COVID-19 and the cloud: Staying connected while apart
The term “viral” has taken its original meaning, thanks to the novel coronavirus infecting millions and killing thousands of people all over the world. As it rages on, we can see how cloud computing is helping us push through these trying times. Cloud computing helps buoy economies For many people, being forced to stay at home means being unable to earn money or spend money on in-person services and activities that form dense congregations, such as watching movies or attending concerts. Because of this, the world is projected to enter a global recession, although cloud computing helps to put a damper on this in a number of ways: The cloud allows people to work remotely. Cloud-based productivity and project management tools let people continue working from the safety of their own homes, thereby helping businesses remain operational despite having empty offices. Cloud hosting solutions support eCommerce activities. Regular web hosting services would be overwhelmed by spikes in traffic caused by surges in online shopping. eCommerce shops that are hosted on the cloud, on the other hand, won’t be so easily disrupted, thanks to the cloud’s scalability. Cloud-based payment systems help keep money flowing. A dead river is one in which water is stagnant and doesn’t flow. Economies are similar: money needs to keep moving in order for them to thrive. Since people stayed in their homes, economic activity slowed down. However, thanks to cloud-based payment systems, money can still move. Payroll apps let employers pay their staff, while banking and online payment apps let people transact and handle their finances in the comfort of their own homes. Cloud-based communication apps help keep communities stay together Communications can be challenging when it’s harder for people to talk face to face, but cloud-based apps keep communities together in the following ways: Social media apps help disseminate truthful information about the pandemic to the public. News agencies disseminate the latest developments regarding the pandemic in real time via social networks such as Twitter. Even government agencies and elected officials like New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo broadcast briefings over social media. Chat and video conferencing apps help families and friends keep in touch with each other. Much of human communication is actually nonverbal: we discern vocal tone, read body language, and take cues from people’s facial expressions. Moreover, as social beings, we crave interpersonal interactions — and seeing each other’s faces through video calls and video conferencing is the next best thing. Cloud-based entertainment apps help us pass the time and keep us sane The isolation brought about by social distancing can be harmful to our mental health. Not being able to party with our friends and work out in the gym can intensify feelings of loneliness and anxiety, as well as exacerbate symptoms of depression. Thankfully, there are many cloud-based apps that can entertain us and give us virtual forms of connection. Content creation apps provide outlets for self-expression and avenues for interaction. Even while hunkered down, teens and their families can take part in TikTok challenges to break the boredom. Sharing hilarious Instagram stories gave Emmy Award winner Leslie Jordan an extra boost in fame. Game-streaming services open up libraries of video game titles. New video games are expensive, but playing the same titles over and over again can prove tiresome. With game-streaming services, you can play new games without breaking the bank and spend countless hours of fun with old and new online friends. Stay culturally up to date by binge-watching what everyone else is watching. Streaming services like Netflix now put their most-viewed shows in top 10 lists, letting you know what you might be missing out on. Of course, people are free to skip shows they don’t like, but they better prepare themselves to be unable to relate when others start discussing these shows! The cloud is now a ubiquitous part of people’s lives, be it personally or in business. To find out the best cloud solutions for your company, contact our IT experts today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
How much internet bandwidth do you need for remote work?
