Bandwidth is still anything but cheap, which means that if you want to improve your business? telecommunications as a part of a cost-reduction strategy, a cloud-hosted VoIP solution may be your best bet. Here, we?ll discuss bandwidth and how VoIP offers enough value to effectively pay for itself. Examining Bandwidth Just like a private user goes through their local ISP in order to receive Internet service, any organization needs to do the same. Your Internet speeds will be largely dependent on how much bandwidth you purchase. As you consider your bandwidth needs, you need to consider how much your critical applications will need to function properly, where your resources are located, and which of your solutions require the most bandwidth to function properly. Today, the majority of businesses may have a few ISPs to choose from, but a business? needs often come at a premium price point. Smaller ISPs may offer some other options, but if you want to leverage a cloud-based VoIP platform, you?re going to need something a little higher than the base service plans that are available. Really, if you?re considering adding a hosted VoIP platform to your business? communications platform, you will want to make sure that you have the bandwidth to support everything that VoIP can do. One benchmark to keep in mind is that you should have at least 100 Kbps for each concurrent VoIP call being placed. So, if 20 people in the office all need to be on the phone at the same time, you?ll need at least 2 Mbps. Of course, this isn?t likely to be enough for all of your needs, but it is a good baseline to establish when preparing to implement a VoIP platform. The Value Cloud-Hosted VoIP Can Offer Once you?ve elected to make the switch over to VoIP, you have another decision to make, either you purchase a dedicated PBX server, or you utilize online hosting for your VoIP solution with White Mountain IT Services?s help. With this help, you can see a variety of operational benefits, including: Access to a fully-integrated communications platform. Not only is a cloud-hosted VoIP solution easier to deploy, they usually integrate will with any other solution your company may use, including your CRM tool, videoconferencing, or email solution. Complete customization. With cloud-hosted VoIP, a business can pick and choose the features that it actually needs and ignore the ones it doesn?t. Dynamic communication and business features integrated. VoIP systems come with many features baked-in that otherwise would only be available as premium features, if at all. Mobility. In addition to being available via a desktop client or physical headset, many VoIP solutions offer mobile device applications that allow you to take your calls with you. Flexibility. VoIP solutions are very easily scaled to a business? particular needs, allowing the business to funnel their resources to other needs more easily. Cost reduction. Among business-grade telephone systems, a cloud-hosted VoIP solution features reduced capital costs and operational outlay. When all is said and done, the biggest drawback to leveraging a cloud-hosted VoIP solution is the fact that you might have to spend a little more on your Internet connection. However, weighing the benefits against the costs, it certainly could still be worth it for you to adopt. To learn more about deploying a VoIP solution, […]
OneDrive comes preinstalled on Windows 10 devices and is integrated with the file explorer system that we all know and love, making file security and syncing a piece of cake. With drag-and-drop functionality, a user can sync files simply by moving a file or folder to the OneDrive folder of your PC. The same can be said in reverse, though it?s true that some people might not want their entire OneDrive folder available on their computer at any given time. Microsoft has developed OneDrive to respect these wishes, giving users the ability to designate the files synced with Windows 10. Here?s how: Select the white (or blue) OneDrive cloud icon in the Windows taskbar notification area: It will open a pop-up screen. In this screen select More > Settings. Select the Account tab, and select Choose folders You have to make sure the ?Make all files available? box is toggled off: You should now be able to select all the files you want to see. Press OK to start syncing your files with Windows 10. For more great tips and tricks, be sure to consult White Mountain IT Services?s expertise. You can reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.
What is Blockchain? Blockchain is a decentralized ledger system that records information for all transactions on specific and permanent blocks. Any block that exists on a blockchain represents a change to the overlying information on the chain, meaning that any change to a block?s data would break and corrupt the entire chain. Developers can take advantage of this to create opportunities for data security, smart contracts, and other purposes. It?s also notable that blockchain is the technology that makes cryptocurrency like Bitcoin work as intended, and it has produced a method for some of the largest venture capitalist firms in the world to spend billions of dollars in funding on these companies. This kind of involvement by major investors has provided with a clear path to being more than just a fringe alternative to digital currency, paving the way for more research and ambitious ideas. Innovative Uses for Blockchain There are a lot of new ways people are trying to utilize blockchain technology. They include: Payment systems Smart contracts (including real estate and vehicle title transfers) Supply-chain management Loyalty rewards programs Authentication Medical record keeping Data sharing Wills and inheritances Intellectual property management Online voting Tax regulation and compliance Weapons and prescription drug tracking Labor rights management Internet of Things network management And more With such a huge increase in the way blockchain is used, many organizations are trying to implement it to solve operational issues. Therefore, we want you to take a moment to think about how the blockchain could solve some of your problems. Of course, you should ask this question about any service or solution you implement, and you?ll want to discuss this with trusted IT experts. White Mountain IT Services can provide you with that pillar of support. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.
