Personal devices are practically impossible to leave out of the office these days. So many business executives rely on their smartphones to communicate, it?s as if the device has become a fully integrated part of the organization. In truth, BYOD scares some organizations due to the uncontrollable nature of unregulated mobile devices. What they don?t know is that there?s always going to be risk present when making changes to the way you do business, especially if you?re adding more devices to your network. While BYOD does indeed present a risk, there?s a reason why BYOD has grown to be so popular. Nowadays, BYOD is a common occurrence in the office. Once people got over their initial paranoia surrounding BYOD, they realized that the trend could be used much to their benefit. For example, end-users are more satisfied when using their own devices in the workplace. More often than not, they would rather use technology they?re familiar with, rather than a workstation that?s frustrating to maneuver around. Furthermore, businesses that have BYOD policies just seem to get more done. When employees have access to their work accounts and tools, they?re more likely to work from home and when traveling, which means there?s a possibility for more work to get done. This helps make progress on important initiatives that might not be possible with their current schedule. One of the often-forgotten benefits of BYOD is that it takes a big load off of your internal IT department. Since your end-users are supplying their own technology for the workplace, this saves on the costs of purchasing and setting up new hardware solutions for every employee you have. If you?re concerned about software being unavailable for your team, think again; the cloud and virtualization services allow for remote access to critical business systems and data, making BYOD an even sweeter proposition. Of course, this is also a double-edged sword. Since you?re relying on your team to apply critical updates to their own technology, you run the risk of them not applying them. While it?s certainly more likely that they?ll be performing maintenance and other updates, since they actually own the devices, it?s not a given. This also means that even if some of IT?s responsibilities are put in the hands of workers, there are still roles that IT must play in order to ensure that BYOD is still a secure and effective alternative to company-provided tech. One component of a comprehensive BYOD policy is using a mobile device management solution. This entails minimizing risk associated with allowing mobile devices to have access to sensitive information. Our mobile device management solution is ideal for organizations that need application management, file sharing, and data security for mobile devices. If your business needs help organizing a solid BYOD plan, a mobile device management solution from White Mountain IT Services is a good first step. To learn more, give us a call at (603) 889-0800.
What we mean by this is that, due to the fast-paced changes and high demands of today?s work environments, older technology strategies like ?just go with what?s always worked,? may not cut it. Here are four approaches to technology that future-minded business owners should adopt. Quit Fighting Mobile Devices In the Workplace When mobile devices first hit the scene, many business owners were skeptical of whether or not they could really be a productive force in the workplace. Plus, there was the concern of employee-owned mobile devices compromising network security. While both of these concerns were valid when mobile devices first came out, enough mobile solutions have been developed over the years to make mobile devices a secure and productive force in the workplace (if they?re properly implemented and managed). If you decide to embrace mobile technology in your workplace, we think you?ll be pleased with the results. Design Your IT Infrastructure to Accommodate the Workload of Future NeedsAs wonderful as all of these new, productivity-enhancing solutions are, they require a significant amount of network resources and bandwidth. Therefore, you?re going to want to design your network with future needs in mind, like more people on your team taking advantage of video conferencing (a resource-heavy solution). To have a network that?s agile enough to handle the future of your business, you?re going to want to consult with the technology professionals at White Mountain IT Services who are knowledgeable of IT trends that affect your industry, and what it takes to implement these money-making trends. Learn How to Let Go of Faithful Solutions of the Past That No Longer Cut ItFor some business owners, ?out with the old and in with the new? is difficult to adopt when dealing with a solution that?s faithfully served your organization over the years. While it?s good to be sentimental when it comes to birthday cards and family photos, being overly attached to outdated technology can have disastrous consequences to your bottom line, especially if your competitor has adopted a better solution. This is the benefit of having a fresh, outside perspective assess your company?s technology infrastructure. IT professionals like White Mountain IT Services are able to spot outdated solutions that you may not even know are holding you back. Strive to Make Technology More SimpleThe goal of updating your enterprise-level technology is to make everything simpler. New solutions that are added haphazardly and without a plan have the potential to complicate matters, which will offset what you?re trying to achieve by adding the new solutions in the first place. NetworkComputing cites communications technology as an example: By integrating communication functions like calling, faxing, texting, and hosting virtual meetings, with software suites like Google and Microsoft, everyday communication becomes easier. Consolidate the number of siloed tools it takes for workers to get their jobs done. Give employees the luxury of never having to toggle between multiple screens or search for customer contact information again. At the end of the day, it?s all about planning for the future, so your profits don?t get stuck in the past. White Mountain IT Services can help prepare your network for anything the future throws at it. To stay ahead of the curve by taking a future-minded approach to technology, give us a call at (603) 889-0800.