The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed businesses to adopt remote work setups. But with the sudden move, employees are finding out that they don’t have adequate resources to work from home, specifically due to poor or limited internet access. So that you don’t encounter the same issue, find out how much internet bandwidth you need to work from home. What is bandwidth? Bandwidth refers to the maximum data transfer rate possible in a network or internet connection. It indicates the amount of data that can be sent over a connection in a given amount of time, and is usually expressed in bits per second (bps) or bytes per second (Bps). Imagine two computers with the same internet speed at 100 megabit per second (Mbps): the first computer only has a 50 Mbps bandwidth, while the second one has 100 Mbps. If they were to download the same 500 Megabit (Mb) file, the first computer would be able to do it in 10 seconds, while the second one could do it in just five. This is because the first computer’s bandwidth is capped at 50 Mbps — even if the internet was fast, the limit of transfer would still be low. Therefore, the higher the bandwidth, the more data can be sent over a connection, contributing to faster uploads and downloads, and overall better internet experience. How much bandwidth do you need for remote working? The answer to this question isn’t clear cut. The biggest considerations are the type of work that you do and the apps that you use. If your job mostly consists of sending emails, editing and writing on Google Docs, and communicating on Slack, then you can do your job with ease even with a low bandwidth. On the other hand, if you frequently attend meetings through video calls, then you’d definitely need a plan with higher bandwidth. Once you have a clear picture of how much data you send and receive on an average work day, you can start looking for plans that can support your needs. And while you definitely don’t need to conduct virtual meetings in 4K quality, you also won’t want your clients and colleagues to appear pixelated during a meeting. Neither would you want a session that gets choppy or cut off mid-conversation. Here are the minimum requirements for the most common video chat apps used by remote workers today: Zoom For 1:1 video calling: 600 Kbps (up/down) for high-quality video 1.2 Mbps (up/down) for 720p HD video Receiving 1080p HD video requires 1.8 Mbps (up/down) Sending 1080p HD video requires 1.8 Mbps (up/down) For group video calling: 800 Kbps/1.0 Mbps (up/down) for high-quality video For 720p HD video: 1.5 Mbps (up/down) Receiving 1080p HD video requires 2.5 Mbps (up/down) Sending 1080p HD video requires 3.0 Mbps (up/down) Google Meet HD video quality Outbound signals must always meet a 3.2 Mbps bandwidth requirement. Inbound signals: 2.6 Mbps with two participants; 3.2 Mbps with five participants; and 4.0 Mbps with 10 participants Standard definition (SD) video quality Outbound signals must always meet a 1 Mbps bandwidth requirement. Inbound signals: 1 Mbps with two participants; 1.5 Mbps with five participants; and 2 Mbps with 10 participants Skype Video calling HD: 1.2 Mbps (up/down) SD: 400 Kbps (up/down) The more participants, the higher the bandwidth requirement for downloads: 512 Kbps for three participants; 2 Mbps for five participants; and 4 Mbps for seven people. Upload requirements remain constant at 128 Kbps. Microsoft Teams Teams requires the same upload and download internet bandwidth for the following scenarios: 30 Kbps for peer-to-peer audio calling 1.2 Mbps for peer-to-peer HD-quality video calling at 720p 1.5 Mbps for peer-to-peer HD-quality video calling at 1080p 500 Kbps/1 Mbps for group video calling If you’re worried about your internet bandwidth, you can opt for audio calls instead of video calls. This considerably helps lower the information you need to upload and download. For more tips and solutions on how you can work from home without a hitch, call us. We’d be happy to help. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Cloud use surges during COVID-19 pandemic
As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads to more nations worldwide, millions of businesses turn to the internet as their employees are forced to work from home. Is the World Wide Web ready for the sudden increase in demand for cloud-based services? Even before the pandemic, many companies were already turning to online productivity and collaboration tools for their business. While projections on how long this pandemic will force people to stay in their homes vary, it is certain that for the next month or so, cloud usage will continue to rise. This has many people worried that the internet is not ready for this sudden increase in activity. What you should and shouldn’t be concerned about The internet’s performance depends on many things, including network infrastructure, how things are wired up, and points of presence. Will the internet collapse? Experts say this is unlikely. In fact, the internet is built to survive such surges in activity. Will it affect the quality of service? Yes, but it depends on the network infrastructure, the level of demand, and the ability of providers to scale up rapidly. In areas with inadequate or weak infrastructure but with a lot of users, expect to experience a slower internet because response time takes longer. But