Directive Blogs

What goes through your head when you hear the words “IT audit?” Are you worried about your business’ deepest and most shameful technology secrets being exposed, or are you excited about the opportunity to resolve issues that you might not even know exist? We hope you have the latter mentality, as it’s the appropriate one—especially if you want to build a business that stands the test of time.

It’s happening in your office right now. An employee, trying to boost productivity, pastes a chunk of your confidential client list into a public AI tool to draft a marketing email. They see it as a clever shortcut. You should see it as a massive data breach waiting to happen. The explosion of AI tools like ChatGPT is a game-changer, but for unprepared businesses in Oneonta and beyond, it's a dangerous new frontier.

A significant and growing number of small businesses are either actively using AI tools or exploring their potential, motivated by the promise of increased efficiency, cost savings, and gaining a competitive edge.

It's an exciting movement, proving that AI isn't just for huge mega corporations. Small businesses are using AI for everything from generating marketing content and handling customer service inquiries with chatbots to analyzing customer data and automating back-office tasks. The goal is to compete faster and smarter.

When was the last time you gave the time of day to your business’ phone system? The Internet has largely made traditional telephone solutions obsolete, yet countless businesses still cling to them for dear life. Still, dismissing the importance of the telephone as a way to connect with your customers would be foolish, so our focus today is how businesses like yours can implement phone solutions that leverage the good while eliminating the bad.

How does your business use virtualization? We guarantee you that at least part of your infrastructure is virtualized to some degree, even if you don’t realize it. From hardware infrastructure to your desktop infrastructure, there are plenty of options for how your business can leverage virtualization for considerable impact.

It’s easy to skimp here and there when you run a business. After all, it isn’t cheap, and you have to make difficult decisions every day for where you’re prioritizing your spending. One area where you can’t scrimp on a substandard investment is your technology; especially an old computer that has broken down over and over again. If you’re not careful, that broken computer could be holding you back and costing you profit.

In the movie Moneyball, Billy Beane and the Oakland A's changed baseball forever. Faced with a tiny budget in the early 2000s, Beane ignored traditional scouting and used data to find talented, undervalued players. This sabermetrics approach allowed a small-market team to consistently beat rivals with much bigger budgets, proving that data, not just money, can lead to success.

Today, those same principles apply to every business. In a competitive world, companies of all sizes and industries can use data to make smarter decisions, optimize resources, and build a stronger business for less.

Your business’ relationship with IT has a direct correlation to how well it operates. If your technology fails, your business suffers productivity losses, as well as financial ones due to decreased reliability in the eyes of customers and clients. One of the best ways to ensure you’re following through on the promises you make to your customers is to implement a proactive IT strategy to replace the reactive approaches seen in the past.

It's a familiar challenge for businesses: how do you build customer loyalty and a strong user experience while also making sure that their data is protected? Sustainable success depends on mastering this delicate balance. Instead of choosing one over the other, the goal is to optimize data protection without hindering your ability to engage customers and drive growth.

Does your organization have the good fortune of having an in-house IT department? More likely than not, even if you do, your department has maybe a couple of technicians at most, and they are all up to their ears in work, whether it’s keeping up with maintenance or struggling to implement new and innovative solutions. If you’re looking for ways to upgrade your organizational IT infrastructure, we recommend you start with a network audit to determine what needs to be done (and how we can help you do it).

If you want your devices to keep running smoothly, including utility and security, you need to ensure they are updated. Updates sometimes cause problems beyond what they solve, however. What looks like a routine patch or update could impact your important applications, and if you’re not careful, you could potentially cause a downtime scenario simply by being proactive with your updates.

How often do you find yourself thinking about how new technology will impact your business’ bottom line? Chances are, you have considered implementing a new piece of technology or two, but you might get stuck on whether or not it will actually be worth the investment. This is where you consider the return on investment that technology will provide, or ROI. Here’s how you can make sure your technology is providing results and what you can do if it doesn’t get the results you’re looking for.

Does your business really still use that old fax machine? Chances are, it’s just taking up space and costing your business valuable time, money, and resources that would be better spent elsewhere. Let’s look at how a fax machine can actively hold your business back, both in terms of operations and budget.

The more you’ve invested in anything, the more critical it feels for you to get a return on that investment. So, what happens if you keep pouring money into these efforts in the hope that it will eventually work out in your favor?

These kinds of skewed choices come about thanks to the sunk cost fallacy—the tendency human beings have to be swayed toward illogical decisions based on what we’ve already spent. 

Let’s discuss how to avoid this in your business by working through the logic, free of the emotional context that the sunk cost fallacy introduces.

In a lot of ways, your business’ IT is just like a chair; you want it to feel stable, steady, and secure, not unbalanced and unsteady. In particular, a reliable security strategy depends on three legs: your people, your processes, and your technology. Let’s look at how you can use this “stool” approach to IT security to improve your company’s resiliency to potential threats.

