Your business has likely been using the same set of applications for some time. Perhaps since the day you started, a long time ago. While you’ve been replacing computers and devices regularly to maintain your competitive advantage, the standard installation has remained largely the same. The programs do the job and everyone knows how to use them, so why upgrade? In some cases, it’s completely fine to keep that legacy program.

However, there are some aspects you should consider:

Support Available

Occasionally, and more frequently with software from smaller developers, the author has moved on from supporting the program. Perhaps they’ve closed the business, sold it, or pivoted directions completely. Either way, they’re no longer interested in helping you get the best from the program. Every time your employees come up against a problem they have nowhere to turn and productivity takes a hit as they try and come up with a workaround. Meanwhile, you run the risk that it could suddenly stop working after a Windows update, begin clashing with other essential software, or even create gaping holes in your security. As you are aware, even the bigger companies like Microsoft stop supporting software after a while, as they have with earlier versions of Windows. Having support available to both assist and protect is a huge asset to your business.

Hardware Compatibility

Imagine picking up a brand-new computer and trying to insert a 5 ¼ floppy disk – that’s the 1980s retro square ones bigger than your hand – it doesn’t matter how effective that program will be, modern technology simply has no idea what to do with it. Thanks to the rapid advancement of computer hardware, you may find a simple component refresh leaves your legacy program completely incompatible. The latest CPU that’s supposed to speed things up suddenly brings your entire business to a standstill, purely because it’s too advanced. Many owners work around this by keeping some older systems running exclusively for that program, but as the classic hardware fails, you may find yourself struggling to find replacement parts or technicians able to install them.

Security Vulnerabilities

Broadly speaking, the longer a program has been around, the longer hackers have had to discover its weaknesses. It could be a flaw in the program itself, or in the operating system that runs it. For example, the application may only run on Windows XP, but Windows XP is one of the earlier versions that Microsoft has stopped supporting. As the older operating systems and programs aren’t being patched, cybercriminals pour more energy into finding flaws they can exploit. It’s open season in their minds and a free ticket to all your connected systems. It’s how hospitals across the UK found themselves infected with ransomware last year, simply because they were running programs with known weaknesses.

As it’s not always feasible to replace a program immediately, we can help you run it on a virtual machine. That is, running the older operating system or program from within another program. You’ll have increased security, an element of support and a strong backup system while you work to find a replacement program. These types of solutions are very specialized and resource hungry though, so let us know if you need help. The other option is to migrate to a new program that does what you want, and is supported, hardware compatible and secure. If you’ve been running the old program for some time, this may feel quite daunting at first. Before you rule it out, keep in mind you’ll also be gaining the benefits of faster software, more integrated processes and a highly flexible system.

Need to talk through your options? Give us a call at 312-600-8357

Congratulations on your new business! Start-up costs can easily escalate, and tech is often one of the bigger expenses. It’s not that everything is high priced, but the sheer number of technologies available can overwhelm smart decision making. The latest tech is dangled in front of you with amazing features you didn’t know you needed, and suddenly your budget has gone boom!

Here’s how to get the tech right for your business, without a headache and drama.

1. Check if you actually need it

In a lot of cases, using a cloud application means you can skip the big server purchase, along with the on-site technician to manage it. Many of your business programs will have a cloud option that allows you to get all the benefits without the big expense. Before you make the tech purchase, work out which applications you’ll be running and whether a local installation or cloud access is preferred. As part of this stage, think about how you’d like to use the applications – perhaps remote access is a priority, or perhaps collaboration will underpin your business culture. This level of clarity is often overlooked and the number 1 reason why tech expenses spiral.

2. Get expert advice

It’s easy to ask friends and family what to buy, but there are many more factors to consider than just their personal preference. You trust their opinion, of course, but they may be speaking from a consumer perspective or basing their recommendation on brand loyalty. Every business is different and pairing the correct technology with the business will save you a lot of money in the long run.

3. Buy business grade

Unfortunately, the computers and laptops you see in department stores aren’t up to business standard. They’re designed for home users to perform quick tasks, not run a full 8 hour (or more) workload. Business grade systems have additional features that your business needs, plus longer warranties and better support. Even the attached devices like networking or printers are built to a higher standard, to last longer and perform better. Considering the cyber climate we live in, taking a special interest in the security offered by the business-grade technology is a wise decision.