for those whose infrastructure allows them to make use of multiple paths, they can continue business as usual. Can teleworking solutions cope with the demand? It depends on how capable they are of scaling horizontally; meaning, if they can distribute the load to different parts of their network. For cloud-based providers, that should not be difficult. Will the increased demand mean that businesses with their data in the cloud will have a harder time retrieving their data? Businesses that use a private cloud to store their data (often for cybersecurity reasons) will not be affected because they have their own dedicated connections. But those who use the public cloud to store their data may be affected. How companies are preparing for this surge in cloud service usage Since the pandemic is global, all areas are affected, even those with a strong infrastructure backbone. But how they are affected varies. Companies that are already using the cloud extensively are the most ready for this new normal of working from home. Having a multi-cloud infrastructure makes them even more nimble to adjust to the increase in demand. Global corporations with a presence in different parts of the world, including areas with inadequate infrastructure, will experience connectivity issues. The solution is for them to redirect traffic to their areas with better-developed backbones. Companies offering Unified-Communications-as-a-Service (UCaaS) and Containers-as-a-Service (CaaS) like Google, Microsoft, Zoom, 8×8, Amazon Web Services, and IBM, to name a few, need to boost their distributed capacities to accommodate the increase in telecommuting. Cloud-based services are elastic, meaning they are quick to scale up or down. But the speed in which companies are able to scale up will depend on their network architecture and the kinds of services they offer. Some Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers, like Salesforce and Dropbox, are using a data-driven approach to manage their infrastructure and internet traffic. They incorporate real-time data to determine where to route their traffic so as to decongest their system and ensure consistent and reliable performance overall. The challenge is for providers to look for new and innovative ways to manage their traffic and resources. They should also look for ways to deploy new infrastructure to areas with slower, unpredictable internet service. This work-from-home situation looks like it will last longer than just a couple of weeks. If you need help to set up your business for remote working, talk to our experts today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Use single sign-on for login efficiency
Cloud subscriptions are undoubtedly valuable, but creating a new set of login credentials users have to memorize adds another level of inefficiency. With single sign-on (SSO), you can create one user profile that logs you into all of your online accounts. If you’re overwhelmed by the need to create and manage strong passwords, SSO is for you. What is SSO? Single sign-on allows you to create one username and one password that thousands of websites will recognize. If you’ve ever clicked “Continue with Google” on a non-Google website, you’ve already enjoyed the benefits of SSO. It’s faster, simpler, and more secure. Now, small businesses can accomplish the same level of efficiency between their employees and cloud platforms. Instead of requiring everyone in the office to track separate accounts for Office 365, Slack, Trello, and other cloud apps your company uses, you can give them a single set of credentials and manage what they have access to remotely. Employees come to work, enter their designated username and password, and they’re all set for the day. Why is SSO more secure? There are a number of ways to set up a small business SSO solution, but most of them focus on removing login information from your servers. Usually, you’ll provide your employees’ logins to an SSO provider (sometimes referred to as an Identity-as-a-Service provider) and each employee will receive a single login paired with a secondary authentication — like a fingerprint or an SMS code to a personal device. Every time one of your employees visits a cloud platform, such as Office 365 or Google Apps, the SSO provider will verify the user’s identity and the connection’s security. If anything goes wrong, your IT provider will be notified. Should your network or any of its devices be compromised, hackers would find nothing but logins to your SSO accounts, which are meaningless without fingerprints or mobile devices. How to get started with SSO The first step is making sure you have a healthy and responsive IT support system. You need a team that’s constantly available to review suspicious alerts and troubleshoot employee issues. If you don’t currently have that capacity, contact us today and we’ll help you out! Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Speed hacks to make Google Chrome faster
