by Felicien | May 6, 2019 | Education
Cloud computing transformed the way companies approached their infrastructure. You’re not locked into using on-site resources only. Instead, you have access to a range of cloud-based service providers. It’s common knowledge that the cloud saves businesses money, but you may be wondering about the specifics of how that works and how to get the best value out of these solutions.
Easier Collaboration
Many cloud solutions have features that streamline collaborative efforts between employees, teams and departments. Everyone accesses the files from a centralized location and can make changes at the same time. Employees don’t need to be in the office to make that possible, as cloud-based systems support remote access from a variety of devices.
Improve Customer Experience
Customers have high expectations of the companies they do business with. They want rapid responses through a variety of platforms. Trying to maintain that level of availability through customer support solutions that are tied to a specific workstation is difficult. A cloud-based unified communications solution brings all of the customer contact channels together in one place and provides the necessary mobility. The improved experience and response time leads to more customer recommendations, higher satisfaction ratings and a loyal audience.
Securing Bring Your Own Device Environments
Employees enjoy working on devices that they’re most familiar with, but it’s challenging to maintain a safe environment. Malicious applications installed on personal smartphones, tablets and laptops can compromise your entire network. The IT department can go through every piece of equipment that comes into the workplace, but that takes their time away from other critical tasks.
Cloud-based solutions eliminate this need since it takes your network out of the equation. The service provider has security measures in place to stop compromised devices from accessing its application. They handle the security measures necessary to work with remote connections from a variety of devices.
Eliminating Update Downtime
Updating software is a time-consuming process for your IT team. Patches come out regularly, and they have to track all of this information and find the time to deploy them to the network. If an application’s updating process is difficult to program a script for, the IT technicians have to go to individual workstations to push out the latest version. Cloud-based solutions are updated by the service providers on their own servers. Your employees connect to the cloud resource as usual. Downtime is minimal or nonexistent, and you don’t have to dedicate your in-house IT team to this process.
Since the cloud provider covers the ongoing maintenance and support of the product, your IT workers have more bandwidth to handle their daily duties. They can move to a proactive and strategic approach that improves your company’s infrastructure and supports your business goals.
Avoid Expensive Licensing Fees
The software licensing structure for non-cloud applications can be cost-prohibitive, especially when you consider that a new version typically comes out every few years. The subscription model that cloud-based services use does away with the upfront cost and spreads the total cost of ownership throughout the life of the product.
Reduce the Need for New Hardware
Hardware failures are a fact of life. Servers stop working or grow too outdated to support the applications. Over time, these expenses far outweigh the total cost of ownership associated with cloud-based systems. Consider the long-term equipment expenses when you’re evaluating whether a cloud infrastructure is the right choice for your organization.
Cost-effective Backups
Disaster can strike your business at any time, whether it’s a tornado or a malicious internal actor. Downtime eats away at your profitability and causes long-term damage. Robust backup solutions that give you all the features you need to have business continuity are expensive and require a lot of upkeep. When you use cloud-based solutions, you’re automatically moving vital systems and data offsite. The typical cloud company handles the necessary backups and follows best practices for this process.
Getting Help with Compliance
Regulated industries have many compliance rules that they need to adhere to. Businesses without a compliance team have to bring in costly consultants and legal experts to ensure that they are following the requirements. If you fail to comply with these regulations, you may be subject to financial or criminal penalties. Working with cloud-based platforms allows you to leverage the provider’s legal team rather than shouldering the cost yourself.
Seamless Scaling in Both Directions
Demand for your products and services isn’t a static number. Traditional IT infrastructure requires you to have enough on-site hardware to accommodate the capacity needed at your highest demand levels. When you have seasonal shifts and other factors that impact your company’s activity level, you’re stuck maintaining equipment that’s not actively in use. One of the best cost benefits of the cloud is the ability to scale up and down as needed. Since many cloud-based systems have a subscription model based on actual use, it’s easy to adjust your payments.
