It is tempting for businesses to perform all operations as much as they can in order to save money. While this may seem a logical move, and while outsourcing IT services could be financially daunting, outsourcing may actually be more economical in the long run that what you think.

Experts agree that outsourcing is one of the best methods to facilitate business growth. Not only will your company be able to direct its focus and resources on what it does best, outsourcing IT services could also allow people who are more trained and suited to perform the job to provide you the best services your company needs. The IT aspects of your business serve as the backbone of all your operations. Ensuring that this is made as best as possible leads to a more productive and profitable outcome.

Delegating the Job to Experts

Outsourcing allows your company to benefit from the services of experts. These are groups of people with sufficient experience trained to provide the best services your company needs.

Doing IT-related  works for your company may initially strike you to be economical until trouble sets in. Asking a non-IT person to do laptop repair, network upgrade or iPhone repair can be a nightmare experience for the staff and the company. Without the necessary expertise and experience, you might expose yourself to future IT related troubles, which could lead to far greater expenses than what you could spend by enlisting the services of those who have done the job for years and have gained insights on how to prevent future troubles.

Outsourcing and Business Growth

You cannot divide or direct your resources to two distinct operations within your company without sacrificing performance and growth. Furthermore, doing IT-related  services within your company would require time and effort, which you could have dedicated to the job your company does. Although it might incur a greater cost in the beginning compared to doing things by your own, the growth that your company could acquire over time could lead to profits and gains in the future and could help advance your company.

In addition, the loss that your company could suffer due to poor decisions inherent to your lack of expertise, and skills will not be worth it. Outsourcing is not only good for the growth of your company, it will also enable your company to focus on doing the business that it does and further its growth. As with any endeavor and any form of business, time is important because it equates to money. Outsourcing provides you time and quality output.

Outsourcing with a dedicated third-party IT support company can prove to be a wonderful, highly efficient method of tackling IT issues for businesses, freeing up time and resources better spent on management and growth rather than repairing laptops. However, there are many pervasive, common mistakes a business can make when outsourcing IT. Working with the wrong company, failing to research properly, and choosing options that do not fit your needs are pitfalls that could be easily avoided. In the space below, we take a closer look at the common mistakes a business might make when outsourcing their IT needs and how to best avoid them.

Lack of Research

There are several malicious, profit-driven companies out there that promise the moon to businesses looking to outsource IT services, and promptly fail to deliver on all fronts. Fortunately, with the internet at your disposal, you can avoid these companies like the plague by researching thoroughly which company you want to trust with your business’ IT needs. Take a look at what other clients who have worked with them in the past are saying. Did the IT service company maintain good communication? Did they handle problems effectively and efficiently? Were there hidden fees accrued? Were they pleasant and easy to work with and did they offer advice and guidance for the company's digital future? These are all questions that a little bit of research can answer and too often a business skips this vital step.

Assuming the Cheapest Option is the Best Option

Frequently, a business owner, wary of mounting costs, will choose IT as the facet of his business to skimp on. This can be disastrous. Often, a company promising a range of IT services below an industry standard price will not be up to the task of handling the issues that may arise. Things like network security and digital efficiency are not items a business wants to play lightly with, especially in this competitive marketplace. Fortunately, there are several IT service companies that offer competitive rates and have a proven track record to boot.

Lack of Consistent Communication

It might be tempting to let your newly minted outsourced IT Support company just take the networking, software hardware reigns from there. This is a mistake. Always remain involved in your company’s digital future and keep aware of problems that arise as they come. Without consistent communication, you are in the dark of several vital, significant aspects of your company. Keep in touch with your outsourced IT services and enjoy a productive road forward. 

While there are numerous advantages many businesses find with outsourcing their IT needs, there are always potential drawbacks that linger. As with outsourcing of any kind, you are trusting an independent third party with an integral aspect to your business. Typical pitfalls include lack of communication, neglect, hidden costs, and poor general practice. Fortunately, ample research and background checks on third-party IT services help you avoid these common issues and allow you to reap the benefit of outsourcing IT support. In the space below, we take a closer look at some of the most common drawbacks.