Is your Google Chrome browser a little slower lately? While Chrome is widely known as the browser of choice, it does have a habit of consuming a lot of system RAM. Additionally, there are times when it feels slower than before. Fortunately, these problems are simple to fix. Here are some speed hacks that will make Chrome faster. Clear your browsing data Chrome stores cached copies of websites you visit so it can load the page faster when you visit them again. It also keeps a database of your browsing history and cookies for the same purpose. As you visit more and more websites, these pieces of data accumulate in Chrome and can slow the browser down. Thankfully, the solution is easy: clear your cache. Simply access your browsing history by entering chrome://history in your address bar. From the left panel, select Clear browsing data. Choose which data to delete by clicking on the checkboxes of all items you want deleted, like cached images or cookies. You can also select the time range that will be affected by the deletion. You can delete your history for the past hour, the last 24 hours, the last seven days, and from the beginning of time. Once you’ve selected the files you want to delete and their corresponding time range, click Clear data. Disable extensions Extensions are downloadable programs from the Chrome Web Store that you can add to your browser to give it more functionality and a personalized touch. For example, you can add an extension that blocks ads, one that shortens URLs, or one that shows your most important tasks of the day. While these extensions are useful, they can slow Chrome down if there are too many installed at once. Most extensions will show on Chrome’s address bar, and you can quickly uninstall them by right-clicking on their icons and selecting Remove from Chrome. You can also manage all extensions by typing chrome://extensions in your browser and hitting Enter. From there, you’ll find a list of all the extensions you have (even those you don’t remember installing). Simply scroll through the list and click Remove to delete the extensions you don’t need. Remove ads and malware Sometimes, Chrome slows down because of malware or adware extensions. Extra toolbars, recurring pop-up ads, and web pages redirecting to other addresses are clear indications of these. Google once had a downloadable app developed for Chrome that scans and removes unwanted programs called the Clean Up Tool. In 2018, Google discontinued that app and made malware scanning even easier. Just type chrome://settings/cleanup in your browser, and click on Find to detect and remove harmful software on your computer. A top-performing web browser benefits your business in many ways, including enhancing your employees’ productivity and speeding up communication. If your web browser is performing poorly or takes forever to load a page, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us so we can identify and fix the problem right away. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
How AI can boost your eCommerce business
Artificial intelligence (AI) is fast becoming an integral part of doing business. Experts predict that AI will be involved in as much as 85% of all customer interactions with a business in 2020. In fact, many eCommerce businesses today are already using AI to interact with and provide better service to their customers. Read on to find out how. Predicting what your customers want AI has many uses in eCommerce, benefiting both the business and the customers. For instance, machine learning, a subset of AI, can be used to identify customer habits and their interests based on search histories (both inside and outside of a specific business’s site). With the proper configuration, machine learning can be used to analyze shopping behaviors to customize and tailor the online shopping experience to specific users. Product recommendations, pairings, and promotions can target individuals, improving the customer experience, and in turn, your bottom line. “I’m looking for something a little more…” Machine learning is also great for cataloging products. In the past, businesses would send out dense and cumbersome product catalogs where customers could find — often with difficulty — the items they were looking for. Today, consumers are able to upload photographs of a product — say, an article of clothing — that’s similar to what they want to purchase or pair with another. Through AI, a website will be able to analyze the photographs and make suggestions based on data from the uploaded images. Customers can still talk to a “representative” More and more users are relying on eCommerce over face-to-face sales interactions, thanks to advances in “plain language” systems. Machine learning is getting better at interpreting conversations and answering with natural-sounding responses. By replicating the in-person shopping experience, eCommerce businesses can shift away from the overheads of brick-and-mortar stores. This will allow them to make significant savings in capital expenditures and human resources, all while reducing the opportunity for costly human error as well. AI has the potential to improve your eCommerce business. If you’re ready to integrate more of this tech into your business model, give us a call. Our experts will be happy to assist you and provide the cutting-edge IT solutions that will drive your business forward. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Manage your WordPress with this checklist
