How to Get the Best Efficient Rates on IT Services in Baltimore?

Small and medium sized businesses in Baltimore often have a limited budget to devote to IT. If you’re in the same situation don’t worry; this doesn’t mean that you have to settle for the first cheap IT services provider you will find. With enough patience and research, you should be able to find the best Baltimore IT services at reasonable rates. Here’s a guide to get started: 

Look for a local company

Focus your search on IT companies that specialize in working with small and medium sized businesses in your industry in Baltimore. Make sure they have extensive experience in providing innovative solutions to meet specific IT support and service needs of their clients. The best providers of Baltimore IT services are customer-centered, so you can be confident that their solutions are tailored to address the unique challenges in your business, and that their assistance will help increase your productivity and reduce costs.

Know your options 

IT services can either be provided on an ongoing basis or as needed. The right choice will depend on the complexity and size of your computer network and your needs. Be sure to consult with the service provider and get an estimate of their costs. You might want to compare their rates with another reputable provider, too.

Know what’s covered

Baltimore IT services should provide dedicated support that is tailored to your needs and integrated with your company’s infrastructure. That way, it would be like having your own in-house team. A good service provider should be able to provide all essential services, such as round-the-clock help desk support by Microsoft Certified Professionals, automated and secure backup cloud solutions, and real-time network monitoring. They should be able to create a custom knowledge-base of your IT infrastructure.

Remember: low cost does not have to mean low-quality. Baltimore IT services must provide all the benefits you can expect from hiring experienced IT professionals, but at a fraction of the cost!

Latest Security News from March/April 2019

Microsoft has always had quite a reputation when it comes to security updates and software upgrades and the latest April 2019 Patch Tuesday update is no exception, with reports of units freezing during the update process and some hanging in the middle of startup after the patch is applied. The culprit? Conflicts between the recent patch update and the antivirus software, which affected many Windows operating systems, including Windows 7, 8.1, Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2.

Microsoft, Sophos, Avira, and Avast have already addressed and brought light to the issue through their respective support articles. They say that the conflict is largely between recent updates and certain components of antivirus software systems, including Sophos Endpoint Protection, AVG Business Edition, ArcaBit, Avast for Business, CloudCare, and Avira Antivirus. In particular, the patch caused computers to hang or fail on boot, freeze upon startup, or run very slow.

                                                    

Resolving the issue is a matter of removing the updates from affected machines and you can generally do so by booting in safe mode and disabling the conflicting antivirus service and then booting in normal mode so you can uninstall Windows KB. Do not forget to enable your antivirus service after uninstalling the problematic update.

Because these patches and upgrades can be technical in nature, it is always best to seek assistance from your managed IT service provider in order to perform recovery and repairs properly. With the right service, you can rest assured that fixes are correct and won’t cause any further problems for your system.

In conclusion, despite antivirus systems and update patches causing some conflicts with certain operating systems, there is no denying their importance in keeping your applications and your operating system in general functional and secure. Instead of avoiding or deferring these updates, keep yourself informed and on the lookout for latest security news to brace yourself for the positive or negative impacts of these patches and updates.

5 Cyber Security Trends to Prepare for in 2019

Cyber security has always been a challenge for IT professionals. Over the last couple of years, the corporate world has been plagued by high-profile data breaches—not to mention increasingly sophisticated ransomware attacks and relentless cybercriminals who are only becoming more persistent in their cause to wreak havoc in the cyber world. Here are some of the most vital cyber security trends organizations should look out for in the coming year:

                   

1. On GDPR – The European Union’s GDPR (general data protection regulation) requires the protection and privacy of the personal data of EU citizens by businesses operating within the territory. Non-compliance to this can mean grave penalties, which is why organizations have since started to adopt procedures in order to remain compliant. A lot of experts expect the same proactive approach toward data privacy to come to enterprises trading elsewhere, such as the US and some business IT support in Maryland, so more comprehensive federal data privacy laws could be in the horizon for the United States.
   
2. On managed/unmanaged devices – IoT will remain a major pain point when it comes to cyber-security, especially since many connected devices have little to no built-in security, creating many holes in previously secure networks and increasing exploitable endpoints.
   
3. On personalized phishing – Account take-over remains a huge threat in cybersecurity and attacks are becoming more personalized than ever, as cybercriminals move from standard, untargeted phishing emails, to more strategic and tailored attacks that target more lucrative business executive accounts.
   
4. On multi-factor authentication – Multi-factor authentication is becoming the gold standard for security as people become more and more aware of the importance of their personal data.
   