Poor Quality

There are companies out there, primarily overseas, promising competent IT support they are unable to perform. These third-parties are notorious for taking your business’ hard-earned money and providing sub-par services. They might be  in their advertisement and could potentially put your business at risk, shoring up time on IT issues that would be better spent on growing and maintaining your business. Luckily, these companies are quickly ousted online by upset clients and a little research goes a long way in avoiding these malicious entities. IT issues are often complex and technically challenging, so make sure a company has proven its abilities with prior clients.

Lack of Communication

As many business owners and managers can attest, sometimes an e-mail will not cut it. This is a drawback to some third party IT Support companies and is a risk with outsourcing in general. There are companies who assume to many clients to adequately pay the attention each individual business deserves. This pitfall does not have to be inevitable and several third party services battle this issue with dedicated online and phone support. To re-iterate, have your business do its homework and investigate the company in which you are deliberating to handle your IT needs. Seek a company that you feel comfortable forging an ongoing relationship with.

Continuity

When outsourcing IT services with another company, you are entrusting that company with sensitive data and ultimately a sliver of the future of your business. Without a company that you fully trust, it can be difficult maintaining a working relationship with an external third-party that might not hold your company’s best interests at heart. In addition, an unreliable outsourced IT company might not hold your business as a priority and you always have the worry of redirecting engineers and tech support to address the various problems that may arise. The good news is that there are several vetted, reliable IT services out there. Just be sure to make the right choice. 

As we enter this new age, IT Services are proving to be a must for businesses of all kinds. They provide numerous necessary services such as monitoring network issues, implementing new technology, installing workstations, enhancing productivity, and providing cyber security. A productive IT service will allow you to focus on your core business and move forward without being slowed by the numerous hiccups that are sure to arise in this digital era. The question that remains is whether to hire in-house or outsource your IT needs. In the sections below, we look at some of the benefits to outsourcing.

Reduce Costs

Small to medium size companies cannot afford the dedicated support a large company can. Due to the nature of IT issues, you might not be sure when you will need a professional service or when a problem might arise. Outsourcing an IT Service allows you to budget efficiently while focusing on your core business. In addition, you avoid the hassle associated with hiring and training a new employee who may or may not end up being adequate for the issues you might encounter. Most business cannot afford to run the risk of wasting money on an inadequate IT service nor can they waste time on difficult, complex IT decisions an independent company could quickly handle.

Quality Assurance

Possessing an IT certificate does not necessarily ensure an employee is up to the task of managing your IT needs. Outsourcing these services with a reputable company will allow you to rest easy knowing a dedicated company is managing your IT problems. A dedicated IT service has larger pool of data and experience to draw from, meaning efficiency will be maintained and the occasional, but inevitable, digital roadblock will not halt your business from moving forward.

A Competitive Advantage

Outsourcing with a dedicated IT company allows you to have the same access to software and platforms a larger company might. An outsourced IT Service would potentially have better access to compliance and security software, ensuring your business will avoid common pitfalls associated with launching a business in the cyber age. In addition, an independent third party is likely better positioned to implement new technologies, install and calibrate workstations, and operate with a better organized cost structure. A sole part-time IT employee is far less likely to enjoy the same level of access an independent company and poses the risk of being unable to accomplish all of your needs. 

You may think that installing powerful computers with huge storage capacities is the only way to ensure that your business performs at its best and to render it future proof. While currently you may be right, with the advancement in the technology involving cloud computing and its expanding influence on the many aspects of day to day computing operations, that may not be the case in the near future.
Cloud computing, however fast it is increasingly becoming integrated in various businesses and setups, is still on its initial stage. While lots of people are beginning to hear about online cloud storages such as OneDrive, Mediafire, Google Drive and Dropbox, cloud computing, as a whole, is still an alien topic.

Two forms of Cloud Computing

There are currently two forms of cloud computing—one which allows you to access applications and files within the cloud with the aid of an Internet connection called the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) cloud computing and another, which allows you to access applications and files through a system dedicated for your personal cloud computing experience called the Infrastructure-as-a-Service (Iaas) cloud computing. IaaS is similar to conventional computing except that you enjoy the benefits of cloud computing in IaaS. SaaS, however, is probably better because it allows you to access applications and data on the cloud via the internet wherever you are.

Flexibility of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing allows you to access your data and the company’s application software wherever you may be or whenever you need them. Furthermore, cloud computing is a lot cheaper than conventional hosting sites. Contracts with hosting sites usually last from 1 to 2 years while those with computing service providers offer monthly subscription. There are even providers who charge fees depending on the time you have used them. This can make IT support task easier as well.

