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• Outdated technologies – Your MSP should be on the cutting edge of technology, not the other way around.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.

All About Microsoft’s New OS for Enterprise Servers

Part of maintaining a business in the 21^st century is trying to cope with all the tech developments and advancements that run the modern world. Just like you don’t want to be driving an old, barely street-legal/ road-safe car on modern streets plied by faster, eco-friendlier, and cheaper to maintain modern rides, you also don’t want a computer engine with bare minimum features to help your business get by. You are setting your business up for stagnation by resting on old technology.

Even when you are perfectly content with what old versions of technology are doing for your business, its backward thinking to be satisfied with what they have to offer, because newer and better systems will definitely come to cater to what they lack and even fix issues that are hindering your productivity. The same is true when it comes to Windows Enterprise Servers. One of the main reasons why you should consider constant updates is because as time goes, old systems no longer receive upgrades and eventually go unsupported, especially when newer, more robust systems come to the surface.

If you still haven’t migrated to Windows 2016, an upgrade may well benefit your operations, especially when you are looking for a hybrid-ready solution that can help gear you up for the evolving requirements and demands on enterprise IT infrastructures. If you are still not convinced about an upgrade, perhaps knowing that the latest Windows Server to reach end-of-life was only 15 years old (WS 2003) and it will not be long until the next in line 2008 R2 platform will follow WS 2003’s footsteps. End-of-life products no longer receive fixes or new features, which makes them extremely vulnerable to failures and security breaches.

With Windows Server 2016, you don’t only get the advantage of updates, but the full benefits of a cloud-ready platform, while also enjoying improvements in key areas like security and software defined datacenters.

All About How Virtual Reality Has Seen Success in Mental Health Disorders Treatments

Mental health disorders are coming to better light, thanks to efforts that are slowly, but surely removing the negative stigma about different mental conditions that afflict humanity. One of the many developments in the treatment of mental health disorders is the use of virtual reality technologies in various types of therapies. Virtual reality as a tool for introducing therapy for treating mental health issues isn’t entirely a brand-new concept. In fact, it’s been decades since VR is used to administer exposure therapy in a safe and controlled environment. Nowadays, virtual reality therapy is widely used as a mental health treatment platform, thanks to a greater availability of VR devices and more advanced VR technology. Below are some of the most common mental health therapies that benefit from VR technology: 

• VR Therapy for PTSD – VR has been widely used in prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD. In fact, the earliest uses for VR devices have been for the treatment of war veterans and soldiers who suffered PTSD in the 90s. This said, military PTSD isn’t the only kind of PTSD condition that can be treated using VR PET. The technology is also widely used for treating those who underwent other types of trauma such as sexual abuse.

• VR Therapy for Phobias and Anxiety – VR is also being used for treating a vast number of phobic and anxiety disorders through self-guided therapies and/or telemedicine.

• VR Therapy for Stress Relief – Stress and anxiety reduction therapies can also be administered with the use of VR technology, including meditative and relaxation therapies designed to remedy generalized anxiety and stress.

• VR and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies – Apart from exposure therapy, VR is also useful in administering psychotherapeutic treatments like cognitive behavioral therapies that help patients deal with disturbing and destructive thought patterns, beliefs, and behaviors.

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.

How to Build a Free Server in Cloud – AWS

Designed for first time users as well as those looking to try worthwhile hosting services with comprehensive cloud computing options without spending too much (or at all) for a trial, AWS Free Tier provides users with a free web services environment to cater to their server configuration and other hosting needs. Amazon’s AWS surpasses every other cloud platform in the market, beating out many VPN service providers especially in terms of availability and scalability. If you are looking for a reliable hosting services for a blog or a website, or something to beta test your product on without the high fees, the Amazon’s AWS Free Tier is definitely for you.

Steps to Leverage AWS Free Tier in Configuring a Server

1. Log into your AWS account and go to the EC2 dashboard
2. Choose the location where you want to set up your VPN and click on Launch Instance
3. Choose the appropriate Linux/Windows AMI listed as Free Tier Eligible
4. Choose a Free Tier Eligible t2.micro-instance
5. Click Review and Launch
6. Click Edit Security Groups (you need those to enable traffic from your computer to reach the VPN or proxy)
7. Assuming you already have a rule in place for the connection, Hit Save
8. Click Review and Launch
9. Hit Launch

Real Cost Savings with AWS Free Tier

AWS Free Tier allows you access to various AWS services at no charge, but within fair usage limits. This trial tier is specifically designed to give users hands-on experience with the robust functions and services AWS offers, free of charge. This means being able to explore and use AWS as platform for your business website, complete with its own server, database, and alerts. Creating an AWS account entitles you to a free 12-month period eligibility. Only after your eligibility expires will AWS start charging you regular rates for the services and resources your website is using.