SMART Blog

Much has been made of the cloud recently and you see more and more that companies of all sizes are beginning to utilize cloud computing services in some fashion. Whether it's simply the incorporation of web-based social networking interfaces as inexpensive (and seemingly valuable) marketing tools, or the complex hosting of your company's entire computing infrastructure, the cloud has several options that can work for your business. Below are three ways in which the cloud can present your organization reasonably valuable solutions.

In a recent economics survey of small to medium-sized businesses by Oxford University, it was discovered that two-thirds of companies believe that technology is the key to transforming their business in order to "achieve longevity and sustainable growth." This survey reveals a lot about how businesses worldwide feel about technology. Does your business identify with any these trends?

It wasn't too long ago when a person could go to his or her local supermarket and rent a copy of their favorite movie on VHS. When that novelty fell off, you could still get the movies at your local video store. Every town had one. Whether it was a chain such as Blockbuster or a locally owned store, millions of people relied on the video store in their town for entertainment for the better part of a quarter of a century.

Servers are one of most powerful pieces of equipment in the office, but that does mean they are the toughest. The hard drives in servers are made up of ridiculously fast moving parts. One day, these small parts will fail and end the server's life with a sudden crash. Here are a few steps you can take to prepare for server doomsday.

Desktop Virtualization is a great solution that lets you run two operating systems simultaneously on one computer. This allows users to no longer be tied down by one machine, and it can save your company money by cutting back hardware expenses. Local and Client/Server are the two models of Desktop Virtualization; here's how they compare.

Have you ever gone shopping for new printer ink, paid the retail price, only to walk away feeling like you've been ripped off? With ink jet printers especially, buying the three new ink cartridges needed for photo printing will end up costing more than the printer itself! Why is ink so pricy and what can be done about it?

We often view hackers as creeps who are bent on spreading viruses to disrupt everyone's lives, perhaps for the sake of anarchy or some extreme ideology. But when it comes down to it, most hackers are in it for the money and are just trying to make a quick buck. In fact, hacking groups may even be more organized than your business!

Have you ever got stuck having to fill out a paper document, only to butcher it with your handwriting? Paper forms filled out with sloppy handwriting are unprofessional and may even miscommunicate an important detail. To help your paper forms look professional, Microsoft Word allows you to scan the doc and then enter text; we'll show you how!

Many businesses are discovering how great it is for employees to use their personal devices to accomplish work. BYOD has been proven to improve productivity and worker satisfaction; but like so many great things, these BYOD benefits are in danger of being shut down as employers are becoming concerned about being sued. How can you still benefit from BYOD while being protected from lawsuits?

When you go home for the night and lock your office door, what happens in your office under the cover of darkness? During the day, you are present to monitor what goes on and control the chaos, but what kind of monitoring and controls are in place for your office at night?

Are you going to make sure your machete is handy and start boarding up your windows for the coming of George Romero's slow-moving walking dead, or will you load up on ammo and lock yourself in a bunker for the more active and feral Max Brooks-type zombies? What about your data, like your Zombie Survival Guide E-book? Is it safe?

The majority of businesses that experience data loss will not recover. You may think that, if you are careful, then you will not need a backup solution, but statistics say otherwise. A 2009 study by Blackblaze.com revealed that 46% of users experience data loss every year! This figure makes sense when you consider the five most common factors of data loss.

When you hear the phrase, "The machines are taking over," you may think of science fiction stories where robots become self-aware and enslave humanity. You may not have realized it, but the machines have already taken over; not with a violent uprising, but through what's called the Internet of Things (IoT).

Have you ever gone shopping for new printer ink, paid the retail price, only to walk away feeling like you've been ripped off? With ink jet printers especially, buying the three new ink cartridges needed for photo printing will end up costing more than the printer itself! Why is ink so pricy and what can be done about it?

When tech support is done right, it can be a beautiful service. When tech support is done poorly, it will only add stress to an already frustrating problem. You know that we provide excellent tech support, but if you are seeking support for a technology that we don't cover, then you may think you'll run into obstacles.

Servers are one of most powerful pieces of equipment in the office, but that does mean they are the toughest. The hard drives in servers are made up of ridiculously fast moving parts. One day, these small parts will fail and end the server's life with a sudden crash. Here are a few steps you can take to prepare for server doomsday.

Desktop Virtualization is a great solution that lets you run two operating systems simultaneously on one computer. This allows users to no longer be tied down by one machine, and it can save your company money by cutting back hardware expenses. Local and Client/Server are the two models of Desktop Virtualization; here's how they compare.

It takes a big person to admit when they're wrong, and there's nothing bigger than Microsoft. Windows 8 hasn't sold like Microsoft anticipated, and users pin the blame solely on one little button, the Start button, or the lack thereof. With Windows Blue (officially previewing June 26), it's rumored that Microsoft is remorsefully bringing back the button.

There was a time when tape backup was the cheapest and the standard data backup solution for businesses. Over the years, cloud services have become more affordable, and now cloud backup solutions like a BDR are cheaper and give businesses more security features. If you are still backing up with tape, then you may be losing money and even putting your business at risk!

With all the attention that hackers receive, you would think that they are solely responsible for every network security breach, but the truth of the matter is that most damages to company networks are due to negligence. Here are the four most common IT security oversights that can lead to major damages to your network.