Cloud Computing can Future Proof your Business

In conventional computing setup, software is constantly being upgraded, which results in higher hardware demands. After about three years, if you want your computers or your system to compensate for the market needs, you have to replace your system. This could cost your company so much. With cloud computing, you will not worry about these, as these concerns are those of the providers. Furthermore, providers regularly upgrade their systems to provide a better service. Upgraded and updated systems ensure that your experience with the cloud is the best it can offer without the burden of the cost for those.

More and more companies are adopting and transforming their systems towards cloud computing. Compared to conventional computing systems, cloud computing allows the same (or sometimes better) performance with comparably lower cost, optimized utilization of resources and its greater flexibility. Because of this, cloud computing, thought of before as just a possibility, is not becoming the future of computing.

File storage services

One of the most common applications of cloud computing is online file storage service. In the conventional setup, a user of a client needs to purchase and invest in the hardware of their storage systems in addition to cost incurred by powering up the system and performing IT maintenance and repair tasks. Furthermore, sharing it to others via the Internet across large distance requires that the files be uploaded for download. This takes time and resources. On cloud computing, however, files are already available online making them easier to share. Some cloud computing service providers also feature on-cloud applications that allow users to preview of view/play the shared contents removing the necessity for the user to install applications in his system. The client is also unburdened by the costs and needs only to pay a small monthly or yearly subscription fee. Cloud computing service providers also employ redundancy in saving files protecting it from data corruption and loss. Common cloud storage providers are Onedrive, Dropbox and Google Drive.

Database Services

Collecting, keeping and utilizing data is among the costliest and the most complex tasks in a business, which requires the participation of an IT expert. Cloud computing allows database services to clients by providing systems that are easy to manipulate and understand and which requires fewer resources on the client computer’s part.

Email

Email service offered by  providers such as Google and Yahoo is built upon cloud computing technology to facilitate a speedy emailing experience minus the hassle of installing costly emailing software and having to maintain or upgrade them regularly. In addition, cloud-based emailing systems are usually free or are offered in lower costs compared to purchasing a license for emailing software for every computer it is installed on.

File Backup

Before the advent of cloud computing, storing and ensuring that files are backed up to protect against data loss is tasking. Nowadays, many companies realize that the best way to backup files is to store them in remote locations. Cloud computing allows file backups with tools that are designed to keep the files in their original configuration and making them available for easy and fast restoration.

The role of computing technology in maximizing sales and productivity in businesses is undeniable. Modern-day  businesses have gained boosts in their sales and market reach with the aid of computers. Conventional computing setup, however, has their limitations. First, you need to put up as many computers as necessary in order to meet the demands. Second, to host a local network, you need to set up server systems—both hardware and software—which are not only costly but also needs tedious IT support maintenance and regular upgrades. On top of that, these systems require software licenses that are expensive.

Would you benefit from cloud computing?

Modern day business setups are not as limited as what they used to be in terms of location and accessibility. If you are planning on expanding your business in the future of your business is currently on the process of expansion, then communication is one of the most important aspects of your business. With cloud computing, you will be able to access your data and files on the go whenever you need them. So when you send your laptop for repair, you can access your files through another computer that is connected on the Internet.

In cloud computing, you are no longer burdened with the task of updating your systems or ensuring that they are in good condition in order to prevent data loss. Not only will you be minimizing the load for your hardware (as the client software requires fewer resources), you will also be freed from the burden of software and hardware maintenance as this is already a concern for cloud computing service providers.

Initial and maintenance cost

Cloud computing is a lot economical. In convention computing, software developers require you to pay for a license whenever you install their software on another computer or pay for a volume license key. You would also need to invest on expensive hardware and for its maintenance.

In cloud computing, every computer, even those of other companies, share the same application software. Instead of buying a private license, you pay for monthly or yearly subscription fees, which are not that much compared to conventional computing.

Furthermore, cloud computer does not require computers with superb capability. As long as you have a computer which can be installed with a client software and are connected with the Internet (preferably, a fast one), you can access applications and files within the cloud and perform your usual business task.

