What Does the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 End-of-Life Mean for You?

Microsoft recently completely ended support for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008, leaving many companies scrambling to find affordable alternatives. However, there are still some companies out there unsure of what end-of-life really means. After all, they are still utilizing Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 and everything seems to be fine. Unfortunately, continuing to use either of these products puts businesses at risk. Here’s what everyone should know. What Does it Mean to “End Support” for a Software Product? Many people believe that when a company ends support for one of its products, that product will essentially vanish into the ether, never to be seen again. That isn’t how end-of-life works, though, and it’s actually a little more complicated than that. When Microsoft ends support for software, a couple of things happen (or don’t happen): The product no longer receives updates. When a product reaches the end of its life, Microsoft stops working on it. That’s really all it means. The company will no longer update the product. You can still use it if you choose to, but doing so could be problematic in several ways. First, because the product is no longer being updated, it isn’t receiving any further security patches, which leaves you vulnerable to the latest threats. New products are no longer designed with the product in mind. Technologies improve every minute of every day, and some of the biggest software providers (things like CRM platforms, etc.) are constantly improving their services to work better with current technologies. When Microsoft stops supporting an operating system, the companies providing those platforms no longer work on updates specifically for those platforms. In other words, even though you may still have access to Windows Server 8, the various applications and platforms you use may simply cease to function. What Can You Do? If your company relies on either Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008, the best possible course of action is to upgrade to the latest technologies. Windows 10 is in constant development and many people agree that it’s the best iteration of Windows yet – and it keeps getting better. Windows Server 2019 offers many benefits that Windows Server 2008 simply did not, including synchronization of files to Azure, access to System Insights, VM protection, and much, much more. Windows 10 is superior to Windows 7 in many ways, too – it’s far better for multitasking with features like Aero Snap, driver installation, and it supports multiple desktops which makes it incredibly easy to utilize a variety of full-screen windows, even when you’re reduced to a single monitor. The best part is that you can’t forget to update Windows thanks to Windows 10, which automatically downloads and applies the latest updates in the background. It even analyzes your computer usage and chooses a time when your PC is typically asleep to restart. If you are still running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008, now is the time to make the switch to the latest versions of these technologies. They’re much improved over previous iterations, and they will allow you to continue reaping the benefits of today’s latest security enhancements along with so much more. If you or your business need assistance upgrading from Windows 7 or upgrading to Server 2019, please contact us for a free quote!

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Are You Really Protected from Cyber Threats?