5. On AI cyber-attacks – As artificial intelligence becomes more deeply ingrained in the day-to-day of the average person, it can be expected that cybercriminals will exploit its potential, creating new breeds of AI-targeted and powered malware.

Cyber risks are everywhere, and the abovementioned threats are only some of the most pressing threats that organizations should address in order to protect themselves and their customers from the claws of data breaches and the implications of falling prey to increasing cyber security attacks.

IT Services in Washington DC: Efficient, Easy, and Affordable Way to Grow Business

Modern businesses are heavily reliant on technology. Big or small, every enterprise requires effective IT services Washington DC to make sure that their systems are working optimally to achieve their goals as an organization. When your IT network offers reliability and optimal efficiency, your business can stay competitive and even ahead of your rivals. Professional IT management can help bring you up-to-date with all the latest tech trends, innovations, and strategies, while cutting back on the cost of having to maintain an in-house team of similar-caliber IT professionals and experts. Only with updated systems can a business be flexible and resilient to the changing needs of markets and industries because clients always choose businesses that go with the times and show dedication by addressing their demands when it comes to increased reliability and streamlined operations. 

With managed IT services Washington DC, businesses benefit from more effective data management. Businesses nowadays rely on big data. However, the large influx of information can easily overwhelm an outdated network. Fortunately, managed IT service providers can ensure efficient storage, management, and analysis of all data that goes through your company’s network, eliminating many threats to data security, while allowing better decision making with the help of proper data analysis. 

Small business IT support Washington DC is also beneficial as it allows businesses access to the right tools, technology, as well as hardware and software applications that help them better collect, store, and analyze information, solve complex problems, and plan scalability. Also importantly, IT support partners provide utmost safety and security from compromising attacks, viruses, and malicious software. They can help ensure the security of each component of your network, protecting you from the most sophisticated viruses and online threats, while providing comprehensive monitoring for all other potential issues and problems your network may encounter.

3 Red Flags to Avoid When Choosing IT Consulting Services

Because IT is such a crucial business commodity, some managed IT service providers simply can’t help but overpromise and oversell their services and capabilities—only to under deliver once you have signed the dotted line. This is why it is important that you take a careful approach to your selection process whenever choosing an IT consulting service to help you meet your business requirements. Here are some things you should avoid when choosing an outsourcing provider for your IT needs:

• Outdated technologies – Your MSP should be on the cutting edge of technology, not the other way around. The very reason you want to get IT experts on-board is so that you can be on the forefront of technology and prevent yourself from getting left behind by your business rivals. A good way to gauge your MSP’s leading edge when it comes to modern technology is to look into their certifications and affiliations with industry leaders like Mac, Windows, Google, etc. This pretty much helps guarantee their access to the latest services and products from these innovative companies.

• Top-down decision making – During your initial interview with your prospective IT consultant, make sure that they use a holistic approach to decision-making—one that takes into account the needs of every stakeholder. While a top-down approach keeps your vision intact as a business, you risk missing out on crucial viewpoints that can actually help you improve your operations and systems, such as user experience and other strategic needs. Choose a company that can tailor IT support and systems based on a holistic view of your company’s needs.

• Company culture – Also importantly, choose a service that has a similar or complementary working culture, methodologies, and ethics as your business, as this will help ensure smooth communications and a strong, growing partnership instead of a problematic and stressful venture.

All You Need to Know About Managed IT Services in Washington DC for Legal Firms

All business sectors stand to benefit from Managed IT services. With cyber threats becoming stronger and more prolific toward and in law practices, clients are demanding a greater level of security and more efficient management of their IT systems, especially given the nature of information that law firms handle. As a result, legal firms are investing more in IT and cyber risk management, including detailed security plans and risk prevention tools.

Law firms already have a lot on their plate, but cyber risk and general IT management shouldn’t be a burden if you invest in the right professionals to manage this area of operations for you. Because technology is a fact of life for all business and industry sectors, legal firms cannot ignore the pressing need for more advanced IT systems. Fortunately, you don’t have to be alone in your quest for safer, more efficient technology and information management. With managed IT services, you get to take advantage of:

• Your service provider’s technical expertise. Just as your legal firm is well versed in the ins and outs of law, IT professionals offer a unique set of expertise on the table. With constantly changing technology, you can’t afford to rest on yesterday’s technology, hence the need for experts to guide you through transitions between the ever-evolving technological needs of your operations. The technical expertise that managed IT service providers offer is invaluable, especially when it comes to compliance with industry standards and government regulations in your firm’s use of technology.

