Now that we’re in Q3 of 2023, it’s time to start planning out your budget for the next fiscal year—including your IT services budget. Let’s go over some of the considerations you’ll need to keep in mind for this remarkably important aspect of running your business.
Your business might have a full-time IT person, but it also might not have one, and in cases like this, you might find yourself waiting to call your go-to person until you are experiencing a full-blown problem. The reality is that your internal, non-IT staff should not be responsible for the job of your IT department, and if you are relying on someone externally to handle your technology help, then you’ll want to make sure they tick all of the following boxes.
Microsoft’s initiative to rebrand Microsoft Office is reaching the final stage of its journey—a plan that has been years in the making. What will this assimilation into the Microsoft 365 brand mean for users of Microsoft’s services and products?
As people have increasingly shifted to working remotely, the importance of accessible support for their devices has risen substantially. This has led many businesses to use managed IT service providers, or MSPs, like us to provide this kind of support. To do so, we’ve invested in a series of tools collectively called remote monitoring and management software (RMM). Let’s share some of the reasons that you want an IT support provider that uses RMM to their advantage.
If your business uses as much technology as the average business, you will need to ensure that it is properly documented. Today, we’ll go through what a managed service provider includes in their documentation practices.
Email is (and has been) a prime method of communication for businesses of all sizes. With email comes a whole slew of issues that are essentially synonymous with the technology; spam, information overload, phishing, and information privacy. Even North Carolina small businesses that only do business locally are at risk of these issues. Personal email accounts are equally at risk. Employing proper precautions and practices whenever communicating via email is very important to prevent the risk of security compromises, monetary loss, and even legality issues.
It's frustrating to do things the hard way. Although sometimes, the frustration experienced by others can be pretty entertaining to watch. One of the ripest scenarios for frustration is bad IT service caused by poor communication. Having good communication tools can save both ends of an IT support call from getting frustrated.
For years we have been recommending to our clients that they upgrade from Windows XP. Come April 8th, 2014 this is no longer a recommendation, it's a necessity! While April 8th may not be the end of the world, it is the end of your computer's world if you're still running XP because Microsoft is ending support.
Due to recent legislative activity, the rules and regulations that the Federal Communications Commission put in place to protect the personal data of Internet users have been struck down. This change now allows ISPs, or Internet Service Providers, to sell the browsing information of their customers to advertisers without consent--a move many consider to be a threat to net neutrality. This is what you need to know.
Managing permissions for their network is something that many organizations may only consider when it’s too late to do anything about it. This can provide outsiders with access to sensitive information that shouldn’t be seen by anyone but your employees. To learn a few lessons about user permissions, let’s look at the misfortune of PA Online, a Pennsylvania-based Internet service provider.
One of the hot topics in recent news is a concept in European courts about the "right to be forgotten." The ruling, passed in May 2014, suggests that search engines must consider requests for removal of content that is, according to ZDNet, "inadequate, irrelevant, or no longer relevant." In some circles, this ruling is seen as controversial.
Once in a while, a server must play its part in the ultimate task - moving all of its data to another server. This includes moving all of the files and applications on one server to another unit in a process called server migration.
Do you have pets at home? You might find it painful to leave them behind when you head to the office. You might find yourself wishing that you could bring them to your workplace with you. Well, why not? We're hearing about more companies that have implemented a pet policy that lets them bring their furry friends to the office with them.
For years, we have been watching the growing trend of mobile computing. All of us knew that one day mobile technology would overtake PC desktops, and 2014 looks to be the year when the scales finally and decisively tip in favor of mobile tech.
Two weeks ago, the National Communications Administration managed to weaken a set of malware designed to steal banking and personal credentials from unsuspecting users. They warned the world that GameOver Zeus and Cryptolocker ransomware would be back with a vengeance, and that immediate action could prevent a whole lot of pain later.
The issue of net neutrality is a hot topic in the United States, but not many people actually know what it is and how it affects their day-to-day routine. This is certainly an important topic that shouldn't be ignored, as it might very well affect all end users.
Do you know what to get Dad this Father's Day to show him that you appreciate all that he's done for you? If he's a business owner, we have the perfect gift for him!
That's right - USA Computer Services's managed IT services! We don't mean buy them outright for him, but by suggesting our services to him, you can give him the greatest gift of all: peace of mind and a whole lot more cash in his pocket. Here are four good reasons to outsource Dad's IT services.
Despite what many people think, Microsoft Word is far from a normal word processor. Microsoft has thrown all sorts of nifty new toys in there for its consumers to enjoy, such as a built-in citation machine for all of your research needs. When writing a white paper, you want to use specific examples and you want to give others credit when it is due. That's the only professional way to do it.
With the coming of spring, many people are taking the opportunity to get rid of all of the stuff they don't need anymore. As time goes on, you accumulate all sorts of junk that you probably don't even know you have. Sometimes it's a good idea to go through it all and see if you really need it - especially for your business's in-house IT department.
Smartphones that have been running Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 mobile operating system have been manufactured for over a year and a half, and in that time, Android has wrestled the title of "most popular mobile OS" away from Apple's iOS. Windows Phone 8 devices currently sit third, making up just over 3% of all the world's mobile phones. Despite its place in the market, the world's largest software company will release the first major update to their Windows 8 Phone platform in the upcoming months, and early users are saying they're really hitting the mark.