Moving part or all of your infrastructure to the cloud provides many direct and indirect cost benefits. While on-premises equipment has its uses, especially when you’re dealing with extremely sensitive data, the cloud drastically reduces how much you pay for vital systems.
by Felicien | May 6, 2019 | Education
Do you still surf the Web with Internet Explorer? If so, you’re not alone. Even after Microsoft came out with their new Edge browser in 2015, some people are still using Internet Explorer.
The Problem?
Security experts have found serious security flaws in Internet Explorer’s code. This means that if you use it, you’re opening yourself and your business up to hacking and computer viruses.
Another Problem?
Microsoft won’t be fixing this for the foreseeable future.
What Are These Flaws?
The most recent of these was found by an independent researcher named John Page. He published a proof of concept that demonstrates a flaw in the way that Internet Explorer handles MHT files. MHT is a Web page archive file format.
How Do These Flaws In Internet Explorer Create Security Issues?
If you use Windows 7, Windows 10, or Windows Server 2012 and it comes across an MHT file, it will try to open the file using Internet Explorer. This presents an easy opportunity for savvy hackers. All they have to do is to use an MHT file containing a malicious virus and present it to you via a phishing email or other form of social engineering. Once you take the bait, the malicious virus gets into your computer/server.
Are We Safe If We Use Another Type Of Browser?
Not really. Any Windows-based system is still very much at risk from infected MHT files. This is because Internet Explorer 11 still ships with all Windows-based PCs. This includes computers that use Windows 10.
What Can We Do To Prevent Being Hacked Due To Internet Explorer Flaws?
One good thing is that Internet Explorer isn’t enabled on Windows 10 computers. For it to be enabled, you need to set it up yourself.
For now, this is the simple solution — Just don’t enable Internet Explorer. And to be completely sure, it’s best if you uninstall Internet Explorer from your Control Panel altogether.
John Page reported the issue to Microsoft on March 27, 2019, and received the following reply from them:
“We determined that a fix for this issue will be considered in a future version of this product or service. At this time, we will not be providing ongoing updates of the status of the fix for this issue, and we have closed the case.”
Unfortunately, it looks like, for the foreseeable future, that Microsoft won’t be providing a fix regarding the flaws with Internet Explorer. As we said above, the answer, for now, is for you and your staff to uninstall Internet Explorer from your computers.
by Felicien | May 3, 2019 | Education
The self-proclaimed “search engine that doesn’t track you,” DuckDuckGo is likely the most successful search engine available when it comes to privacy and security.
While Google remains the most popular search engine by far, many users are concerned about its practice of collecting and using your personal data. Namely, Google tracks what you search (yes, everything), stores it, and uses it to provide you with a personalized user experience. Oh, and they also make a profit from it.
What Are the Specific Benefits of Switching to DuckDuckGo?
No Tracking
Of course, this is the biggie. DuckDuckGo doesn’t track you or what you look up online. All searches are 100% anonymous.
No Ads
Google tries to trick users by situating ads at the very top of the page — ads, by the way, that look like search result listings. The only difference is a little box that says “Ad” next to the web address. DuckDuckGo foregoes ads like these, generally starting at the very top of the page with your first search result listing.
Minimalist Interface
Speaking of no ads, DuckDuckGo provides an overall clean and minimalist appearance. Like Google’s results pages, you can toggle between “Web,” “Images,” “Video,” etc. at the top. You can also filter results by region, “Safe Search” mode (for strict or non-filtered adult content), and time period.
Non-personalized Search Results
“Why wouldn’t I want personalized search results?”
Well, you might. But the advantage of not having personalized results is that you’ll see exactly what everyone else sees. In other words, when you search “cocktail recipes” in Duluth, Minnesota, you’ll get the same results as someone searching for “cocktail recipes” in Lyon, France.
Seriously, What’s Actually So Bad About Search Tracking?
