When we discuss virtualization, it tends to go hand-in-hand with cloud computing. Rather than storing information locally on a physical server, virtualization means that you store it online in the cloud. Some professionals might be nervous about putting sensitive data online due to the notorious nature of online hackers, but contrary to popular belief, virtualization is actually very safe. Here are three of the best reasons why server virtualization is beneficial to the modern small or medium-sized business. Application IsolationWhen you virtualize your server, you gain the ability to isolate applications. Granted, this was possible when you were following the ?one application per server? rule, but this can lead to an incredible amount of wasted office space (not to mention the outrageous operation costs associated with running that many servers). Underutilized servers should be avoided at all costs, as they waste time and resources that are better spent elsewhere. A virtual server takes all of these applications and assigns them exactly what they need to operate efficiently, rather than wasting valuable resources with an underutilized server. These applications are operated in a controlled environment where they are provided with just enough resources to adequately function, without adversely affecting the rest of the server. Similarly, you might run some legacy applications that need specific standards in order to function properly. A virtual server can accommodate each application?s specific needs, making them both versatile and effective. Extraordinary UptimeWith a physical server, it could go down at any second due to a hacking attack, hardware failure, or maintenance. Downtime is a subject that?s enough to make even the most seasoned professional nervous. When your team can?t access information or applications crucial to your operations, you?re losing money. When you?re losing money, your business is running in place without moving forward. Virtual servers are more versatile when it comes to hardware specifications. Furthermore, if you?re partaking in White Mountain IT Services?s Backup and Disaster Recovery solution, we can swiftly integrate a device which acts as a server in the event of a disaster. Furthermore, a virtual server is far easier and more economic to replace following a hardware failure or other disaster. It can simply be moved to another virtual server, rather than going through the process of purchasing and integrating an expensive new piece of technology into your infrastructure. Cloud Migration is Made EasierSimilar to cloud computing, server virtualization makes moving your data infrastructure to the cloud far easier. In essence, by taking the leap of faith and virtualizing your server, you?re taking an important step toward integrating cloud computing into your technology strategy. Benefits of cloud computing include increased access to information, which helps your team better perform their jobs. White Mountain IT Services can get your small or medium-sized business started with both cloud and server virtualization services. All you have to do is call (603) 889-0800 to learn more.

Hannes Sjoblad of the Swedish group BioNyfiken has chosen to use himself as a science project by implanting a NFC (Near Field Communication) chip into his hand. This is what Sjoblad is calling ?biohacking,? or integrating smart technology into the human body. This technology will be used to perform certain functions. While biohacking is still in its infancy, Sjoblad believes that we will see ?cyborg-like? results in the near future. Here?s a video of YouTuber Mike James getting his own xNT NFC chip implanted into his hand. Although, it should be mentioned that if you?re a bit squeamish or don?t like needles, you might want to skip out on this one. Still, it looks like a quick and painless process. While this might seem like a weird new trend, it?s actually gained quite a bit of traction recently. According to ZDNet, over 300 Swedish citizens have volunteered to have NFC chips implanted into their hands between their thumb and forefinger. All of this success had to come from somewhere, though, and as the potato salad fad has shown us, crowdfunding does produce some wonderful things (This concept started as an Indiegogo campaign). Sjoblad tells the press that he can use his embedded chip to do any number of basic tasks, like unlocking his house door, bike lock, and more. He can even use it in place of his memberships or business cards. Some folks might not be sold on this concept, though. The idea of cyborgs being implemented into society might sound intimidating at best. When Sjoblad refers to cyborgs, he more or less means that people use technology to supplement their day-to-day operations. He explains they ?are already among us,? in the form of those who use pacemakers, insulin pumps, or medical technologies. He also states that this technology has grown more affordable (like most growing industries), and that people shouldn?t be concerned about security. After all, we already use smartphones that can leak personal data, so NFC chips shouldn?t be a cause for concern. Sjoblad firmly believes that NFC chips will be an improvement to the way that humans go about their daily routine. He claims that devices like smartphones and wearable technology ?clutter up? the way that we live our lives. The same can be said for keys and other necessary objects that quickly complicate a situation if forgotten. The NFC chip is designed to eliminate unnecessary clutter and improve day-to-day efficiency. Other uses for this technology should also be considered. It sounds like a quality way to integrate two-factor authentication without the need to remember a password or otherwise. We imagine a computer that unlocks simply by you being close to it. Whether or not this is a good idea is up for debate, but only time can tell. What are your thoughts on this new technology? Would you be willing to try an embedded NFC chip? Let us know in the comments. Pro tip: Want to take advantage of NFC tech without the use of needles? Try the NFC Ring.

