CoreTech Blog

The cloud makes operations more efficient and can save you plenty of capital in the long run, which is why many organizations are turning to it to further improve the way they do business. Yet, businesses that haven’t moved to the cloud will face steep competition from those that have. If you’re still not sure whether the cloud is right for your business, consider the following advantages of cloud computing for SMBs.

Every business from any industry probably has servers that hold important and sensitive data. However, not all organizations have the assets and skills necessary to manage and maintain these complex pieces of hardware. In particular, small businesses struggle with this aspect of running an in-house server, but there’s another option--an outsourced server hosting service from a third-party provider.

Computers used to be great hulking pieces of machinery that were difficult to move. These days, however, mobility is a major contributing factor when buying a new device. Today’s smartphones are more powerful than computers built a decade ago, so it’s no surprise that organizations are prioritizing in mobility.

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If your business is using technology that focuses on mobility, you’ll recognize the many benefits that it can provide. However, mobile technology doesn’t come without its fair share of problems. Here’s how mobile devices can help your business, as well as some of the problems frequently associated with them in the workplace.

The Benefits of Going Mobile
Mobile technology is capable of helping your business push beyond the barriers associated with the traditional office environment. Here are just a few reasons why your business should focus on improving technological mobility:

• More Productivity
  If your team has mobile devices, they can be productive from anywhere, anytime. Your employees can check their email, organize schedules, and communicate while on the road or work remotely. Basically, mobile technology allows employees to streamline the way that they do work and accommodate it in their life outside the office.
• Workplace Versatility
  Employees like having options for where and how to work. If your team is equipped with mobile technology, and your office accommodates many different places for them to work, your employees will be far more productive and happy with their working situation. This is particularly helpful when someone needs peace and quiet, and there’s an absurd amount of chatter going on in the office.
• Increased Efficiency
  The act of making your technology infrastructure more mobile comes with the added efficiency of being able to access data and applications from the cloud. This helps your business stay productive by staying connected to crucial parts of your business. As long as you have an Internet connection, you can access critical resources from anywhere.

The Challenges of Mobile Technology
As is the case with any technology that accesses your network, you need to ensure that it’s not putting your business’s data at risk. This is especially true for mobile devices that leave the office. How can you be certain that employee-owned smartphones, tablets, and laptops aren’t unintentionally sharing your information with the outside world? If these devices take data off the premises, and they were to get hacked or share information with other networks, you could be dealing with a data breach. Therefore, some kind of oversight is necessary in order to continue being productive without compromising on security.

Does your organization want to take advantage of mobile technology to enhance productivity? If so, you need to implement a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy that’s designed to protect your business’s critical assets. One of the best and most practical ways to leverage BYOD is to use a mobile device management solution, which is designed to restrict the flow of data on these devices and limit its exposure to threats.

If you’re ready to delve into the world of mobile device management, give CoreTech a call at (270) 282-4926.

Replacing your aging or broken-down hardware is a part of doing business, and one that few business owners want to think about before it must be done. Hardware is expensive and tricky to replace without experiencing at least some downtime. That’s not to mention arguably one of the most important questions you have to ask yourself: What do you do with your old technology that’s filled with sensitive data?

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Nobody likes talking about impending disasters or expenditures, but the failure of your mission-critical technology is something that you need to keep in mind, especially when planning your IT budget and expenses for the next few years. What happens with your old technology is of equal importance.

Plan for Your Technology’s Inevitable Replacement
When it comes to your mission-critical technology, having a plan can go a long way. You don’t want to be caught unaware, as a hardware failure can strike at any given moment. It helps to be prepared for untimely technology troubles by having an IT roadmap; a plan which details your technology expenditures over the next five or ten years. You should account for regular technology tune-ups and replacements, as well as emergency maintenance that’s impossible to predict.