• Managed IT services will also ensure higher levels of security for your company. With the highly confidential nature of the information that legal firms process and keep, they demand the highest level of security so as to maintain the public’s confidence as well as the business’ integrity. Managed service providers can recommend and provide your legal firm with the best and latest in software security to prevent breaches from happening.

Breakthroughs in Face Detection Abilities and Applications using Information Technology

Technologies surrounding face detection and recognition are advancing by the minute and cutting-edge integrations are surfacing, ever-increasingly, in consumer markets. Although face recognition technology had been for the longest time typecast for use in security and surveillance, its application in other sectors is progressively being studied, such as in gauging specific metrics, which companies can use to predict and influence consumer behavior, thus helping them accelerate revenue growth.

Biometrics or the automated recognition of an individual based on biological, or more specifically, physiological and anatomical characteristics helps face detection technologies identify and in turn, authenticate the identity of individuals based on images captured by a camera. Nowadays, the technology behind face recognition applications and systems use complex calculations to be able to compare the images they capture by means of compound specifications like the distance between the eyes, eyebrows, cheekbones, and other measurable characteristics.

Higher and stronger computing power also means more complex abilities for face recognition technologies. Megapixel cameras for instance, allow for capturing sharper images, which enable more accurate face detection. Face recognition accuracy is further enhanced by more reliable and robust algorithms, which now fuel face recognition software solutions and systems.

These breakthroughs in face detection are expanding applications for the technology way beyond its use in the security industry. In addition to identification and surveillance applications in police and military facilities, airports, and the like, more civic uses for the technology are emerging such as demographic analysis applications, which helps determine the total number of people in a crowd. More advanced applications even have an ability to tell apart sex, recognize age, and detect mood. Development of face detection applications are increasing in more fields, from strengthening access, security, and criminal identification technologies to enabling identity verification for payments, predicting consumer behavior for advertising, and even more ingenious applications in healthcare.

Upcoming Updates of Big Data In 2018

As the digital landscape continues to move and expand in all directions, there is no accurate way to determine what will happen in 2018. However, you can be sure that big data will continue to be influential to businesses in 2018, especially as the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) continue to be popular. Here are some of the updates on big data that you can expect this year:

• Enhancements to GDPR compliance – To avoid ICO fines, organizations must consider improving their General Data Protection Regulation, which will determine how data is collected, deleted, or stored. Making data available in a centralized location (i.e. a dashboard) can provide companies with the version of the truth in real-time, so discrepancies can easily be spotted, and consent can be provided sooner where personal information is concerned.

• Data visualization to become more crucial in business – Modern organizations continue to practice the culture of analytics, which means data is involved in their every decision. Old school approaches to business intelligence, however, do not produce more effective results due to their rigidity, slowness, and complexity—all of which result in the inability to implement data in the most efficient way possible. With modern dashboards, data visualization can be implemented to boost the ability of stakeholders to view and understand relevant information. Combining charts and graphs with accessible and powerful business analytics will provide more transparency within the organization, even in real-time.

• Data visualization may be the key to removing unnecessary data – Clean data is becoming increasingly important to businesses as it helps drive sales and marketing.  This means the absence of duplicate, incorrect, incomplete, and inconsistent data that could lead to loss of revenue, misinformed decisions, poor reputation, and wasted efforts in marketing. Dashboards can implement a data visualization strategy that can help eliminate unwanted data and enable businesses to see only the most essential information at a glance.

Microsoft CRM Programming Secrets – Tips for Developers

Having a customer relationship management solution can help a business organize and easily streamline processes and functions related to developing, retaining, and improving customer relationships. Microsoft offers some of the leading CRM solutions that are flexible and customizable for every business. Some leading examples are Dynamics 365 and SharePoint. Developers of Microsoft CRM solutions should be able to provide a unique platform that can help businesses fulfill their objectives for implementing a customer relationship management solution. Here are some tips for a developer to enable proper Microsoft CRM programming:

•Consult with the business – Developers must take time to understand the unique requirements of the business. That way, they can develop a bespoke solution that should work for their customer. For instance, Dynamics 365 can be programmed and developed to run on-premise and online.

