If you’ve noticed more talk about software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) in recent months, it’s because almost 70% of IT professionals have it in production or are gearing up to get to that point. And it all makes sense, considering how SD-WAN can help organizations get the insight they need to improve network performance. SD-WAN offers the potential for a fully optimized network, but not all solutions are equal. In order to reap the extensive benefits available with this technology, … [Read more...]
Why Small Business Cyber Security Is Vital
The headlines about data breaches usually focus on the bigger companies, like Target, Yahoo and Marriott, as well as health care institutions when they get hit. That might fuel the belief that cybercriminals only target the big guys, but it’s not true. Small business cyber security strategies must be in place to protect the little guys, as well.The United States Cyber Security Alliance conducted research recently and found that small business cyber security is important because it protects … [Read more...]
Navigating the 3 Stages of Cloud Transformation
The cloud has evolved from a place where developers and other IT professionals go to experiment and play to one where enterprises must make investments in order to stay relevant and offer the experience customers demand. Cloud transformation is no longer a perk for companies, but a necessary step to remain competitive. Enterprises recognize the need to apply quick action to business decisions, and cloud transformation allows for more agility and innovation to support improvements or new … [Read more...]
4 Reasons You May Want to Consider IT as a Service
As enterprises pursue digital transformation initiatives, the way in which they are accomplishing these goals is changing. The shifting of workloads to the cloud begins to illuminate other areas of technology that could be removed from the daily, in-house tasks of the IT department. Many enterprises are paying for IT as a service and finding that its benefits quickly justify the cost. IT as a service can be a good investment for any size business. A small or midsize company can benefit from … [Read more...]
Cyber Security: Why Small Businesses Are Targets
You may think that, because you operate a small business, cybercriminals won’t target you for a breach. But, almost 43% of cyber attacks are directed at small businesses, according to Symantec. That means you have to take cyber security solutions seriously. Cyber attacks hurt everyone who gets hit, but small businesses without much cushion to fall back on might be crippled or face a terminal situation. Considering how evolved the attacks have become and how frequently they occur, taking a … [Read more...]
What Is UCaaS? The Game-Changing Technology Improving Business Agility
If you’re considering a communications upgrade, you’ve likely come across some new technologies like UC and UCaaS, which stand for unified communications and unified communications as a service. Each of these options relies on voice over internet protocol (VoIP) to transmit voice calls over an internet connection, affording your enterprise benefits such as scalability, reduced costs, and improved agility. To aid in your communications decision, first consider what is UCaaS, and how does it … [Read more...]
What Digital Change Means for the CIO
Digital change continues to have a disruptive impact on the enterprise, but as the chief information officer (CIO) sitting at the center of a digital transformation, you may be watching your role shift in your organization. New opportunities for improvements in productivity, cost reduction, and customer experiences mean that you are far from your original role in your enterprise. CIOs grappling with major changes to enterprise IT may find themselves at a strategic crossroads, but it’s … [Read more...]
Why Savvy Business Owners Are Implementing IP Telephony
If you’ve been considering an upgrade to your phone system, you’ve likely encountered a few options that use Internet Protocol (IP) telephony. If you quickly dismissed this option because you’d looked into it years ago and found it to be lacking in both features and quality, it’s time to look again. IP telephony not only matches your landline in call quality, but it also offers an array of features. When IP telephony was first introduced, it needed some work in terms of call quality, and in … [Read more...]
Why It Pays to Invest in Business Continuity Management
Enterprises often focus on the cost of lost data when they anticipate the damage of a cyber security breach. Much of the impact of a breach is the often-unanticipated cost of lost time and productivity as your security team rushes to detect and address the breach. Business continuity management creates a plan for keeping your team operating while a breach is being handled. A study conducted by IBM in partnership with the Ponemon Institute entitled, “2018 Cost of Data Breach Study: Impact of … [Read more...]
Three Key Steps to Preparing for Cloud Migration
When you first hear about the benefits of moving to the cloud, such as reduced costs, scalability and improved agility, you may anticipate all of the advantages. Without a clear picture of the migration process, there may be unexpected hurdles to reach these benefits. Preparing for cloud migration involves careful planning, and there are three key steps that can help minimize complications during the process: Assess your current IT environment. Preparing for cloud migration begins with a … [Read more...]