December 14, 2022
We've entered the twilight of 2022, and as we prepare for the onset of 2023, we often hear several IT considerations from our clients during this time of year. Naturally, due to the holidays and many workers opting to take time off, some companies will decide to perform significant infrastructure overhauls during this time frame while things are quieter. It can certainly be beneficial to start the year fresh with new equipment or software.
February 17, 2022
It's February and 'tis the season for Valentine's-related everything. We won't be dishing out any relationship advice this year (this is an IT blog after all), but we do whole-heartedly recommend that you commit to multifactor authentication (MFA). It doesn't matter if your employees are working remotely across the country or if they've been in-office every day for the past 10 years. Multifactor authentication is now a business necessity that goes a long way to secure your infrastructure and financial information.
January 26, 2022
Here we are at the end of January already, racing ahead into 2022. Are you still keeping up with those New Year’s resolutions? Because the BITS team is still ready and raring to go this year! We’re already preparing for what the coming months will bring our way. As we leave 2021 behind us, we want to share a few hot topics that will be sticking points in the tech world during 2022.
July 23, 2021
Bear with us here, because we’re going to take a moment to talk about a subject that isn’t particularly fun. Insurance. Ugggghhhh, right? Unless you are in the insurance business (in which case, sorry), there is nothing particularly enjoyable about insurance. It costs money, and if you ever use it, it means something bad has happened. Nope, no fun at all. Insurance IS important though, and it can provide some peace of mind that if the worst does occur, you won’t be financially ruined. Chances are you already have a lot of insurance in your personal and professional life: auto, health, life, liability, the list goes on. But now it’s getting increasingly important to add cyber insurance to that list. Here’s what you need to know about this new and evolving area of the insurance industry.
May 25, 2021
We get it: when you’ve got a problem, the temptation to handle it yourself is strong. It’s why there’s a whole do-it-yourself (DIY) industry, devoted to giving you the tools you need to get the job done on your own. And it’s so satisfying and fulfilling, isn’t it? Fixing your house and putting together a new piece of furniture are great DIY projects. So it’s easy to say, “I can fix it”, when your computer, network, or something else in your information technology (IT) setup needs attention, right? Here’s the thing about IT DIYs though: Don’t.
April 23, 2021
How’s that saying go? “Head in the clouds?” It’s a term that usually has negative connotations, but maybe not for much longer. That’s because nowadays, the term “cloud” has become synonymous with technology and cloud computing, a service that lets users store data and programs on a remote server—the cloud—and access it from anywhere they have an internet connection. It’s quickly becoming apparent that migrating their network to the cloud is an absolute must for businesses that aim to stay on the cutting edge: in fact, a Verizon study in 2017 found that 77% of businesses felt that the cloud gave them a competitive advantage (and that number has surely only gone up since then).
January 15, 2021
When it comes to business, you never want there to be any downtime that can get in the way of delivering for your customers or getting the job done. And when your business is spread across the globe in multiple time zones, it’s absolutely essential that your network is reliable and working all hours of the day and night. “If somebody from one of our factories in Germany calls us at 3 AM, our computers and servers have to be running,” says David Most, Vice President of Sales with W. Schillig. Fortunately, David and his team don’t have to worry about service outages because they partner with Beacon IT Services (BITS).
August 24, 2020
It’s 8:44 AM. You wanted to sleep in later, of course, but it was still nice to not wake up to the sound of your phone alarm buzzing. You go to the kitchen and make some coffee, then sit down on your couch, enjoying the quiet. A worry creeps into your mind. Will everything be OK while you're on vacation? No worries, you can relax. You know that even while you’re taking your much-deserved rest, your information technology partner – your IT team – is still hard at work, keeping your network and infrastructure running so your business can keep doing business.
June 25, 2020
History: we’ve lived through it, and more is being made every day. And while what’s happening in IT services may not seem quite as dramatic as what’s happening in the rest of the world, there’s no doubt that the industry is rapidly evolving in ways that will change how IT business is done going forward. And it’s not just that the way IT services are handled: it’s in the increasing need for every business to have a robust online presence, and with that, the need for trusted managed IT service providers. So how did we get here? As always, to get a sense of where we are going, it’s worthwhile to take a look back.
January 30, 2020
First, let us begin by paying our respects to a hard-working piece of software. The Windows 7 operating system first became available to consumers in October 2009. Since that time, the OS has supported millions of business and personal computers, offering Microsoft users an alternative to the less-popular and more-problematic Windows Vista. But, every beginning must have an end. And, that end came to pass just recently. On January 14, 2020, Microsoft ended its standard support of Windows 7, opting instead to focus its service around the next-generation OS – Windows 10. What does that mean for users who still rely on Windows 7? Let’s find out.
October 24, 2019
Big plans for Halloween this year? The October 31st holiday is an annual pilgrimage to the Altar of the Sweet Tooth for the kids. For adults, on the other hand, the celebration is closer to a fetishization of all things horrifyingly scary. If you’re a small business owner or an executive tasked with keeping your company’s digital infrastructure and business data safe, however, you might be forgiven for wanting to skip the terror-fest this year. Why? Because the number and variety of cyber threats just keep increasing exponentially, year after year, making every day Halloween.
June 25, 2019
How do BITS customers really feel about the job we do for them? We’re sure that almost every business asks itself a variation of the same question. After all, being successful is all about maintaining relationships. Here at BITS, we really wanted to know the answer. So, we decided to take the radical step of, you know, actually talking to our clients about how our services impact them.
January 28, 2019
Happy New Year! What are you looking to do better in 2019? The turn of the calendar tends to bring with it thoughts of personal growth and improvement. But, for many business owners – their identity being tied directly to their enterprises – New Year’s resolutions often translate to things they can do better for their companies. So, let’s restate the above question: What are you looking to do better for your business in 2019?