Are you blindly sprinting forward where your technology is involved, picking things that sound good, hoping you have enough forward momentum to reach the next stop? Unfortunately, this approach is often an option that many businesses take, usually to their detriment.

We want to remind you that you there is a better way: creating an IT roadmap to strategically merge your technology with your more functional business goals, helping you progress with every dollar invested.

The Internet is a staple in most offices around the world, and you’d be hard-pressed to find one that doesn’t rely on it in some fashion. A big part of seeing success with the Internet depends on your bandwidth, as well as your network’s capacity to reach the capabilities of your Internet service provider. Today, we want to break down what bandwidth is, as well as how you can make the most of your Internet package.

Acquiring a competitor can be a rewarding and profitable move, but it's crucial to inspect their technology to avoid any unwelcome surprises. A thorough IT audit helps you understand what you're getting and prevents a valuable investment from becoming a money pit. Let’s take a look at some of the things you need to assess before agreeing to take on growth through an acquisition.

There’s a specific stress that comes from the disconnect between the money you invest in your business IT and the value that comes back from it. Sure, you know what the money is being spent on… but that’s a far cry from knowing how these investments are shifting the needle.

Let’s discuss the importance of understanding what your IT is telling you and when you need to demand more information… politely, of course.

Your business wants to use every opportunity it can to increase its bottom line and eliminate unnecessary costs, but how often does printing enter into the conversation? You waste more paper, ink, and toner than you think by not keeping a close watch on your printing practices. The right technology can not only reduce these wasteful practices but eliminate them entirely, giving you more capital to invest elsewhere in your business.

You’ve probably heard the adage, work smarter, not harder. It usually describes the use of technology to bring time-and-money-saving benefits to the table that human workers can’t produce on their own. As good as technology is at boosting productivity and efficiency, it only works if you are able to get your employees engaged. 

While the allure of shiny new gadgets and cutting-edge software is undeniable, the real magic happens when these investments directly translate into tangible productivity gains, transforming how we work and propelling businesses forward.

Do you have that one friend who's still clinging to their cracked, ancient smartphone? You know the one: it's painfully slow, the battery dies in two hours, and it can't run half the apps you use. Now, imagine if an entire company operated like that, with every piece of its technology. It sounds like a comedy of errors, but for many businesses, it’s a silent disaster waiting to happen.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a seriously hot topic. While integrating AI promises significant advancements and efficiencies, the narrative around AI-fueled layoffs—the displacement of human workers by AI—is increasingly met with a surprising twist: regret.

At Directive, a leading provider of proactive business technology support services, we've observed this trend with interest. It appears that many organizations that hastily replaced human capital with AI are now confronting unforeseen challenges. Managers that famously thought that replacing their paid employees with AI aren’t always happy with the results. Let’s take a look at the particulars of this phenomenon.

The CIO or Chief Information Officer of any organization has a lot of pressure on them to get their organization’s technology right. Not only do they need to put strategies in place that will help the organization prosper; they need to take the brunt of the heat when these IT initiatives don’t work out in the way they forecast them to. A lot of their job is to say yes when their best instinct is to say no. Today, we will look at three of the technologies that today’s CIOs are green-lighting.

As necessary as it is, business technology tends to be expensive, especially when things go wrong. Historically, these costs took the form of capital expenditures, which meant they were inherently expensive and unpredictable by nature.

This is precisely why it is so important to shift your business IT to an operating expense. Let’s explore why this is the case and how to implement this change.

Your business lives and dies by the strength of its network. If it’s not running well, your entire organization will feel it, and it could have serious implications for operations. You might end up with sluggish software or data transfers, among other issues. Here are some of the common holdups on your network that might be holding your business back.

Today, few topics are generating as much buzz right now as Artificial Intelligence. It's a concept that can feel both futuristic and, at times, a little intimidating. What if I told you that AI is already working behind the scenes in many businesses, acting as the most efficient, data-driven coworker you've ever had?

In business, it’s tempting to think, if it's not broken, don't fix it. This is especially true for technology. Your computers turn on, emails go out, and things seem to work… so why bother with constant maintenance?

What if I told you this safe approach is actually draining your profits? It’s a hidden expense, and understanding it can completely change how you see your IT.

With more people than ever working from home, their ability to receive the support they need to keep their devices in top working order is crucial. As a result, many businesses have turned to managed IT service providers to maintain their employees’ computers. MSPs like us utilize a tool called remote monitoring and management software (RMM). Let’s discuss what it is and why it is so useful for managing your company’s IT. 

Modern technology practically revolves around USB, but what do you really know about what goes on inside the cables and connectors? Let’s explore some of these minute details and see if we can achieve a new appreciation for this technology.

