Managed IT has its roots in the 1980s, which saw a deal between Eastman Kodak and IBM that would create a large data center for Kodak?s needs. IBM?s role in this endeavor was to design, build, and implement a data center specifically for Kodak. This is a significant moment in the history of IT outsourcing specifically because it?s one of the first times that a company outsources a project of this scale to an external provider. During the implementation of this project, it?s said that Kodak transferred many of their staffers directly to IBM–and if such a major figure can do something like this, the industry would take notice and grow in an entirely different direction because of it. Where companies preferred to keep their services in-house whenever possible, they now sought to find value in the service of other organizations. IBM became a major service provider for its time and ushered in an era unlike anything ever seen before in the business technology environment. Eventually, application service providers called ASPs were brought to the forefront in response to businesses? evolving software and service needs. Examples of such software solutions include payroll software or timesheet keeping solutions, while others include productivity suites such as Microsoft?s coveted word processing and spreadsheet solutions like Microsoft Word and Excel. Sometimes these services were offered through a download by the user, while other times they were accessed through an online interface. Regardless, the end result was the same–the business acquired a solution that solved a very specific need. The need for professional technology assistance gave way too many organizations offering what are called managed IT solutions. This was due largely in part to break-fix IT being such an inconvenience for small businesses due to restrained budgets and a general inability to manage IT as effectively as can be. Often times, companies would have their own employees perform IT responsibilities in an attempt to save some money. This could have unforeseen circumstances, including responsibilities not being performed adequately, forcing companies to undergo the same project multiple times (and losing money each time). Managed IT solves these problems by providing a single point of contact for the various needs of your company. Cloud computing, network security, data backup and disaster recovery, you name it–if you can think it, it can be outsourced for your company?s IT infrastructure. To learn more about what a managed IT service provider like White Mountain IT Services can provide for your organization, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.

Are you ready for some football… technology? When you think about NFL technology, you probably think that their budget and innovative capabilities is way out of your league. Surprisingly, some of the most important parts of the game rely on technology that many of us use every day. Tablets: Gone are the days of coaching staff printing black-and-white images during the game. Available to the entire NFL in 2014, coaches are given league-provided, specially configured, and weatherproof Microsoft Surface tablets that allow them to access high resolution images in real time. NFL provides these tablets to ?dissect? the opponent’s offense and defense. The adoption of tablet use is strictly controlled by the NFL in order to maintain the traditions and integrity of the game. In fact, it?s so important that the NFL commissioned Microsoft to develop an application exclusively used by coaches from the sideline. Additionally, each club can provide tablets to players to be used as electronic playbooks or to view position-centric game film. Electronic Medical Records: Over the past few decades, the NFL has been taking steps to protect players from both the long and short term effects the game has on their body. Many retired players feel repercussions of game injuries decades later. The NFL has put an emphasis on the health and wellbeing of their players. One of the ways they do this is through the use of pads and helmets that have the capability to record physical activity and relay it to the individual’s electronic medical records. In the event of an injury, it’s possible for doctors and athletic trainers to use data recorded by the gear to evaluate and diagnose possible injuries, like concussions. Proactive Monitoring: When watching a Football game, you?re actually watching the product of a massive infrastructure that is properly maintained and monitored. It?s probably not something most people think about – but it?s true. Stadium technology is closely monitored and any issues must be resolved as quickly as possible, especially on game day. Imagine if officials couldn?t access their instant replay because someone failed to notice that a wireless signal between the live feed and replay booth had an issue. Needless to say, NFL operations are vigilant about preventing technology issues. Bonus – Funding Innovation: There are other technologies that the NFL puts to use that have no place in the SMB Market. Through the HeadHealthTech Challenge, the NFL tasked doctors, engineers, and scientists to come up with innovative methods of preventing, treating and diagnosing a concussion. After submitting an idea, the NFL and their partners review the technology and determine a winner. Even though funded by the NFL, the innovations submitted are not proprietary and available to the medical community. As stated on their website, the NFL Football Operations ?faces a delicate balance: determining how to innovate while respecting and preserving the game?s traditions, integrity and competitive equity.? All use of technology is heavily regulated by the NFL. What are your thoughts on the use of common technology by the NFL? Let us know in the comments.

