider respond to new industry trends and ideas? Not sure how to approach managed IT? White Mountain IT Services might be able to help. Ask us these questions yourself and see what we can offer your business. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.

5G itself is largely being used as a selling point or marketing strategy early this year. However, as the year progresses, keep an eye out for the first actual 5G networks, as well as the devices that run on them. It?s worth remembering, however, that 5G is still an emerging technology, so while we might see the first of these new networks, the bulk will be the same networks that you have come to know over the past decade. Fourth Generation4G first hit in December 2009, but it took the United States until June of 2010 for the first 4G LTE network to become accessible. 3G networks were processing somewhere between 200Kbps to 5Mbps/second but compared to 4G?s 100Mbps-to-1Gbps speeds, the former was child?s play. Cloud computing and media streaming became commonplace, and a massive market for mobile applications and devices that utilized them was pushed to the forefront of mobile computing. Fifth GenerationJust like with 4G, 5G will provide a dramatic increase in bandwidth speed, while also reducing latency and providing an entire new layer of application support. It will bring wireless Internet speeds to astounding levels–up to 100Gbps, nearly 1,000 times faster than current 4G speeds. Streaming will work almost seamlessly, and application developers will have more capabilities to work with, pushing innovation forward. A solid 5G connection could enable users to download a full movie in a couple of seconds! This will provide more network stability for more resource-intensive tasks, all while maintaining more reliable speeds to take advantage of advanced digital tools. The most immediate issue for 5G is that it might take a while to reach your area, depending on where your office is located. For example, Minnesota and Chicago will be receiving 5G through Verizon soon, but it might take longer for other locations. As far as devices go, here is a list of some that will be compatible: Samsung Galaxy s10 5G LG v50 ThinQ Huawei Mate X ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G Unnamed OnePlus 5G Smartphone It?s noteworthy that there is no Apple device or European version. The only phone on the devices listed above that will be available in the United States by the 5G launch window is the Galaxy s10. However, Verizon?s 5G mod for the Moto z3 will be available for $50, and the retail price will remain at $349.99 if it?s not purchased during Verizon?s promotional period. As a consumer, it?s your responsibility to determine how and when to upgrade to a 5G network. Let White Mountain IT Services explain what your options are so you can go in on this technology with as clear a head as possible. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.

Should You Consider Renting Your Modem?Most ISPs will allow you to rent your cable modem, which might include a built-in router to save time and money. In this case, you actually get what you pay for, so don?t expect mind-blowing quality from this device. These might be consumer-based routers that aren?t as high-grade as a business needs to be successful, both in terms of security and functionality. If you?re not interested in this option, or you want more options for your wireless connections, you?ll be choosing a third-party router; and, if you?re already looking at routers, you might as well check out modems. Since most ISPs charge you by the month for your modem, you could save some cash in the long run. It?s also worth noting that some ISPs will make you use their modem due to restrictions placed on them by certain cable companies, which means you?re stuck with them no matter what you do. What Cable Modems Are Compatible with Your ISP?If your cable provider will let you use a third-party modem, most cable modems will work. Of course, you want to check with your ISP first to make sure you purchase a compatible model. Another key issue that could present itself is connection speed. You?ll want to make sure that any modem you purchase will support the speed capabilities of your router. Should You Consider a Modem-Router Combo?A two-in-one modem and router generally isn?t a good idea, primarily because if one fails, the other will fail as well. If they are separate devices, you will only need to replace one when it fails, rather than replacing the entire device. Plus, these all-in-one devices are far from the quality that you should expect from a business-grade solution, especially in security. We recommend investing in secure resources whenever possible, especially a trusted router that?s set up properly. You should never rely on default settings! Does your business need help setting up hardware for your networking infrastructure? White Mountain IT Services can help. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.

