Small business owners who are not already on board the “cloud” may be missing out on a great opportunity to improve their business operations as well as profitability. Cloud computing has changed the landscape of business dramatically in the past few years. In order to reap the most rewards from technological advances, it is important first for business owners to understand what they are dealing with and how new technologies can improve the functionality of their business. 
What is cloud computing?
To better understand this concept you must only turn to the Internet. How the Internet is used has changed greatly over the years and in terms of business, any programs or services that you use via an Internet connection could loosely be described as a cloud service. Cloud computing allows you to utilize software and services without having to run the servers or software in house. These outside vendors run the software and servers, making it possible for you to pay attention to what is most important, running your business. Examples of cloud computing services that are commonly used by businesses today include; Salesforce.com which offers programs to aid sales staff in tracking customer information and data storage backup services such as those offered from Amazon.com. read more
Every dollar a small business spends needs to have an immediate and quantifiable return. This is especially true for critical services such as I.T. support. If you are one of the millions of small businesses that depend upon your technology to keep your business running, proactive Managed Services will save you money, improve your efficiencies and reduce your downtime.
The Solution
With the advent of new monitoring tools and the ability to remotely deliver help desk services to small businesses all over the world, Managed I.T. Service Providers have developed proactive maintenance plans for their clients that maximize their up
time and reduce I.T. costs over time. By implementing newly available automated processes, systems can be patched and updated overnight without the need for onsite visits, or disrupting an organization’s work day.
In addition, remote help desk tools and technology allow Managed I.T. Service Providers the ability to react immediately and assist users when they experience day-to-day problems, without forcing them to wait for an on-site service call.
Forward-thinking Managed I.T. Service Providers are also implementing proactive remote Network Monitoring tools and services, which evaluate the performance of systems 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and alert these Service Providers of potential issues before they become work-stopping problems for their clients. read more
Backup, Business•
on March 23rd, 2010•
Loss of data is a common problem for businesses. Fortunately, it’s a problem that can easily be avoided with the correct preparation. 
While devastating amounts of data can be lost during catastrophes like hurricanes, the September 11 terrorist attacks, fires and floods – it doesn’t take such large events to cause a business to lose important data. It can be as simple as dropping a laptop to the floor, or a power surge that results in burning out a storage device. If you don’t have your crucial data backed up, even a small situation can turn into a disaster.
If you still think natural disasters are the leading causes of data loss – and that the chances of it happening to you are pretty slim, take a look at the results from a study by Strategic Research Corporation of the leading causes of business continuity and disaster recovery incidents:
- Hardware Failures (servers, switches, disk drives, etc) – 44%.
- Human Error (mistakes in configurations, wrong commands issued, etc) 32%
- Software Errors (operating systems, driver incompatibility, etc)14%
- Viruses and Security Breach (unprotected systems are always at risk) 7%
- Natural Disasters 3%
Establishing a disaster recovery plan can be done in the following four steps:
read more
Business, Tech•
on February 23rd, 2010•
How many times have you purchased new software or hardware, and avoided the help menu or user manual? Experts reason that about 90 percent of all features included with software go unused! Much of this comes down to lack of training for individuals using the technology – they use what they know and need most, and avoid anything that would require study or practice to implement. It’s human nature to take the path of least resistance, but with a little motivation you could better benefit from the money spent on technology for your business.
Instead of letting your technology investments continue on underutilized, here are 4 tips for getting the most out of your technology dollars:
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Business, Tech•
on January 27th, 2010•
For the past few months I’ve been running the beta version of Office 2010 and overall have been very happy with it. The interface is cleaner than 2007, and there are some great new features, especially the collaboration tools.
Luckily, Microsoft finally released a free 14 chapter/186+ page ebook that explains a lot of the new features and functionality. You can grab the free First Look: Office 2010 ebook here. And if you want to take Office 2010 for a test run you can download the beta from Microsoft’s website.
Backup, Business•
on January 21st, 2010•
The subject of computer backups has always been a topic of importance when it comes to preserving the data on your computer. These days there are more options available to you in this arena, which can be both a help and a hindrance. On one hand, having more options is helpful because better solutions have been brought to the marketplace from which you can now choose to fit your needs. A hindrance exists in that the multitude of choices might scare off users and cause them to avoid the issue altogether, which can have a disastrous ending.