Businesses and various industries have greatly improved and changed over the years since the invention of computing machines. Today, almost all types of business and all forms of communication rely on the power of computers. As software becomes more complex and sophisticated to meet the demands of various tasks, businesses need to invest more on hardware capable of providing processing power and speed for those tasks. Humans, though, by nature are afflicted with discontent. As technology progresses, so is our demands. Businesses need to compensate for this—they need to upgrade their systems constantly (both hardware and software) and to provide computers for various tasks.

Another concern for business executives is the cost and burden of buying licenses for the software they use. Whenever a new unit of computer is purchased, it needs to be installed with the software used for business. Developers require that each installation of software to a new computer must be licensed thus you need to purchase another license for each new installation or purchase a volume license—both of these are costly.

A new form of computing called cloud computing provides low-cost solution to such. This technology is built on a system that takes advantage of the collaborative computing power of all devices connected on a network with minimal resources.

Two Components of Cloud Computing Architecture

Cloud computing requires two things: the system that a user or a client uses to access the cloud called the front end and the system for which the cloud is built (or is the cloud itself) called the back end.

The advantage of cloud computing is that its front end component usually requires less hardware and software and that back end is its only component that requires high level quality software and hardware.

In cloud computing, the client computer or the front end needs to install a software which is designed to access the application on the cloud. What the client computer needs is to input account-related data to be allowed to access the application in the cloud.

Cloud computing advantages

With cloud computing, a client can access the software and data on the cloud from anywhere at any time using any computer. As long as the computer has the front end system installed and is connected to the Internet, a client can enter their account details and access the application and their data on the cloud.

Compared to the convention computing, cloud computing is less costly because the client needs not install costly hardware and software thus eliminating put up and IT maintenance costs. ssssssasdads

Network-attached Storage (NAS) systems and devices are increasingly becoming a popular as a networking device for business networks. NAS provides a means to store and share data within a local network with the advantage of increased read and write speeds and other special features built within the system.

Although there are many NAS devices available today in the market, the best among them are those that offer the highest speed and read rates and have special features. Among the best NAS devices that are recommended by IT support professionals are:

Synology DiskStation DS1813+

This device boasts of record breaking read and write speeds backed up by a good hardware. It can support a storage capacity of up to 72 Terabytes and are upgradeable through the 8 drive bays for expansion that can be fitted with a 2.5 or 3.5-inch solid-state drives or regular SATA drives.

Seagate Central

Although this device has been popularly used for home network and entertainment purposes, it is packed with business-class power making it ideal for business applications. Seagate central is among the few NAS devices with remarkable read and write speeds. It is an excellent device to choose for remote-access services and has built-in components that allow this device to integrate with Facebook and other media devices.

Western Digital My Cloud Mirror

This device offers redundancy-enabled storage for improved performance and data protection. It can provide a personal cloud service which can support storage capacity of up to 8 TB. It can either be used for everyday needs or for business networks.

FreeNAS Mini

This device boasts of the highest recorded read speed for NAS so far. It is a powerful NAS storage device with lots of features and functionality. The built-in system, however, is UNIX, which makes it difficult for other non-Unix users to use. On the other hand, those who are adept at the said operating system can take advantage of its power in using this NAS device for networks.

QNAP TurboNAS TS-470

This NAS device is designed to meet both the consumer and business needs with power and features that are at par with other best NAS devices in the market. It has a competitive read and write speeds, and has high tolerance for faults, which makes it perfect for file backup systems.

The above-list NAS devices are not the best of its kinds when we direct our minds to the possibilities in the future. The technology for these devices will keep on improving as they  become increasingly useful in most computing tasks.

A computer/network server represents one of the largest investments a business, fledgling or otherwise, makes. Additionally, a purchase like this often represents a long-term commitment. If you wish to avoid being saddled with a sub-optimal server that you might have to replace, it is vital to do research on any potential product your business might buy. Things like driver-support, connectivity, scalability, and redundancy all matter, but it can be difficult to know what to look for when you find your business in the network server market. It is an IT infrastructure that need IT maintenance. In the space below, we take a further look at some of the factors you want to consider when buying a new server.

Scalability

A server might look optimal for your business when you have fewer employees and client/customer demands. However, as your business grows, that server could prove fundamentally unable to perform the tasks at hand now that your needs have grown. If you suspect your business might grow, you want to specifically ask for things such as multiple drives and room within the chassis for expansion and always look at maximum storage capacity. A server that works for you today may not meet your needs tomorrow. Fortunately, several network servers come equipped with the expectation of scale.

