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Are you getting ‘nickel-and-dimed’ by your vendors? This is a great phrase that you’ll hear concerning charges for extra services within a larger service or purchase. According to Grammarist.com, the phrase ‘nickel-and-dimed’ has been around since the 19th century. Originally, it meant small amounts of money. It wasn’t until the 20th century that this phrase became a verb and an adjective for descriptive purposes. It’s a relevant phrase when it comes to the SMB-vendor relationship. Being ‘nickel-and-dimed’ means you’re spending more on extra services than you agreed to. The phrase makes you consider the impact unknown costs can have on a business and its profit margin. 

As a business owner, you need to decide what level of IT support is right for you. Small businesses frequently operate under the “break-fix” model. Break-fix is exactly what it sounds like: you run your business normally until something breaks, then you pay someone to fix it. Managed Service Providers, like us, offer a monthly service agreement to handle all of your IT support. But remember, not all managed services are created equally – don’t get nickel–and–dimed! 

Break-Fix Model 

While the break-fix model appears the simplest out of the gate, it ends up costing more than you think. The ‘breaks’ cost you more because you’re stuck with unexpected hardware and software costs, and the ‘fixes’ cost you a lot more due to downtime, outages, and lost potential revenue. At some point, you’ll get tired of your CFO running into your office with a stack of bills from all of last month’s fixes. 

Working with Vendors 

Finding a vendor that works well for your business is essential. SMBs often seek out vendors that offer full solutions. These deals are usually better for the client as well as their revenue and profitability. 

Choosing a vendor that offers a complete solution means you won’t get ‘nickel-and-dimed.’ When a vendor gives you the option to pick your solutions it often sounds too good to be true. However, this way often makes things more complicated for both you and your client. It also makes it hard to predict revenue and costs going forward. 

SMBs need efficiency 

Efficiency is paramount for SMBs and this translates to your customers too. When vendors offer features individually, the SMB purchases separate parts as individual products. With a turnkey solution, they have one single comprehensive package. Otherwise, you’re spending money on features that you thought were included. Unbundling your service might also mean ending up working with multiple vendors. What you need is a single vendor; a one-stop-shop for all of the features you need. Bear in mind that this vendor also needs to be able to adapt to you in the future too. 

What SMBs need their Vendors to know 

SMBs need a vendor that recognizes their role in supporting your business. We buy, employ and use their technology to run our businesses. SMBs should expect their vendors to listen to them and help them build their business. If you suspect you’re being nickel-and-dimed, then this isn’t a partnership worth pursuing. Don’t stick with it because it might seem like an easy option or because it’s hard to find a vendor that checks all of the boxes. You can maximize profitability and ROI with a vendor that works for you and works with you. 

Future-proofing 

When new features become available, they should not be a separate offer or a stand-alone service. SMBs need to ensure the vendor they work with can future-proof their plan to add any new features onto their existing offering. 

With a complete, fixed-price solution, vendors will earn your business each month and will then continue to improve their solutions without having to ask for extra money. A good vendor will focus on lowering the costs and not try to upsell new opportunities as they arise. 

Final thoughts – don’t be nickel-and-dimed 

You need a solution that will meet your needs straight out of the box. It should be a ready-to-go turnkey solution that will make you satisfied in the knowledge that you have all you need to be able to solve any business problem – all while paying a reasonable sum. You also need your vendor to incorporate new additions into your product as they arrive without it costing you more. It’s vital not to settle when you’re looking for a vendor. If the vendor doesn’t look out for your and your customers’ interests, can you call them a partner? 

If you are having issues with your vendors, please contact us at any time. We want to be sure you’re getting what you’re paying for. 

When a Business relationship with vendors is good, it can form a strong and strategic partnership that strengthens and develops your business.

Many businesses don’t have the capability or skills that are needed to build marketing and sales in their business plans. Vendors can support businesses in this area. Vendors have the resources to tap into their expertise and provide guidance on how your business can promote your services. A vendor can give advice on which marketing goals should be a priority.

Establishing solid relationships with your vendors is crucial to staying competitive. This is true in both customer service and business growth. Take care of them and they will take care of you.

