Recent Blog Posts
Dave Merkel, senior vice president and CTO of security agency FireEye, tells Aimee Chanthadavong of ZDNet that organizations are spending more on technology to protect against hacking, but are still behind: ?… one of the reasons behind this is because online attacks are often misunderstood as a technology problem, when it’s not. In turn, organizations look in the wrong places for solutions.? Naturally, security solutions are only as effective as the techs who integrate them. Are they configured properly, and are they continuously being updated with the latest threat definitions? Are your systems up to date, and have the latest vulnerability patches been applied? These are all the responsibilities of the technician, and if these routine maintenances aren?t performed, even the latest security protocol can?t help you. In other words, technology alone isn?t going to be the solution to your hacking woes. Even with maximum security, hacks are still going to happen, because there are people behind the attacks designing it. Ultimately, it takes the knowledge of people to fight against the knowledge of criminals. It takes skilled IT technicians who know their way around common problems to mitigate the damage done, or prevent security breaches altogether. To this end, White Mountain IT Services can help your business achieve maximum security by equipping it with professional IT technicians, as well as the technology and security practices required to keep your business safe. We work tirelessly, monitoring your network for suspicious signs and threats so you don?t have to. We take preventative measures to keep your business functioning with minimal incident. One solution used to optimize security is a Unified Threat Management (UTM) solution. This is a comprehensive security solution designed to provide your business?s network with the power to avoid discrepancies and data breaches as often as possible. With a UTM, you get an enterprise-level firewall and antivirus solution, coupled with spam blocking to keep dangerous messages from reaching your inbox, and content filtering to protect from dangerous online threats. With both the knowledge and technology to fight against threats, hackers won?t stand a chance. Let White Mountain IT Services help you today by calling (603) 889-0800.
As reported by ZDNet, research from Forrester has revealed that only 28 percent of IT investment is used for innovation, and the rest of the resources are dedicated to taking care of older technology. This should come as a surprise. You?d think that most companies would be on the lookout for quality tech solutions that are designed to improve their ability to innovate, but it seems that many are so stuck on their legacy technology that they simply don?t have the funds (or interest) available to do so. When you run legacy technology, you?re taking many unnecessary risks. For example, an old server unit is much more likely to break down when you least expect it. This could lead to unprecedented data loss if you?re unprepared. Furthermore, the downtime caused by unexpected hardware failure can be detrimental to the survival of your business. All of this can be avoided by updating your server hardware to hardware that?s less likely to fail, provided proper maintenance is performed. Another example is running an outdated operating system, like Windows XP, on your workstations. Microsoft no longer supports many older operating systems, which means they don?t run with the latest patches and security updates that are necessary to stay protected from the myriad of threats that want to attack your network. By upgrading to the latest operating system, you avoid the threats that come with remaining unsupported. As technology innovators ourselves, we know how hard it can be to let go of familiar old technology and place your bets on something new; but we also know the immense value of leaving legacy technology behind. One way you can get the most from your technology is with a consultation from White Mountain IT Services. We can visit your office and conduct a thorough audit of your office?s technology assets. We suggest changes that can be made, and offer our services to those who are in need. The main benefit of running with White Mountain IT Services is that you experience the cost savings that come with managed IT solutions. We can perform any number of functions that an in-house IT department would be responsible for, like upgrading workstations and server units, backing up and restoring data, and much, much more. The attraction of managed IT is that you only pay a fixed rate for the services, rather than a break-fix fee every time you need a machine looked at or replaced. Just give us a call at (603) 889-0800 to learn more.
If this word doesn?t ring a bell, it?s a collective term often used to describe the combination of instant messaging, voice telephony, email, and mobile features. Basically, anything which your team uses to communicate is a part of a unified communications solution. It?s only natural that they use the same solution. This makes communication easier than if your team is relying on non-unified communications, like cell phones and text messages, to communicate. We will discuss the different components of a unified communications system, and what you should look for in each one. Inter-Office Instant MessagingOne of the greatest ways to stay in touch with your team while both on the move or in the office is an instant messaging solution. This allows you to address issues that might not be top-priority, while still maintaining a certain sense of urgency. White Mountain IT Services can help your business integrate a powerful instant messaging solution that archives all sent messages, where you can record conversations for later viewing. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)Another necessary function of a unified communication system is a method of voice communication. While the average small business might be firmly tethered to their legacy telephony system with all of its wires and switches, the standard best practice is moving in the direction of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones, which transmit your voice over your Internet connection. It?s so convenient that your business can save significantly by completely cutting out your legacy phone system. Email Management SolutionsOf course, using one unified email solution is much more convenient than using multiple email accounts from different providers. Besides the fact that it can get messy, it also looks unprofessional. While emails aren?t necessarily reliable for immediate communication, it?s important nonetheless. White Mountain IT Services?s email solution is a great way to unify your email and make it look professional. You can even archive your messages for future viewing in the event you need to address important issues, like data leakage or an unruly employee. Ultimately, the goal of unified communication systems is to improve collaboration between your team members on a number of different devices. To get started with a solution like this, give White Mountain IT Services a call at (603) 889-0800.