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Cyber threats. Are you really protected? Numerous reports from companies like Verizon and even Symantec show that small businesses are the targets of nearly half of all cyber attacks, but at the same time, more than half of all small business owners believe that their companies are too small to be victims. With this information in mind, it’s crucial for businesses of all sizes to ensure they are safe, and there are several ways to determine whether your company might be at risk. What is a Cyber Threat? A cyber or cybersecurity threat is a malicious act that seeks to damage data, steal data, or disrupt digital life in general. Cyber threats include computer viruses, data breaches, Denial of Service (DoS) attacks and other attack vectors. Cyber threats also refer to the possibility of a successful cyber attack that aims to gain unauthorized access, damage, disrupt, or steal an information technology asset, computer network, intellectual property or any other form of sensitive data. Cyber threats can come from within an organization by trusted users or from remote locations by unknown parties. What is Cybersecurity? Cybersecurity is the protection of computer networks from attack and damage. It’s basically keeping your data safe online. Hackers are always looking for ways into your network and if they find a way in, then they can steal your information and ruin your business. If you do not take cybersecurity seriously, it could cost you millions of dollars in lost revenue. And what’s worse is that hackers don’t care about your company. They just want to make a quick buck. Therefore, when choosing a cybersecurity solution, ensure you choose one with a proven track record and with excellent customer service. The last thing you need is to spend time troubleshooting an issue, only to find out the next day that someone hacked into your system again. What are the Most Significant Cyber Threats? One of the most important parts of protecting your business from cyber attacks involves understanding the most common kinds of threats and what they could mean for your business. The three most common are: Viruses: Viruses spread from one PC to another – or from one network to another – replicating itself and spreading just like the flu. They can have all kinds of detrimental effects, including stealing data, shutting down networks, or rendering every computer in your business completely unusable. Phishing: Phishing scams occur when cyber criminals send emails purporting to be from reputable companies to entice users to provide their personal (or in this case, confidential business) information, which may include passwords, credit card numbers, and more. Ransomware: Ransomware is exactly what its name implies – software that holds data on your network hostage until you pay a ransom. It is devastating for many businesses, and it has been responsible for the closure of thousands over the last two decades. How to Protect Against Cyber Threats Cybersecurity is a big issue today. Hackers have become more sophisticated with their attacks over the years, and now target businesses of all sizes. If you want to keep yourself safe from cyber threats, then you need to know how to prevent them. Cybersecurity is a multi-pronged strategy that involves layers of defense to help protect your business. Keep Your Employees Informed If you don’t regularly take the time to talk to your employees about network and email security, there’s a good chance your business is not as protected as it should be. Once a week during your employee meetings, make sure that you are reminding everyone with access to your network about the dangers of ransomware, phishing, viruses, malware, and more. In fact, you can even phish test your employees with fake phishing emails that will help you discover how diligent your employees really are. Use Endpoint Detection and Response Tools Endpoint detection and response (EDR), also referred to as endpoint detection and threat response (EDTR), is an integrated endpoint security solution that combines real-time continuous monitoring and collection of endpoint data with rules-based automated response and analysis capabilities. You can think of it as the next generation of antivirus. It continuously monitors network devices to detect and respond to cyber threats like ransomware and malware. Regularly Assess Your Network for Security Holes Finally, one of the absolute best things you can do to protect your data and network is to have regular security assessments conducted by professionals. These rigorous and in-depth assessments go through your entire network looking for potential issues. Things like your firewall, server, password vault, and more can all provide hackers and cyber criminals with the entry point they need to place viruses or ransomware in the system, and while the best way to prevent this is to reinforce the areas where criminals are most likely to enter, it’s impossible to do this if you don’t know which areas need reinforcement. That’s exactly what network assessments do. Cyber threats can have a tremendous impact on your business. In fact, with roughly 83% of small businesses lacking the funds to deal with the repercussions of a cyber-attack – which has an average price tag of about $3 million – it becomes clear that the best course of action is prevention, and thanks to today’s advanced technologies, there are plenty of ways to secure your network – and keep it secure. Cyber Threats Conclusion Cyber threats are not going away anytime soon. These are just a few ways to help secure your business against attacks. If your business needs help securing your network against cyber threats, then contact Pennyrile Technologies for a free cybersecurity consultation.

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5 Things Every Company Should Do to Prevent Network Breaches

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Installing the right security software is important for keeping your business’s network secure, but even the most up-to-date software can only do so much. It’s up to you – and your employees, for that matter – to prevent many network breaches that could leave your business out of commission and losing money by the second. Here are five things you and your company and employees can do to prevent breaches. Reduce the Volume of Data They Keep The more information stored on the network, the more information that could possibly fall into the hands of a cyber criminal. One way to reduce this risk is to simply reduce the data volume as much as possible. Don’t retain any data that isn’t absolutely necessary and try to find ways to simplify the data that you do collect. Finally, along these same lines, try to store data in only two places, with at least one place being in the cloud for disaster recovery purposes. Delete (and Report) Suspicious Emails Email is the number one point of entry for viruses and malware that devastate small businesses, and over half of all major attacks on small businesses were made possible by an employee opening a phishing email or facilitating ransomware through malware in an email. Train your employees on the dangers of these emails and teach them tips for spotting them. Then, make sure your employees not only delete these emails, but that they also report them to the appropriate company. Usually, the company being “spoofed” in a phishing email, for example, will have a specific email address set aside for reporting such things. Be sure to forward the email along to that particular address (if it exists), then delete it. Implementing phishing tests for employees can also help raise awareness and see where you have potential weaknesses. Use the Paper Shredder If any of your business’s network information appears on physical sheets of paper, it is critical that these sheets be destroyed as quickly as possible. Don’t just throw them out; run them through a cross-cut shredder beforehand to discourage potential thieves from piecing together your critical information. You should also destroy and discard other types of physical media, including CDs or DVDs, that have important company data on them. When disposing of hard drives, take special care to securely destroy the drive. Purely formatting a drive can leave most of the data recoverable by specialized software. While physically damaging a drive could theoretically work, it is not recommended or realistic in a corporate and professional environment. You should find a professional destruction company that issues an official certificate of media destruction for proper record-keeping. Restrict Computer Use As tempted as they might be, it is important that your employees do not access unnecessary websites, especially peer-to-peer file sharing websites, on your company network. These are the perfect entry points for cyber criminals. Better still, utilize software and firewalls to restrict access to any websites that are not directly required for your employees to do their jobs. Though it may seem too restrictive to you at first, it is the only real way to ensure that your sensitive information stays on your network. Enforce Security Policies Finally, there are several other policies you should put into place and enforce to keep your data safe. Make sure your employees understand which data is confidential and that they are aware of the repercussions of sharing confidential information with others, intentionally or otherwise. Do not allow cameras at workstations with company computers (to prevent purposeful or unintentional photography of sensitive information), and require your employees to change their passwords frequently. Go over these policies during your weekly meetings to ensure your employees understand their importance, as well.

