Directive Blogs

Problems with your technology can often be spotted long before they become major time-consuming difficulties, but the catch with this statement is that you have to actively be looking for them in order to do so. If you want your business to remain profitable, you have to make sure that your technology is not wasting your business time or resources, and one way to do this is by actively monitoring your network for these issues.

Sometimes it might feel like you can’t possibly take advantage of the same technologies as a large enterprise, but the reality is that the difference between the two has largely diminished thanks to changes in business technology models and design philosophies. Simply put, there are technologies out there that let you compete with organizations you may not have been able to in the past, and if you can track your analytics, provide a quality service or experience to your customers, and implement the right technology solutions, you are on the right track.

With so many employees still working remotely, organizations have turned to technology to ensure that their workers are actually… you know, working. While the need to know what your employees are up to throughout the workday is important, there is now a discussion happening on whether or not this violates employees’ privacy.

Disasters are more common in the business world than you might think, be they natural disasters that level your office or simple electrical problems that spark a structural fire. A business-threatening disaster could occur at any moment, and it is your responsibility to ensure that it doesn’t put your business’ future at risk. To this end, we recommend you have plans for off-site operations, even if only temporary.

In the world of business, few issues can be as profoundly disruptive as a desktop workstation refusing to work properly. When your computer stops functioning or impacts your productivity, who do you call? Do you have someone on speed dial who is trained on how to take care of computer problems?

All businesses rely on software to an extent, but there are several that transcend industry or organization size and can be implemented by most businesses to improve productivity. Let’s go over some of the common types of software you might find in a business environment and why you should consider implementing them for your own company.

Risk management is part of any effective business strategy, and it’s one aspect of running an organization that must be addressed if you want to secure long-term success. Today we want to discuss what goes into an effective risk management strategy and how you can take advantage of it.

When a computer is on the fritz it can really destabilize a person’s ability to produce consistent work. Most users today will try basic troubleshooting techniques, for better or for worse, to get the machine to run properly. Let’s look at the results of failing technology and how it can cost businesses in different ways. 

You always read that “business has changed”. This is true because people have changed. More people use their mobile devices for a majority of their communication, their browsing, and a lot more, and it is changing the way business is conducted; it’s just not always easy to separate work use from personal usage. Let’s take a look at some of the ways the smartphone has changed the way people approach work, and how that shift in perspective has changed business.

Businesses have a lot on their plates, especially lately, but one aspect of running a company that you absolutely should not ignore is communications. In fact, we might argue that communications is second only to security these days, considering the current state of many offices around the world. Let’s take a look at some aspects of your business’ communications infrastructure.

In today’s day and age, there are countless connected devices, many of which are some that have historically not been connected to the Internet. These devices, which comprise a computing body called the Internet of Things, have made up a significant portion of cyberattacks in 2021. The primary perpetrator of these Internet of Things attacks might be what you least expect: the smart home.

Using microprocessor-based technology is now a way of life for a majority of people, and with that a massive demand is created for these components. Unfortunately, demand—as well as the COVID-19 pandemic—has caused difficulties for many organizations’ supply chains, including microprocessors. Today, we will go through the microchip shortage, how it affects consumers and when experts project that it will subside. 

Your IT may not be the simplest part of your business but it doesn’t have to be a major problem. If you can get just a couple things right, the rest of the work can be made much easier. At the end of the day, three of the most important components of your internal IT infrastructure will be how you maintain it, how you secure it, and how you back it up.

Technology is what keeps the modern business running, be it something as simple as a word processor or as complex as a server unit. Unfortunately, many businesses struggle with technology procurement, management, and maintenance. Let’s take a look at why this is the case and what you can do to help this process along, chiefly by implementing managed services.

When considering a continuity plan for your business, you need to consider some scenarios that may not ever happen. This is called risk management and it is the basis of keeping your business up and running regardless of the situations that it encounters. This month, we thought we would outline some of the variables that need to be addressed when creating a comprehensive business continuity plan. 

For a lot of businesses, employee mobile phone usage was once a big problem for them. There have been some businesses that actually hired someone to walk around their office telling people to get off their phones. Some businesses outlawed employee devices altogether. There probably are some businesses out there that still limit the use of these devices in their office, but for most businesses, their employees’ smartphones are now completely part of their productivity strategy. Let’s take a quick look at the shift from banned to benefit in this month’s newsletter.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced much of the workforce to work remotely, but now that the pandemic is receding in several parts of the world, the question of if this workforce will continue to work remotely is up for debate. A report from Gartner suggests that things will move in the opposite direction from what you might expect. Let’s dive into what this report suggests and what it might mean for your business moving forward.

When was the last time you actually had a decent experience working with a vendor? Depending on who you are trying to contact and work with, it can either be an extraordinarily pleasant or an extraordinarily painful experience. Wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to work with vendors at all? What if you could just contact a trusted resource who could handle everything for you? Well, you’re in luck; that just so happens to be what vendor management is all about!

The term “encryption” has found its way into the mainstream, appearing just about anywhere information security is brought up. Whether it is ransomware encrypting data or the encryption protecting your password security, it is a powerful tool that can be used for both good and evil. Let’s discuss the former and how you might use encryption in the workplace.

Remote work carries with it a different set of risks than does a traditional workplace setup. Being forced to move in that direction only exacerbates the issue of figuring out how to operate under what people are calling the “new normal”. This month we thought we would go through a couple of the risks that come with having your staff working remotely, and what to do about them.