Information Technology Blog

If you haven’t noticed, tablets (like the iPad) are becoming more and more common. And, in my opinion, they are here to stay. This trend is obvious in the consumer space – we are seeing people getting iPads (or similar devices) for use at home on a weekly basis. So how might this affect my business, you ask? The answer: In more ways than you can imagine.

According to a recent Pew Research report, approximately 11% of adults in the United States own a tablet computer – that’s a big number. Of...

This month's issue of IT Informer includes the following articles:

• Are You Letting Your Corporate Data Leak at Starbucks?
• Floods in Thailand, Hard Drive Shortage Will Impact Small- and Mid-Sized Businesses
• Enhanced Backup & Disaster Recovery Services Available to Clients

We all like Starbucks (well, most of us, anyway).  Personally, I’m a Venti Skim 3 Equal Latte kind of guy.  And, along with that Latte, if I find myself in between meetings or...

Floods in Thailand that hit in mid-October have had a serious effect on the supply of hard drives across the globe.  Western Digital (one of the largest hard drive distributors in the world) announced their December revenues will be at least 60% lower than a year ago, due to their concentration of supply chain factories in flooded areas.  The flooded areas are estimated to be responsible for nearly 70% of the world’s demand for hard drives.  

Even for companies who don’t make their hard drives in...

We all like Starbucks (well, most of us, anyway).  Personally, I’m a Venti Skim 3 Equal Latte kind of guy.  And along with that Latte, if I find myself in between meetings or out of town, I’ll usually sit down to work for a while.  Connecting to the Wifi network at Starbucks (or any public wifi hotspot) might be one of the biggest (and most misunderstood) security dillemas business users (and the companies they work for) face today.

Smartphone users may not realize it, but they store a ton...

• Key Threats and Mitigation Steps
• Regulatory Compliance Issues
• Technology and Staff Resources
• Cloud Computing Concerns
• Business Continuity Planning

The survey shows improving regulatory compliance efforts ranks as the No. 1 information security priority for the year ahead....

• Blackberry Outages Outrage Customers
• Theft of Military Backup Tapes Affects 4.9 Million Medical Patients 
• Featured Product: Fortinet Wireless Solutions

If you have a Blackberry device, last week was not a good week. Last Wednesday (October 12^th), Research in Motion, the maker of Blackberry smartphones, informed subscribers in the Americas that they may experience “intermittent service delays."...

With the rapid advances in mobile technology, a new trend is emerging in both large and small companies: “Bring Your Own Device”. More and more companies (and corporate IT departments) are being asked by employees to allow access to corporate resources like e-mail, intranets, and collaboration tools via their own personal mobile devices. 

People want to stay connected while out of the office – some do it out of necessity, and some to allow more personal time while still being productive at work....

If you have a Blackberry device, last week was not a good week. Last Wednesday (October 12^th), Research in Motion, the maker of Blackberry smartphones, informed subscribers in the Americas that they may experience “intermittent service delays”. From the reaction and feedback we received from many of our clients, I would say that’s an understatement.

The reason for the problem in the U.S. stems from the vast usage of Blackberry devices all over the world, and the backlog that has built up over...

Chances are, your company has a business or strategic plan.  This plan probably includes things like sales & marketing goals, competitive data, projections and budgets.  But, too often, there isn’t a technology component to those plans, even though most businesses have a very high reliance on technology.  Like a business plan, a technology plan lays out a documented strategy for your company. The technology choices you make will have significant financial and compatibility consequences far into...

Smart Phones Are Little Computers... Treat Them That Way
by Jeff Beller, Principal - Skoda Minotti Technology Services

As smart phones have increased in sophistication, so has their use.  I personally find myself spending more time checking e-mail, browsing the web and using Internet-enabled apps on my iPhone than I do on my laptop. 

Apple has worked very hard to secure their iOS operating system.  One of the main approaches they've used is that they've limited devices to only install apps from...

The Federal Government has recently revamped the HIPAA (Heath Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), and made some very clear statements – if you are a health care organization and you don’t rigorously protect your patients’ personal health information, you could pay up to $1.5 million in fines.

As part of the Heath Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, passed last year as an addition to the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, all Protected Health...

iPhone and iPad use for small businesses is becoming more and more common in the workplace. The apps on these mobile devices are proving to be effective in the areas of business travel, communication and productivity.

Read about iPhone and iPad apps, and how they can improve your small business, in the below categories by clicking here: 50 Must-Have iPhone and iPad Apps for Small Businesses.

1.       Travel for Business Like a True Road Warrior

2.      Business Communications That Join Virtual...

Video conferencing and Voice-over-IP (VoIP) technologies are getting a lot of attention these days.  With Microsoft’s recent purchase of Skype, many of us in the industry are hoping to see some serious improvements over some of Skype’s security shortcomings. 

For more information on Skype and other video conferenceing programs,...

We’re all looking for ways to improve our day-to-day productivity.  For most of us who use Microsoft Outlook, the newest version (Outlook 2010) has a ton of great new features that can help.  The following are 15 tips from Microsoft for being more secure, more organized and less embarrassed on the job.

1. Save Face with MailTips. Have you ever hit “Reply All” to an email when you didn’t mean to? Or sent important information to someone and never gotten a response, only to learn later their email...

The buzz of cloud computing seems to have hit a fevered pitch in industry magazines, trade publications, and the mainstream media recently.  It seems like every day our Technology Services Group is being asked by clients what the "cloud" is, or to suggest cloud-based solutions for applications or services that were (or are) typically on a server in their offices.  

Is your business thinking about making the switch to cloud computing? If so, we've put together a quick list of things you need to...

The buzz of cloud computing seems to have hit a fevered pitch in industry magazines, trade publications, and the mainstream media recently.  It seems like every day our Technology Services Group is being asked by clients what the "cloud" is, or to suggest cloud-based solutions for applications or services that were (or are) typically on a server in their offices.  

Is your business thinking about making the switch to cloud computing? If so, we've put together a quick list of things you need to...

The buzz of cloud computing seems to have hit a fevered pitch in industry magazines, trade publications, and the mainstream media recently.  It seems like every day our Technology Services Group is being asked by clients what the "cloud" is, or to suggest cloud-based solutions for applications or services that were (or are) typically on a server in their offices.  

What is cloud computing?

Cloud computing is essentially remote access to applications and services via the internet. It gives you...