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QuickBooks Cloud Hosting Makes Managing Your Business Easier

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If you’re a fan of QuickBooks, you are certainly not alone. It’s one of the best and most popular accounting platforms available today, and it is primarily geared toward small businesses. These days, QuickBooks is available in both on-premise and in-the-cloud formats that make it incredibly easy to manage your business from absolutely anywhere. Here are some of the ways in which QuickBooks Cloud Hosting can make things much simpler for your company, too. The Main Benefits of QuickBooks QuickBooks Cloud Hosting isn’t a favorite for no reason; in fact, small and medium businesses rely on it every single day because of a few very important benefits: On-the-Go Management – Because QuickBooks keeps your data in the cloud, you can access it from anywhere. That means if you’re commuting but you need to track your sales or send an invoice right away, all of this is possible with just a few taps or clicks. You can access it from your laptop, tablet, or even smartphone. The best part? You can know how your business is doing whenever you want as long as you have an active internet connection. Instant Collaboration – One of the biggest benefits associated with cloud-based anything is the ability to collaborate with others in real time. For example, if you and your accountant log into the account, you can both work with the data simultaneously. This can help you better understand your finances, and it can also greatly improve workflow efficiency. Enhanced Security – Finally, QuickBooks is no stranger to security, and it uses industry-recognized security safeguards including 128-bit SSL encryption to make sure your data is always safe. In fact, the QuickBooks team backs up your data for you automatically, so there’s never any risk of data loss. More Benefits to Consider Aside from the three main points listed above, QuickBooks offers much more. Business owners can create a hierarchy of access privileges that allow different levels of access for people across the company, which puts them in control of their data without sacrificing collaboration. You can create numerous business forms on the go – not just invoices – and you can choose from numerous plans designed in such a way that you will never find yourself paying for more service than you really need. It’s also especially good for inventory management since you can view quantities on hand, get real time inventory valuations, and instantly access your own purchase orders from vendors no matter where you are. Finally, because the entire platform is cloud-based, you can rest assured in the knowledge that you will always be accessing the latest iteration of the platform without having to go through lengthy update processes on your various devices. If you are looking for a software platform that is well-known, has a solid reputation for quality, and provides you with all the money and/or inventory management tools you need no matter where you are, QuickBooks Cloud Hosting can provide it, and it can make it incredibly simple at the same time. Remote Access to QuickBooks Desktop Some businesses prefer QuickBooks Desktop vs QuickBooks Online. QuickBooks Desktop’s features are often more developed compared to the online version. Unlike the monthly fee you’d incur with QuickBooks Online, you only have to purchase the software for QuickBooks Desktop program once as well. If you need remote access to QuickBooks Desktop Pro or QuickBooks Enterprise, Pennyrile Technologies offers QuickBooks Desktop hosting and remote access solutions. If you have an existing QuickBooks server you need remote access to, we can can assist with installing remote access software guarded by two-factor authentication and logging. If you don’t have an existing QuickBooks server, we can assist with this as well with our QuickBooks Desktop hosting solution.