Two-sided relationships 

The relationship isn’t a one-sided one. Both you and the Vendor need to engage with one another to establish in-depth growth and development plans. Hold one another accountable. Vendors can also help businesses execute strategic plans by providing services that may be out of reach. These could be marketing resources or technical recommendations. Vendor partnerships with strong foundations also lead to efficiency in operations. Having a good vendor allows you to reduce the number of resources required with simpler, automated processes. As you can tell, this is good for your bottom line.

A positive vendor lifts you up 

Vendors have lots of expertise and valuable advice to share with you. Whether they’re forthcoming or not depends on the relationship you have with them. Just like any working relationship, a relationship between a business and a vendor is not just transactional. The traditional format of the vendor-buyer relationship is no longer enough to stay competitive. You both need to go much deeper than that. To have a vendor that lifts you up requires you to establish a two-way relationship and dialogue. Strive to help each other.

Both parties have key responsibilities. Vendors should listen to their clients to discover what services, support, and products they truly want. You, on the other hand, should engage proactively with the Vendor to gain access to price promotions, bundles, and Marketing tools. This will help you provide better services to your clients and stand above your competition.

How can you get more out of your Vendor? 

Often, small businesses don’t have enough budget or time to plan and carry out marketing programs on a big scale. Vendors can plug this gap. You can ask vendors how they invest in making their client network a success. Another question to ask is, do they create activities for lead generation? To help support the vendors become actively involved in their promotions.

You need to work to make the most out of your vendor partnership. When dealing with a Vendor, articulate your needs clearly. In turn, your Vendor has to make it easy for you to have access to the materials and resources you need to sell your services. There is no place for being timid here. Ask the Vendor how they can help you and what the available support is. Examples of this might include payment plans with added flexibility or discounts to help with your cash flow.

Build your relationship 

Often, business owners are quick to criticize a vendor for not providing or offering the support that was expected. We must remember that this is a reciprocal partnership and a two-way street. The relationship needs to work for both parties. Sometimes, owners find that their Vendor isn’t creating the positive effect on their business that they would like. For this to happen, you must engage fully with the Vendor to set achievable, common goals. Spending time to establish the right partner is an investment SMBs often can’t afford to miss. Having a trusted partnership with a vendor impacts your company’s success.

Collaborate with technology 

Simply listing each other’s company on your website is not a collaboration. For the relationship to go deeper, it should involve the integration of technology. An intertwined technological relationship will open up ways to create more innovative services. Your vendors have a larger budget for research and development than you do. Being collaborative as a technology partner is an important consideration that many businesses can benefit from.

What if your Vendor is negative to your day-to-day operations? 

Strive to build and maintain good relationships with vendors. Remember, vendors also have to play a positive role in the relationship. Some vendors aren’t good for your business and it’s important to work with the ones that are. As MSPinsights.com describes, sometimes vendors alienate themselves by offering “channel” products that mean they have direct contact with your clients. You might even find vendors that offer competing products to the end clients or require them to sign contracts. This kind of ‘offer’ often suggests that these vendors are not interested in treating your business as a legitimate partner.

Final thoughts 

For best results, you need to become your Vendor’s favorite partner. Essentially, you’ve got to find someone who wants to build a partnership that works two ways. If you need a little help managing your vendors, remember that we can do that for you. Contact us and we’d be happy to get the ball rolling.

Hackers – the word alone can send fear down the spine of anyone who owns an internet enabled device. And for good reasons, too! Yet many people assume that hackers are only an issue for their business computers, desktops, laptops, and portable tablets. This isn’t entirely the truth. In fact, hackers can actually pose a major threat for your or your AI devices, too. As AI devices become core commonplace, this can represent a major security concern for many people.

As a result of this, it is absolutely essential that you’re are of how hackers can target your artificial intelligence systems. It’s vital that you also know how you can protect yourself against these threats. Fortunately, as your managed service provider, we are on hand to give you the support you need to keep yourself, your business, or your family, safe from the dangers that hackers can pose.

Can Hackers Access Artificial Intelligence IT Services?