It does not have to be complicated nor time consuming, so there is no good reason not to tackle backing up your computer.
The Philosophy
We all know that backing up can preserve the information that is stored on your computer, but how far do you take your backup philosophy? It depends on what you can ‘afford’ to lose.
To one computer user, just backing up periodically will suffice. The thought here is that if you lose your data, you can restore it apart from your operating system, and the time that this takes is not a critical consideration. Many home users fall into this category. It makes sense as long as you are not dependent upon your computer for time-sensitive applications and tasks and/or for accessing and retrieving data relative to finances, etc.
To another user this philosophy is not enough. Those who depend on their data and computer for more than just casual personal computing understand that if a hard drive fails, their business is down until they can get it back up and running again. Home users who store irreplaceable photographs and home video on their computers will also fall into this category. A more comprehensive backup plan is recommended to help recover from disasters in a timely fashion.
read more
Business, SaaS•
on January 11th, 2010•
I ran across an excellent article this morning over at Entrepreneur Magazine discussing some of the great benefits of incorporating Software as a Service (SaaS for short) in your small business technology strategy.
Here’s a snippet:
You probably have overheard these words: software as a service. You may even have nodded knowingly despite not knowing much more than that they’re more easily digestible as the acronym SaaS (rhymes with the thing that holds your evening martini).
It’s pretty easy to get swept up in technology debates about what constitutes SaaS–is it the same as 
cloud computing or different? But you know what? You don’t need to know what it is; you just need to know what it does for your growing business. As for what it does, we’ll answer that question with another: What if you no longer had to spend thousands of dollars a year on communications gear, computer software and overall internal IT management?
“SaaS can have the same effect that car leasing had in the auto industry,” says Siamak Farah, CEO of InfoStreet, which offers SaaS solutions to small businesses. InfoStreet offers SaaS in the form of a business management software platform, StreetSmart, that supports a variety of functions, including e-mail, conference calling, file sharing, customer relationship management, calendar tools, portal access, data synchronization, site administration and more. It’s a hosted platform requiring no new hardware or software.
You can view the complete article over at Entrepreneur Magazine.
If you would like to find out more on how to leverage some of the great benefits of SaaS into your small business, give BoldTech Solutions a call today and schedule an assessment. We’ll be glad to work with you to figure out how to save you money and increase your technology efficiency and bottom-line.
photo credit: bslmmrs
Business, Tech•
on January 8th, 2010•
Ah, those pesky passwords. If you work in the corporate world or in an office, you have one for your PC/Network and, unless there is a password synchronization application that combines them, you probably have more than one for other applications. Add those to the ones that you have for your home Internet, your banking and other websites that require passwords, and before you know it you have a nightmare on your hands in trying to manage them.
Part of the frustration has to do with the different requirements for password formatting. Some systems only require four characters, some require eight. Some need a combination of alpha and numeric characters and others do the same with the addition of a few capital letters thrown in for extra security. It can be positively maddening.
The worst thing you can do with your passwords is to place them in a text document which can be accessed on the hard drive of your computer. Your files are vulnerable – even if you think they are not. If someone is intent on finding them, they can. Even if you place them into a password protected document, those can be cracked, too.
Writing them down has its own vulnerabilities, too, and there are varying opinions on this practice. If you do write them down on a piece of paper, put the document in a locked location whether it is in your home or at work.
Here are 6 tips on how to handle your passwords: read more
Business, Tech•
on January 3rd, 2010•
Most small business owners handle all aspects of their businesses, including acting as the information technology department. This will work for as long as you remain a small business without employees. When you grow and start hiring staff, will it make sense to use your business-building time on IT issues?
Unless you are an information technology service provider yourself, chances are your time will be much better spent marketing your products and/or services, establishing relationships with your clients, providing exceptional customer service and just otherwise growing your business.
How do you know when it’s time to get IT help? If the information technology demands are affecting your day and negatively impacting your actual business related activities – it’s definitely time to consider finding an IT resource. If you start adding new employees and computers, it’s probably a good time to look into adding IT help, as well. read more