First off, we have to mention that most businesses use the two terms ?data? and ?information? interchangeably. This is true for White Mountain IT Services and it?s an acceptable practice within the industry, especially for marketing purposes. Although, to get technical about it, there?s a significant difference between the two terms. Essentially, data is raw numbers collected by technology. Data looks like a bunch of ones and zeros, and if one were to read data, it would make zero sense. Subsequently, information is data that?s been processed and interpreted so that meaning can be attributed to it. Once you, the business owner, understand the meaning of the provided information, you can use the information to make informed decisions for your business. This is why it?s so important that your company?s data-collection process is sound. Otherwise, your information may not be accurate, which will in turn lead to poor decision making. As you can imagine, how data goes from a seemingly-random number to become helpful information used to direct your organization, can be a bit of a process. If just one aspect of this process is weak, so will the end result. One way to view this data-transformation process is with the DIKW Pyramid. This is a four-tier pyramid where wisdom is on the top and data at the bottom. Business 2 Community provides us with a salad metaphor to describe the DIKW pyramid levels. Data: I have one item. The data displays a 1, not a zero. Information: It?s a tomato. Now, we understand the item and its characteristics. Knowledge: A tomato is a fruit. We can identify patterns in the information and apply them to the item. Wisdom: Tomato is never added to a fruit salad. There is an underlying, commonly understood principle that governs the item?s purpose. B2C goes on to say that ?bad data costs time and effort, gives false impressions, results in poor forecasts, and devalues everything else in the continuum.? You can see why it?s in your company?s best interest to place a high priority on having data quality software that ensures your data is as reliable as possible. Additionally, if your servers and computers are functioning properly and your company?s communications are efficiently mapped out, there will be less chance of leaking and corrupting corporate data. As you can tell from the DIKW pyramid, if something were to happen to your data, you?d lose your company?s foundation. White Mountain IT Services can help meet both of these concerns with our managed IT services and our Backup and Disaster Recovery solution. Call us at (603) 889-0800 to learn more.