WordPress is one of the most powerful blogging and content management systems (CMS) today. Since 35% of the internet is powered by WordPress, there’s no room for sluggish load times, potential security vulnerabilities, or search engine delistings. Follow this checklist to avoid those problems. Make backups It’s crucial to perform a daily off-site backup of your WordPress files and database. This ensures data security in the event of a network breach or natural disaster, and it will facilitate the resumption of your business’s regular operations. Although plugins like BackUpWordPress and hosting servers like SiteGround automate the backup process, manual backups are still necessary. Verify backups Not only should you be making backups, but you should also be verifying them. By doing so, you are making sure that the backed up files are going where they are supposed to, and backups are being updated. The last thing you need is a failed backup strategy on the day you need it most! Daily security reports If you ask any cybersecurity expert, “Is it crucial to maintain a daily network security report?” the answer will be a resounding “YES.” While you might not have enough time to carry out thorough inspections and create these reports yourself, you can use security monitoring services like Sucuri. Not only does it carry out the inspections, but it also sends an SMS to notify you of any suspicious activity and emails you a daily status report. Malware scans Cybercriminals are growing in both number and sophistication. With every passing day, new strains of malware are developed and released onto the systems of small- or medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Unless you are a bonafide hacker yourself, detecting malware might be a little tricky. WordPress plugins like Wordfence keep your website safe using the latest firewall rules and flagging the latest malware signatures and malicious IP addresses. Speed audits Slow and steady may be qualities valued by some, but not so much for your website. Plugins like Google PageSpeed Insights test how fast your site loads. If it takes more than five seconds, you should consider implementing caching and other measures to speed up your site. Slow sites put off visitors, and that further lowers their search rankings. Review your site For this step, sit down with an impartial friend and let them explore your website. A fresh pair of eyes will highlight issues you may have overlooked, such as forgetting to update the copyright date in your footer. Forbes, National Geographic, and The New York Times are all powered by WordPress, which means you are in good company. By sticking to the checklist, you too can harness the power of this online, open-source website creation tool. Or, instead of signing up for half a dozen services that need daily check-ins, why not have us take care of all of it for you? If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to send us an email or give us a call! Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
6 Firefox features your business needs
Firefox may not be as ubiquitous as it used to be, but it remains a powerful browser. Make sure you’re taking full advantage of its capabilities by using these tools: Firefox’s secret tweak interface Catering to the more tech-savvy users, Firefox’s secret interface gives you a peek behind the curtain into the world of coding. This helps you make adjustments to improve browser performance. Customize your toolbar Choose which tools you want to see in your Firefox toolbar and maybe even discover new ones you haven’t heard of! Click on the menu button on the top-right corner and then click Customize. Drag and drop desired items into the toolbar, which is located along the address bar near the top of the browser page. The master password ‘One can never be too safe’ is the mentality you should have every time you log on. Enter the master password. This acts like a key that unlocks all your vital passwords and information that could be detrimental if left exposed. Create your own password by going to the menu button > Options > Privacy & Security. Then check the box next to “Use a master password” and follow the directions in the pop-up window. Customize your own shortcuts If Mozilla’s current shortcuts take too long to master, consider your problem solved. With the help of the Shortkeys add-on, you have the luxury to design your own shortcut sequences. No more confusion, no more time wasted. URL autocomplete To spare you the fuss of entering prefixes or suffixes, Firefox lets the new URL autocomplete feature do the work for you. For example, type in “wordpress” in the address bar followed by Ctrl + Enter (Mac: Command + Enter) and voila! Firefox fills in the www and the .com parts. Firefox Send This feature enables you to share files up to 1G in size. The files you send are encrypted for added security. Your recipient doesn’t even have to have an account — all they need is a password to receive your file. Firefox is still developing and with the browser market becoming more and more competitive, there is no doubt that this smart tool will only become smarter and more versatile in the future. If you want to discover new ways to make Firefox work for your business, just give us a call. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Secure your data in the cloud