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Does Your Business Really Need a New Server? Ask Yourself These Questions

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If you think of your company’s IT infrastructure like you’d think of the human body, the server is the brain. It’s where all the data is stored, and it enables all the various processes and computers in your business to operate effectively. If your server is not working optimally, it can negatively affect your entire business. If you aren’t sure whether your server is still right for your company’s needs, or if you think it may be time to replace it, ask yourself the following questions to find out if you need a new server. Has My Server Gotten Louder Over Time? One of the biggest signs that your server is giving up the goat, so to speak, is the sound it makes when it is operating in the middle of the day. On any given workday, go into your server room and listen. If the fans are noticeably loud – much louder than they were when they were new – consider this a cry for help. As servers age, they become hotter far more easily, and this makes the fans run faster more frequently. Over time, the fans wear out, and noise indicates they are reaching the end of their lifespan. Is My Server Operating at Max Capacity? Ideally, a business server should always operate at less than 80% capacity. Though there may be times when your server surpasses this mark, for the most part it should operate at less than 80% even during the busiest parts of the day. If your server is regularly over that 80% mark, it’s time for an upgrade or replacement. In some cases, you may be able to reduce the strain with cloud computing, too. Is the Server Operating System Still Supported? Microsoft is slowly phasing out many of its older operating systems (OS), and when this happens, there will be no further support for them. For example, in January 2020, Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 will reach the end of their life cycles and support will end. This essentially means that Microsoft will stop working to create things like security patches that protect your system in the wake of the newest threats, and if you continue to use a server with an unsupported OS, you will be leaving your entire IT infrastructure – your hardware, applications, databases, and more at risk. If your server cannot support the latest OS and its current OS is nearing the end of its lifecycle, it is time to consider alternatives. Malware and viruses are often created to target operating systems that are no longer supported or not fully patched with the latest security updates. Is the Business Experiencing More IT-Related Issues Lately? Technical hiccups in the workplace happen from time to time despite your best efforts to prevent them. However, if you find yourself suddenly dealing with unexplained server crashes, or if your server starts to crash frequently, this is a sign that it’s time to change something. A slow network, files taking a long time to copy or open, and slow login times can also be a sign it’s time for a new server. You might opt to buy a new server, which can resolve the issue for a while. You might also choose to move to the cloud or go for the hardware-as-a-service (HaaS) model to help save you some money. Is My Server Still Under Warranty? Server warranties are absolutely critical as they help to ensure that you can get your server replaced in the event of a complete failure. Servers are not inexpensive, and for small business owners, or any size business in the midst of a busy period, replacement can be difficult. Having to wait days for replacement parts to arrive causes downtime for your employees and business and would be costly in lost revenue and productivity. Rather than waiting for that failure to occur and then scrambling for a solution, consider a replacement right now if your server is no longer under warranty. Again, you have numerous options available to you, so choose the one that works best for you. Am I Spending too Much on Software Licenses? The business software you use is tied to a license, and that license is tied to each CPU for each server in your company. The CPU’s performance is dependent on things like memory and processing power, too. This means that if you choose to consolidate multiple older servers into fewer larger servers with better overall performance, you won’t have to pay for as many licenses. In fact, depending on the size of your company and its overall needs, sometimes downsizing your licenses is enough to pay for a new server. Bonus Question: Could You Save Money with Virtualization? If you do need to upgrade your company’s server (or servers), you may want to consider virtualization. Server virtualization is a process by which you can create partitions within a single server to create numerous instanced servers. Essentially, it turns a single server into numerous virtual environments that are capable of running independently of one another. Virtualizing your servers can save you a great deal of money in terms of hardware costs, and it can also significantly reduce your energy consumption, the cost of ongoing maintenance, and more. If you’ve been wondering whether it’s time to replace your company’s server or move your apps to the cloud, ask yourself the five questions above. Then, determine whether you want to purchase new onsite servers outright or contact a managed IT service provider who can help you with hardware as a service or cloud computing that can save you money. Need Assistance Replacing Your Server? If you need assistance replacing or upgrading your current server, contact Pennyrile Technologies for a free analysis and quote.

