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.
May 23, 2022
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a BITS team member at Beacon? If you’re a client of ours, you’ve likely spoken to us over the phone and may already be familiar with some of our technicians and what they do. For this month’s blog, we interviewed Dustin Shives, our Associate System Administrator to get the scoop on what his day-to-day is like as a member of our team. Read ahead to discover the IT issues Dustin gets calls about the most often, some of his personal tips & tricks, and more!:
March 28, 2022
Come in, come in: the tour is about to begin!
Thank you for joining us today for our guided tour of our newly-launched and redesigned Beacon IT Services (BITS) website. We're going to show you around and give you a fresh look at what we do and the services we provide.
We know, some of you have been here before! But we hope you'll enjoy seeing how our website, design, and technology have evolved over our 20+ years in this business. And for our newer clients or soon-to-be clients, we want to give you a taste of everything that goes into making us...us!
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.
October 20, 2021
Picture this: Years from now, you're sharing a holiday with your family. After overhearing you reminisce and discuss how unpredictable the beginning of the 2020s was–and hopefully how wonderful the rest of the decade was–a child in the family looks up from their tablet and asks you: "So, were you there for the great Facebook [...]
September 24, 2021
It’s Hurricane Season. Unless you’re a Carolina hockey fan, those words are enough to send a shiver down your spine, especially given how frequent—if not constant—hurricanes and storm warnings have become in recent years. Beyond the very real threat hurricanes pose to people’s well-being and property, they also pose another challenge to small business owners. A natural disaster may not only severely damage your business’s facilities or stock, it can also destroy the data you rely on every day to get your work done.
August 27, 2021
We’ve all gotten those emails. They’ll come from a company you’ve done business with, or from someone you know. A boss maybe. The wording is odd sometimes—there are always phrases that seem a little off, like “I’m stuck on a conference”—but the tone is usually urgent. Some action or information is needed. A cell phone number. Or credit card or social security data. Or maybe just clicking a quick link.
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.
June 24, 2021
It’s never good news when cybersecurity is in the news. Unfortunately, that’s certainly been the case this year, as story after story has emerged of cyber attacks and hacks crippling major corporations and utilities. The ransomware attack that halted Colonial Pipeline, hiking prices and causing gas shortages on the East Coast, was one of the most well-known recent incidents, but certainly not the only one: hackers also targeted food suppliers, insurance companies, communication companies, and many more. Indeed, one prediction from Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that businesses will be attacked by ransomware every 11 seconds by the end of 2021.
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).
March 24, 2021
“Are you working from home?” It’s become a common question this past year as the COVID-19 pandemic upended our lives. When it was suddenly unsafe to work in the offices we’d spent years commuting to every day, we adapted fast: spare rooms were transformed into makeshift offices, old chairs were drafted into service as desk chairs, and our home wireless routers were pushed to their limits handling the new wave of traffic from video calls, file transfers, and Slack conversations.
February 16, 2021
Ah, February. The season of Valentine’s Day, of romance. What, you don’t find the gray skies and mushy, freezing rain common to the bleakest winter months romantic? Have some chocolates. Anyway, what is romance all about? Love, trust, support, and most of all, connections. Ok, we know what you’re thinking now: why is this IT services company blog going on about romance and connections? Because here at Beacon IT Services (BITS), connections are what we do: network connections, cloud connections, and connections with customers like you so that you can then connect with your customers.
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).
December 17, 2020
For many, 2020 is a year that can’t be over soon enough. With a new year on the way and an undoubtedly challenging year behind us, it is time to look back and take stock. There is no question that the challenges of the year have been many and daunting, but there have been triumphs, too. Triumphs for our partner businesses and institutions who have so far endured 2020’s worst challenges. There have also been triumphs right here at BITS, where a combination of teamwork, persistence and drive has allowed us to be a part of our clients’ resilience this year. Join us as we look back on a tough year that we’ve overcome together.
November 18, 2020
No matter the size or scope of your organization, success is always the result of a team effort. Where talented and driven people come together with a common purpose, amazing things happen. The Beacon IT Services team (BITS) is no different. Coming from a range of experiences and with their own wealth of knowledge and skills, every member of BITS form the kind of IT services team that you’ll come to trust with any project, large or small.
October 26, 2020
For many, October is a time to embrace the truly scary in the world. Whether in costumes or in late-night horror-movie binges, people steer into all things spooky for a thrill. But, as with anything truly scary, it’s the threats closest to home that really get the hair on the back of your neck standing on end. What’s worse than the threat you can’t see? What’s scarier than the threat that might already be knocking on your door ?
September 24, 2020
So. Here we are. Still working from home. (Well, many of us.) Still not back to normal. (Not going to reiterate everything that’s going on. You know what’s up. And if you’re reading this in the future and have no idea what I’m referring to… well… you’re very lucky.) So yes, here we are, and here we stay. One thing to learn from everything happening now is that you need to be prepared for anything. Even if you’ve been able to get through 2020 largely unscathed, the general chaos and disruption right now should illustrate the need to be adaptive and ready to roll with whatever comes next.
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.
July 28, 2020
Whew! It’s the height of summer and it is HOT. Take your breath away hot. Cook an egg on the hood of your car hot. Don’t go outside unless you can jump in a pool hot (or at least dip your toes into a kiddie pool in your backyard). In other words, it’s a good time to stay inside. And while you're inside, cooling off with a glass of something cold and refreshing, you can think about a different kind of heat, like what’s generating interest and excitement in the world of information technology services.