Data breaches are a common occurrence in today’s business environment. While many businesses have turned to cloud apps for better productivity, scalability, and savings, some worry that the cloud is more vulnerable to data breaches than an on-premises data center. The truth is that any computing environment is vulnerable if you don’t take steps to prevent a data security breach. Here are simple steps to protect your data in the cloud. The cloud opens up some great benefits for businesses and is here to stay. However, as with all technology advancements, you need to also be aware of its vulnerabilities and security issues. If you want to proactively prevent data security breaches in the cloud, then here are five tips to follow: Know your cloud apps: Get a comprehensive view of the business readiness of apps. Ask questions like: Which ones render you more or less prone to a breach? Does an app encrypt data stored on the service? Does it separate your data from that of others to limit exposure when another tenant has a breach? Migrate users to high-quality apps: Cloud-switching costs are low, which means that you can always migrate apps that best suit your needs. If you find ones that don’t fit your criteria, take the time to talk to your vendor or switch. Now more than ever, you have choices. Find out where your data is going: Take a look at your data in the cloud. Review uploads, downloads, and data at rest in apps to get a handle on whether you have potential personally identifiable information (PII), or whether you simply have unencrypted confidential data in or moving to cloud apps. You wouldn’t want cloud and data breaches with this critical data. Look at user activities: It’s important to understand not only what apps you use but the user activity of your data. Ask yourself: From which apps are people sharing content? Does the app enable sharing? Knowing who’s sharing what and with whom will help you understand what policies to best employ. Mitigate risk through granular policy: Start with your business-critical apps and enforce policies that matter to your organization in the context of a breach. For example, block the upload of information covered by certain privacy acts, block the download of PII from HR apps, or temporarily block access to vulnerable apps. The key to preventing a data security breach in the cloud lies in careful attention to your cloud applications and user activity. Analyzing your apps and looking into user activities might be time-consuming, but the minimization of cloud and data security breaches makes this task worthwhile. Looking to learn more about today’s security? Contact us and let us manage and minimize your risks. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
6 Types of cloud solutions every business should have
It’s almost impossible to run a business today without using some type of cloud technology. But despite its pervasiveness, many business owners are unsure about which solutions will benefit their organization most. In our experience, there are six categories you should focus on first. Email Every business needs email. And while there are plenty of non-cloud options to choose from, they require a lot of maintenance. Opting for cloud-based email means you pay for the service without worrying about hardware requirements or software updates. These issues, among others, will be handled by the provider and backed by service level guarantees. File storage Storing company files in the cloud is a great way to give employees more mobility and flexibility. Everyone can access information from almost any internet-enabled device without compromising security, since providers include things like encryption and multifactor authentication as part of the monthly service fee. You can opt for either DIY cloud storage such as Microsoft’s OneDrive and Dropbox or a slightly more expensive managed solution that will provide customization opportunities and regulatory compliance management. Document creation and collaboration It’s easy to confuse apps like Office 365 and Google Docs with cloud file storage but they’re not the same. What sets them apart is whether or not you can edit documents stored on these platforms. In most cases, multiple users can alter the same document simultaneously and see mirror images on their screens even if they’re hundreds of miles apart. Between faster document turnaround times and fewer separate versions of files, there’s no reason to keep everything offline. Business owners used to worry about security but vendors today invest 100 times more resources in protecting client info than a small operation could ever match. Server hosting Whether your business requires a single low-scale server or several high-powered ones, it’s becoming harder to justify maintaining those at your physical location. They’re too finicky and expensive compared to their cloud alternatives. Server hosting enables you to accomplish via an app all that you could with in-house hardware. The costs are also spread out month to month rather than all at once during the setup phase. Backup and recovery The entire basis of cloud technology is that you have total access to hardware and software that’s located far from your office. That makes things like cloud file storage and server hosting perfect for recovering from a disaster. If a natural disaster or cyberattack renders your office inoperable, all you need to do is log in to your cloud platform from somewhere else. If you are looking to move your business into the cloud, we have a broad range of products tailored to small businesses. Contact us today to learn more. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.