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Is Your Firewall Hurting Your Business? Here Are Some Ways to Tell

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Many companies make the mistake of believing a firewall is a “set it and forget it” type of network security. In fact, a firewall requires constant maintenance and updating in order to protect your company from cyber threats and data breaches. Below are some signs that your firewall is not properly protecting your company’s best interests or your sensitive data. You Don’t Have Any Traffic Visibility No matter the size of your company, whether you have only one computer connected to your network or you have dozens, it is critical that you have access to network traffic reports. You must be able to prioritize applications that are important to running your business while limiting those that might have a negative effect on productivity, but if you can’t see who is accessing what, this is impossible. What’s more, without this comprehensive visibility, there’s no way for you to know if you are complying with local and federal regulations. You’re Spending Too Much Money on Infected Computers In 2017, a study conducted in the UK pointed out that companies spent an average of seven full workdays each month on identifying and repairing computers that had been infected with some sort of malicious software or virus. The costs associated with paying someone to spend this much time repairing computers on your network can be astronomical, and over time, it can really tap into your bottom line. For this reason, businesses of all sizes should carefully consider the benefits of outsourcing their entire IT department to trusted professionals. It costs less and provides better peace of mind. Performance and Productivity are Lacking Another good sign that your network firewall is causing more problems than it solves is a noticeable lack of performance from your network. If your network is slow despite a good internet connection, this typically indicates an overloaded firewall. In other words, there is too much traffic attempting to pass through the device or the firewall isn’t rated high enough for the traffic you have. If you have a lot of remote workers, your firewall may not be capcable of handling all of the VPN connections. At this point, you can either completely overhaul your IT infrastructure to allow for more traffic, or you can change the features of your firewall so that more traffic can come and go as needed at the expense of greater risk. Neither of these is a good option for many companies, but there is an alternative: outsourcing your IT department altogether. The Firewall Isn’t as Effective as it Should Be Finally, perhaps the most common sign that your firewall is hurting your business is a lack of effectiveness. Simply put, if computers continue to become infected or if employees continue to access websites that you thought you blocked, this is indicative of a serious issue – and one that can frustrate business owners who are not as familiar with network security as they should be. The best way to resolve this issue is to hire IT professionals to configure your firewall properly, but it can be expensive to add another person to the payroll. Outsourcing these tasks is far more cost-effective, and when you choose the right managed IT provider, you can feel confident that your configuration will always be correct. Most companies don’t spend much time thinking about their firewalls until a serious problem arises. If you have noticed things like repeated malware or virus infections, a lack of network performance and employee productivity, or even problems with the configuration of your firewall, it is important to address them right away to protect the integrity of your company’s network.

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5 Ways to Tell if You Should Outsource Your IT Needs to Managed IT Service Providers

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Whether you’re just getting your business off the ground or you’re ready to make the transition to the digital world, there’s a lot that goes into building a network with the right infrastructure and security. In some cases, outsourcing your IT needs is the best course of action. Here are a few signs that you should consider outsourcing to a managed IT service provider. #1 – It Will Propel Your Business Forward It’s the digital age, and if your business is still dealing in pen and paper, it’s time to make the switch. The benefits associated with keeping your data digitally are innumerable, particularly when it comes to things like filing your taxes or even creating a marketing plan. Simply put, making the transition and giving your company an internet presence – and perhaps even utilizing the wonderful realm known as the cloud – will absolutely propel your business forward. In fact, failing to do so may leave you falling behind your competitors. #2 – You Don’t Have a Plan in Place for Disaster Recovery If something were to happen right now and all of your in-house records were suddenly destroyed, do you have a plan in place to keep your business running, or would your data be lost forever? In today’s day and age, this is a critical consideration and one that far too many small businesses have failed to take seriously. If you need help with data redundancy and disaster recovery, outsourcing your IT needs may be one of the best moves you could make. #3 – You’re Struggling to Find Time to Run Your Business Believe it or not, setting up and maintaining a network is a time consuming process and one that many business owners believe they can handle until they find themselves struggling to focus on core business competencies. Your ultimate goal should always be delivering products or services to your customers as efficiently as possible – and marketing your ability to do so, as well. If you find yourself falling behind because you are spending too much time dealing with network issues or maintenance, it’s time to consider outsourcing to a managed IT service provider. #4 – Your IT Needs are Changing When you ran your business by yourself from home, your IT needs weren’t very complicated. However, now that you’re starting to see the potential for growth, you should be considering the best ways to expand your network capabilities, as well. If you know that your IT needs are changing – or even if they will be changing in the future – contact a trusted managed IT service provider to find out how they can help you grow. These services are far more flexible and scalable than you might think, and the best part is that they are more affordable than ever before, too. #5 – Your Email and Antivirus is More than You Can Handle If you and your employees are spending more time sifting through emails and dealing with viruses than actually doing your jobs, this is a real problem. Junk email is a serious issue in business environments and opening the wrong one could have disastrous effects. Though you can absolutely install your own email filters and antivirus programs, it takes time to keep them updated, and it takes even more time to configure them properly. Fortunately, this is yet another area where managed IT service providers excel. They can help you manage your emails and your antivirus in the background so you can focus on your job. If you are struggling to keep up with your company’s IT needs, you are falling behind with your business’s core competencies, or you simply want to make certain that your company’s future is in the hands of capable professionals, outsourcing your IT team may be your best option. You can even customize a service package that perfectly suits your company and grows right alongside it both now and in the future.