Redundancy

Most businesses cannot afford the risk of losing critical data or information of any kind. An interrupted task resulting in memory loss can spell the end for critical deals and operations. Since your business likely cannot afford this setback, you want to look for redundancy in a server, as counterintuitive as that may seem. Basically, redundancy means a server uses multiple parts that complete a single function. This means a server might have two separate power outlets or multiple memory banks. You want to make sure a server has redundant parts because it is critical for a business to have security if something were to go wrong.

Size and Space

This one might seem obvious, but a server’s physical size plays an important role and it is a quality that is too often overlooked and regretted later by businesses. Network Servers are notorious for their unwieldy size. Form factor is important and a server that needs the support of a rack can hardly be expected to run optimally in an environment not suited to it. You need to make sure you have an environment with decent airflow because Servers often run hot. Fortunately, this is an easy one to look out for. 

In today’s digital world, storage space is always something to think about whether at home or for commercial purposes. Transaction records, portfolio and media are among the main reasons why everyone is looking for a suitable method to store their data. With the increasing need to share this data over a network, it is becoming more and more important to get storage methods that support the same. The main contenders proposed by your IT service team are usually Network Attached Storage and Cloud Storage. These two systems allow for data access from multiple computers and devices over a network. Below we will highlight the strengths of both options head to head.

Initial costs

To make use of an NAS system, you will incur the cost of acquisition of the device and any extra hard disk drives required. You will also need to come up with the necessary space in your home or office to store the unit. On the other hand to make use of cloud storage, all you need is an internet connection and then purchase a suitable package depending on your storage needs.   

Storage space

Data storage space on the NAS is determined by the number of hard disks that can be fitted on the device in use. For instance for a two slot unit you can store up to 4TB of data. If you need more space you will need to swap out one hard disk for a new and empty one. This means you remove the data in that unit from the network.

On the other hand, cloud storage does not require any data to be taken offline as all you need to do to access more storage space is to upgrade your package. This means as your storage needs grow all that is needed is a simple package upgrade while maintaining the availability of previously stored data.

Security

The security of your data should always be of great concern to you. The NAS system allows you to set up user access rights to ensure that access to the data is restricted. However, your data may be lost in the event of a local disaster such as fire or flood, since the unit is stored in-house.

This risk is eliminated by the use of cloud storage. Cloud storage service providers normally backup your data in multiple servers at different locations to eliminate the risk of loss due to natural disasters. However that fact that many people use the same service can expose your data to hacking. This is however mitigated by the use of state of the art encryption and data security tools.

When it comes to the use of IT resources, small businesses have been lagging behind larger entities due to the fact that less of them see the value of the same. Small businesses do not fully appreciate the benefits they stand to gain by initiating a sound IT strategy. It is up to IT service providers to take their time and convince these entities of the value proposition envisaged in adopting IT services. With a rapidly changing business environment, small businesses are finding themselves with a reducing customer base and increasing operational costs, as their competitors adopt IT processes which increase their efficiency as well as reduce their costs.

IT services offer small businesses the chance to improve the efficiency of their internal operations and reduce the time taken to adjust to changing industry norms. IT services are mainly concerned with capturing vital industry and market information, disseminating the same as fast as possible within the organization, resultantly providing useful information for decision making. Below we have compiled a simple description of how IT services can benefit small businesses.

E-Procurement

Effective IT systems usually help businesses communicate with their suppliers faster and better helping them make orders in a more efficient manner.

Inventory Management Systems

Once a supply order has been made and received, the IT system will then be employed in inventory management. This is vital as it enables automatic inventory monitoring and will originate notifications at certain inventory levels, especially when restocking is necessary.

Global Communication Networks

IT systems also enable the maintenance of global communication with partners in a timely fashion to respond to growing/changing market needs. Partnerships can be forged using IT systems.

E-marketing

From a marketing point of view, e-commerce is supported by the implementation of IT systems. Businesses can be able to serve more customers and initiate successful online marketing campaigns on a local and global scale for small businesses.

Customer Relationship Management

IT has become one of the main customer relationship management tools. Customer feedback and notifications can be made using IT systems such as the internet. The business can use this information to make timely responses to changing customer needs.

