SMART Blog

Smart Services has been providing independent agents with proactive, fast, and expert technology services since 1991.

Should AI Development Be Stopped? Experts Say So

Should AI Development Be Stopped? Experts Say So

It seems that you can’t turn your head nowadays without seeing artificial intelligence being incorporated into some software or platform. However, many leaders in the technology space have expressed their concerns about—as they put it—the “profound risks to society and humanity” that AI poses, outlined in an open letter. 

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It’s Important to Be Selective With Your Business’ VPN…Here’s Why

It’s Important to Be Selective With Your Business’ VPN…Here’s Why

“I just wanted to take a second to thank the sponsor of this video, [insert VPN provider here], for supporting the channel!”

If you’ve been on YouTube in the past few years, this message likely sounds pretty familiar. Virtual private network providers have been taking advantage of the trend of influencer marketing to spread awareness of their largely obscure product—often, offering an enticing deal. While we have and will continue to promote the use of a VPN for business purposes, we wanted to clarify something here: these are not the VPNs we’re saying you should use.

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Ask a Tech: How to Choose the Right Laptop to Buy

Ask a Tech: How to Choose the Right Laptop to Buy

We spend a lot of time working with the technology that businesses rely on, including the laptop workstations used by just about everyone in many organizations today. As such, we wanted to share some of our insights so that you know what qualities you should look for when you’re ready to acquire some additional devices for your business.

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Want Additional Windows Functions? Consider Microsoft PowerToys

Want Additional Windows Functions? Consider Microsoft PowerToys

Since the Windows 95 operating system, Microsoft has been separately publishing 15 free utilities to add significant capabilities intended to help a user make some small tweaks and adjustments in a relatively safe way, as compared to what would otherwise be necessary to make these changes. Microsoft PowerToys are still available today, so let’s discuss what some of them can do…and how you should go about getting these tools, if so you choose.

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Microsoft Continues to Innovate with AI Tools and Services

Microsoft Continues to Innovate with AI Tools and Services

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is a bit controversial at the moment, but there can be no denying that it will play an important part in the business world in the years to come. In fact, many organizations are seeking to expand their AI offerings and capabilities, including notable companies like Microsoft. Here are some of the solutions Microsoft is offering businesses in terms of AI.

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Chromebook Waste is a Serious Problem for Businesses and Education

Chromebook Waste is a Serious Problem for Businesses and Education

Laptops are no longer exclusive to the home and work environments; indeed, more and more schools and universities are adopting laptops and other educational technology for the purposes of delivering cutting-edge instruction. Chromebooks are just one option available, if not the most cost-effective one out there. This leads to a unique set of problems, though, particularly when the software powering these devices reaches its end of life.

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Microsoft Rolls Out Changes to Teams Collaboration App

Microsoft Rolls Out Changes to Teams Collaboration App

Microsoft developed the Teams platform with the aim of enhancing collaboration among individuals. The rise of remote collaboration has been ongoing for several years, and the COVID-19 pandemic solidified its place as a standard feature in business operations. Recently, Microsoft has introduced several enhancements to the platform to further augment its functionality.

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Microsoft’s Project Silica Aims to Address Long Term Data Storage Issues

Microsoft’s Project Silica Aims to Address Long Term Data Storage Issues

Over the past several years, it has come to the attention of people in various industries that there is going to be a time, very soon, where the data that needs to be stored is going to outweigh our ability to store it. Microsoft, in a collaboration with the University of Southampton in England has taken aim at this very problem and has come up with some innovative solutions. 

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VR is an Interesting Tool That’s Growing in Use

VR is an Interesting Tool That’s Growing in Use

Virtual reality (VR) is a technology that often leaves people uncertain. More and more people have experienced it recently and the question keeps popping up whether or not VR is going to be a useful tool for businesses. We take a look at modern VR in today’s blog.

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Don’t Take Any Chances: Get a VPN Today

Don’t Take Any Chances: Get a VPN Today

With data security being a hot commodity with hackers, it’s no surprise that businesses want to do everything they can to protect their assets. One method for doing so is implementing a Virtual Private Network, or VPN, that can effectively obfuscate data while it’s in transit. Let’s go over some of the most valuable reasons why your business should be using a VPN.