Many people’s argument against worrying about Google and other tech giants tracking them (hi, Alexa) is this: “I don’t do anything bad or shameful on the Internet, so why should I care if I’m tracked and my data’s stored?”
That may be true. Certainly, for some, the sheer fact that you’re being listened to, your movements are being tracked, and essentially everything about you (from your age and income to your shoe size and favorite local bar) is being stored … well, it’s alarming and disturbing.
But if that still doesn’t make you ponder the importance of personal data tracking and storing, consider this: Google is using your data to get rich, like, really rich. They’re monetizing everything you do through their platform and making billions in annual profits as a result. The stuff their using? Your shopping habits (Google Express), your online searches (Google Search), your personal conversations (Google Assistant and Google Hangouts), where you go (Google Maps), the news you read and your political leanings (Google News), and much more.
To make matters worse, in many ways, they’re being less than honest about their tactics. For example, their so-called “incognito” mode is far from fully private. Your employer and ISP can still track your searches when you’re in incognito. Furthermore, Google documents you’ve “deleted” and searches you’ve “cleared” aren’t really gone. Google stores them … indefinitely.
Consider a Switch to DuckDuckGo
There’s no doubt that companies like Google provide useful services to individuals and businesses of all kinds. Their search engine is definitely useful as well. Extensive, highly complex algorithms can help you find exactly what you’re looking for, often faster than other search engines.
But if you’re at all concerned with privacy and security for your business and/or at home, consider a search engine switch to the up-and-coming DuckDuckGo. Set it as your homepage, try it out, and see what you think.
by Felicien | May 3, 2019 | Education
For as long as the roles of CMO and CIO have existed, their work has rarely overlapped. CMOs focused on the company’s marketing efforts while CIOs stuck to the technology side of the business. But in today’s digital world, the hard lines that once separated marketing and tech have dissolved. Now, any business that wants to remain competitive must engage in digital transformation—which requires strategic use of information technology incorporating both marketing and IT. That transformation can only be effective if CMOs and CIOs work together.
The Importance of Digital Transformation
According to the Altimeter Group, digital transformation is “The realignment of, or new investment in, technology and business models to more effectively engage digital customers at every touchpoint in the customer experience lifecycle.” The goal of digital transformation should be to better provide value for the client or customer and to improve competitiveness. To achieve these ends, a strategic approach to information technology must be utilized. And for that to happen, CMOs and CIOs must communicate and strive together in seeking the same goal.
The vast majority of businesses were not founded with digital technologies in mind, and even less were created from day one to take advantage of the digital platforms that have emerged in the past decade, much less those that continue to spring up on a seemingly daily basis.
Chances are, as a CMO you have probably already been thinking long and hard about how your marketing efforts can incorporate the vast array of digital technologies available. Just some of the areas where digital transformation could deliver notable improvements include:
Mobile computing
Social media
Big data
Cloud features
Data privacy compliance
BYOD
Data security
And more…
Of course, to achieve the kind of transformation that you want and need, certain obstacles must be overcome. You have to determine where you are, where you want to go and how you are going to get there—all of which is best facilitated through the partnership of the CMO and CIO.
Partnership Between Marketing and IT Facilitates Competency
The terrain of digital platforms is difficult to navigate for even the most experienced professionals. To conquer this terrain and make it work for your business, it only makes sense to utilize all the resources at your disposal. Between building, running and managing the digital tools necessary to reach and retain customers, and ensuring that marketing efforts are as well integrated with new technologies as possible, there is simply too much required for one department—marketing or IT—to do alone.
Both CMOs and CIOs face unique challenges from the digital technology field. Some of these include:
Challenges for CMOs
For CMOs, the number of existing and upcoming digital technologies can be overwhelming. There are so many areas that must be considered to achieve competitiveness, including:
Buying appropriate technology solutions
Managing the technology stack
Creating infrastructure for technologies
Integrating new technologies with existing enterprise solutions
You could be the most effective CMO in the world when it comes to marketing, yet feel completely in the dark when it comes to how to manage the nuts and bolts of new technologies. That is why different departments exist in organizations—because true competency and skill take years to develop, and no one is capable of being an expert in everything.