4. Prioritize flexibility

Businesses evolve rapidly during their first few years and the last thing you want to do is go out and buy new tech, playing catch-up with your vision and smushing together an assorted mismatch of devices. Your new technology should be as scalable as your business, which means making purchase decisions based on strategy, not price. Perhaps this means instead of workstations for employees, you only need tablets. Rather than having a fixed point of sale system, you might choose mobile checkout devices so your staff can assist customers on the go. These examples highlight how easy it is to commit to certain tech because it’s ‘what you do’ but later discover you’re locked into a certain way of doing business. Trying to change your processes down the line impacts productivity, efficiency and culture in a big way, so we recommend buying with your future success in mind.

5. Choose an IT partner

During your set up and moving ahead through growth, you’ll need an IT partner who can not only help with your purchase strategy but support you through any tech problems as they arise. That’s the difference between a partner and a supplier, they’re committed to driving long-term business success.

You’ll be able to call on your partner and know they’re immediately up to speed with your business, they know how IT can help leverage your competitive advantage and which critical systems they should focus on. Getting good tech in place shouldn’t be seen as just an expense. It improves productivity and allows you to serve your customers better while enjoying consistent growth.

If you need an IT partner to help your business grow, give us a call at 312-600-8357

New computers are whisper quiet, seeming to run on pure magic, but after a while, computers can start making some pretty weird noises. Clicks, clunks, and about-to-take-off jet noises are the most common, but when should you worry? Your computer has a number of moving parts and even some stationary parts that can make noises. If you’re listening, your computer might be telling you about its current health and how you can help it run smoother, for longer.

When you hear a clicking noise: This could be normal if it’s more like a soft tick. Mechanical hard drives work a bit like a record player with a needle and platter, so you might simply be hearing it spin up and move the needle around. When it starts sounding like a loud click it’s usually the needle hitting the platter too hard or bouncing around. If your hard drive has started making alarming noises, you should bring it in as soon as possible. Just like a record player, scratches that ruin your data are possible, and if ignored for long enough, it doesn’t just skip and have trouble reading the drive, the whole thing can become unusable.

Our technicians can copy the files onto a new drive before it gets to that point, but retrieving data from a destroyed hard drive is rarely achieved without CSI-level expenses. It’s easier and much cheaper to replace the hard drive at the first sign of failure.

When you hear a clunking noise: Unsurprisingly, this one causes a certain alarm. Computers aren’t meant to go clunk! It may be a simple matter of a cable having shifted into the path of a fan and getting clipped during the spin. Remember when you pegged a card between your bicycle spokes? It might sound a little like that, skipping every now and then as it’s pushed away and drops back again. If that’s the case, our technicians will quickly secure the cable back where it belongs.

When you hear a jet-engine noise: Most computers and laptops have fans to keep them cool. The fans have to spin to move the air around, and the faster they’re spinning, the more noise they make. We start to worry when the jet-engine noise gets out of hand and it’s not just while you’re playing a resource-intensive game or doing some video editing. Constant jet-engine noise indicates your computer is struggling to cool itself down, perhaps because the fan vents are clogged with dust, your computer is in a poorly ventilated space, or the fan itself is worn. Each fan has ball bearings inside that wear out over time, making extra noise while it does the best it can. Our technicians can replace individual fans quickly and give your system a checkup to make sure nothing else has been affected.

When it’s beep city: Your computer’s friendly beep as you switch it on actually has multiple meanings. It’s not just saying hello. The single beep you normally hear indicates that it’s run a self-test and everything is fine. When your computer is very unwell, you might hear more beeps than usual. This is because each beep combination is a code to technicians, letting us know what’s gone wrong.

Certain beep combinations mean the memory is loose or damaged, others that the video adapter has a problem, etc. If your computer has started beeping differently, let our technicians know so we can decode it and repair the problem for you.

Some noises your computer makes will be normal, others a sign of deeper issues. Even if your computer seems to be operating correctly, a sudden onset of weird noises could mean failure is just around the corner. Taking early action ensures problems don’t escalate, costs are kept low, and your files remain where they belong.

Got some weird noises coming from your computer? Give us a call today at 312-600-8357

I get this question quite often. It is often thought as a computer technician we should be able to tell our customers how to keep from getting infected. So when I am asked this question I give the same answer, You can’t.