To start with, we’ll ask the question, “Can hackers really get access to your AI systems?” The answer is, yes. This is becoming increasingly more common. As a result, it’s vital that anyone implementing artificial intelligence systems for their business or home is aware of the protective measures that make breaking in more difficult for hackers.

How Much of a Threat do AI Hackers Pose for your Desktops, Laptops, and Tablets?

At first glance, it might not be clear how much of a threat professional hackers can pose for your personal or business computers, desktops, laptops, and tablets. However, it is important that you never underestimate these threats because hackers gaining hold of your personal data can be a major threat for your personal security and safety. Not to mention your bank account.

Some of the ways in which hackers threaten us include:

Loss of personal data – one thing hackers want is your personal data. Names, addresses, telephone numbers, and emails can allow hackers to expose you to Phishing Scams. These contact details can also be easily sold to less than legitimate buyers. Even worse is if your financial details are taken by a hacker. If that happens, the hacker, could easily transfer money from your account without your authorization. They could also use your personal financial information to make purchases.
Business risks – if you run a small business then you store data for your customers. A hacker getting access to this data is a massive concern. Loss of personal data could result in your business getting fined substantial amounts. No company is safe in this regard. Even giants such as Adobe, Canva, eBay, LinkedIn, MySpace, Yahoo, and Marriott have suffered recent data breaches. A staggering 3.5 billion people have already seen their personal data compromised since the year 2000. That’s almost half the world’s population.
How Hackers Hack AI Systems

We’ve clarified that hackers can gain access to your personal or business computers, but how do they do this? There are numerous methods that hackers can use to breach systems. These vary depending on the type of AI being used.

There are two main ways in which hackers may be able to access data through AI: First, by monitoring your activities. This is similar to how personalized cookies work when you login to a website. The second way is by gaining access to your system through weak passwords. In devices like Alexa and Suri, this will allow the hacker to listen in through your AI devices. Hackers can even access cameras if they are attached to your devices, such as Ring doorbells. The implications are, frankly, terrifying. Depending on how many “Smart”, or AI devices you have in your home, there may be no room that is safe from hackers.

How to Protect Yourself

We’ve clarified that hackers can represent a serious problem for your business or personal life. Luckily, there are a few different ways that can help you avoid getting targeted by hackers. Some of these tips include:

Never share your personal information. This is one of the most important tips we can give to keep you safe from hackers. It’s important that you keep this in mind during all of your online activities. Never give out passwords, no matter who you think you’re talking to. And never leave it written down anywhere!
Choose a complex password. This is a good first-step to stay safe from hackers. Ideally, you should choose – and then memorize – an automatically generated password that has no reference to your life. We know it’s not easy, but it is your safest choice.
Keep Bluetooth turned off when not in use. If you’re not using your Bluetooth or the internet, we recommend turning them off to prevent hackers from using these connections to get access to your devices.
Final Thoughts

Hackers are a big problem in our modern society, but you can defeat them by taking preventative measures. With AI and Smart Devices becoming more common each day, hackers are finding more ways to break into your Personal life. Take every precaution to secure your accounts at every opportunity! For more advice on how your personal or business computers can make use of IT solutions to protect your data, contact us today.

The futuristic views of artificial intelligence (AI) as synthetic consciousness has been spread in Hollywood and science-fiction novels for generations. However, fantasy-aside, artificial intelligence is simply a process or system that performs tasks that ordinarily need the intelligence of humans. Examples of such tasks are problem-solving, diagnosing medical problems, and recognizing human emotions.

AI is already everywhere

The ‘hidden heart of technology’ that constitutes AI, currently has an important place in society and many of us don’t even realize it’s there. Think about your daily living. Do you browse the internet? Are you buying things online? Do you watch Netflix, HULU or Amazon Prime? Then you’re already interacting with AI.

Netflix and AI

The AI solutions that Netflix provides are particularly unique and have a significant impact on the user and the business.

Perhaps the most obvious to the end-user is the personalization of recommendations. For example, a user who watches Film X is likely to enjoy Film Y. What Netflix does is track user history to make their recommendations based on what other users have gone on to watch too. This is beneficial to users as they get recommendations that they enjoy. It also benefits Netflix too as it keeps its viewers interested and engaged, thus keeping their monthly subscriptions.