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One of Google’s Many Projects Gives Us a Look at Practical AI Usage

One of Google’s Many Projects Gives Us a Look at Practical AI Usage

While artificial intelligence is frequently hyped up to the point that it seems to be plucked from the realm of science fiction, its true applications are actually much more mundane. That being said, these applications are often the ones that show the most promise in terms of the value they have to offer society.

For instance, let’s consider the work that Google is doing through something called Project Green Light.

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Biometric Checkout is Coming (But Don’t Hold Your Breath Just Yet)

Biometric Checkout is Coming (But Don’t Hold Your Breath Just Yet)

Love them or hate them, self-service checkout registers in brick-and-mortar stores are here to stay… especially considering that research has demonstrated that Gen Z has about twice the level of buy-in to the automated point-of-sale terminals as Gen X does, and that self-checkout is the predominant form of payment today. With this success, many have wondered how welcome biometric payment processing might be.

As it turns out, it would seem it isn’t.

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Are Your Recovery Expectations Lined Up with Your Capabilities?

Are Your Recovery Expectations Lined Up with Your Capabilities?

Your business’ backup and disaster recovery preparations are a critical part of your continued success as an organization, specifically, how they are measured by two key metrics: your recovery time objective (RTO) and your recovery point objective (RPO).

However, it’s important that you are able to determine what your organization can support in terms of your recovery time and recovery point objectives… but how does one do that?

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Mobile Device Management is Critical for Today’s Business

Mobile Device Management is Critical for Today’s Business

Mobility has become a major contributor to many businesses’ productivity plans. As a result, Mobile Device Management (MDM) has become an essential tool for organizations to manage and secure mobile devices within their networks. Today, we go through five key benefits of Mobile Device Management.

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Six Reasons Your Laptop’s Battery is Dead

Six Reasons Your Laptop’s Battery is Dead

Laptops have become the most utilized workstations in business. Laptops are great, but their batteries are seemingly getting worse all the time. This is influenced by several factors, and it can vary significantly depending on the specific model and usage patterns, but we thought we’d go through some of the reasons why laptops seem to die quickly. 

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Everything You Need to Know About Microsoft CoPilot for Business

Everything You Need to Know About Microsoft CoPilot for Business

AI has unquestionably emerged as the standout technology of the year, and it was only a matter of time before Microsoft entered the arena with its own enterprise-ready AI platform. The introduction of Microsoft CoPilot has sparked a fair amount of confusion and left many questions unanswered, so today our aim is to shed light on what CoPilot is and explain the value you can expect to get out of the new Microsoft AI.

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Artificial Intelligence is Only as Unbiased as Its Data

Artificial Intelligence is Only as Unbiased as Its Data

Over the past few years, artificial intelligence has become a bona fide buzzword amongst businesses of all sizes, with 97% of respondents to a Forbes survey seeing a potential benefit in some way, shape, or form. However, with it being integrated everywhere in our modern lives, it is important that we remember that AI is still a human invention, as as such, it is vulnerable to our own implicit biases.

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A Look Back at The Technology That Got Us Here

A Look Back at The Technology That Got Us Here

Think about all the things you’ve experienced thanks to the rapid innovation of technology. We can all agree that technology is cool. Today, we have $10 drones, mugs that keep your coffee warm, and LEDs everywhere. 

So what’s next? 

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AI and Work in 2023 and Beyond: A Retrospective

AI and Work in 2023 and Beyond: A Retrospective

2023 was a banner year for artificial intelligence, with the technology exploding into the mainstream and being more accessible by the public than ever before. Let’s explore how what we’ve seen in the past year in terms of AI has changed things for workers and workplaces everywhere.

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Business Communication’s Innovation is Driving Business Forward

Business Communication’s Innovation is Driving Business Forward

For the small business, mastering advanced communication tools and strategies is not just a luxury—it's a necessity. Today, we’ll take a look at advanced small business communications, discussing the latest technologies, strategies, and best practices that can elevate your business to new heights.

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