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.
May 20, 2020
Change and uncertainty have been constant themes for nearly every business since the start of 2020. It’s hard to find an industry or sector that has not had to navigate at least some small-scale transitions due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many businesses were prepared for a pivot to an online-heavy operational model. But, many more were not. There’s no shame in the realization that your enterprise may not have been immediately ready to adopt a more digitally oriented business model. It’s hard to predict a once-in-a-century global crisis. But, now that you’re in the thick of it, what can you do to ensure that your operation is optimized for the new economic reality we are all experiencing?
April 23, 2020
Last month, as many businesses were amending their operations to function in a global pandemic, we wrote about managing the transition to remote work and what small businesses needed to do to make the new arrangement possible. If there’s one positive arising from the COVID-19 crisis, it’s that many of us have been forced to learn the skills necessary to function in the 21st-century economy. In the last several weeks, tens of millions of employees have become intimately familiar with video conferencing, VPNs, online collaboration tools, cloud-based document storage, and more.
March 25, 2020
As little as two months ago, working from home was considered a job perk. Or, maybe even a recruiting tactic for prized new hires. Despite telecommuting becoming more and more accepted in office parks around the country, the custom was certainly not a taken-for-granted benefit. A lot has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic has erupted and caused worldwide disruptions to everyday life and work. As more shelter-in-place orders come down from governor’s mansions, working from home has become a mandated reality for millions of people all across the world.
February 20, 2020
The jobs of IT professionals are hard enough. Forget for a moment that they operate in an industry where the rate of change is accelerating exponentially – Moore’s Law states that computing capacity doubles every two years. Put aside the fact that the threat environment which they are paid to counteract increases in complexity every year, also exponentially. Nevermind that such a breakneck pace of innovation requires continuous learning and updating of best practices and organizational policies.
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.
December 12, 2019
IT professionals are tasked with a very important job: protecting their companies’ digital infrastructure and digital assets from all threats and intrusions. It’s a big job. And, often, it’s a thankless one. After all, in many cases, the only interactions co-workers have with IT staff is when something is wrong.
November 19, 2019
Cybersecurity vulnerability isn’t just an American problem. It is a truly global concern. That recognition has driven international cooperation among the world’s governments, best exemplified by early agreements like the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, and supported by more recent measures, like the Obama Administration’s Executive Order promoting the sharing of private sector cybersecurity information.
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.
September 25, 2019
At Beacon, our success hinges on how well we know our clients. That’s what empowers us to anticipate their needs and deliver the right solution to the right problem at the right time. That doesn’t just happen by accident. It happens with a purposeful effort to get to know and understand our clients, their business needs and future goals. And, as with any successful relationship, it all starts with asking questions. Every once in a while, we wrangle one of our clients for an honest conversation about what we’re doing well and how we can improve. After all, you’ll never know if you don’t ask. This month, we had the privilege of chatting up Ken Dobbins, Vice President and General Manager of RSVP Communications, Inc.
August 28, 2019
In the last decade, the healthcare industry has undergone a dramatic evolution in the way that medical records are managed. If you work in the medical field, whether as a doctor, nurse, technician or administrator, you could not escape the implication of the “big switch” to EMR (electronic medical records).
July 25, 2019
Is your small business optimized for digital security and productivity? Pretty much every business takes measures to protect its network and IT infrastructure. With the extraordinary proliferation of malware and ransomware attacks in recent years, it’s just prudent planning to set up strong defenses against potential intruders. Managed IT services, which focus on more mundane tasks like updating and patching business applications, typically don’t receive the same level of scrutiny. But, they also play a key role in protecting your company’s key digital assets.
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.
May 22, 2019
Your company’s email accounts represent some of the most vital assets of your business. They contain important client correspondence, extensive team processes and projects, working copies of various reports and deliverables, and a host of additional valuable bits of information. A loss of a record, or the inability to find or retrieve archived information, can cause tremendous harm to a business relationship with a client, vendor, regulator or even your own employees. That’s why responsible business administrators take steps to protect their business email accounts through comprehensive email backup solutions.
April 24, 2019
Don’t look now, but hurricane season is once again bearing down upon us. Last year was predicted to be a below-average season. Instead, the Atlantic Ocean spit out 15 named storms, including eight hurricanes. There’s no telling what this season will bring. But, while you can’t predict when, or if, a major storm will strike, smart businesses plan for these types of disasters to ensure that they can survive and bounce back as quickly as possible.
March 19, 2019
Ever notice how one small change can cause a cascading series of bigger changes? It’s the classic butterfly effect in a nutshell – a butterfly flaps its wings in China, and 12 hours later a tornado hits, let’s say, Kansas. One small thing leads to a seemingly unrelated, bigger thing. The relatively recent rise of the cloud and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provides an excellent example of the theory in work. Of course, these trends are more significant than a single flap of butterfly wings. And the aftermath is surely less destructive. Nonetheless, the changes that adoption of the cloud has ushered in have been immense, and not always predictable.
February 26, 2019
Some of the biggest companies in the world were hit by some of the biggest cyber security breaches in 2018. Of the 24 largest breaches of all time on the USA Today list, three of the top 10 occurred last year – Marriott, Under Armour, and Quora. But it’s not just the digital novices who are vulnerable. Cyber breaches were also a problem for tech giants, like Google, Facebook, and Twitter last year. If Google isn’t safe, what chance do small and medium-size businesses have of keeping their digital infrastructure secure?
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?