Another use of AI in Netflix is the auto-generation of artwork and thumbnails. Believe it or not, but the thumbnails you see for different shows are personalized to you. Netflix uses thousands of video stills from a particular movie to generate thumbnails. Each one is annotated and ranked according to how likely it is to result in a click. The technology is strengthened when users begin watching the show or movie. Netflix can see which thumbnails are the most popular. For example, if a user likes a certain actor, they are more likely to interact with a thumbnail showing that actor. The website Becoming Human has lots of images of different users’ thumbnails to compare, it makes for very interesting reading!

Advertising

Artificial Intelligence in advertising isn’t just about creating adverts; it’s about transforming every level of advertising right from creating the ad to targeting the audience and buying ads. As the Marketing AI Institute states, there are so many uses of AI in advertising that already exist. Brands are using AI to identify audiences, build creative ads, improve ad performance, and optimize customer spending. This happens automatically at scale and in real-time.

The beauty of advertising (specifically online advertising) is that it provides huge amounts of data. This includes things like impressions, bid levels, click-through rates and demographics. Of course, as humans, we’re perfectly capable of producing good advertising and measuring its impact but digital advertising is a whole new ball game. Digital advertising can generate so much more data across content, social media and searches.

With all of the necessary data, ad tools powered by AI can find patterns in ad data and use them to predict campaign changes to improve ad performance. This all takes place in a matter of seconds. For a person to do this it would take between hours and weeks to analyse the data, let alone create improved ads from it.

Cookies – manipulating behavior

If you’re familiar with internet cookies, you’ll know how useful they can be in helping you to remember details and passwords. There’s another side to cookies, however, in that sites use them to track your online behavior and tailor ads to show you. The BBC referred to behavioral advertising as ‘the latest buzz phrase’ back in 2012, but the truth is, this is something still at the forefront almost a decade later. For marketers, cookie profiling is a big advantage. Cookie profiling empowers marketers. They can see the bigger picture of the person they are targeting.

The hidden heart of technology

We’ve seen some examples of how AI is the hidden heart of technology in this blog. The truth is, AI use isn’t always overt at all. Forget I, Robot and The Bicentennial Man. This AI is more like Bruce Willis’s character in The Sixth Sense – hidden in plain sight if you can see it. Artificial intelligence is a rapidly developing area of information technology. As a Managed Service Provider of IT support, we can help you understand how to implement these tools for your business, ensuring your data remains secure. Contact us for any questions you might have.

AI has been rapidly evolving in recent years with the IT industry placing demand on this innovative technology solution. It began life with humble origins compared to the immense potential that modern AI software can offer for business networks. This blog will be looking at what AI is, how it originated and developed, and how your business can take advantage of this tool.

A Brief Look at AI for Business Networks – What It Is (And Isn’t)

It’s important that we know what AI actually is. Indeed, many businesses don’t entirely understand how AI can be beneficial for their tech problems and solutions.

Let’s define what AI is and what it isn’t. When someone mentions the term “Artificial Intelligence,” you probably think of  automatic computers or machines, like robots. This belief was widely popularized by Alan Turing’s statement claiming that “one will be able to speak of machines thinking without expecting to be contradicted.” However, artificial intelligence IT solutions are actually a bit more complicated than this; the modern realm of AI certainly isn’t capable of self-awareness just yet, but it is still capable of offering a huge amount of potential for businesses.

So, AI isn’t just an android; rather, it’s a program that is capable of completing tasks to a similar standard as a human or better.  AI systems can be categorized as: Narrow, General, or Super-Intelligent.  Narrow and general AI systems are already available for business networks to implement as an IT solution. These systems serve to do a small number of specialized tasks. Super intelligent AI is still in development though, and will likely not exist for a long period of time.

The History

AI hasn’t always been at its current standard. In fact, it’s taken a long time for AI to evolve to it’s current stage! Of course, the earliest origins of artificial intelligence could be Alan Turing’s original Turning Machine – the first ever variant of a computer, although certainly nothing like the modern computers we rely on for business nowadays.