Internal Operations

The internal operations of a business also stand to improve by deploying a sound IT system. Accounting, human resource and Communication functions can all be improved using IT. Accounting records can be processed and models produced using computer systems. Employee training can be done through e-learning applications; whereas communication throughout the organization can be conducted faster using intranet.

If you regularly deal with a massive amount of data, then you definitely struggle with storage and access issues. Storing all your data in one storage location is the best way to ensure that you can get the data you require whenever necessary, without wasting time looking for any dedicated storage media. A Network Attached Storage, usually abbreviated as NAS is a storage system that allows different users to access data stored in it via a network. This means that you can use it to store data which will be used by several computers in the network as opposed to dedicated storage devices which can only be accessed by one computer at a time.

Steps on How to Set Up the NAS

The first step is to shop for the most suitable NAS device on the market. It is important to note that there is a variety of NAS devices marketed today all with different features, capabilities, and prices. Carefully consider your needs and budget while looking for the most suitable device to buy. For instance, a NAS device with FTP, web and mail server capabilities is a great option for those who do want to set up their own server. 

Now that you have the best NAS device for the intended application, proceed to install the hard drives. Most NAS devices do not come with the hard drives installed and require the buyer to acquire them separately and then install them.

Next you will need to set up the Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) to manage the storage of data on the device. RAID allows you to define how data will be distributed in the hard disks in the NAS device given that it has more than one disk. Most importantly RAID allows you to mirror certain hard disks so that you will not lose any data if it were to fail, otherwise you need to look for data recovery services that will cost additional more. If you have two disks, you can mirror one disk on the other. 

 After you have set up RAID format the device.

Once formatting is done you will need to create folder structure, and set the access rights to each folder. If you do not want everyone viewing the entire database, be sure to clearly define the access rights. If you are not sure on how to protect your important documents, do contact IT support professionals. Breach of confidential documents can damage your company greatly.

After setting up the file structure and creating access rights, you can now enter all the data you want to store in the device. This step will take some time depending on the amount of data you have.

The need for IT services for all businesses can’t be denied. Computers have come in and simplified business operations across the board. However, it is also important to note that running IT operations is in most cases expensive. Hiring dedicated IT staff and acquiring computers and other assets required to set up the entire IT system may be quite costly and is in most cases out of reach for most small businesses. Outsourcing enables businesses transfer this responsibility to the firm offering outsourcing services. This includes all necessary assets and technicians. The parties then agree on a Service Level Agreement; a contract laying out the responsibilities of each party in the agreement.

Benefits of IT Outsourcing

By outsourcing IT services, small businesses are able to eliminate the cost of hiring dedicated personnel as well as acquiring expensive IT equipment. This is a highly prohibitive cost and lifts a major weight off the business.

Outsourcing IT services also helps small businesses focus on their core activities. This means that the owner will no longer have to worry about their network being functional especially if the business does not deal in IT services.

IT services outsourcing can also lead to higher employee productivity especially when it comes to employees who had been forced to perform IT duties as well as other core duties. For instance, small businesses normally have one of their employees double as the IT manager while also doing other duties just because they are good with computers. Doing laptop repairs will distract them from their work and make them feel less motivated. Outsourcing the service will help the employee focus on what they were initially hired for and hence boost their productivity.

Outsourcing service providers usually hire qualified IT technicians because they are dedicated to IT work. This means that small businesses get to benefit from their expertise as well.

On the other hand, outsourcing has some associated drawbacks

IT outsourcing encompasses trusting other people with handling your vital business data and information. An unscrupulous employee at the outsourcing company can take advantage and leak the data.

 After agreeing to a service level agreement, you may feel locked in; this is especially in cases where the outsourcing company seems to be delivering comparatively lower quality services. Using proprietary software can make you feel like you cannot work with anyone else.

Even with the drawbacks associated with outsourcing, it is still important to note that the rewards outweigh the limitations by a greater margin. This is why most businesses today, large and small choose to outsource their IT operations. 

Over the years, business environment and operational norms have been changing. Technological advancements have resulted to a total shift in how businesses run their operations. For instance, paperless operations are the norm today, with most businesses opting to store all their information and data in digital format. The convenience and cost savings of this are overwhelming since businesses no longer have to invest in storage cabinets and large amounts of printing paper. This is only part of the revolution that has been brought about by the digital age. As a small business owner you might be wondering what the importance of reliable business services is to you; scroll down to find out.  