Challenges for CIOs
The technology your business needs to operate and serve your customer base is the focus of the CIO. However, the marketing end of the equation is rarely an area where the CIO will have much expertise. Some of the things that the CIO may struggle with include:
Continued awareness of company efforts to reach and retain customers
Understanding the value proposition presented by the company to the client or customer
Needed adaptations in marketing messages as new information comes in
Which technologies are most effective for marketing based on company needs
CIOs have their own challenges to contend with as they strive to keep the ship running and determine what the best technology solutions are among an increasingly vast array of options. If they are not brought into the marketing conversation, there is a real risk that the left hand can become detached from the right—possibly even to the point where the CMO and CIO are working at cross purposes.
The benefits of CMOs and CIOs partnering quickly becomes apparent as your company embraces technology. Marketing has never had so much reach as it has today with digital platforms and real-time data. But utilizing that technology requires expertise that is found in the CIO and the IT team.
CMO and CIO—In it Together for the Long Haul
CMOs and CIOs share the same ultimate goal—the success of the organization for which they work. Success in today’s digital environment means utilizing appropriate technologies to keep the business strong, competitive and attractive to the customer. To obtain success requires a partnership between the CMO and CIO to identify areas for improvement, move forward with effective action that will achieve improvements, and to continue to adapt to the rapid changes that are inherent in today’s business world.
by Felicien | May 2, 2019 | Education
There are certain functions that every business requires — word processing, analysis, presentations and calendaring — and Microsoft Office used to be the default option for businesses of all sizes. Over the past few years, Google’s G Suite has become an increasingly attractive option for small businesses due to the reasonable price point and the cloud-based software that allows you to access your information from nearly any location with internet access. Does Google G Suite have everything that you need for your business, or is there some missing functionality in Microsoft’s productivity suite that you still need?
More Than Just Email
Google’s G Suite email provides you with some extremely helpful: an ad-free version of the user-friendly Gmail interface that can be customized for your business with your domain name and more. When you consider that the email accounts are fully integrated with Google Calendar for scheduling meetings and events, Google Drive for storage and more — it’s easy to see why small to mid-size business owners and even enterprises are adopting Google’s G Suite. The intuitive interface and friendly commands allow employees of all ages and skill levels to quickly become productive, too.
Is Google G Suite Right for My Business?
Microsoft’s suite of office productivity software is top-notch, but many businesses find that it can be overly complex for their needs. G Suite includes the most often-used functions without the convoluted approach that you may find in Microsoft’s flagship cloud-based apps. One thing that continually confounds Microsoft Office users is their email storage within Outlook — it’s simply not clear where your emails are being stored and there is a solid possibility that your storage file can become corrupted. With Gmail, you have virtually unlimited storage space for your emails and no functional limits to rapidly searching years worth of information. However, if you’re using advanced mathematical or analytical capabilities, you may still need to invest in Microsoft Office 365 for your business.
Why Should I Pay for G Suite?
Sure, the base apps in Google’s office productivity suite are free on their own. Does it truly make sense to spring for the paid versions? It depends on the needs of your business, but there are some compelling reasons to obtain the paid version of the apps which are collectively known as G Suite.
Advanced administrative functions across multiple users, similar to Microsoft’s account-based features
Private and secure collaboration keeps your digital conversations safe
Add legitimacy to your business with a customized domain name for your emails
Converge your cloud-based data and document storage on Google Drive
Take advantage of the exceptional (and human!) customer support options with G Suite
Is Google G Suite right for your business? If you are looking for a reasonably-priced, robust suite of office productivity software the answer may be “Yes”. If you need to take advantage of advanced mathematical analysis or more complex use-cases, you may want to consider the more traditional option: Microsoft Office 365 for Business.