•Know the programmability features of Microsoft CRM – By identifying a customer’s requirements, developers should be able to use the right programming models that will enable them to customize the right solution for every situation. For instance, when developers write their customers to access the data in Dynamics 365, they have the option to use the organization service or the Web API. The latter offers a development experience that is useful across programming languages, devices, and platforms. It implements open data protocol (Odata), too, which is the standard for consuming and building RESTfulAPIs over any rich data source. Microsoft provides a list of community-supported libraries for OData. Otherwise, developers can code directly using HTTP. 

.NET developers may Web API or the organization service, which enables them to use the set of tools and assemblies to create strongly typed classes with attributes and custom entities added to Dynamics 365. SDK tools and assemblies for code generation can work with Organization Service Context, which is designed according to the same concept as WFC data services to enable developers to track changes and manage relationships and identities.

•Consult with experts – Consulting services can give developers a competitive edge and keep them ahead of their competition when they are updated with the latest developments and knowledge. 

•Use special tools – Address Two and Infusion soft are CRM software tools that can leverage the existing CRM platforms of a business.

Source URL : http://www.orionnetworks.net/microsoft-crm-programming-secrets-tips-for-developers/

Advantages of Deploying Mobile Applications for Your Business

Mobile apps are not merely for big-time businesses. In fact, every business (regardless of size) can benefit from having a mobile application. When implemented with a good mobile strategy, mobile applications for your business may help boost your sales, generate more leads, and keep existing and prospective customers interested in what you have to offer. Mobile applications can be an important aspect of your marketing strategy for the following reasons:

•Establish a marketing channel that is direct and easily accessible to your customers – Apps can be versatile in a sense that they can deliver or include general information, booking forms, prices, user accounts, newsfeeds, messengers, search features, and other features you think may be necessary to keep your business easily available to your customers.

•They keep your business available all the time – An average American tends to spend over two hours on his or her mobile device daily, and while only a few applications are encompassed in this usage, users will still have to swipe, scroll, and scan for the apps they want to use. When they have your app, you can establish your presence in their subconscious minds, even if they do not use it for that particular session.

•Mobile apps provide better value to your users – One of the most common applications of mobile apps for a business is enabling a digitized loyalty program, which will make it easier for customers to keep track of points and collect rewards through their mobile devices. This way, your mobile application may encourage more downloads and return customers. The more customers use or buy your services and products, the more points they can earn, which they can use to obtain certain products or services that they need or could want. Starbucks, for instance, uses a mobile app to providing exclusive rewards to those who have it.

Source URL : http://www.orionnetworks.net/advantages-of-deploying-mobile-applications-for-your-business/

Microsoft Azure – An Alternative to Amazon and Google Cloud

The competition is tough among public cloud services like Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft Azure. The first two may be older and more popular, but Azure is proving to be a worthy opponent. Microsoft’s cloud solution is a robust PaaS (platform-as-a-service) and the leading IaaS (infrastructure as a service) platform, resulting in heaps of revenue for the company since it was launched in 2010. The following points highlight the benefits of Microsoft Azure:

•Other tools from Microsoft can be integrated into it – Azure makes sense to organizations that are using other Microsoft tools like SharePoint, Outlook, and Office 365. The cloud platform integrates seamlessly with those products, even when applied on-premise to Linux and Windows. 

•PaaS and IaaS – Microsoft Azure offers both unmanaged (PaaS) and managed (IaaS) services. The latter lets organizations outsource cloud computing and pay only for what they need, and the former makes it possible to create software and web apps without maintaining or buying an underlying infrastructure. This way, organizations can customize software, like Office 365, to suit their unique requirements and specifications.

•Proven reputation – Microsoft itself is a reliable and credible brand and it powers a lot of the tools we use today, including Windows, Xbox, Bing, and Skype. Its reputation can be beneficial to small companies that are looking for a secure cloud platform. Organizations can be confident with Azure, since it is from an established industry leader.

•Strong analytics and BI support – You get NoSQL and managed SQL data services along with integrated support for using data and discovering insights to improve decision-making and business processes. With Azure, you can establish an SQL server in a cloud and use the Apache Hadoop-based cloud platform, HDInsight to create Hadoop clusters for deeper data analysis.

•Reliability – Microsoft Azure is covered by the company’s increasing number of managed data centers around the world. Hence, you should be able to count on 24/7 availability of health monitoring and tech support.

