Are you tired of trying to remember complex passwords? Fed up with having to change those same esoteric passwords on a frequent basis? Have you “cheated” by using the same easy password (like, your dog’s name or “password”) across, well,...

The conventional method of teaching children hasn’t changed much since the 18^th century – classrooms, hierarchical groups by year, and a standardized timetable and curriculum. And yet, out of the 1.5 billion schoolchildren around the world, most...

What do you do when your Managed Services Provider turns into a Managed Services Problem? Although Ntiva is a strong advocate for the use of MSPs, either to supplement in-house IT or replace it, not every MSP is going to be awesome. If you should...

Most small and medium businesses (SMBs) do not have IT departments, and SMBs make up over 90% of businesses in the United States. Therefore, most businesses do not have at least one full-time, dedicated employee who manages the computers,...

Increasing productivity in the office can be a complex beast – after all, there are humans involved – but the right technology can help! This is especially important in small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) who need to boost their office...

It’s hard enough for a small/midsize business (SMB) to stay secure nowadays, and that task can seem even more daunting for the Road Warriors among us, those whose work pushes them out of the office for extended periods. Selecting the right set of...

All businesses are ultimately looking for growth, and technology is one of the key areas that can significantly boost performance. One of the most notable trends in the past few years has been the focus on cloud technology, which can help...

Despite the best efforts of in-house IT staff, sometimes it’s hard to keep up. Often the most fundamental aspects of keeping your IT infrastructure up and running can bog you down, forcing you to put strategic projects on the back burner.

Do you collect data on European citizens? If yes, there have been a lot of changes in the last 12 months that you should be aware of, including the announcement of the General Data Protection Regulation.

The topic of business continuity planning has been much on my mind lately.  I’ve had several clients ask about it or begin the process, and I’ve been spending quality time with information security frameworks that require BC/DR plans as an...

Email has made significant changes as to how we communicate with each other – both for the better or worse. Many businesses today rely heavily on email communication and smaller business networks have become exposed to an increasing number of...

Here's how 90% of the business networks I've seen have been built. Tell me if this sounds like you! You started with a fairly small, unsophisticated network. You probably had a single server, maybe even a workstation that was utilized as a...

In IT there are a lot of Industry terms that aren't well defined. Your IT service provider may supply you with a technician and use terms ranging from Engineer, Field Engineer, Technician, and SysAdmin. A SysAdmin, or Systems Administrator, is...

Your data center can be considered one of the most important aspects of your IT environment. Most of these rooms utilize large amounts of cables and without adequate care, they could get entangled over time. In this case, traditional clean up...

Today, more businesses than ever are moving their company data to the cloud – and there are good reasons for this. Besides delivering significant cost savings, cloud solutions can stabilize your business operations as well as facilitate better...

Phishing—It’s not just about investment opportunities in Nigeria anymore! It wasn’t that long ago that the most sophisticated scam email we would see in our Inboxes was a note from some supposed businessman looking for assistance with a cash...

 BIA is a fancy term for a process for determining what is important for your business, and what the consequences to your business would be if it is lost/destroyed. This need not be solely electronic resources.  If a retail store loses its...

A growing number of employees are bringing their mobile devices to work, and are using them more than they use their PCs. The good news is that these devices increase employee productivity. The bad news is that mobile devices, when handled...

Finding the right IT consultant for your organization can be a tedious process, and once you’ve found the perfect company or individual, you must also be able to convey the needs of your organization in a manner that they can understand. While...

We are aware of the initial thoughts that run through the minds of business owners, which pertain to the skepticism of procuring ongoing network maintenance services when everything seems fine as it is. And there are seemingly more important...

Eventually, there comes a time when it is more practical to get a new computer than to keep your aging PC. So, when the time comes for you to upgrade your computer, make sure you never just throw it out! Here are some tips on what to do before...

Today, many business organizations permit the use of employees' personal devices such as smartphones or tablets in the workplace. The ownership of such devices is now the norm and the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) practice is a growing demand....

Cloud computing is known as a method of utilizing a network of remote servers that are accessible via an Internet connection to process, manage and store data. Cloud collaboration enables more than one employee in the same company to work...

Microsfot Windows 10 has a number of features which make it distinct from its predecessors and one area in particular where it has shown improvement is in IT security. The importance of security cannot be overstated for modern businesses,...

IT is constantly evolving, and it can be challenging for smaller businesses to remain updated with the newest technology.  One way for businesses to stay relevant with IT is through the usage of managed IT services.

Imagine for a moment you are suddenly inspired to build a home.  You have your objective in mind: four outside walls, a few doors and some windows and you are on your way to having a McMansion! Running to the hardware store, you pick up all of...

The 21st century is no stranger to major technological advancements that rock the world. Today, a phone is not only considered as a telephone, but a mini-computer and personal assistant combined into a single device! Today, affordable, accessible...

The quality of the IT personnel you hire for your company can make the difference between success and failure. One reason for this is because hiring employees is expensive, but hiring the wrong employees is even more so. When you recruit the...

With cloud technology being relatively new to most users, there’s often a lack of experience that hinders proper cloud deployment. Even with a lot of prior research, you still have a lot of room for error, as each network is going to be designed...

Microsoft has done a lot of changes in Office 2016, and while some of the features are only a slight leap from Office 2013, there are enough improvements and enhancements to garner interest, even in light of the availability of free productivity...

Managed IT services involve the proactive handling of IT assets. The asset will typically be managed by Managed Service Providers (MSPs). They manage IT assets for their customer, and unlike reactive IT programs which have been around for years,...

Many companies don’t realize that the greatest threat to cybersecurity may come from within. Research shows that employees who are untrained often constitute the greatest threat to the organizations they work for, particularly federal agencies....

A poorly managed IT infrastructure is a pain for any business to fix. If this is giving you a headache you can’t shake off, you should get managed IT services to help you sort out certain IT support tasks while you focus on your core business. If...

PCI Data Security Standard, often referred to as PCI DDS, is a combination of rules and regulations that help prevent unwarranted access to sensitive customer payment data. A lot of businesses think that simply being PCI compliant is all the...

The launch of Windows 10 is a little different from its predecessors, mainly due to the fact that it is released as a free update to current Windows 7 and 8.1 users. As a result, there are a lot more users installing the new OS shortly after its...

There are several different areas you should look at when choosing an IT partner or vendor, and avoiding these can result in a rocky relationship with the IT firm you choose. With the way the technology industry is ever-changing, it is very...

CNBC Article

July 8th was not a great day for United Airlines, Wall Street Journal, or the New York Stock Exchange. Although the root cause of the NYSE outage has not been identified, NYSE is stating that it was not an outside threat, but an...

As more and more people become concerned about the environment, consumers are demanding that businesses change their current practices.  From changing light bulbs to using recycled paper, businesses are starting to adapt to this new...

The latest version of Microsoft’s operating system, Windows 10, comes with an array of refinements and advancements that are sure to make working on your PC or Windows Phone easier and more efficient. Claiming to be "the most personal Windows...

One of the biggest advancements in the world of IT is cloud computing. You may think you do not know much about the cloud, but in reality you have probably been exposed to it in one way or another.  Services like DropBox and Office 365 are common...