Wipe All Hard Drives and Devices
It takes a lot more than a traditional factory reset to ensure that all of your business’s data has been removed from a hard drive. Before throwing your old PC out, make sure that this data concern has been addressed. Only a trained technology professional can provide the thorough scrubbing that a used hard drive needs before it’s thrown out. CoreTech can give you a hand with this delicate task.

Properly Dispose of Your Devices
Once you’re confident that your data has been removed from your hardware, it’s time to get rid of it. This is easier said than done, though. The world has a serious e-waste problem, especially in some developing countries. Hardware components contain precious metals that, in great quantities, can cause damage to the environment. Furthermore, developing countries that receive the bulk of this e-waste will use dangerous methods of isolating these materials, which further damage the atmosphere. It’s recommended that you contact CoreTech to properly and safely get rid of your e-waste for you.

Of course, if you’re just routinely upgrading your workstations, and there’s nothing really wrong with your old hardware, you might consider donating your outdated technology to local charities or nonprofits. Doing so gives your reputation a boost within your community, and can open the door to potential clientele. You can even keep it hanging around your office for use in the event that a workstation becomes unusable.

Does this process sound like too big of a pain? Whatever you do, don’t just throw out your old and ailing technology. Instead, contact CoreTech. We can work with your business to build an IT roadmap to plan out future technology acquisitions, as well as help you wipe your old technology and dispose of it in an environmentally-friendly manner.

Every budget-minded business owner is always on the lookout for deals, especially when it comes to technology. The quest to save money might cause one to consider buying used computer equipment, which could work out great, or it could be disastrous, depending on a multitude of factors. If you’re serious about purchasing used computer equipment, then take into consideration these four tips.

With today’s great technology solutions, working remotely is no longer just a dream. Many businesses have either a partial or a complete remote staff, and it’s all held together by modern technology solutions. However, even with the latest tech, the remote worker still has to invest in their own success.

How often does your technology experience trouble? If your business is constantly dealing with technical hiccups, your assets that are meant to be a boon to your organization, can quickly become a nuisance that holds you back. How can you take better care of your technology, and use it to usher in a new era of productivity?

The business owner has always had the unique challenge of managing and maintaining all of their organization’s operations and administrative difficulties. These days, technology is also a major pain point for organizations that rely heavily on it. Your business can free up valuable time and resources by choosing to outsource your organization’s technical obligations to a managed service provider.

The most recent edition to the Windows family of operating systems, Windows 10, offers several new features that appeal to business owners. Yet, many businesses are still skeptical about adopting it for their entire infrastructure. Still, there’s good news abound for Microsoft’s OS, as compared to the unpopular Windows 8, Windows 10 is being tested on twice as many computers following its release date.

The cloud might be a great new data storage resource for SMBs to get more done during the workday, but it’s far more than that. Uses for the cloud are constantly evolving to adapt to a shifting online environment, and it’s now an indispensable tool for the serious modern business. The cloud is changing the way businesses handle their data and information, but it can do so much more.

A very large shift has taken place in the annals of baseball. The “Moneyball” revolution has produced a dependence on analytics, both for measuring individual player performance and for overall team makeup. This shift has now presented at least one Major League Baseball franchise with major data security questions.

Cloud services are growing more common to the world of small and medium-sized businesses, to the point where almost all businesses take advantage of the cloud in some way, shape, or form. However, a business’s specific cloud needs vary, and the same solution doesn’t work for everyone. Still, there are a few notable qualities that most SMBs want for their cloud in 2016.

The technological landscape of the office environment has evolved significantly over the past few years, especially in terms of technology that fosters inter-office collaboration. What could only be accomplished by sitting down together in the same room, can now be done remotely through the use of video conferencing and VoIP technologies. It’s a true golden age of business technology achievement, and if your business isn’t fully leveraging your communications technology, you’ll quickly fall behind.

There’s a reason why so many businesses have adopted the cloud as a valuable asset, and it’s because it improves the deployment and accessibility of critical information and applications. These benefits are so valuable that organizations are always trying to find a reliable way to replicate them for the rest of their business systems. This includes your internal network infrastructure.