SMART Blog

Replacing your aging or broken-down hardware is a part of doing business, and one that few business owners want to think about before it must be done. Hardware is expensive and tricky to replace without experiencing at least some downtime. That’s not to mention arguably one of the most important questions you have to ask yourself: What do you do with your old technology that’s filled with sensitive data?

When you think about the stock market, one vibrant image that comes to mind is the chaotic trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange, with traders climbing over each other and barking orders. Today, the NYSE trading floor is much more subdued, a testimony to just how much technology has changed the financial marketplace.

Smartphone technology is currently experiencing cool innovations. Plus, there are some crazy reasons behind what these devices can and can’t do that you may not have known about. Check out these four cool smartphone factoids from List25.

Regardless of how your business’s administration is set up, you should be aware that anyone in a position of authority must have a basic understanding of how IT, and its related responsibilities, functions for your business. Here are four ways that you can learn more about how IT works within your organization.

Computer monitors have become streamlined in appearance and design over the years. One of the biggest improvements was the addition of the LCD screen, which in comparison to the old CRT monitors is more pleasing to the eye. However, its brightness means that there are side effects that can lead to eye strain and headaches. You can lower your screen brightness to preserve both your eyesight and your sanity, in addition to saving precious battery life.

The 1990s were a golden time of technology with VHS, floppy disks, and beige computing hardware aplenty. Back then, learning of new technology shortcuts was totally rad. Although, looking back, many of these cool tech tips are now obsolete. Yet, they still hold a special place in our hearts. Here are some of our favorite technology tips from the ‘90s. Which ones do you remember?

New consumer technology, he LG Rolling Bot, looks like it will be a nifty little device to leave either in your office or at home. Basically, it’s a rolling security camera that can be controlled remotely through a smartphone.

The world might not see widespread use of artificial intelligence for quite some time, but that doesn’t mean developers aren’t taking baby steps in that direction. Take for example Google and its automated vehicles. If Google successfully makes a self-driving car that’s aware of its surroundings, we might see them on the roads as early as 2020.

Thousands of gadgets are produced each year designed to work with existing technology and to deliver marginal-to-significant increases in an individual’s productivity. Each year, many of these gadgets fail in some way or fall out of public consciousness, becoming nothing but an answer to a trivia question a decade down the road.

Entertainment has grown so synonymous with smartphones and technology that it’s almost impossible to think about these innovations without considering their entertainment value. Virtual reality augmentation, while slightly different, is an emerging technology that brings elements of virtual space to the lives of everyday users. So, how does virtual reality work, and can it be used for more than just entertainment purposes?

It’s one thing to stretch the budget by implementing money-saving IT solutions, it’s quite another to limit your staff by not providing the technology they need to effectively do their job. In situations like this, a business owner would be better off spending extra for quality equipment.

When was the last time you provided your business with improved technology that offers a great return on investment? If your business is using software and hardware that hasn’t been updated in several years, the same technology that’s necessary for your operations could be holding you back from achieving optimal efficiency.

If you’re in the market for a new computer, then you’re going to have to make a decision: Go with a traditional hard drive (HDD), or a solid state drive (SSD). While a computer equipped with an HDD will cost you less money, an SSD promises to faster speeds and a longer lifespan. This begs the question, is SSD worth the extra money?

It’s the nature of technology to grow more complex over time, and as it does, the types of threats grow alongside it. Security is now more important than ever before, and if your business is not prepared to handle the threats that lurk in the shadows, your organization could be running with an unnecessary crutch.

The IT landscape has changed so dramatically over the past decade that businesses need to stop and consider the latest solutions before cycling out their old IT equipment. In the past, when it came time to replace office technology, one would simply run down a standard list of IT equipment. Now, much of this standard equipment is no longer necessary.

It can make a big difference for your business to partner with the right technology vendor. How can you know if you’re working with a vendor that’s looking out for your company’s best interests, or one that wants to rip you off? You can know for sure if you’re working with the right vendor if you have your trusted IT provider choose them for you.

Collaboration. It’s a buzzword that managers talk about all the time, yet few organizations will claim that they’ve mastered it. It’s often a company’s misuse of technology that attributes to their collaboration shortcomings--which is ironic because utilizing the right technology is the surest way to improve collaboration.

Technology is reliable. With correct coding and high-level instructions, technology will do exactly what it’s supposed to do. Yet, technology has a reputation for failing and being hard to work with. Might we be so bold as to suggest that the majority of technology problems are actually caused by humans? Here are three ways that human behavior breaks perfectly good technology.

It's the nature of technology to take a while for the market to fully appreciate it. After it's released, there's an implementation phase where the benefits are weighed against the risks. This phase is usually a slow one, but if the technology is good, then its acceptance will be widespread and businesses will have to give excuses on why they're not using it.

There are some good things about the past. Events that happened then have led you to where you are now - you're an owner of a thriving business, and you can remember being a startup like it was yesterday. But, does your technology also remember those halcyon days? If so, you might be due for a much-needed upgrade.