We could go on and on about the benefits of using Voice over Internet Protocol (also known as VoIP) for your business telephone needs. However, it is important that you do everything you can to prepare your network for this kind of utilization. Let’s review a few tips to help make sure your network is properly optimized for VoIP. How to Prepare Your Network for a VoIP Implementation Ensure Your Network Connection is Stable As the name would suggest, Voice over Internet Protocol uses the Internet instead of a standalone infrastructure. For this reason, it is vital that your business’ Internet connection is ready to support this added demand. Otherwise, your vital communications will only create bottlenecks in your network. So, how do you make sure your Internet is up to the task? There are a few steps you need to take. First, you need to know how stable your network is, as a VoIP connection will take up a lot of resources. Therefore, running a speed test will help you establish whether or not your network can support VoIP at all in its current state. This speed test will give you a few important metrics: Latency – how long the data packets containing the VoIP data take to reach you Jitter – how consistent your latency is Speed – how much data can be sent Packet Loss – how many data packets are lost in transit If these results fall short of your expectations, it may be time to upgrade your connection. Equip Your Business Properly Similarly, you must ensure that your network infrastructure is up to snuff. Older pieces of equipment could likely stand for an upgrade, so consider switching to those using Wi-Fi 5 and 6 that are compatible with QoS (Quality of Service) features. If possible, consider using a hardwired ethernet connection for your VoIP needs. Of course, you also need to keep your business secure, and that includes your VoIP implementation. You may want to lean on your business’ trusted IT resource for assistance in securing your network against cyberattacks. Consider Additional Infrastructure Upgrades On a related note, you should turn to this resource for help with adapting your infrastructure to help facilitate the use of VoIP in your business. For instance, it’s totally possible to create a virtualized local area network in addition to your bog-standard local area network to give your VoIP data packets a prioritized place to travel. These Are Just a Few Ways to Help Improve Your Use of VoIP Turn to White Mountain IT Services for more! We help New Hampshire businesses with technology needs and challenges of all kinds, and we can help you with yours. Give us a call at (603) 889-0800 to find out how.
Cost/Benefit is a term you hear a lot. It’s always used in conversations about potential investment and means something. Well, at least it should. One of the places that many people can gain benefits from their investments is by outsourcing some of their responsibilities to an outside vendor. This works especially well with IT management. Let’s take a look at why outsourcing your technology support and management is a good investment.
You might have noticed that business insurance companies are starting to show an interest in how you are protecting your technology and data. If your org has been in touch with your insurance provider regarding modifying or renewing your business insurance, you were likely handed a lengthy questionnaire about your cybersecurity. Let’s take a look together to help you make informed decisions on how to handle your IT and how to prevent your insurance costs from skyrocketing.
Business technology is known to be remarkably finicky, particularly if you do not have the requisite knowledge to manage and maintain it. After all, there is a reason why you hire an IT department or a managed service provider to handle this role. What happens if your technology fails, though? Do you have a plan in place? What does a plan like this even look like, anyway? Let’s dig into the details.
Passwords are the keys to digital access, but they’re often not treated as keys; meaning they aren’t always protected by their users. Unfortunately, people don’t always do everything they can to protect their passwords and there are a lot more scammers out there than pickpockets. Effective password management is crucial for any business. It works to maintain the security of online accounts and sensitive information. Here are five ways to control and enhance your password management. Use Strong and Unique Passwords Create strong passwords that include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. You’ll want to avoid using easily guessable information such as birthdays, names, or common words while also making sure that each of your passwords is unique for different accounts to prevent a security breach in one account from affecting others. Implement a Password Manager The password manager is a great tool to let users generate, store, and organize complex passwords for each of their accounts. The best thing about them is that they promote the use of complex and unique passwords for each site, reducing the temptation to reuse passwords across multiple platforms, and improving data security. Additionally, many password managers also offer features like secure password sharing and auditing tools to ensure passwords meet certain security criteria. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication IT administrators and users will want to enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) whenever possible. This option adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification, such as a code sent to your mobile device or generated by an app. MFA ensures that even if a password is thought to be compromised, the unauthorized party wouldn’t be able to access the digital resources beyond the MFA-protected account Regularly Update and Change Passwords Passwords are the major tool used to protect organizational and personal data. In order to do that, you have to make sure they don’t get stale. Set a schedule to update your passwords regularly, especially for critical accounts. If you find out a service you use has been compromised, you need to make sure to change the password immediately. Educate Yourself and Stay Informed It’s a good practice to stay informed about the latest cybersecurity threats such as advancements to phishing attacks or other scams that are going around. Everyone should be cautious of malicious websites and questionable correspondence that may try to trick you into revealing your login credentials or getting you to interact with files that deploy malicious code. Remember, the goal is to create a robust defense against unauthorized access. By working toward more secure strategies, your organization can be much more secure. If you would like to learn more about how White Mountain IT Services can augment your organization’s data security efforts, contact us today at (603) 889-0800.