Many don’t know that AI has actually had a notable prominence in our society and culture for easily a century. The first machine capable of automatically playing chess without human intervention was Leonardo Torres y Quevedo’s creation in 1914. Following this creation, in 1929, Japan’s Makoto Nishimura developed  the first-ever “robot”.  The model was able to use air mechanisms to move its hand and head and control its expression! It wasn’t until 1955, that “artificial intelligence” became a term.

Despite a somewhat early start to life, tales surrounding artificial intelligence were commonplace. They spoke of IT solutions that would serve to better the world and provide an alternative to normal tech solutions, of science fiction stories and seemingly unbelievable feats of business computer systems. The first artificial intelligence programs in the 1990s, Jabberwack and Cleverbot chatbots designed to “simulate natural human chat in an interesting, entertaining, and humorous manner.”

A new line of AI also came around the turn of the century. The Furby toy was created and went on to be the first “pet” robot for children, and in 1999, Sony released AIBO, a robotic dog that could recognize over one hundred voice commands and even communicate directly with its owner. This would prove a big step forward in terms of the development of artificial intelligence software and programs.

Modern AI Programs

Modern artificial intelligence has developed rapidly. As a business owner, you must know how these IT solutions could be applicable for your organization. Some AI programs used in businesses include voice commands and applications like Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa. These programs respond to user inquiries with natural language.

So, how can modern businesses use AI programs for the best business network boost? Well, artificial intelligence can be applicable in many different ways for your business, from helping to reduce the incidence rate of human error (which is invariable with any business) through to automating production processes and supply chains based on demand and availability. Artificial intelligence can also have a big impact on your business’ hiring practices, helping your business to streamline the recruitment process and lower the costs of hiring new talent for your firm!

Indeed, the potential that artificial intelligence can offer even today is massive – and as time passes likely, artificial intelligence systems will only get more and more complex and refined.

Learn More About AI for Businesses

For more information on how AI could benefit your business networks, contact us. Our team provides quality IT services so that you can get back to doing what you do best – managing your business. Don’t compromise – let us help you find the perfect AI and IT solutions today!

A wave of data breaches and cyberattacks began in early 2021 when four zero-day vulnerabilities were found in Microsoft Exchange on-premises servers. These vulnerabilities meant that hackers had access to user credentials connected to network devices. As well as, admin privileges on servers affected by the zero-day exploits.

Typically, attackers install something called a ‘backdoor’, which is a covert way of bypassing encryption or authentication. With a ‘backdoor’, attackers can access impacted servers after updates to fix the exploits.

Why Microsoft Exchange?

Microsoft Exchange is seen as a good target for attackers who want to get into business networks. Microsoft says that their email server software is unique in its environment as hackers can carry out a multitude of tasks using the same scripts or tools that admin use for maintenance. “Credential stuffing” is the assumption numerous users will recycle passwords and usernames across an array of services.

Once attackers log in as a user; they perform actions that allow them to remotely connect to the server, assume the role of administrators with said privileges. With administrator rights, hackers can upload code to create a ‘backdoor’ so that they will have continued access. Even if patches are downloaded to protect Exchange servers, they won’t retroactively remove any installed ‘backdoors’. This means hackers can still access the server until these, and any additional user accounts are removed.

 Who are the hackers?

Microsoft says that the original attackers were Hafnium, a group they say operates out of China. It is a cyber-espionage hacking group, often referred to as an APT (an advanced persistent threat). This type of group is often a state-sponsored, stealthy actor that goes undetected for a long time. Hafnium has alleged ties with the Chinese government, but they have denied all responsibility for this recent Microsoft Exchange breach. Microsoft has described this group as “highly skilled and sophisticated.”

Although Hafnium was the first hacking group to exploit the vulnerabilities, there are now thought to be over 10 different groups with each using a different style and procedures.

Who is vulnerable to attack?

Microsoft confirmed that their Exchange Server versions for 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019 are susceptible. All cloud-based services like Office 365 and Microsoft Exchange Online are not affected.

So far, estimates suggest 250,000 servers have been attacked; including small or medium businesses, local governments and local institutions across the globe. These are the main victims of the attacks because they don’t have the necessary expertise to resolve cyberattacks.

