Business

The world of tech is on an ever-faster train of evolution that seems to increase every year. While it’s inevitable this would happen with tech advancements, 2017 was an amazing year when it came to technology. It also held some controversies in this category. […]

Slowly but surely, technology is creeping into every aspect of our lives. We interact with computers before we even leave the house in the morning- think automated thermostats, smart Vs, WiFi connected coffee pots and BlueTooth enabled garage doors. This is the Internet of Things and Machine to Machine communication. M2M stands for "machine to [...]

So you’ve decided that you’re ready to take the leap and hire an IT consulting firm to help take care of your company’s IT needs. Hiring a new IT consultant is a big step for any business, and it’s not one that should be taken lightly. From everyday troubleshooting to ongoing security, you need a [...]

The Internet has come a long way since its first inception. Due to these advances, the web pages and Internet features have become much heavier than in the past. One web page can have any number of things going on in the background, and a slow Internet connection can wreak havoc on your productivity. [...]

What is your first impression when you call a company and get a voicemail message? Especially if the company you’re phoning is a larger firm, not being able to talk to a real person can give you an uneasy feeling and make you think twice about buying. Growing companies often struggle with this issue. Who’s [...]

Considering the digital age that we’re in, there is no debating the importance of data to every business. With that in mind, the physical environment that your organization’s data is stored in can be an instrumental decision regarding natural disasters, security, and cost savings. Many small business owners are not aware that the typical office [...]

Web conferencing services can be an invaluable asset for companies both large and small. While email and phone calls are great methods for communication, relying solely on these for exchanging information doesn’t always work. Often, group training and conferences or meetings between multiple parties are required to keep the workload flowing consistently and to ensure [...]

As a small business owner, you have a delicate balance to maintain, customers to satisfy and a corporate vision to maintain. The right IT solutions can help. IT tools exist to manage many of the daily operations of modern businesses. Automated processes tailored to your needs can perform many of the tasks necessary to your [...]

When you're considering how you want to handle your IT services, you have several options. You want a cost-efficient model that allows you to make the most of every day, from quality tech support to the knowledge that your network, servers, and workstations are being managed efficiently even when you're not there to oversee every [...]

Nobel Prize winner George Bernard Shaw once said, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” Nowhere is this sentiment more true than in the world of business. We’ve all been there. You’re against a deadline and need to get in touch with an employee who holds the final [...]

When your business was in its infancy, you might have been able to sustain it with only the storage capacity available on your battered laptop. But, as your business has changed and expanded, so have the tools you use. An exponentially increasing customer base, inventory and order history can quickly bog down standard hard drives, [...]

So you’ve ventured into the world of Microsoft Office 365, and you want to make the most of your investment. You’re not alone. Over 22 million people now subscribe to the online productivity suite. With a number of different packages and an ever-expanding menu of applications, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by this massive product. [...]

Most business operations revolve around data, whether it’s developing new marketing campaigns, launching products, budgeting or anything in between. It’s no surprise that companies spend a lot of money to secure their data from risks and the associated costs. On average, small- to mid-sized companies spend nearly 7 percent of their revenue on IT and [...]

As wonderful as technology is, it’s not perfect. Systems crash, Malware infects software, the Internet goes down and hardware fails. The effects of IT failure are far-reaching. Just one outage can end up costing a business much more than most people realize. According to one survey, IT downtime results in over $26.5 billion in lost [...]

Technology in business can be a blessing. Other times, it can feel like a curse. When systems are running smoothly, it leads to growth and better efficiency. However when problems arise, it can bring business to a screeching halt. Having spent years in IT, I can say that I’ve just about seen it all. Here [...]

Face it— owning a business doesn’t make you a technology expert. That’s why so many companies hire managed IT services providers. Not only do they offer timely support at your request, but many also proactively recommend cost-saving services you may not even know you needed. The great thing about outsourcing to managed services providers is [...]

Great question. In short, it depends. It really boils down to economics. The size of the company is also a critical component in the decision-making process. For large enterprises, maintaining in-house IT resources can come with significant cost advantages, because these organizations typically have the large budgets necessary to grow with technological advancements. The resulting [...]

As our economy rebounds, businesses are already thinking about expanding to meet future demands. The market is getting more competitive all the time, so being ready for it can mean all the difference for your business. While you may have scouted potential office space or crunched payroll numbers for new employees, it’s easy to get [...]

One of the biggest misconceptions in network services is about how something called remote monitoring works. Some clients take the term literally and believe that the size of their business doesn’t warrant the need for a simple status checker that has no added benefit. They think: “Well, it’s good that you can see if our [...]

Laura Hanssel – Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Harris Theater Experience: Over 13 years in the telecommunications field When I first stepped into my job as Chief Financial Officer and Executive VP for the Harris Theater, I looked into upgrading our seemingly ancient landline system. We were approaching a busy holiday season and [...]

Technology has always had a big impact on business. From the printing press revolutionizing the publishing industry to the combustible engine forever changing transportation, technology’s mission is usually to improve efficiency - to make or move things faster. But sometimes, advances in technology go beyond efficiency; sometimes they fundamentally change the way we do business [...]

We sat down with Russ Zielezinski, Chief Operations Officer at Advanced Telecommunication of Illinois (ATI) to get his perspective on the challenges of managing aging telecom technologies. Managing aging technology is a challenge that we face everyday with our customers, some of whom operate under the principle, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” But [...]