How to Keep Anyone Away from Snooping Around Your Cloud Infrastructure

Back in the day, we used to carry around discs, portable hard disks, and thumb drives. Now, you can store and access your data in the cloud and not have to worry about forgetting to carry any portable storage devices with you. While the cloud may have changed the way we store and access our data, this doesn’t mean that it can keep your data completely secure. Your information is still at risk with prying eyes and attackers around, waiting for an opportunity to access your files and steal them. Even if the cloud service provider claims to be secure, you still need to take measures to prevent anyone from compromising your cloud infrastructure. Here’s how:

•Keep your passwords secure – No one should be able to snoop around your cloud infrastructure if you do not give your password to anyone and you make it difficult to guess.

•Do not rely on the cloud too much – Backup your data not just in the cloud, but in traditional storage devices, too. That way, you still have access to it, even if the cloud becomes compromised or if there is no internet access in your area.

•Do not store sensitive information in the cloud – There is no such thing as absolute and real privacy online, so it is not recommended to store top secret files in any cloud infrastructure. It is better to be a bit paranoid with identity theft cases on the rise. Use the cloud only for frequently used files, and avoid storing documents containing sensitive and personal data or passwords.

•Use data encryption – Make sure your cloud infrastructure comes with local data encryption to provide an extra layer of security. The method is also known as ‘zero-knowledge proof’, and it will protect your data against cloud administrators and service providers, too. Moreover, make sure data is encrypted during the uploading and downloading processes, too.

Cloud Based Antivirus Solutions

Antivirus programs are essential to every computer and mobile device. Without them, your computers and smartphones will be vulnerable to hackers and security breaches. Old school antivirus solutions can only offer limited amount of protection and they are usually expensive to maintain in the long run. Using cloud based antivirus solutions may be a better and cost-effective solution that can provide real-time protection. When you use a cloud based antivirus, the program is stored and runs on a cloud service instead of being installed to your computer. This way, it offloads the workload and functions of the antivirus to the cloud-based server.

Conventional security software relies on a local computer. With cloud based antivirus, you only have to install a small client program on your desktop and it connects to the internet to access the web service of the provider. After an antivirus scan, data from your computer is analyzed, and the things you must do for countermeasures will be sent back to you. Cloud antivirus is becoming increasingly popular with personal users and organizations who are looking for improved, reliable, faster, and real-time protection that is accessible any time.

If you’re looking to buy well-known antivirus and anti-malware programs that offer cloud based antivirus solutions, here are some features to look for:

•Real-time monitoring, proactive detection of any new threat

•Automatic sandboxing of all unknown files

•Three layers of security: heuristic detection, in-depth analysis, and database of malicious codes

•Protection as you browse, play, or work online

•Light (so you will not even notice that it is in your machine)

•Independent (so you do not have to worry about manual updates, configurations, and settings)

Cloud based antivirus can be a good option for small businesses. Not only is it cost-effective—it can also reduce the amount of time and effort devoted to conducting antivirus scans periodically. A locally installed antivirus solution may require a lot of storage space and consume a lot of memory every time it conducts a scan, causing delays and interruptions. Cloud based antivirus solutions are lighter on the local memory and storage, and it comes with all the features you will need to detect and remove or quarantine viruses and malware.

About the Author:

Mike Rana is the Chief Technology Advisor of Orion Network Solutions. Orion Network Solutions specializes in providing Computer Installation, Maintenance, and Consulting services along with 24×7 help desk services for small and midsize companies. We provide network solutions that enable small businesses to not only lower their management cost but also increases employee productivity at the same low price. We offer network solution that becomes an integral part of your organization and can provide an increase in productivity of your organization.

Source URL : http://www.orionnetworks.net/cloud-based-antivirus-solutions/

IoT Devices

The billions of interconnected devices, buildings, vehicles, and other objects that are embedded with software, electronics, actuators, network connectivity, and sensors make up the Internet of Things (IoT). The best thing about IoT is that it allows data transfer over the network without human to computer or human-to-human interactions. In IoT, ‘things’ can refer to anything from a farm animal that has a biochip transponder, a car with built-in sensors that can alert you on certain issues (i.e. low fuel or low tire pressure), or someone with a heart monitor implanted in them. IoT devices have an IP address and the ability to deliver data over networks.

The Internet of Things came to be when the internet combined with microservices, micro-electromechanical systems, and wireless technologies. With that convergence, walls between information technology and operational technology were eliminated to enable machine-generated unstructured data to be determined for insights. However, since the IoT devices involve transferring data over a network, they are still prone to security risks. For instance, high-end cars that have built-in Wi-Fi are still prone to security issues that are common to conventional Wi-Fi hotspots. You should be worried about these vulnerabilities because hackers could attack your devices to access critical information about your business or organization. Hence, it is important to find and implement reliable security measures that can help prevent and remediate the security vulnerabilities that could pose a threat to IoT devices.

