Available Technology Inc consults with clients, provide hardware and software, and delivering support so our clients can reach the specific goals they have set for themselves and their businesses.
I am a small business owner and I work primarily with small business owners. Every day my team of technology professionals talks to entrepreneurs about technology and how it relates to their businesses. We spend most of our time addressing the concerns and questions of business men and women who have no idea what they can or should be doing with the technology direction in their business. It’s my job to help them make those decisions.
We have many clients, and each year we look back at each client’s history and assess new trends, new products and new services that we feel would help clients have better control over your environment, gain more productivity, or allow us to provide better service. In 2015 there are several new developments of which every small business owner should be uniquely aware. Here are the top technical concerns and opportunities of our clients for 2015.
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small businesses this year. Once upon a time, a small company could stay “under the radar” and feel reasonably confident that they would not be a hacking target. With recent breaches, however, we have seen that hackers have changed tactics to attempting to breach smaller companies in order to access larger companies through the less secure networks of smaller businesses.
on our minimum security recommendations to include a business class firewall
that provides active intrusion detection and prevention. Active Intrusion Detection, a requirement for HIPAA and PCI compliance, allows the firewall to monitor all traffic coming into or going out of your network. It identifies traffic that looks malicious, and notifies your IT personnel as well as actively blocks the attacker from continued attempts to cause mischief
router that is off-the-shelf, then you do not have the minimum recommended
security level for businesses. No matter your size or revenue, a business class firewall is the best baseline for network security.
business, your merchant services provider will probably be sending you a
Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ.) Starting in June of this year,
several IT security recommendations that were suggestions in previous years
will become mandatory. Non-compliance will result in additional fees from
your merchant services provider or bank.
level of IT security precautions in place before you receive the
questionnaire! Available Technology is certified to facilitate
secure environments by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards
Council. We can come in and do an audit of or business to provide
recommendations for passing your self-assessment the first time. Providing the hardware, software and training you need to be secure is also part of our service. We also provide SAQs that are pre-filled out and can be put on file for when you need them.
in your office, it’s time to migrate over to a faster and more reliable operating
system. With every day that passes, XP is becoming less secure.
You’ll get better security, time saving features and greater compatibility with newer systems. Make the jump to newer technology now, before a problem arises.
deploying mobile devices, it has become important to have a system in place for
controlling and securing those devices. We implement mobile device
management systems which allow for password and access control, antivirus
enforcement, remote location and remote wipe / lock for just about any phone,
tablet or mobile computer.
or 2010? Consider upgrading to Office 365 or Office 2013. There are major changes going on in the software industry right now, and we can help you navigate those changes and choose the licensing model that works best for your business and your budget.
Over 70% of small businesses use some sort of cloud service in their business infrastructure. It’s hard for business owners, without the aid of a CIO, to decide which is the right direction to make a commitment to. Google Docs, Office 365, Dropbox and many other solutions have advantages and disadvantages that many businesses realize only after committing to a product and migrating data. And the truth is, a cloud solution IS NOT right for the majority of businesses. Talk to a professional integrator like Available Technology Inc before forging ahead with a cloud integration plan.Apple Integration
Apple is gaining market share in certain markets, and employees want to use iphones and Macbooks on your network to access your company files. Apple devices have a whole different set of security and usage concerns than Windows based systems do, so it is critical to know how to keep your data safe while allowing access to this new breed of devices.
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While 2014 was referred to as “The Year of the Cloud”, 2015 will be characterized by a return to ground level security changes for smaller businesses as they find themselves needing to be as secure as much larger enterprises. With businesses allowing users to work from remote locations and fast internet access nearly everywhere, mobility will be a major trend this year. Newer types of devices, like Macs and Chromebooks, will of necessity be allowed to connect to corporate data that they never had access in the past.
2015 will be a fantastic year, full of changes and improvements to small business IT. Make sure you are embracing the change and not hiding from it! It is this constant climate of change that gives you opportunities to increase profitability and address old concerns in exciting new ways. If you need help, please contact us at https://www.available-tech.net.
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