Productivity

Reliable IT services enhance an entity’s performance by improving the efficiency of the personnel and operations. As a small business owner, it is vital for you to stay up to date with every aspect of the business’ operations; this also includes resolving any issues with the IT setup. With reliable IT services, you do not have to keep taking time off from your core duties to look up issues in your system. Reliable IT services ensure the flawless functioning of all business operations at all times. It is also important to remember that IT systems facilitate easier and faster access to records for faster services, hence higher productivity.

Security

Without a reliable IT system in place, most small business owners store most of their data either in dedicated storage media or on their computer. Laptops can be stolen or damaged leading to a massive loss of vital customer data. Laptop repairs can difficult and time wasting when done by non IT personnel. Dedicated storage media can be poorly maintained or even misplaced due to the lack of dedicated IT personnel to manage it. Both these situations can force you to halt operations for an extended period while looking for alternatives leading to loss of business. On the other hand, personal computers and dedicated storage media devices are bound to have little to no security protocols exposing your data to theft. A reliable service will have dedicated personnel maintain highly secure servers.

 Easy Access to Data

The speed of access to data is mainly dictated by the storage medium used. A reliable IT service will have optimized data access speeds, meaning that employees can be able to pull up data whenever necessary and fast. This helps respond to customer needs faster as compared to wasting time trying to find data in various dedicated storage devices such as external hard disks. 

In our last blog post, we have covered on how to check for bad sectors in your hard disk in Windows. This post will cover on how to verify and repair your disk (if possible) in Mac. To start, open your application launcher and look for Utilities folder

When you click on the Utilities folder, you will see a lot of tools inside this folder. To check on your hard disk, choose the Disk Utilities.

Disk utility tools will be started. A window like the picture bellow will be shown. Click on verify disk to check if there are errors. 

The program will scan your disk to check for errors. Once it is completed, the "Repair Disk" button below the Verify Disk button will be enabled if necessary if there are items need repairs.

When your computer is slow, it is can be because you have too many files in your hard drive. You should delete or backup files that is not in use. However, your hard drive contains a lot of folders and files. Which file should you delete and remove from your computer? Previously, we have cover in a previous blog post on how to identify large files in Mac. In this blog post, we want to cover how to do it in Windows.

For Windows, you can use a tool called WinDirStat. You can download it at the following website for free. www.windirstat.info

There is a window where you can see all your folders sorted in size, from the largest to the smallest. And there is a heat map bellow, where files are represented by a rectangle block. The larger the block, the bigger the file. The block colours indicate the type of the file, you can see the file type by looking at the legend.

Click on one of the rectangle and you can quickly identify which file and which folder it is located. This really helps if you want to know which file to delete and to backup. Enjoy the exploring your drive!

Very often hard disk will experience wear and tear. Especially when it is a HDD that still uses mechanical components to read and write data to the hard disk. Damaged parts of hard disk are not readable and writeable anymore. These damaged parts of the HDD is called bad sectors.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

How do you know whether your hard disk has bad sectors? How many bad sectors are there in your hard drive? Good news is that there are tools to check. Laptop repair and IT support professionals will scan your hard disk using these tools to check if there are many bad sectors are there in your hard drive. If there are too many bad sectors, you should change your hard disk. 

For Windows-based computer, you can check for bad sectors using a command line tool provided by Windows. In this blog post, we will cover how to do it in Windows. The next blog post will cover Mac. Open the command line console from windows by pressing the Start menu > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt

Do run the Command Prompt as an Administrator. You can do that by pressing the right click and select "Run as Administrator". A black window will appear. Type CHKDSK  and press enter. The program will scan your hard disk.

Once the scanning result is completed, it will show us how many bad sectors there are in your disk. For my computer, luckily there is none.

I wrote an article previously on how to check who is using your WiFi network. For those who missed it, the article is about using a tool called Wireless Network Watcher to check who is in your wireless network.

There is a lot of reason why you want to secure your wireless network

1.     Save guard your data from being sniffed out by malicious parties.

2.     Prevent bandwidth stealing

3.     Prevent your network from being hijacked and used as proxy for hackers or any malicious activities.

So, how do I protect my WiFi from unauthorized access?