Tom Burt of Microsoft wrote in a blog post that victims had included law offices, defense contractors, disease researchers, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, and universities. Other known victims include local governments and schools.

Latest developments

On March 12th Microsoft Security Intelligence announced that a ransomware called ‘DearCry’ was being used on the first servers infected. This made the servers unusable unless a payment was made to recover the files. Microsoft has said, however, that paying such a ransom won’t guarantee you access to the files.

What businesses and organizations should do?

There are several steps that can secure your Exchange server; a list of which is detailed in this blog post. Essentially, organizations at risk need to take the necessary precautions, ie downloading Microsoft patches.  But they should also scan all networks for any threats and potential compromises. The most targeted countries currently are German, the UK and the US. Contact us for your cybersecurity concerns.

When it comes to hiring new staff, it’s important that you choose the right person for the job. But what if the right person for the job isn’t a person at all, but instead, an IT solution? Artificial intelligence offers many benefits for businesses, now, and into the future. Just one of these benefits is bypassing the hiring process. Before purchasing your AI solution, it’s important that all businesses consider the benefits and drawbacks of artificial intelligence. When looking to optimize your IT management, a quick Google search for the best “automated small business solutions” will lead you in the right direction. Then you can focus the search to your specific industry.

Let’s take a look at what Artificial Intelligence is and how it might benefit us.

Artificial Intelligence: A Brief History

Artificial intelligence is a recent development with only the first two stages widely rolled out for business support: narrow and general AI, which provide a highly specialized and broader range of support respectively. The final stage of artificial intelligence is super-intelligence, which is characterized by AI programs developed to be capable of self-thought. This level of AI is still a long way off, though, and modern AI systems are a little simpler. With that being said, the simpler nature of modern AI is a benefit in and of itself. It means that small and large businesses alike may be able to implement AI into their existing business networks easily and efficiently. And that means that better control of your budget, and profit growth should be the end result.

How did AI originate? During the 1990s, toy manufacturers were one the first industries to use AI. Popular AI toys were early versions of robots, with the Furby being arguably the most well-known. Sony also created their own artificial intelligence robotic dog that was capable of memorizing up to one hundred commands. These creations would pave the way for future AI developments in the decades to follow.

How AI Can be Used by Businesses

There are many ways in which businesses can make use of the benefits of artificial intelligence solutions. Research AI developments in your field. It’s important that your business knows how to make use of AI to the best effect.

During the Hiring Process

Artificial intelligence can be a huge benefit for small businesses wanting to make the process of hiring new staff easier. During the hiring cycle, Artificial Intelligence can be used in many different ways to streamline the task because of its ability to learn your company’s processes.

AI is an effective tool to enhance the application process for new employees. Particularly in terms of automatic chats that can provide applicants with immediate help and support.

It can also help with screening applicants. AI can categorize applicants based on their skills, experience, qualifications, and whatever parameters you set. Automatically screening applicants is beneficial for small businesses who are overwhelmed with applications for a specific job posting. Then, the business can quickly find applicants who are a good fit for the job. That translates into saving a great deal of time, and money.

It’s worth noting that artificial intelligence can be useful even after candidates have been selected. You can use AI to contact applicants and arrange interview times with them. It also provides them with answers that they may have to questions about your company. Some advanced AI software can even analyze facial expressions, tone of voice, and the like for participants which can help to provide a clear view of the applicant’s suitability for the job role.

To Support Your Employees

Artificial intelligence is a highly diverse and useful IT solution for businesses to consider investing in. More and more people are looking for business IT support companies near them to help with installing AI. Employees can utilize this new technology to support their day-to-day activities.  Additionally, employees can use AI to streamline automated processes to improve work productivity and affordability.

For Your Customers

Finally, artificial intelligence can provide an affordable option for your small business in terms of supporting customers. This is particularly the case for chatbox. You can use Artificial Intelligence to engage your clients and provide them with instant responses to their queries, without the huge expense of hiring a 24/7 in-house team. This can represent massive savings for your business and help boost customer satisfaction.

Don’t Rely Solely on AI!