Now don’t me wrong, it’s all not. All though there is not a 100% chance of being virus free there are ways to better protect yourself from some of the pretty scary stuff out there. I’ve assembled the following free tips and tools that will help you prevent infections such as viruses and spyware:

Always keep your computer up to date:

This may sound easy enough but you would be surprised at how many systems have an outdated system. Whether it be not having the latest Windows updates or 3rd Party apps like Adobe Reader or Flash player plugin. These are notorious for having exploited flaws or “open doorways” that can potentially let in a lot of bad stuff in your system. First I would suggest running Windows Update on your control panel to ensure your system is up to date. For 3rd party applications, I suggest a program called PatchMyPC. Not only does this program highlight what 3rd party updates needs to be updated it gives you one button to update all programs that need to be updated. You can download it here:   Download

Backup your important files:

I can not stress this enough as it is the #1 savior to most users in a time of a computer crisis. You probably have pictures of your children, grandchildren or important events all on your computer. However, imagine one night a power outage causes your computer to shut down and never come back up again. To make things worse you have no backup of any of those photos. Often times I hear clients say “I have a hard drive which I’ll back it up when I can.” Then…they put it off for tomorrow, and then the next day. Until they find themselves a year later to no backup and lost memories. This is an everyday occurrence which often times price cost comes in the way of putting a solution in place. The following article discusses some great free alternatives for your backup needs: http://pcsupport.about.com/od/software-tools/tp/free-online-backup.htm

If you are able to invest a little bit in a solid backup program (we are talking about your irreplaceable memories here) Carbonite has been a leader in online backup space for quite some time. They currently offer a 30-day trial to kick the tires and see if it is a good fit for you. You can signup for your trial by clicking the signup button below: Sign up

Get the 2nd Line of Protection for your PC:

All Windows PC’s now have Windows Defender which is Microsofts built in Antivirus. However, that is not enough.  As viruses are now evolving to better hide from antiviruses you will need what we like to call a “2nd line of defense” Which we suggest the program Malwarebytes. It has voted Best Free 2nd Line of defense for PCs on tomsguide.com for 2016.  This tool is very effective in removing any nagging bug that may be in your system. You can find the download button below:  Download

BONUS:

More and More fraudulent websites are popping up in hopes to infect your PC and steal your data. This is why we love Adblock Plus. It is a pop-up filtering system to get rid of most annoying banner and pop-up ads. To  get your free browser plugin you can download it here:  Download

With these tools, you are now prepared to not only protect your PC’s health but your data as well. As mentioned before, nothing is 100% and are taking these suggestions at your own risk. Just one thing to keep in mind is constant maintenance is needed to be effective which is a commitment you will need to give.

Should you feel you’d prefer someone else to handle such commitment for your protection you can contact us on how we can take care of the protection for you to prevent infections most users are plagued with our protection plans. Contact Us

Social media networks have enabled people across the world to stay connected with their friends and family. However, social media networks rely heavily on personal communications and connections, something that encourages users to provide some amount of personal information. Consequently, scammers and other online criminals are now using social media networks to steal other people’s personal information, and thus you need to stay protected while using any social media network out there. Here are some simple ways to protect yourself on social media.

1. Don’t share your personal details

Posting or sharing your personal information on social media networks can make you vulnerable to scammers, hackers and other online criminals who are out to steal people’s private information. Therefore, refrain from sharing personal information such as your stress address, phone number or any other sensitive information that you don’t feel comfortable with strangers knowing. Again, be careful while posting and sharing information about your connections lest you end up giving out their private information thus exposing them to scammers and hackers.

2. Come up with strong passwords for your social media accounts

When it comes to social media accounts passwords, the best passwords are the hardest to guess. Having strong passwords for all your social media networks will help ensure that no one else apart from you can access your accounts. More importantly, keep your passwords secure and change them frequently to avoid being hacked. If possible, make sure you use different passwords for different social media networks.

3. Know the people you are connecting with on social media

Hackers, scammers and other types of online criminals are known to misrepresent their motives and identities on social media. Therefore, always know the people you are connecting with prior to allowing them into your network. Once you get a connection request, always check whether the connection is real to ensure you aren’t connecting with an impostor who is out to steal your personal data. To figure out whether a connection is real or fake, check how many connections they have and whether they have something in common with you. Above all, never accept connection requests from unknown parties or suspicious people.

4. Keep your social media accounts private

Use the default privacy settings on your social media accounts to keep your accounts as private as possible. Modify the privacy settings to ensure you are only sharing information with certain people or people already in your network, and to prevent the public from accessing what you post on your social media accounts.

5. Desist from accessing social media with wireless connections and public computers

Accessing your social media accounts on shared computers and public wireless connections can make you vulnerable to scammers and hackers. Therefore, try your level best not to access your social media accounts on shared computers and other public wireless connections to reduce your risk of getting hacked. But if there is no other way you can access your accounts other than using shared computers and public wireless connections, don’t forget to log out completely. Again, don’t leave your passwords and any other sensitive information since you can’t be sure who will use that computer after you are gone.

Conclusion

When using social media networks, always ensure you are well protected from scammers, hackers, and people with ulterior motives. With these tips on how to use social media networks safely, there is no doubt you will remain protected when using social media.