How Cloud Technologies Can Streamline Your Business Processes

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Companies probably notice there is frequently a lot of buzz about the cloud in the technological world. However, there are good reasons as to why a business would want to investigate cloud technologies further, mainly because the cloud allows companies to accomplish more while using fewer resources such as their time and money.

Companies who want to always stay a step ahead of their competition are wise to research the tech world’s increasing promotion of cloud technologies.

So what kinds of advantages do cloud services really offer a company? A few of the advantages include concepts like:

  • Availability 24/7 – Support teams for cloud services are available 24/7, meaning employees working on a task late at night don’t have to wait to get help from the more traditional 9-to-5 IT center as in years past.
  • Accomplish Work Tasks Anywhere – Many employees work at home or on the go or spend most of their work day with clients at their offices. As this trend continues, employees and their managers will increasingly expect higher levels of mobility from their technology. Cloud services are delivered anytime, anywhere.
  • Greater Connectivity – Businesses, especially those who are taking advantage of the newer IoT technologies available, find vital information from scanners, smart meters, phones, etc., all working together to create instant information connections through the main access point of cloud services.
  • Increased Collaboration – Having instantaneous information connections allows employees to collaborate with each other at any time and from anywhere. An employee working on a report at their corporate headquarters can work directly with another employee halfway across the country in real-time on the same report.
  • Reduced Storage Costs – Companies also find that cloud services are simply more practical from a hardware perspective. As businesses grow, it can become quite expensive to house all the hardware necessary to support their increased data. Cloud technologies cut down on these storage costs so businesses can use their funds for other purposes.

Want to know more about what cloud services can do for your organization? Contact us.

Protect Your Hardware and Devices from Theft

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Computer security revolves around software and encryption. Leaving an open network connection or choosing weak passwords can lead to a data breach that costs your business clients. But physical protection for your computers and mobile devices is just as crucial, maybe even more so. Take steps now to protect your hardware and prepare a plan in the event of theft or loss.

What can you do to prevent the loss of the actual devices?

If you have an office space for your small business, make sure the devices are locked or secured. You can either have employees take their laptops home or keep them in a secure drawer at night, and you can install security cameras around the exits. Installing tracking software or adding RFID stickers can also make stolen or lost devices easier to recover.

What software should you add in case of theft?

Losing a device is a little like losing a credit card: you’re unlikely to get it back, and even if you do someone can do a lot of damage in the brief window they have it. So install software that can remotely wipe a computer. This software should remove files, Internet history, and any caches, as well as any specific business information. You could also install programs that lock down a computer without erasing the data, but that’s potentially riskier.

Sometimes devices get lost, even with a small team of vigilant employees. Phones are small and constantly put on tabletops, and as business travel becomes more and more important there are just more opportunities for physical theft and loss. Prepare for the worst so you can keep your data secure, and go to Bluwater Technologies for managed IT support that can enable your security practices.

Minimize Cloud Migration Failure

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Minimize Cloud Migration Failure

The process of moving a small to medium-sized business to the cloud is unique for every organization.  However, there are some time-tested principles companies can embrace in order to minimize cloud migration failure and resolve issues as quickly as possible.  Companies who are flexible enough to bend or expect the unexpected typically are more successful in their migration to the cloud than those who have an inflexible “win/lose” outlook.

Resist the Desire to Micro-Manage

Those responsible for your technology solutions should have already been scrutinized for their expertise.  Trust the hiring decision you made in the first place and let them manage the project.  There is nothing wrong with a final meeting to review the process, but your technology provider should not need much more than a sign-off signature from you.

Be Proactive

Your tech team should have a comprehensive, organized plan to address potential problems before they happen.  They are experts at brainstorming for “what if” scenarios and how to address them should they occur, and that is why you hired them.

Adaptation is Key, not Blame

Some companies focus on finding someone to blame when something invariably goes wrong in the plan. Rather than focusing on finding solutions.  Don’t be that company.  Instead, focus on creating the kind of environment where value is placed on creative problem resolution rather than pointing fingers.  Users want access to their technology resources as quickly as possible, not gossip about who made a mistake.

Want to learn more about how to ensure a successful cloud migration process?  Contact us.

Computer Tip of the Day – How to Do a Factory Reset on Windows

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Knowing how to reset your Windows laptop or desktop computer comes in handy in many situations. Whether you want to give away or sell your computer, it has a virus, it is running slow or whatever your reason is, resetting your Windows is a great way to start from scratch. Here are a few ways to perform a factory reset on your Windows 7, 8, or 10 computer.

Factory Reset

Use a Recovery Disk

Many computers will come with a recovery disk. This disk lets you wipe your computer clean and install Windows again. Recovery disks usually come in a CD or DVD format. Just put the disk in and follow the instructions.

Restore With a Recovery Partition

Many computers will come with a recovery partition that you can use to restore your computer. You’ll need to press a combination of keys while booting up your computer (there is a short time opportunity for this). Following are the key combinations to press. Acer: Alt + F10; Asus: F9; Dell: F8; HP and Lenovo: F11. Follow the instructions on the screen to restore your PC. Not all computers have a recovery partition.

Do a Factory Reset On Windows 8 or 10

Windows 8 and 10 let you restore your computer directly from the settings. On Windows 8, go to Settings from the menu bar on the right and then to Change PC Settings. Click on Update and Recovery, then on Recovery, and under Remove everything and reinstall Windows, click on Get Started. On Windows 10, go to Settings, Recover, Reset This PC, and Get Started.

For technical help with your PC, just contact us.

Computer Tip: How to Disable Automatic Updates In Windows 10

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One of the new features of Windows 10 is that it automatically updates itself, and there is no real way to turn it off in the Home version. Although updating your Windows system is crucial to staying safe in the cyber world, there are times when automatic updates aren’t wanted. For example, if you have work to finish at a certain deadline, you don’t want to have to sit through an update and reboot. It’s also bad if you have a limited or slow internet connection and you want to wait until you get to a quicker internet connection before you update. Here’s how to get around and disable automatic updates feature.

disable automatic updates

Set Your Network as Metered

Cellular networks and mobile hotspots are automatically set as metered, but you can set any Wifi connection as metered. Metered connections won’t download updates automatically. Go to your Wifi settings, click on Manage Known Networks, choose your network, and click on Properties to do this.

Change Reboot Hours

If you go to your Updates settings, you can set hours when Windows won’t automatically restart. Just set the hours that it should restart, which can be at night. However, your computer will have to be powered on for the update to install. It also won’t stop the update from downloading during your non-active hours — it just won’t reboot then.

Show Or Hide Updates Tool

There is a show or hide updates troubleshooting tool that you can download from the Microsoft website. Using this tool, you can set certain updates to be hidden. Hidden systems and driver updates won’t be downloaded automatically.

For more computer help, just contact us!