Artificial intelligence options are some of the fastest evolving IT solutions for business networks, however, they are not perfect and need a team of human workers behind them to keep them working effectively. Always make sure that you check your AI is providing the results that you want; in doing so, you’ll be able to balance the cost-saving nature of artificial intelligence with the personal touch that human staff can provide.

In turn, your customers will be able to enjoy an incomparable service overall, making AI solutions potentially a great investment for your small business. To learn more, contact us to see if AI could be right for you.

When it comes to working remotely, making use of the most up-to-date and high-quality cloud infrastructure and cloud computing services is very important. Cloud computing offers a number of options for business profitability, and a huge improvement for the ability to work remotely. However, you must have the right cybersecurity protocols and software in place to keep your network secure from hackers.

Let’s take a look at some of the security measures you should be aware of.

What is SASE?

First of all, you must know what the SASE cybersecurity software is. SASE is short for “secure access service edge”. It serves to help enhance business computer security when using cloud technology. By implementing SASE for your office network, you can safely access enhanced cybersecurity for your business data against hackers.

It is expected that, by 2040, as many as 40% of businesses – large and small alike – will have either integrated SASE with their current network cybersecurity approach or will be planning to. This is a drastic increase from the 1% of businesses that used SASE in 2018 upon its creation. This also highlights the fact that SASE will be a highly important form of computer security software in the coming years. Start asking about it now.

Why is SASE Important?

You might be wondering why additional cloud technology solutions are needed to protect your business data. There are a few different reasons as to why you might want to implement SASE technology for your servers, but the most obvious and important reason is for the enhanced security it offers.

Unfortunately, there are a few cloud computing companies and services that don’t offer the level of protection your business needs. Don’t be afraid to ask them questions you’re concerned about. Also, remember that we are here to help insure you make the best decisions for your needs. We research and check cloud providers to be sure the solutions they recommend are the most secure available.

It’s important to highlight that cloud computing services are highly reliable solutions and offer additional levels of protection against hackers for most businesses. However, hackers have been able to get around some security features installed by cloud companies. This warning highlights the need for extra IT security, such as that provided by SASE.

How SASE Works

SASE works by merging traditional wide-area networking (WAN) security solutions with other local network services. By using the best of different security approaches and configuring them into a single, cloud-delivered cybersecurity model, SASE allows business networks to benefit from the highest level of cybersecurity. This can be applied across all business devices, from office computers, desktops, and laptops to tablets used for on-the-go projects.

Tech solutions such as SASE are rapidly becoming more and more important. They are necessary to ensure that your business remain protected against the danger hackers can pose to data security. And, by enhancing your business’ cybersecurity while also integrating revolutionary cloud technology and architecture, you’ll be able to enjoy the best protection modern IT services have to offer.

Why Is Cyber Security So Important for my Small Business?

If you’ve ever found yourself searching for “small business IT services near me,” then it is highly likely that your business could also benefit from additional cybersecurity measures. Ensuring the safety of your servers is essential to have a good reputation with your customers and staff.

There are many different reasons why cybersecurity is so important for small and large businesses. Indeed, sometimes it can seem like information technology is changing and evolving at a rate faster than any of us can keep up with – so you must have the best protection in place to make sure your business network is safe.

• Protect your customers’ and suppliers’ data: If your business falls victim to hackers, then your suppliers’ and customers’ data could be compromised. If hackers get access to this data, then you could find yourself with large lawsuits and fines. Which as a result are massively costly.
• Customer confidence: Customer confidence is of the utmost importance in the modern trading environment. If your cybersecurity protocols are not up to scratch then you may lose customers out of fear of data loss. Therefore, having good cybersecurity is paramount if your business is to have loyal, trusting customers.
• Business reputation: To follow up from the last point, if your business has poor cybersecurity solutions in place then you will possibly have a poor business reputation as well. This, in turn, may negatively impact your business in numerous ways, including lost sales and lost revenue. Certainly, this is something that no business wants to experience. The slight cost of investing in good cybersecurity for your business network will be more than paid for by the increased revenue from loyal, trusting customers.

Find the Right IT Consultants Today!

If you aren’t sure how SASE can benefit your business, our team of professional IT consultants are here to help! We can help with all aspects of your managed IT services and IT solutions.