  Less is More When it Comes to TextAn inexperienced presenter will make the mistake of cramming a slide full of text, perhaps to the point of having a summary bullet point for every paragraph of their speech. Don?t do this. When it comes to PowerPoint presentations, less text brings more value. A slide full of text will distract from what you?re saying, due to the viewer trying to both read your slide and listen to you talk, which can make for a rather exhausting presentation. Instead, use a single graphic or statistic for your slide that summarizes your point. Use High Definition GraphicsWhen putting together your presentation, you?re likely working on a normal-sized computer monitor. Therefore, the graphics you choose might look great on the small screen, but what happens when it comes time to project it to the large screen? If you?re using low-to-normal quality graphics, you?re going to be disappointed and embarrassed by blurry results. Avoid this all-too-common mistake by making sure that every image you use is of high quality. Bonus tip: Try to avoid using old clip art graphics that have come standard with Microsoft Office since the 90s, along with generic stock photos found in every business presentation. Use Animated Transitions Sparingly (Or Not at All)Just because PowerPoint gives you the ability to animate every slide transition and bullet point, doesn?t mean you should. For your audience, too many slide transitions can be a distraction. People may begin to zone out, focus on your slides, and think, ?The last three slides were dissolve transitions. I wonder what the next one will be?? Remember, PowerPoint is supposed to aid your presentation, not the other way around.  Use a Clear and Consistent Font othing screams unprofessional like a PowerPoint presentation full of different fonts–except maybe Comic Sans. Don?t ever use Comic Sans. Be sure to pick one font and stick to it for every slide. Additionally, make sure that the font you choose is a basic font like Arial that can be clearly seen no matter what the size and from all parts of your room. Going with a fancy font with curly Q?s may be hard to read and distract from your presentation. Use a Consistent Color Theme Throughout Avoid using slides that are drastically different in colors. For example, if your presentation looks like a clown?s outfit and uses every color under the rainbow, it will be both distracting and unprofessional, kind of like a clown. One color direction to take is to borrow a color scheme from your company?s logo. Also, be sure to take advantage of the PowerPoint templates provided by Microsoft. They have some really sharp templates that are both easy to use and professionally designed so that your colors won?t conflict and distract. Notice a theme here? For everything you do and don?t do with your PowerPoint presentation, you will want to make sure it doesn?t distract from the actual presentation you?re giving. It?s easy to get wrapped up in the finer details of making a PowerPoint presentation, but at the end of the day, you want your audience to remember your message, not your PowerPoint. Five presentation tips are just scratching the surface of what it takes to make a dynamic PowerPoint presentation. For more tips on how to get […]

While bulky desktops can eat up a ton of electricity and space, the thin client is essentially a desktop terminal without a hard drive. That might sound pretty useless at first, but their truly redeemable factor is that they are incredibly versatile. The thin client doesn?t have anything stored on it locally. It calls all of the applications and other mission-critical information from the server it?s connected to. It?s not uncommon to find these devices on college campuses, public places like libraries, and in more recent years, the workplace. These machines generally only consist of the graphics interface, and for businesses who store their information and services on the cloud, they only need a web browser in order to function properly. Are you considering setting up thin clients for your business? Here are three topics to think about when making your decision. Fewer Costs Associated with Thin ClientsAs you can expect, thin clients tend to not use up as much energy as a full-fledged workstation. This is because all of the computing power is coming from the server itself, rather than the hardware. Wouldn?t that put a lot of strain on the server itself, though? Servers consume a ton of energy, producing excessive amounts of heat, and they generally require some sort of dedicated air-conditioned environment. However, there?s a solution for this. If your business takes advantage of virtualization services, you can move your server to the cloud and save on those energy costs, too. If you?re not sure how to proceed with your server virtualization, White Mountain IT Services can handle this daunting task for you. Minimal Points of FailureThis particular fact is a double-edged sword. If the server does indeed process the applications and information for several clients on your network, what would happen if something were to go wrong with the server? A thin client infrastructure is vulnerable to all of the same issues that plague server maintenance. If a hardware failure were to strike and cause server downtime, the thin clients would cease to function properly. On the other hand, this also means that thin clients rarely need the heavy-duty protection that the full-fledged workstation would. The only machines which need software-level protection from common threats would be the server, since the thin clients pull all of their applications and information from it. It?s imperative that you keep data loss and security in mind when using thin clients. White Mountain IT Services can arm your hardware with the best security solutions on the market, so you can concentrate on maintaining normal operations. We also have our powerful Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) solution available to prevent downtime and data loss in the event of a server crash. This is especially important when using thin clients, since all functionality relies on the server itself. Our BDR can take the place of your server in the event of a disaster, so operations can resume while you integrate a more permanent fix to the issue. Flexibility and ScalabilityIf you find your business is really taking off, it?s simple to add another thin client to your IT infrastructure. Think of it in these terms: When you hire a new person, they?ll require a machine to work on. Equipping a workstation with all of the software they?ll need to perform their duties can take plenty of time […]