If Security Isn?t Top-of-Mind, It Should BeIt is no longer any secret that data security is a crucial consideration for any business, big or small. Whether its financial information, personally identifiable information, or any other kind of data that a business might accumulate, it has value to a cybercriminal and therefore needs to be protected. An MSP like White Mountain IT Services is well aware of the risk of cyber threats, and so will have the solutions to help protect your business from them. Whether they assist you in properly configuring a firewall or monitor your solutions for any indication that something is out of place, your MSP can help maintain your security solutions and ensure that anything that slips past them is detected and resolved as quickly as possible. With a managed IT approach, business owners can worry less about their business? security– and more about running their business–because the responsibility of ensuring the business network is secure falls to the MSP. Is The Continuity Of Your Business Ensured?Sure, securing a business against online threats is all well and good, but what about the other factors that threaten a business? survival? Factors like natural events–storms, tremors, floods, fires…all of these events can put a business in jeopardy. Additionally, once the event has passed, a business will need to be sure they can still access their critical files or the business will die a painful death. White Mountain IT Services has the solutions to keep this from happening as well. With a focus on both backup and disaster recovery, a business can be sure that their data is safe from hazardous events and weather conditions. We make sure a backup is taken at regular intervals throughout the workday, ensuring minimal productivity loss if something were to happen, and we store that data in multiple locations to help keep the disaster from wiping out both data and backup. A company can even access and work from their data directly from their backup until it can be restored to their new location. Regular Reporting To Keep You Up-To-SpeedWhile in business, it is ideal to know just where your business stands. White Mountain IT Services?s reporting can help you do just that. Whether it helps you keep track of your inventory or helps you ensure that your systems are all protected, our comprehensive reports will allow you to track your company?s progression and status. Keeping Your Business CompliantDepending on your industry, you may be beholden to assorted regulations and compliances meant to preserve your employees?, your clients?/customers?, and your own safety and security. A managed IT approach from White Mountain IT Services can help you to be sure that your IT is in line with these regulations and compliance measures, allowing you to focus on improving your business in other ways. White Mountain IT Services is always here to help you improve your IT. Give us a call at (603) 889-0800 to discuss the solutions we can offer you.

Know Wi-Fi Options. In order to be productive while away from the office, you need to make sure that you?ll have access to stable Internet/WiFi. Many companies use VPNs to create secure connections from their networks to a mobile device. If you?re staying at a hotel, make sure that they?ll have WiFi to meet your needs. Reading through the hotels reviews on pages like Yelp! or Trip Advisor will let you see what other guests have said about WiFi signals. Bring Extra Accessories Just in Case. It never hurts to have an extra set of technology accessories like LAN cables, Micro-USB cords, charging bricks, portable mouses, etc. You?ll be happy to have an extra when you see that buying one from an airport or tourist destination costs a small fortune. Avoid Checking Your Devices. Even if you?re not going to work while traveling to your destination, it?s important to keep devices needed for work in a carryon, rather than checked into the cargo hold. Think about how upset your boss would be if you were authorized to work remotely over the holiday but had your laptop or tablet cracked or lost before you even got to your destination. Beware of Free WiFi. Believe it or not, there are actually people who wait around for someone to logon using an insecure WiFi Connection. Open WiFi should be avoided whenever possible. Having your identity stolen is bad enough. Don?t put your customers? personal information into jeopardy because you wanted to check your email. Turn Off Autofill and Password Management: While it is certainly convenient to use a password manager for work purposes, it?s a good idea to disable it while traveling. If someone steals your device with a password manager on it, you?re basically giving them a key into your personal information, your company?s information and your clients? information. Having to type passwords manually for a few days will be worth it. Use External Harddrive or USB To Back Up Regularly on the Go: Imagine having worked on a project throughout your vacation, only to learn that your device was damaged or misplaced – and now you have nothing. If you?re not connecting to your network regularly, your work may not be backing up properly. Bring an external or USB drive along to save any progress you might have made. Even if your computer does backup regularly on its own, it?s better to be safe than sorry. These are just a few of the things that you should be doing when working while traveling – or whenever you?re working away from the office. If you have any questions about using your technology on the road, make sure you check with your IT team or call us at (603) 889-0800.

To help you determine this, we?ll go into detail on two key considerations that a cloud solution and an on-site infrastructure share: cost and control. CostMoney can start wars, change hearts, and (more pertinent to our concerns) make or break a business. Due to the power that money has over your business, you will want to make sure that it is spent wisely. In this concern, an outsourced cloud provider has the advantage over trying to maintain an in-house infrastructure. This is simply because trying to maintain and update your setup independently will be extraordinarily expensive. Consider the amount of computing power your business requires, and imagine how much it would take, financially, to maintain these in-house. Not only can an in-house device be expensive itself, but powering it and keeping it in full working order make that financial obligation even more pressing. On the other hand, an outsourced provider will only charge a flat monthly rate (barring a few exceptions) that is easy to predict and budget out. Compared to operating a server in-house, these prices are considerably lower, and allow you to invest your savings into improvements elsewhere in your business. ControlIt only makes sense that you want to have some sort of control over your infrastructure–after all, your business functions are dependent on it, so the prospect of relinquishing direct control is understandably nerve-wracking for many. If this is your biggest concern, maintaining an in-house architecture would be your best bet. Doing so allows you a hands-on perspective of your IT and its management. This feature essentially boils down to trust, and whether you are willing to entrust your business essentials to a third party or would prefer to keep a close eye on them. The Best of Both WorldsIf both of these options sound like the best path, reach out to White Mountain IT Services. We can examine your needs and design an IT plan to suit them. Give us a call at (603) 889-0800 to get started.