How Managed Services Developed into What They Are

How Managed Services Developed into What They Are

When you see that we offer tech support, you almost certainly have an idea of what that means. However, upon hearing about our typical service delivery for the first time, many people are really surprised by how different our services—as a managed service provider—are. These differences are not an accident. Let’s go back in time a little while to explore how managed services came about, and what difference they could make for you.

Why (and How) SMBs Should Strategically Adopt Technology

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There is no question that a small business can benefit from technology, as has been proven time and time again. However, an issue can arise if a business bites off more than it can chew, so to speak, and ultimately creates a spike in costs. A responsible business owner will resist this temptation and prioritize the solutions they need over the ones they want – building profitability and generating capital needed to make other improvements. In this blog, we’ll examine some of the implementations that can deliver a good return on investment to a small business.

Knowing, and Planning For, Your Organization’s Compliance Burden

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Despite what detractors say, regulations are in place for good reason. They typically protect individuals from organizational malfeasance. Many of these regulations are actual laws passed by a governing body and cover the entire spectrum of the issue, not just the data involved. The ones that have data protection regulations written into them mostly deal with the handling and protection of sensitive information. For organizations that work in industries covered by these regulations there are very visible costs that go into compliance. Today, we look at the costs incurred by these organizations as a result of these regulations, and how to ascertain how they affect your business.

How to Avoid Becoming the Next Data Security Cautionary Tale

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Data security isn’t a matter to be taken lightly, as too many businesses have found out the hard way. Unfortunately, there are far too many simple ways to correct common security issues – enough that it’s foolish not to do so. We’ll review a few ways to fix security issues, after discussing one of, if not the, most egregious security failings in modern history.

Is Your Cloud Solution Actually a Money Pit?

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The cloud has proven to be an extremely useful tool for the modern business. Not only does it provide anywhere-anytime access to applications, processing, storage, et al; it also delivers those products as a service, allowing you to budget for recurring costs rather than major upfront ones. This provides your organization with functional, supported, and secure computing environments that eliminate a lot of the support costs that traditional computing environments require. It sounds like a perfect scenario for small and large businesses alike, but things aren’t always what they seem, as a lot of cloud users have found that they have incurred several hidden costs by using cloud platforms. Today, we take a look at these hidden costs.

How Listening to Your Team Can Improve Your Use of Technology

How Listening to Your Team Can Improve Your Use of Technology

Business leadership is an important trait for more than just a business’ leader by title. It is something that should be present at every level, encouraged by the individual at the top. To do so, it helps to ask your team the right questions to put them in a mindset of responsibility for the business’ well-being. Here, we’ve shared some of these questions to get you started.

Support is Ending for Microsoft Office 2010

Upgrading to a more recent version is paramount to your security. What Does End of Life Mean for Software? Essentially, when a software reaches EOL (also known as End of Support or EOS), it means that the developer is taking the program off of life support. While it will remain as functional as it was after its last update, it will no longer receive any new security parameters or protections. As a result, any organization that still uses it will be subject to increased and unavoidable security threats that their solutions are not equipped to handle. After October 13, 2020, Office 365 will no longer be fully compatible with Office 2010 clients for their email and productivity services. While these applications will still technically work, their performance and reliability will be compromised… in addition to the security shortcomings we already discussed. This means that it is absolutely essential that, if your organization is using Office 2010 or anything that predates it, you take the necessary steps to upgrade to a more secure, recent solution: Office 365. Not Sure Which Version of Office You’re Working With? Checking your current version of Office is simple: From one of your Office applications, choose File and then Office Account. Your version number can be found under Product Information. If this isn’t available, the Help page also displays this number. Benefits of Upgrading to Office 365 Microsoft Office 365 is the latest iteration of the famous productivity suite, and as such, it provides businesses with greater options and opportunities than the relatively limited past versions can. Office 365, as a unified platform that combines a variety of useful business tools with collaboration features, offers your operations and processes a greater level of flexibility  than ever. Your users will be able to collaborate with one another, regardless of where they are located or the time they are able to work, with the most up-to-date versions of the familiar tools that Microsoft Provides. Geekbox IT is here to help you upgrade your IT as needed. To learn more, fill out the form at the bottom of this page.  

How Companies Will Need IT as They Return to Workplaces

How Companies Will Need IT as They Return to Workplaces

As the pandemic enters its third quarter, many places have the spread of the COVID-19 virus under control and are starting to open up offices and other workplaces. Ultimately, it is the business owners’ and managers’ decision whether or not to demand attendance in an office, as most jobs completed in one can be effectively completed from home. For businesses that are opening their office and inviting their employees back, technology is still going to play a significant role. Let’s take a look at what IT is going to be important for people returning to the office after all this time.

Small Businesses Make Progress with Managed Services

Small Businesses Make Progress with Managed Services

For a lot of businesses, 2020 has seen some major challenges. Many SMBs feel like they are in a snow globe attached to a paint mixer that is always switched on. With all the problems laid out in front of them, many businesses have decided that in order to protect their business that they would subscribe to a strategy of proactivity. Let’s take a look at a couple of ways managed services help keep you ahead.