Traditional manufacturers rely on proprietary embedded systems, which are difficult to hack because of restrictions and closed source code. Many IoT devices run on Microsoft Windows because it is ubiquitous, commonly used by programmers, and reasonably priced. The operating system is used in various devices including mobile medical devices (i.e. pacemakers). However, unlike Windows for desktop, Windows for IoT devices currently lack a patching method, and since many of them are connected to the internet using wireless technologies like Wi-Fi, the easier it is for viruses to spread amongst them.

To avoid security vulnerabilities in IoT devices, it is essential to keep their software updated at all times. If your business relies on wearables and mobile smart devices, consider coming up with policies on how they should be used by your employees. An IT consultant should be able to help you come up with the right strategies to make your IoT devices safer. 

About the Author:

           

Mike Rana is the Chief Technology Advisor of Orion Network Solutions. Orion Network Solutions specializes in providing Computer Installation, Maintenance, and Consulting services along with 24x7 help desk services for small and midsize companies. We provide network solutions that enable small businesses to not only lower their management cost but also increases employee productivity at the same low price. We offer network solution that becomes an integral part of your organization and can provide an increase in productivity of your organization.

Windows 10 Free Upgrade Has Ended - What Happens Next?

Windows 10 is the latest operating system released by Microsoft, and you were given until July 29, 2016, to upgrade to it for free. That date is exactly a year since the initial release of the OS. The upgrade was offered for free as part of Microsoft's plan to get the OS to run on one billion devices in the next few years. Those running authentic Windows 7 and Window 8.1 were given the chance to upgrade for free; however, some users failed to do so. Regardless of your reason for not taking advantage of that free upgrade, upgrading to Windows 10 after July 29 simply means having to pay for it.

Upgrading to Windows 10 can be a crucial step to future-proofing your systems. Microsoft's long-term goal for providing a free upgrade is to gradually phase out Windows 7. On January 14, 2020, Microsoft will stop its commitment to provide extended support for it. Putting off the upgrade until 2020 may put your business at risk, because delays, reduce productivity, and make your systems vulnerable to attackers.

After the deadline, your small business can still upgrade by buying Windows 10 and consulting with a reliable network solutions provider for assistance in deployment. This way, you can avoid the guesswork and the upgrade will not have to cause too much downtime in your operations. A specialist can help you determine and confirm your system's readiness for Windows 10, too. They will take measures to ensure that you can upgrade to Windows 10 seamlessly and cost-effectively. Likewise, they can take care of the error codes and other issues that may occur during and after installation.

A Windows 10 upgrade can be automated to help you save time and effort. the deployment can be automated by using Microsoft s SCCM application. There are many benefits to upgrading to Windows 10. Apart from preparing you for the end of Windows 7, the new operating system lets small businesses be more flexible as it works across all devices, including mobile. It empowers BYOD policies while ensuring cost-effective implementation. Windows 10 may help boost your productivity with help from Cortana, the new virtual assistant, and other intelligent features like the unified control panel, enhanced notifications, and virtual desktops. At the same time, your business gets enterprise-grade security for your data.

About the Author:

           

Mike Rana is the Chief Technology Advisor of Orion Network Solutions. Orion Network Solutions specializes in providing Computer Installation, Maintenance, and Consulting services along with 24x7 help desk services for small and midsize companies. We provide network solutions that enable small businesses to not only lower their management cost but also increases employee productivity at the same low price. We offer network solution that becomes an integral part of your organization and can provide an increase in productivity of your organization.

Source URL : http://www.orionnetworks.net/windows-10-free-upgrade-has-ended-what-happens-next/

Automating Your IT Infrastructure

Manual work can take up too much of your time. Instead of being able to attend to other important tasks in your small business, it leaves you stuck doing repetitive work—thus reducing your productivity and causing you to miss out on opportunities. Have you thought about automating your IT infrastructure? Experts highly recommended this strategy as a first step to boosting your productivity and enabling you to focus more of your time on the major tasks that make your business profitable.

IT automation connects software and disparate systems in a manner that lets them self-regulate and act by themselves. Automation can be as simple as integrating a form into a PDF file that will be routed automatically to pre-assigned recipients, or it can be more complex—like an offsite backup's automated provisioning.