There are a plenty of ways to harden the security of your wireless network. Most of them are easy to setup, while some need a little bit of configuration on your wireless router. There are so many routers out there and we can’t possibly provide the details setting of each. Instead, we will share with you the general idea of the configurations.

1.     Change SSID Name

To make it easy to deploy, manufacturer will ship your router preconfigured with the default SSID name and password. If I see a wireless network with a default SSID name, it makes me think that most probably the password will be the default password as well.  I can just look it up on the internet and there is a high chance that I can get access to your network.

2.     Hide Your SSID

One neat trick is to hide your SSID. When you hide your SSID, you will need to manually add your SSID network to your device in order to get connected to it instead of the standard SSID broadcast which can be picked up by everyone.

3.     Change Default Password

Most WiFi password is preconfigured by the manufacturer so that when you connect to your network, you can easily connect to it. Most people tend to overlook this. If you google default password for your router, you will get hundreds if not thousands of results related to your search.

4.     Use WPA2 Encryptions

There are 4 main type of encryptions for Wifi; Open (no encryptions), WEP, WPA & WPA2. Always use WPA2. If you are using Open or WEP, the chances that your wireless network being breached are high since the encryption is weak. WPA with TKIP is actually an interim encryption method used for securing WiFi when WiFi security was still evolving several years ago. WPA2 is the upgrade version of WPA and you should use this at all time.

5.     Connected Device List

Most commercial routers will have a web interface for management and from here you can see list of connected device. You can also use the tool, Wireless Network Watcher to check who is in your network. It’s a good idea to check this once in a while, so you know who might be siphon out your bandwidth from you

6.     Enable MAC Address Filtering

MAC address filtering allows you to whitelist your known devices so that only these devices can connect to your router. When an unknown device is trying to connect the router even if they have the password, the router will automatically drop their session making them unable to connect to the network. Most router web interface need you to manually enter the MAC address which you can grab them from the list of connected devices or manually from the device. I have also written ways to get the MAC address of common device in the previous article, Use this tool to check who is using your WiFi .

7.     Disabled WPS if Not in Use

WPS makes it easy for a new device to connect to a wireless network without having to enter long key passphrase. Device such as your XBOX or Sony Playstation or even your SmartTV will pretty much benefit from it. I don’t really use it since I prefer to type the long passphrase and I found it to be inconsistent across device. There are several security paper published on the vulnerability of WPS which comes to my recommendation which is if you have a device that easily key in your passphrase, use it instead of WPS.

Here are 7 things you can do to secure your wireless network. It work individually but it works effectively in combinations of more than 2 methods. Good luck!

Ever wondered if anyone else is using your wireless network? Ever felt like someone is stealing your bandwidth? Bandwidth theft can lead to your network to be slow and laggy. You don’t have to wonder anymore!

There is a freeware tool called Wireless Network Watcher v1.76 from NirSoft that can help you have a better overview of your wireless network without having to login to your router web interface. It scans your wireless network and display all the computers and devices which are currently connected to your wireless network. It will list out the IP addresses, the computer/device name, the MAC address and the name of manufacturer that produce the network adapter. How cool is that! The tool can be downloaded from NirSoft website for FREE! 

Some of us have too many devices connected to our wireless. I know a guy who has a Samsung Galaxy Note, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, 2 Laptop, 1 XBOX and a blackberry PlayBook and of course, a Mac Book Pro. For those who are not really tech savvy, here is how you can cross check whether the device above is yours or not.

For Android phones

You can check your android phones MAC address as below.

1.     android 4.0 and above  - Settings > About Device > Status

2.     Android 3.0 and below - Settings > About Device > Hardware Information

Some manufacturer might customized the interface but as a general rule, please look under Settings > About Device and look for keyword MAC Address. It should look something like this.

For iOS Device

You can find your iOS devices (iPad, iPhone, iPod) MAC address under Settings > General > About and look for Wi-Fi 

Images taken from Tech-Recipes.com

For Windows Desktop/Laptop

1.     Click on your wireless icon on the icon tray on the right side of your windows screen

2.     Right click your wireless name.

3.     Click Status.

Look for Physical Address. That is your MAC Address

So, now that you know who is connected to your wireless, how can you prevent people from using it. We will talk this in the next article. Stay tuned!