These devices encompass technologies that you don?t generally interact with very much, or even think about, yet they?re needed to drive society forward. Devices like gas meters, water gauges, trash cans, soil moisture sensors, and much more, are all being retrofitted for the IoT. In fact, of the billions of devices that make up the IoT, and the billions more that will connect to it in the near future, the majority of these ?things? will actually come from small, data collecting devices, instead of flashy gadgets like the latest smartphones. To the careful observer, the prospect of all of these devices connecting to the Internet should raise the question, ?How will all of these small and obscure devices connect to the Internet, or even have the power to do so?? This is a fair inquiry, especially considering how spotty 3G and 4G coverages are in some areas, and how the batteries of many modern devices can?t go more than a few hours or a few days without needing to be recharged. Take for example an IoT-enabled gas meter on a log cabin in the middle of the woods. It?s located in a place with spotty Internet coverage, and it doesn?t make fiscal sense to have a technician replace the meter?s battery every few months, due to the fact that it?s so far out of the way. To help resolve issues like these, narrowband Internet of Things technology is being developed (NB-IoT). Experts are predicting that this technology will essentially be ?the glue? holds IoT together. Consider this description of NB-IoT from NetworkComputing: NB-IoT, originally called the cellular Internet of Things, is an emerging industry solution designed to enhance the global deployment of low-power wide area (LPWA) networks. Through licensed operator spectrum, in-band, guard band and standalone deployments, NB-IoT can provide connectivity to devices in hard to reach places without requiring much power to do so. NB-IoT technology is specifically designed for inaccessible and hard-to-reach areas, like our log cabin example, as well as other important-yet-overlooked places that can stand to benefit from IoT technology, like basements, underground pipes, islands, boats, etc. NetworkComputing again explains: This is where NB-IoT and LPWA technology come in, because they can provide a long-range mobile connection with low power consumption. This combination of connectivity and low-power needs means a utility company can install connected flow meters around a water distribution network to automatically detect leaks without worrying about whether or not the sensor will work. This technology is already revolutionizing several industries, while having the potential to dramatically improve many more. In fact, the full potential of IoT technology has yet to be realized, which should cause business owners in every industry to stop and consider how this next big IT trend can benefit their company. Who knows, with a little creative thinking, perhaps you?ll be able to come up with ways that your business can benefit from accessing data collected by hundreds, or even thousands, of connected devices.
Eat, Drink, and Smoke Somewhere ElseFor many users, eating, drinking, and smoking at their computer is a way of life. This is a big no-no as far as proper computer maintenance is concerned. Crumbs make their way into the keyboard and even to the insides of the computer itself, grease from fingers gets all over everything, and then there?s the risk of accidentally spilling food and drink on the machine. All things considered, it?s better to dine elsewhere. Smoking, too, isn?t good for computers. Computers utilize fans to circulate air and keep the machine cool. If that air is filled with smoke, then a disgusting, tar-like residue will coat the inside of the machine. In addition to this residue being just plain nasty, it causes performance issues. Give Your Computer a Good CleaningIt?s common sense to clean a dirty computer, but not every user understands just how often they should bust out the cleaning supplies. How often one should clean their PC actually varies a lot, depending on factors like environment, lifestyle, how much the computer is used, etc. One tool to help users determine how often they should clean their machine is an online calculator from ComputerHope. Generally speaking, giving a computer a thorough wipe down every two years is adequate, but heavy PC users will want to do this more often. Also, another common-sense rule that we feel the need to mention is to always power down your computer before popping the case open to clean it. If you are unsure how to do this, you can ask one of our IT professionals by giving us a call at (603) 889-0800. Give the Computer its SpaceBe mindful of where your computer?s fans and vents are located, and be sure to place your PC in such a way that the machine has ?room to breathe.? If any of these vents are obstructed, the machine will overheat and potentially cause critical damage and even data loss. Additionally, placing a PC or laptop on a cushy surface like a carpet or blanket should be avoided, or else risk overheating and the intake of too much dust and dirt. Give Your PC a Good DustingDusting your PC should be done more frequently than the thorough cleaning we mentioned earlier. While a small layer of dust can be annoying, a significant amount of dust can actually risk coating the insides of your PC and cause overheating and performance issues. The best way to dust off your PC is by using compressed air, found in cans at most electronics stores. Whatever you do, do not apply cleaning liquid directly to your PC. Liquid of any kind and electronics don?t mix, period. For more great tips on how to take care of your technology, subscribe to White Mountain IT Services?s blog.
What is an Uninterruptible Power Supply?If you?re unfamiliar with what a UPS device is, consider this technical explanation from Wikipedia: An uninterruptible power supply, also uninterruptible power source, UPS or battery/flywheel backup, is an electrical apparatus that provides emergency power to a load when the input power source, typically mains power, fails. A UPS differs from an auxiliary or emergency power system or standby generator in that it will provide near-instantaneous protection from input power interruptions, by supplying energy stored in batteries, supercapacitors, or flywheels. The on-battery runtime of most uninterruptible power sources is relatively short (only a few minutes) but sufficient to start a standby power source or properly shut down the protected equipment. Essentially, a UPS device protects your company?s electronics from the ill effects of an unexpected power loss and unpredictable power fluctuations, which can lead to, but isn?t limited to, data loss. These power inconsistencies can be caused by a host of different factors, like natural disasters, unreliable power grids, a faulty IT setup, and more. In events like these where power is lost, a UPS device jumps into action and buys you enough time to properly shut down your IT equipment. To clear things up, a UPS device is different than a backup generator. Whereas a backup generator will supply enough power to continue operations, a UPS device only supplies enough power to allow for equipment to be properly shut down. Additionally, a UPS device provides extra power when not enough electricity is being supplied, as well as protects equipment from electrical surges. In several of the UPS models, the device automatically signals and shuts down the equipment in the event of a power loss. What Kind of UPS Should You Get?As mentioned, there are a variety of UPS devices on the market. You can get a single UPS device for a single PC, or you can get an enterprise-level UPS device designed to safeguard your entire IT infrastructure. Therefore, getting a UPS device for your organization should be a well-researched decision. To that end, White Mountain IT Services can work with you to select a perfect UPS device for your business continuity needs. In addition to selecting an adequate UPS device for your company, White Mountain IT Services will take the time to select for your business the other pieces of the business continuity puzzle. This includes having a data backup and recovery plan, as well as an enterprise-level firewall to protect you from threats that can compromise your data. White Mountain IT Services can provide all of these IT solutions for your business, and more. To take advantage of the best IT solutions for your business, give us a call today at (603) 889-0800.