After all, you have a business to run. Let us handle the information technology solutions while you do what you do best! For more information on how our team can help your business grow and thrive, contact us today to learn more!

Keeping your business network safe and secure is essential. Virtual offices and cloud services can be smart ways to keep your data safe. However, many people do not understand the benefits that investing in virtual offices can have. Today we will be looking at what confidential computing is and how investing in the right computing strategies – with help from your managed service provider – can help your business network achieve safe cybersecurity thanks to cloud solutions.

Why Confidential Computing is So Important

When it comes to protecting your business network from hackers, you must have the right cybersecurity software in place. Information technology is an integral part of our lives these days. Still, a few businesses operate without some influence from IT service providers. That can put them at risk of getting hacked.

Confidential computing helps to prevent this from happening. In turn, this can help your business protect your, and your customer’s valuable data. Currently, more and more people are turning to managed IT services and cloud infrastructure and their solutions. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of migrating to the cloud.

Benefits of Cloud Infrastructure for Business IT Solutions

There are many potential benefits for your business when choosing a virtual office or cloud solution services. As such, you must consider these cloud architecture benefits carefully before deciding whether or not to make the switch. However, changing to a cloud-based network could be a smart move for your business.

Some of the key benefits to moving to the cloud are:

1. Scalability
2. Enhanced Security
3. Lower Hardware Costs
4. Greater Flexibility for Employees
5. Easier Remote Access
6. Automatic Data Back-up
7. Lower Maintenance Costs

If you decide to switch over, we highly recommend that you do so with the support of a cloud computing company that can provide you with the best security possible. By doing so, you can be confident that appropriate firewalls, virus protection, and back-up disaster recovery steps are taken to protect your data. Let’s take a deeper look at five things that add value to moving to the cloud.

Cost-Effective Solution

Cloud infrastructure can offer a highly cost-effective solution for many businesses. These savings are obtained by not having to purchase any high-tech office equipment yourself. Rather, you can “hire” cloud servers, thereby cutting the costs of hosting your business’ IT network. There are many cloud storage providers on the market now, giving small businesses plenty of choices when looking for an affordable cloud storage plan.

Data Back-up Disaster Recovery

Another key benefit of most cloud computing services is that they offer data back-up disaster recovery, or BDR, services. That means you can rest easy knowing that your data is secure and backed-up if it should be compromised. That can be a highly time-consuming activity to do with non-cloud business networks.

Practicality

An important benefit of choosing cloud computing services is that the cloud offering is very practical for most businesses. But why is this?

When you choose cloud solutions for your business’ computing needs, you can enjoy having access to company files and data from wherever you might happen to be. That means you can easily access information and files while out working in the field. This feature can also make it easier for your employees to access the system when they need to. As your managed service provider, we’d have access to carry out the necessary work on your network to keep it working effectively and securely.

Fast Speed

It is accepted that most cloud computing companies offer services that provide fast and efficient services. That is in comparison to some physical systems that can take a lot longer to load. It seems like a good business move. After all, time is money!

Unlimited Storage Capacity!

That is arguably the biggest (and most obvious) benefit of choosing cloud computing services and cloud storage providers. Having access to the cloud gives your business the potential to enjoy unlimited storage capacity – which, in turn, can allow you to keep more records with greater amounts of detail. All while saving money on expensive physical storage options.

Is Cloud Computing Secure?

Understandably, many people are unsure about the cloud infrastructure and cloud solutions being safe and reliable. However, it’s important to remember that cloud technologies are highly advanced and provide a high level of support and protection for your data. After all, with many corporations and even governmental bodies using these cloud networks, it’s of the utmost importance that cloud computing services are secure.

That is why you must choose the right Cloud provider for your business technology needs.

Get Professional Managed IT Services Today!

If your business can benefit from joining the cloud, then you must have professional support while making the change. Fortunately, our team of information technology experts understands cloud computing. As such, we are here to help you switch your business servers to cloud solutions, giving you the chance to enjoy all the benefits listed above (and more!)

To learn more about cloud computing services and how cloud solutions could benefit your business, don’t delay, contact our IT management team today to find out more! We’re here to help you find the perfect IT solutions that help your business grow.