Industry Examples

IT automation eliminates manual processes that can take a lot of your effort and time. Many industries benefit from it, including real estate. Through IT automation, real estate offices can automatically list or find new contracts and customer data as soon as they are submitted. Tasks like transitioning the data and email server to cloud, data backup, and inventory management can be accomplished faster and effortlessly with minimal to zero errors. IT automation is also useful in a business that encourages self-service. With this system, end-users no longer need IT staff to manually collate and organize data.

Save Money and Other Benefits

With IT automation, business operations can become more efficient while helping you save money in the long run. It is crucial for small and mid-sized companies that may lack the resources and budget for additional manpower. IT automation will help a small business boost productivity and throughput, improve the quality and consistency of their data and services, and reduce the need to hire and pay for additional labor. Automation may replace human eliminate the need to have your own IT department, too.

Automating your IT systems will be easier with help from a network solutions specialist that which can provide tools and solutions to get you started with IT automation. Some of these tools can help small businesses save money. LunarPages, for instance, provides web hosting configurations and advanced hosting solutions like complete IT infrastructure, private cloud hosing, business continuity, and disaster recovery solutions. AddressTwo is the online-based CRM software that lets you create several user accounts with unique login credentials at no extra cost.  It records events with details about the user, so you can easily keep track of your sales team's productivity and achievements. 

About the Author:

           

Mike Rana is the Chief Technology Advisor of Orion Network Solutions. Orion Network Solutions specializes in providing Computer Installation, Maintenance, and Consulting services along with 24x7 help desk services for small and midsize companies. We provide network solutions that enable small businesses to not only lower their management cost but also increases employee productivity at the same low price. We offer network solution that becomes an integral part of your organization and can provide an increase in productivity of your organization.

Source URL : http://www.orionnetworks.net/automating-your-it-infrastructure/

Latest Security News

Microsoft patches for the months of May and June 2016 addressed and fixed a lot of vulnerabilities. In May alone, 16 bulletins were released—and eight of these were rated critical, including MS16-051 (cumulative security update for Internet Explorer), which addresses a security bypass vulnerability in the UMCI (user mode code integrity) component of the device guard when code integrity is not validated properly. Likewise, it addressed vulnerabilities like the scripting engine memory corruption, Microsoft Browser memory corruption, and Internet Explorer information disclosure.

May 2016 patching has provided security updates for VBScript and Jscript as well as for Microsoft Office, which previously showed vulnerabilities in memory and graphics RCE corruption. A security update was released for Microsoft Graphics Component regarding information disclosure and Direct3D use after free vulnerabilities. A critical update addressed the memory corruption in Windows Journal, and the remote code execution in Windows Shell, too.

Patch Tuesday for June 2016 has some similarities to the updates provided by Microsoft in the past several months, with 17 bulletins and 36 CVEs, and additional 37 CVEs in Adobe Flash. Six bulletins were ranked critical, while the others were considered important. Under the critical updates were Edge and Internet Explorer. Microsoft DNS server has a critical bulletin, which could be risky with a publicly released exploit.

The biggest concern is in Adobe Flash, which is embedded in Internet Explorer and Edge. Adobe has been part of Microsoft patches since April. In May, 17 critical vulnerabilities were patched, and in June, 37 issues were addressed.

Goodbye, QuickTime

In April 2016, Apple confirmed QuickTime's end of life in Windows after 11 years of being supported by that OS. Apple will stop issuing patches and updates for the PC version of its multimedia software. Hence, it is best to remove the software from Windows computers or use it at your own risk.

Trend Micro discovered two new flaws in QuickTime 7 for Windows. Apple allegedly knew of these security threats in November 2015 but had no plans to provide a patch, adding that the software would deprecate on Windows. The vulnerabilities included QuickTime playing an infected file or directing the user to a malicious website, making computers vulnerable to remote code execution.

Other hacking news you should be aware of

Certain vulnerabilities in your computer and applications could put your business at risk. Hence, it makes sense to always apply patch updates when they become available. One of the latest hacking incidents occurred with The Clinton Foundation, which was said to have been hacked by Russians. Attacks on the network of the foundation and those of Hillary Clinton's campaign and the Democratic Party caused a stir in the world of digital security. 

About the Author:

           

Mike Rana is the Chief Technology Advisor of Orion Network Solutions. Orion Network Solutions specializes in providing Computer Installation, Maintenance, and Consulting services along with 24x7 help desk services for small and midsize companies. We provide network solutions that enable small businesses to not only lower their management cost but also increases employee productivity at the same low price. We offer network solution that becomes an integral part of your organization and can provide an increase in productivity of your organization.