After you have identified what you would like to include in the policy, you can use it as a foundation or framework for the document. Business owners should also take the time to consult with other IT professionals who can provide additional insight on how to write a thorough security policy. What to Include in Your Written Security Policy Outline Your Company’s IT Guidelines Your written security policy should clearly outline the company’s IT guidelines in a way that’s easy for both technical and non-technical users to read and understand. The guidelines should provide instructions on how employees can safely browse the internet, access their social media and log into their email accounts at work or while using devices provided by the company. We also recommend that you include a section with instructions on how workers can create more secure online passwords. Document Every IT Process and Procedure A written security policy should include an overview of the company’s entire IT processes and procedures. Write down how each department should safely handle sensitive information. Include a protocol sharing information on how workers can report lost or stolen mobile phones and laptops. Many written IT security policies contain detailed processes and procedures for how employees can report cybercriminals and data breaches. Make sure to have a section that reveals what workers can do to detect potential threats and prevent leaks. Remember to include real world or offline security protocols as well. Employees should know how to handle office visitors and other important security measures. Determine Your Company’s Overall Technology Standards The policy should include an overview of the company’s technology standards. Every employee must understand what categories of data are considered sensitive and how to keep it classified after they attend a Security Awareness Training. Workers should also know how to safely use third party services, including cloud and file sync services like Gmail and Dropbox. Outline Employee Roles and Responsibilities Finally, your written IT policy should outline which jobs and responsibilities are in charge of sensitive data or devices. For example, your Human Resources and marketing department will have access to confidential information involving your employees and clients. Your written security policy must have instructions on how they should handle the data. Strict rules can also reveal how much remote workers, freelance workers and other contributors can access restricted data. Contact White Mountain IT Today Please contact us today online or call (603) 889-0800 if your company needs a written security policy. We’d be happy to speak with you and learn more about your company’s IT needs. At White Mountain IT, we have extensive experience creating professional written security policies for companies. We specialize in providing professional computer consulting services and managed IT services to businesses in the surrounding New England area and across the country.
Every business should have an acceptable use policy so that employees know what the permitted uses of company computers and networks are. Without a clear policy, they don’t know what’s allowed or not. The results can include overuse of resources, bad security practices, and friction between managers and employees. Everyone should understand where the boundaries are. General restrictions Certain activities should always be prohibited. They include: Illegal activities, including fraud, threats, and harassment. Spamming by email or any other channel. Making unauthorized representations on behalf of the employer. Circumventing device and network security. Introducing malicious software, such as spyware, worms, and ransomware. Disclosing confidential information, except as permitted in one’s job. Revealing account passwords to anyone else. Actions prohibited by company policies. Software policies A company should carefully consider whether and to what extent employees will be allowed to install software. Giving them blanket permission to install software on their assigned machines opens up security risks. A common approach is to allow only authorized IT people to install software on employees’ machines. BYOD and telecommuting policies The policy should specify whether employees may use their own devices on the company network. This includes telecommuting as well as smartphones and tablets. If employees can use personal mobile devices on the network, the AUP needs to specify what security measures are required. This may include installing company-mandated software to separate business and personal use. The policy needs to make it clear that any monitoring applies only to the business side of employee-owned devices and personal use is private. If the policy allows telecommuting, it should require the use of a VPN and protection of the account associated with it. Social media and time sinks The company’s policy on using social media, watching videos, and other potentially time-wasting activities will depend on the business culture and the network’s ability to absorb the bandwidth. Some companies need to be very strict, prohibiting nearly all non-business use. Others will trust their employees not to abuse their privileges. A policy shouldn’t be so strict that it interferes with necessary work activities. A blanket prohibition on watching video could interfere with work-related education and research. A strict policy should allow usage for purposes that are part of doing one’s job. A few companies have such stringent security requirements that they have to prohibit all nonessential activity; they’re a special case which is beyond the scope of this article. At the other end, there should always be rules to limit clearly excessive usage. Even a lenient policy should state that social media use is acceptable only if it doesn’t interfere with the employee’s work duties, isn’t detrimental to the employer, and doesn’t involve unauthorized claims to speak for the employer. The company’s policies on trademarks, harassment, discrimination, and so on should be incorporated by reference. Enforcement The policy needs to explain how it will be enforced. There are several points it needs to cover. If user activity is monitored, even just occasionally, the AUP needs to say so. If some areas, such as the content of email, are protected from monitoring, it should say that also. Making this point clear protects the employer from ill will and possibly from legal action. The consequences should be made clear with a phrase such as “up to and including termination.” The […]