Birth of the InternetThe first Internet was created by intellectuals for the purposes of academia, far removed from the issues that plague the current state of affairs. The concept grew in popularity and eventually took to commerce, pushing development of the Internet beyond its creators? wildest dreams. Eventually, by 1984, the first catalogue was launched on the Internet, followed by the first e-store (books.com) in 1992 and the first software sold online (IPSwitch IMail Server), in 1994. Amazon and eBay followed soon after, and? well, you know the rest. Academia uses the Internet for countless purposes, most of all for online learning and providing access to the near-limitless resources of the known world. You?d be hard-pressed to find any school or university that doesn?t offer online access in its classrooms and buildings. Cybersecurity Needs in Higher EducationCampuses are almost completely connected, but more often than not, in order to access a network, you?ll need security clearance, including a login username and a password. This creates a major pain point, as countless devices will constantly need access to an Internet connection at any given point. The same problems that cause trouble for businesses plague those in charge of handling IT at colleges; in fact, one could claim they have even more issues to deal with, what with uninformed students making all the mistakes you?d expect them to. According to a 2018 report, none of the top 10 computer science degrees in the United States require a cybersecurity course to graduate; of the top 50 computer science programs listed by Business Insider, only three require a cybersecurity course. Furthermore, out of the 122 schools reviewed, only one school required three or more cybersecurity courses: the University of Alabama. It?s clear that cybersecurity–even for schools with programs in computer science–is far from a priority. Are These Cybersecurity Issues Specific to Universities?Issues related to cybersecurity are rarely specific to any industry, as many of the security shortcomings are often related to the end-user. Furthermore, the skill gap between cybersecurity professionals and hackers has been largely marginalized in recent years; as one grows stronger, so does the other. This is nothing but a stark reminder that it doesn?t matter what you do for a living; cybersecurity permeates all walks of life, and it is important to keep your personal information (and personal computing) safe from threats. Some institutions have relied on companies like Cyber Degrees to educate their workforce and ensure the college?s network stays secure. While it might seem like this increase in hacking and cybercrime has no benefits, it has caused a considerable increase in the demand for cybersecurity. In 2015, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that there were more than 200,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs in the United States. Considering how much this industry has changed since then, imagine how many unfilled cybersecurity jobs there are today. Thus, cybersecurity training is more important than ever. White Mountain IT Services wants to help your business keep its network safe and secure. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.

Why Are More Things Being Automated? Much of the western economy is theoretically based on the idea of competition. To succeed, businesses have to do whatever it is that they do better than their competitors. Automation provides a business the ability to streamline operations and reduce their costs, mostly by cutting payroll. They do this by automating repetitive jobs and replacing the people who are doing these jobs with machines. The shocking part of this isn?t that businesses are doing what they are doing to get ahead, it’s that people don?t properly understand what a business is trying to do. No matter what politicians and business owners say, the purpose of any business is to turn a profit. Only by making money can the successful business consider giving back to their community. The answer to ?why are more things being automated?? is simple: efficiency and cost reduction. How Does Automation Help Business? Automating certain parts of a business can make a lot of difference. For example, a business needs to sell their product or service in order to take in revenue. Sales, as those who have worked in sales could tell you, is not a walk in the park. Traditionally, it has been long hours of gathering leads–making contact with these leads repeatedly to ascertain if they are actually a good fit to buy your products or services–getting turned away a lot–finally selling the product/service to a client–finalizing customer expectations/demands–starting workflow by filing work orders–following up on every sale to ensure every step of the process is being handled (billing, procurement/manufacturing, delivery, etc.)–following up with the customer to ascertain whether the product/service is working as expected and if they?d like to expand on their investment–starting the whole process over again. There is software created to streamline a lot of these processes for the sales professional, and many businesses of all types, utilize this software to do just that. Making it easier on a company?s sales team to provide good customer results only strengthens their ability to create sales. Automation makes this all possible, and it cuts out a lot of the costs. All the points of contact every sale would need without sales automation software would likely cost the company hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, not just thousands. That is cost savings and that is the primary reason businesses are looking to automation to enhance their operations. How Could Automation Be a Bad Thing for Workers? Before we answer that question the facts are that automation will create millions of new jobs. That is true. The problem that workers are running into, however, is that those millions of jobs are created in completely different fields than the ones being automated. Take truck drivers for example. There is a push by many in the tech industry to create self-driving trucks that will be able to significantly cut down on shipping company?s operational budgets. Once these trucks prove that they can work for long-haul shipping, companies won?t need to hire truck drivers and the tens of thousands of dollars they cost these companies each year. The jobs created by automating these jobs are in the development of applications for powerful new software needed to run, direct, and manage these fleets of driverless trucks. Not many long-haul truck drivers are proficient […]