Solid State Drives In Servers

A solid state driver is a non-volatile storage device for storing persistent data on solid state flash memory. It is not a traditional hard drive due to the absence of moving parts, like the spinning disk with a write/read head on the mechanical arm. SSDs, on the other hand, have a range of semiconductor memory arranged as a disk drive via integrated circuits instead of optical storage or magnetic media.

SSDs are continuously being developed and adopted due to the increasing need for higher I/O (input/output) performance. They are more reliable in heavy random and read workloads. This is due to the flash SDD's ability to directly and immediately read data from a certain flash SDD cell location. Hence, SSDs are more preferred for high-performance servers that must deliver data in real-time.

Benefits of SSDs to Servers

A growing business always has to deal with growing amounts of data, resulting in conventional storage platforms becoming less effective and reliable, especially when data management systems are concerned. IT managers have been treating SSDs as an alternative storage solution, especially for a business that deals with heavy workloads like e-commerce stores where fast data access is crucial. This way, the use of SSD on their servers is justified.

SSDs are able to deliver high performance I/O operations per second, with minimal latency for transaction-intensive storage and server applications. When used in conjunction with HDD systems, SSDs may help reduce the total cost of ownership with their low operating temperatures and low power consumption. SSD technology continues to develop and thrive, but solid state drives in servers are already available, like the Intel 320 SSDs, which are compatible with Dell's PowerEdge server.

The Cost to Implement SSDs

It may be difficult for a business to completely upgrade to solid state drives in servers due to high deployment costs. However, it will still depend on what the business needs. Consider having your business evaluated for SSDs in servers by talking to a reputable and seasoned IT consultant. This way, you can find practical IT solutions and other alternatives that are cost-effective and can increase your productivity and competitive advantage.

About the Author:

           

Mike Rana is the Chief Technology Advisor of Orion Network Solutions. Orion Network Solutions specializes in providing Computer Installation, Maintenance, and Consulting services along with 24x7 help desk services for small and midsize companies. We provide network solutions that enable small businesses to not only lower their management cost but also increases employee productivity at the same low price. We offer network solution that becomes an integral part of your organization and can provide an increase in productivity of your organization.

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Are You Still Using Windows XP and Do You Have a Plan in Place to Migrate?

It has been more than a year since Microsoft cut off support for Windows XP. Users of this operating system can no longer receive the latest security updates, assisted support options, or technical content updates. This also means that new vulnerabilities that may be discovered in Windows XP post cut-off will no longer be addressed by security updates from Microsoft. 

Despite the obvious risks of continuing to run Windows XP, some companies insist on using this operating system until the hardware fails. Windows XP loyalists have a hard time leaving their old ways behind not only because of the fear of transition, but because of the immediate cost implication of such a switch. What they don’t realize is that the long-term costs of managing an unsupported, out of date technology or system add up quickly—easily superseding the amount needed to pay upfront to license new technology.

The security risks associated with using Windows XP beyond its end-of-support date are serious. Attackers now have the advantage of having more information about the system’s vulnerabilities—and they know that Microsoft is no longer there to defend their new attacks. Malware attackers are now exploiting XP, and small businesses are particularly more vulnerable because they don’t have the same level of IT security as bigger entities.

Security issues do not end with the OS itself. Application-level vulnerabilities also proliferate it. Vendors will stop patching applications running on XP because it will no longer be economically worthwhile for them to do so. Finally, failure to move to Windows 7 or 8 limits productivity due to lessening compatibility. A company may miss out on opportunities because it cannot take advantage of the latest technologies, like desktop virtualization.

Plan for Migration

Migrating to Windows 7 or 8 from XP is not easy, but careful planning can help smooth the path. It makes sense to hire an IT consultant to assist you during the transition. A consultant can check if your current systems are up to the task and recommend hardware upgrades to improve compatibility. The consultant can also assess your organization’s needs and help you decide which new OS is a better fit. A consultant can likewise teach your staff how to handle legacy applications using the new OS.

Don’t underestimate the complexity and size of a migration project. Working with a consultant is the best way to ensure a smooth transition, and will save you money in the long run.

About the Author:

                          

Mike Rana is the Chief Technology Advisor of Orion Network Solutions. Orion Network Solutions specializes in providing Computer Installation, Maintenance and Consulting services along with 24x7 help desk services for small and midsize companies. We provide network solutions that enable small businesses to not only lower their management cost but also increases employee productivity at the same low price. We offer network solution that become integral part of your organization and can provide an increase in productivity of your organization.