You can gauge the state of your business by taking an honest look at these three important topics. It?s All About AttitudeLet?s face it. If you don?t absolutely love what you are doing, you won?t have the push needed to drive your business forward. It?s this lack of passion that often can drive the final nail in the coffin of small startups. If you just don?t feel how you used to about your ideas and concepts that built the company, your clients and employees will be able to tell, and it will affect them and the decisions they make concerning your business. If you really love what you are doing, then you will work to make it happen at all costs. There are some things you can try to get yourself back on track. As the business owner, what are you doing with this business? If you think about what you are trying to accomplish, the answer could determine just how much passion you have left for your profession. If that doesn?t work, try taking some time off to gather your thoughts. Maybe you?ll figure out what?s got you so stuck in the first place. Indifferent ClientsPerhaps one of the worst possible scenarios is that everything is set and ready to go, but the customers just aren?t buying it. In this case, you need to change something. Maybe your marketing strategy could use some work, or your product needs to change a bit. The trick is to find the fine line between client attention and your own personal goals. Unfortunately, nobody is going to like your product as much as you do. As an entrepreneur, that?s a truth. Your idea is your child, and you want to see it grow and succeed; but if nobody cares, it won?t have that opportunity. Turn your efforts toward studying the market more in-depth, and understand your customers? opinions of the product. Only then can you manage to get your business back on its feet. Go Down With Your ShipSometimes, founding a company just isn?t in the cards. The stars are unaligned ever so slightly. Basically, we?re talking about fate, or rather, the market; something that you can?t really do anything about. Perhaps you simply misjudged the market or the demand for your product. It all comes down to being honest with yourself. How much has the market changed since you first created your business plan? It?s time for some personal reflection. Only then can you come to terms with an exit strategy. If you can bail out via acquisition, that might not be a bad idea, but not all companies have that luxury. Of course, we believe that arming your business with the right solutions is a big way to provide a needed boost to get you out of a rut. Before you pull the plug on a venture that you were once oh-so-passionate about, give White Mountain IT Services a call at (603) 889-0800 to find out if there are technology solutions that can better meet your needs and make operations easier.
Why should you care about the rainforests on the other side of the world? With the rainforests producing 40 percent of the planet?s oxygen, it is imperative that we keep the rainforests alive. Conservation International (CI), an organization dedicated to the preservation of natural biodiversity, understands this, and is trying to use technology to solve one mankind?s biggest problems: its continuity. Obviously, analyzing information on all manners of plants and animals which inhabit the rainforest is exhausting, if not impossible, without the help of analytic tools. CI put together a network of over 1,000 cameras designed to monitor and record information on passing animals. The goal of this project was to use the gathered information to discover the effects of changes in climate and land usage. Before big data was implemented by CI, all information had to be gathered manually. As CIO explains: Because the camera traps are located in some of the more remote locations on earth, there?s no infrastructure. Teams have to manually collect the data from the traps and upload it, at which point CI scientists run a series of scripts and models to identify the various species appearing in the images. They then blend that data with climate measurements (precipitation, temperature, humidity, solar radiation, etc.), data on trees (growth, survival, deforestation, etc.) and land use data from public sources to create a model of the health of the animal populations at the sites and how they are changing over time. Sandy Adnelman, the chief scientist at CI, likes to think about this process as a check up for the planet. When you go to the doctor, they check specific parts of your health to make sure you are healthy, and the planet is similar. There are various aspects of nature which should be monitored to make sure that the planet is healthy. As you might guess, the process of analyzing the vast amount of data gathered by these cameras was painstakingly time-consuming; and when the changes in the environment are snuffing the life out of the rainforests, time is a critical factor. In order to combat these changes, CI brought in big data analytics. While the information still had to be gathered manually, the process of analyzing data became much more simplified. The results of data analysis were processed up to nine times faster, and far more accurately than manual data analysis. The result is much more progress on maintaining the vital signs of the rainforests, and some big steps toward rejuvenating a hurting ecosystem. Your business can take advantage of big data, too. Trends in industries shift all of the time, and it?s always best to stay ahead of the curve and adapt your strategies respectively. For example, with big data analytics, a company may notice that most people are visiting their website through mobile devices. Their website, however, is not optimized for mobile viewing, and it is unappealing on such a small screen. The company can then shift their focus to creating a more user-friendly mobile website. White Mountain IT Services can equip your business with big data analytics tools that can save your business world. Give us a call at (603) 889-0800 to see how we can change the ecosystem of your business?s technology.