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5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your IT Budget

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No matter the size of your company, having an appropriate IT budget is critical to your operations and ultimately your success. This involves first coming up with a budget that works for you and your company’s needs, then following that budget closely while ensuring you do everything you can to squeeze the most out of it. Below are five tips for doing just that. #1 – Get Your Priorities in Order Those new technologies you saw in a magazine or in an ad may look tempting, but it’s important to turn your focus back to the basics and take the time to understand what you really need. Sit down and make a list of your company’s priorities. Determine what you absolutely must have in terms of your infrastructure as opposed to what you would like to have at some point. Be sure to consider things like buying hardware, upgrading things as necessary, and keeping up with maintenance. #2 – Get a Network Assessment If you’ve never had your business network assessed for potential security issues, now is the perfect time to do it – and the sooner, the better. Network assessments are designed in such a way to figure out where your network is strong as well as where it is lacking. This can go a long way toward helping you prioritize what you absolutely have to have to keep your company’s data safe. #3 – Manage Your Resources Appropriately If you will be undertaking an IT project of any kind in order to get your network up to par, see if you can move funds around from one area to pay for a little extra IT help. What’s more, consider outsourcing your IT projects and consulting in order to save even more. Outsourcing may seem a little scary, but when you pick the right local company, it’s just like having your own employee on the payroll. They work with you very closely and truly get to know your business. #4 – Look for the Most Cost-Effective Solutions Don’t look for the cheapest solutions because like anything else, when it comes to IT, you often get exactly what you pay for. Instead, look for cost-effective solutions that provide you with the absolute best value for every dollar you spend. Outsourcing is often cost-effective, as is utilizing VoIP phone service as opposed to traditional landlines or even choosing hardware as a service rather than buying all your own equipment. These things can really give you the best bang for your buck in many situations. #5 – Use Your Money to Make More Money Though it may seem impossible to spend money to make money when it comes to your company’s IT, there are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind. As an example, if you invested in cloud-based software that you really love, consider offering that same solution to your client. Though you may not make a lot of money, it could help you get more for what you’re already spending, and ultimately, this stretches your IT budget even more. Getting the most out of your IT budget doesn’t have to be difficult. It’s all about understanding what your company’s priorities are, then finding ways to get the most value out of the budget that you have. To do this, manage your resources appropriately, schedule a network assessment so you can better understand your network issues, and then find the best and most cost-effective solutions to address those issues.

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What Managed IT Support Really Means

