Directive Blogs

When it comes to your technology, you can never be too careful. It’s critical that you look at your IT infrastructure as an investment, and one that will save you countless hours and considerable sums of money if you take proper care of it. Here are five reasons your business should prioritize proactive IT maintenance over reactive, or break-fix, IT maintenance.

Costs are rising and companies need to do more with less. Not only that, they depend on several departments of their business to work together to meet customer demands and complete projects. Let’s take a look at some collaboration tips and the tools that can help build a better, more collaborative and productive business. 

We understand that cybersecurity can be difficult to think about at times because of the terminology thrown around by industry professionals, but we want to do our part to help clear up some of the confusion. Today, we’re going to discuss the difference between vulnerabilities and exploits, as well as how your organization can do everything it can to ensure that both are minimized on your company network.

Cloud computing has been touted as one of the most innovative and important technologies for smaller businesses as they look to compete with larger organizations. How it makes this possible is by offering the dynamic computing environments that can help bring these smaller businesses into the information age without saddling them with massive infrastructure costs while doing so. That’s not to say that the cloud is cheap by any means, and this month we will discuss how cloud computing is a great option and how if it isn’t managed properly, it can be problematic for the businesses that rely on it. 

Communication is critical if you want to maintain positive working relationships with your customers and clients. If you want to optimize communication, you should be considering the latest and greatest technology solutions that provide operational benefits as well.

When it comes to network security, businesses need all the advantages they can get, especially since cybersecurity as an industry is one which is rapidly adjusting and responding to an enormous amount of ever-changing threats. One way in which security researchers have attempted to subvert this security rat race is through artificial intelligence measures, a trend that promises to change the way businesses protect themselves more effectively.

The small business owner has to be diligent in the way they spend their company’s resources. Technology, and the automation that it often brings, can work to make your business more agile and efficient, but traditionally it does come with substantial upfront costs. Additionally, it means committing big chunks of money on management, maintenance, and regular upgrades. Let’s take a look at how other small businesses have been investing in technology to help you determine what you should be prioritizing.

For every level of business, cybersecurity is a big deal. For the enterprise, they deal with a lot of would-be attacks and need their staff to know how to respond if they are targeted. For the midsize business, the convergence of underwhelming IT support and a growing workforce can be the perfect storm. For the small business, a significant cyberattack could be the beginning of the end for their business. This is why, no matter what size your business is, you need to have a cybersecurity strategy in place that includes tools, monitoring, and protocol. This month, we have put together a list of considerations your business should note to keep your network and data safe.

Your business’ technology is a great tool, or at least it can be. Like any other part of business, getting value out of your business’ technology is essential. In order for you to see the kind of value from your tech that you’d expect, you first need to approach it by making good decisions. This month, we wanted to go over a few ways that you could fall into a trap with your IT.

In most workspaces and offices, “productivity” is always present on the list of goals. Why settle for one task completed in a set time, when multiple tasks can be completed in the same amount of time without sacrificing the quality of the result? This goal is popular enough for many experts and consultants to have weighed in on. We’ve decided to give you a basic overview of some such strategies so you may consider them.

Business success relies in large part on communication. Any product or a service is entirely useless if there is no way to share or request information. Whether the communication is internal or external, the method upon which your business relies should be simple yet effective. This month, we will analyze the different methods of communication your business can use.

For better or worse, the way information technology is being used has come to define the way that businesses run. The most noteworthy companies are the ones using their data to their advantage and utilizing cutting-edge tools to facilitate efficient processes and productivity while managing their costs. One technology is giving more and more organizations the freedom to accomplish their goals and automate more of their mundane processes: Artificial Intelligence

Whether you’re referring to ransomware, phishing, data theft, spoofing, any of the many forms of cybercrime, it is something that all businesses need to prepare themselves for. While different business sizes will have differing scales to contend with, these kinds of preparations will involve the same basic principles. To help you best defend your company against cybercrime, here are a few tips based on those principles.

The Internet of Things is growing at a rapid pace, and you have to take it into account if you want to maintain a safe and effective office infrastructure. Thankfully, you don’t have to do this alone; we’re here to help you with three key tips to help you get the most out of your Internet of Things devices without putting your organization at risk.

The most successful businesses are those that are always seeking to improve what they offer—oftentimes, taking a successful element and simply making it more efficient to deliver. In the past, this basically meant that businesses needed to have their employees work more quickly. However, today’s improved technology and the automation that it makes possible have delivered a much more consistent option.

You’ve probably heard people talk about a business’ carbon footprint. You even might think you have a good idea of what your business’ footprint is. With global climate change evident by the rising temperature of the planet, having an idea of what effect your business’ environmental impact has is not only good for the planet, it can help avoid risk or even save you money. There are a lot of factors that go into determining your carbon footprint and many of them you may not consider. Today, we will go through how to calculate your business’ carbon footprint and what you can do to reduce it.

We’ve all heard the horror stories of phishing messages—those messages where someone is trying to steal information from you, be it sensitive information or financial credentials. There are various telltale signs of phishing attacks that can be identified, if you know where to look. Let’s take a look at what the FTC claims are the best ways to identify a phishing message.

The Internet of Things is a collective body of connected devices that perform various functions, most of which are devices that traditionally did not utilize Internet connectivity in the past, like thermostats or appliances. However, the Internet of Things can be used for so much more than controlling the heat in the office while you are away; it can be used to automate and manage a supply chain, too.

Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP for short, is a truly exceptional service that all businesses should take advantage of if at all possible. Long story short, the traditional telephone system is archaic by today’s standards, and it should be replaced with a more dynamic and flexible solution in VoIP. Today we wish to discuss the various benefits you can expect to receive from implementing a VoIP solution for your business.

How often have your operations been disrupted by technology troubles that could have been spotted a mile away? Chances are it’s a little too often for your liking, especially if your business wants to remain profitable. When your operations suffer, so too does your bottom line, leading to losses across the board. How can your organization spot technology troubles before they become detrimental to your organization’s future?