When you talk about line of business software, you are typically talking about the unique applications that your business uses to manage their business. In the retail space, line of business software would typically refer to your Point of Sale (POS), or Point of Purchase (POP) software. This month we will talk about how businesses implement their POS software and how it works to manage different aspects of a retail business.
Cybercrime is at a record high and today’s businesses are the ones that take the brunt of the issues. For the retail business, cybersecurity has a couple of different faces. For Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we thought we’d talk a little bit about the retail space and how businesses are securing their customers’ information.
We repeatedly talk about the need for data backup and efficient recovery practices in order to save your business from disaster. These disasters come when you least expect them and can really put a hurting on your business. Today, we’re going to take a look inside the retail sector to find why your average stores need to have resilient and up-to-date data backup in place.
Retail businesses have been around for centuries. From livestock bartering 8,000 years ago to the establishment of currency to buy goods 5,000 years ago to the first shopping mall in 1930 to the advent of eCommerce, retail has followed the evolution of society. Like many other businesses, today’s retail stores rely on computers and information technology. This month we will take a look at retail IT, and how managed IT services present the modern retail establishment with the tools needed to run their stores effectively.
Think about how much office technology has changed over just the last 10 years. Remember those bulky, 60-pound CRT monitors? Remember thinking a 32” screen was a TV, not a computer monitor? While you more than likely have replaced those old computer monitors, what is the status of your computer hardware? If you purchased your computer at the same time as that monitor, your hardware is also extremely outdated. How do you know exactly how old your computer is, and when it’s nearing retirement?
Patches are one of the most important aspects of your technology. As with anything, technology is constantly changing, so shouldn’t your software? Today we will discuss three tips, sharing advice on optimizing your patch management process.
As the quantity of Wi-Fi compatible devices increases, the demand for wirelessly-transmitted networks follow. While wired connections might seem inferior, Wi-Fi’s accessibility brings a new challenge -- security.
When you own a vehicle, you get a little document called a vehicle title. This certificate establishes the legal owner of the vehicle. When you own software, you are given a software license. Like any contract, things can go south if you violate the terms.
Small business owners are always looking for a way to shave some of that overhead off of their budgets. While this is probably true for most business owners, the more capital a small business can save, the more it can do. Outsourcing its IT management is one way to either cut down the company’s technology maintenance costs--or, if your company doesn’t currently have a dedicated technician--can keep you from paying way too much to keep your business running smoothly.
Ransom: a sum of money is demanded in order for the release of goods.
Software: the programs and other operating information used by a computer.
What do you get when you combine the two? Ransomware.
The smartphone is the defining invention of our time, and as a result, it has to be used for more than gaming, social media, and messaging. The smartphone is a great device to supplement your productivity efforts while you are on the go. Since these devices can do more than they ever have, more can be done by using mobile apps designed specifically to increase interdepartmental collaboration and business-to-client communications.
It’s likely that you’ve heard the different terms for Microsoft’s productivity suite offerings in the Office vein. A productivity solution like this cannot be implemented without considering each of your options, including both Microsoft Office 2019 and Microsoft Office 365. They might sound like the same thing, but they are both very different.
Productivity is a hot-button issue in the workplace. On one hand, you want to make sure that your employees have all the tools they need to succeed. On the other, you need to be sure that they are using the tools to get their work done and remain as productive as possible. How can you be sure that your employees are staying on-task and focused? It starts by understanding their motivations and their long-term goals.
People’s exposure to cybercrime has been increasing for some time. Today, people with very little coding experience can infiltrate systems and steal data. There is demand for data, and now there is a supply of low-cost--or even free--hacking tools available on the dark web that allows people to get closer to that data. In fact, according to a report by Deloitte entitled Black Market Ecosystem: Estimating the Cost of “Pwnership”, there is a complete economy built around these readily-available hacking tools that are relatively easy to use.
A world without any technical issues bogging down your organization is rather picturesque, wouldn’t you agree? The issue here is that it’s often not possible for businesses that struggle with payment to make ends meet--particularly in regard to technology maintenance. You can potentially prevent a mound of problems in the future by providing your team with the technology assistance needed to get them through their day-to-day duties.
Integrating collaboration tools ensures your team has the correct solutions to complete a project. Enabling these tools allows your business to put the co-op, in cooperation. Today, we will talk about how collaboration tools can be implemented, along with the benefits they bring.
Small businesses have been leaning on cloud computing for a few years now as it presents a lot of options to compete without having to make huge--often unavailable--capital investments in their information systems. Public cloud computing can provide any business with value, but what happens when it absolutely has to ensure that certain data stays secure, but accessible?
Imagine having a data backup and disaster recovery solution, thinking you’re prepared to handle anything that comes your way. Then disaster strikes and recovery is impossible. If you had tested your solution beforehand, it may have been possible to prevent this misstep entirely. What kind of disasters need to be prepared for, and how can you make sure your testing takes them into account?
Your business’ servers are extraordinarily expensive machines. Maintaining them isn’t cheap, but if they fail, it can be very bad for business. What does the small business that doesn’t have tens of thousands of dollars to throw into a server do when they need to stretch their IT budget?
Many businesses have turned to the cloud for their next big technology rollout, but there’s much more that goes into this choice than giving the green light to whoever is implementing it. First, you’ll need to make a choice; do you implement a public cloud, private cloud, or a combination of the two?