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As a business owner, you’ve probably heard the term “managed IT” more times than you can count, but there’s still a good chance that you don’t know what it really means or even how expert managed IT can help your business succeed. Below, you can learn more about what managed IT really means – and what it could mean for your business, too. The Definition of Managed Services By its very definition, the term “managed services” refers to a business offloading many of its operations to an outside provider. Instead of the business owner constantly monitoring and managing his or her network and the other IT systems driving his or her business, the managed service provider handles it 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For small business owners without the ability to hire a dedicated IT team, or for those who have a need to maintain an IT infrastructure but who only have a few employees, managed IT services can be a huge boon. Why Businesses Choose Managed IT Today’s businesses choose managed IT services for a wide variety of reasons, but ultimately, it has to do with a company’s need to have access to the latest technology in order to operate with any degree of efficiency. What’s more, companies that do not have access to the latest technology tend to fall behind their competitors; without modern IT, they simply cannot connect, collect data, and process data in such a way that allows them to maintain relevant in any industry at all. Business owners also find themselves busy – incredibly busy – and unable to keep up with the routine maintenance that goes into IT. They forget to run backups as frequently as they should, and they may forget about downloading the latest security fixes and patches designed to keep their data (and their customers’ data) safe. As a result, these businesses are at risk of losing access to things like financial applications, email servers, and other things that are critical for everyday operations. Managed IT is Not a Break-Fix Service Finally, it is important for all business owners to remember that managed IT is not a classic “break-fix” service. This means that it is not a service you employ when something goes wrong; rather, it is a service you employ to prevent something from going wrong in the first place. In today’s connected world, losing your connection for even a few hours can lead to unrecoverable business issues. Rather than waiting for something to happen, then calling an IT professional to resolve it while your business suffers significant downtime, managed IT support is always there, always watching, and always protecting your data and your network. With managed IT support, business owners can stop worrying about things like backups, security patches, and even the latest antivirus definitions. By offloading these operations to an outside company that specializes in IT infrastructure and security management, business owners can spend less time with these simple but time-consuming tasks and more time running their businesses the way they originally intended.

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VoIP vs. Landline vs. Mobile – Which is Best for Your Business?

Information Technology / Pennyrile Technologies

Whether you run a small to medium business or you’ll be getting one off the ground soon, telephone service is a big consideration and something that is best to plan early on. The three options available to you include Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), landline, and mobile, and the information below will help you make the best possible decisions based on your company’s needs and budget. Mobile Phone Service There’s no doubt that mobile phone service is the most broadly utilized service of the three in today’s high-tech day and age. It is estimated that some 66.6% of the global population and 96% of Americans have mobile devices. Despite their popularity, it is important to remember that mobile phones are only best for individuals and many of the benefits that make a cellphone attractive to a single person simply do not apply to small businesses. After all, the last thing you want is a dropped call or poor call quality due to touchy reception. It may not be a big deal when chatting with a friend, but when it’s a client or customer, it means everything. Traditional Landline Phone Service Prior to the incredible penetration of mobile service into the everyday lives of global consumers, landline service was considered the norm. Almost every household in the nation had at least one telephone line and number, and many had more than one to accommodate teens, home-based businesses, and more. Even medium and large businesses utilized numerous lines of traditional phone service in one location to keep their businesses connected with each other and their clients and customers. However, landline service is very expensive for businesses of any size. Each line has its own associated set of costs, and those don’t account for hardware installation, wiring, and more. Now, barely 40% of Americans utilize landlines. Though businesses are moving away from landline service more slowly, the introduction of “softphone” services delivered via VoIP is slowly phasing them out. VoIP Phone Service For many businesses – especially small and medium-sized businesses interested in scalability – there is no better solution than VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol. To put it simply, VoIP is voice service that is carried on your data network rather than through copper wires. The result is phone service that is far more affordable and often even easier to use than complicated landline networks. VoIP makes it possible to add lines of service in seconds, activate call forwarding in just a few clicks, and take a telephone number anywhere as long as there is internet connectivity. VoIP continues to grow in popularity and is slated to help phase out landline service in the next few years. There’s little denying that VoIP is the way to go for businesses of all sizes. Though it can help small to medium business save money on things like installation costs up front, even larger businesses can benefit from transitioning their landlines packed with fees and charges to VoIP lines that are scalable, functional, and easy to use. Benefits of VoIP Phone Service Lower Costs – Clients on average see a savings of 60% versus traditional telephone service. Service Mobility – Users can take their phone and plug it in anywhere they have an Internet connection. This is especially helpful with users who work remotely or from home. Excellent Phone Call Quality – Today’s VoIP phone service has surpassed traditional landline in terms of call quality. Easier to Scale – Adding new phones and users or even scaling back can be done quickly and efficiently compared to traditional telephone service. Advanced Features – VoIP today has many advanced features including auto-attendants, call queuing, voicemail transcription, and more. If you are interested in VoIP phone service, contact us today for a free quote and see how we can help your business save money by moving to VoIP!

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VoIP vs. Landline vs. Mobile – Which is Best for Your Business?

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