As you prepare to travel, remember that your digital security strategy needs to be as agile as you are. While advice like using strong, unique passwords and employing a VPN on unsecured Wi-Fi are helpful, professional data on the move has grown more complex. Today, we offer key security strategies that go beyond the usual to help you travel with greater digital confidence.

Every business owner understands the concept that time is money, but are you one of the few who know exactly how and where it is chipping away at your bottom line? One thing that is often cited is productivity, or often, the lack thereof. We believe that understanding these numbers is the first step to mastering them.

We’ve all felt that mini-panic that happens when our personal technology glitches. Not a great feeling. That’s just if your microwave is on the fritz, or your smartphone fell in the toilet. We all depend on multiple devices each day, but for a business owner who is responsible for so much, technology failure really isn’t an option. This month, we thought we’d go into how technology outages can impact a business to give you a better perspective of just how much is at stake.

Businesses are constantly seeking ways to build agility. Like many things, it’s not as easy as just saying it.  If your current technology feels more like a roadblock than a launchpad, it might be time to explore some different strategies. Let's talk about MACH architecture, the powerful framework designed to build a flexible, scalable, and future-ready digital workplace.

Do you ever wonder why some businesses seem to have endless technology problems? It’s not by accident. It's often a matter of not having the smart, simple habits in place to combat issues that present themselves. Let’s take a look at three ways that your business can avoid big technology headaches.

You see it everywhere, again and again: how much return an investment into proper business technology will bring, with little to no context behind these claims. We want to fix that.

Let’s examine why so much information about modern IT options can be less than helpful, and see if we can’t clarify what it means. Simplifying tech for the businesses we work with is one of our primary goals, after all.

The cloud is an essential piece of technology for any modern business, but how much do you actually know about the cloud in 2025? Any business can leverage the cloud, from small businesses to large enterprises. Let’s discuss what the cloud is, what it does, and how it can help your business reimagine its operations.

This summer, do you plan on getting away from the office for a bit? If so, we have some technology tips for you to help you stay safe and secure while on the go. Here are three ways you can prepare for travel with the right technology.

Remember the days of watching a loading bar slowly crawl across the screen? Or maybe that distinct screech of a dial-up modem connecting? While technology has rocketed forward since then, some businesses still cling to an outdated approach when it comes to managing their IT: the break-fix method.

This means waiting for something to go wrong—a server crash, a software glitch, a security breach—before calling for help. It might seem cost-effective initially, but this reactive stance is becoming increasingly risky and wasteful.

Robust IT tools and services are no longer a luxury, but the very lifeblood for organizations of every size. They provide the essential direction, unwavering stability, and seamless connectivity required not just to survive, but truly thrive in an increasingly digital world.

That said, the questions remain: what exactly constitutes these pivotal "IT tools and services," and more importantly, why should they take a top spot on your business priorities?

In any professional services firm—whether advising on law, managing finances, designing structures, or developing business strategies—the core value lies in specialized knowledge and trusted expertise. Delivering this value effectively for these types of organizations relies heavily on a powerful technology.

Is the steady hum of your office printer the soundtrack to shrinking profits? For many businesses, the hidden costs associated with printing—paper, ink, toner, maintenance, and even the time employees spend managing physical documents—add up to a significant expense.

At Directive, we specialize in proactive business technology support, and we often see companies bleeding money through unnecessary printing. There is a powerful solution: a Document Management System (DMS).

While it’s the longest-running joke in the world of IT, the question “Have you tried turning it on and off again?” is still an important one to consider when things are going awry. There’s a good reason why it’s such well-known advice, too: turning your device off can help solve a significant amount of technical issues. Why is this the case, and what can you learn from it?

Over time, you might add new technology solutions to your infrastructure to solve specific problems. Before you know it, you might have an overwhelming amount of technology that keeps your business operational. This issue—tech sprawl—can hold your business back from efficient operations, but don’t worry… we have a solution for you.

Your Point of Sale (POS) system does more than ring up sales, it’s the control center that keeps your entire operation running. From processing payments to managing inventory and generating reports, it plays a vital role in your daily business flow. Like any technology, a POS system can get old, glitchy, or just fall behind. If you’ve been questioning whether yours is still doing the job, here are five clear signs that it’s time to move on and upgrade to something better.

Think about running a small or medium-sized business. It's like trying to juggle a million things at once. You're super focused on keeping your customers happy, making sure your team is doing well, and, of course, making money. Among all of that, there is something that often gets overlooked: the technology that makes all of your efforts possible.

We’ve all heard it, perhaps even rolled our eyes at it: “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” This seemingly simplistic question has become a running gag in the world of IT support. But beneath the humor lies a fundamental truth: rebooting a device is often the most effective first step in resolving a surprising number of technical glitches.

We understand that, although it might sound elementary, this advice is based on solid technical principles.

You might remember the good old days of software, and by “good old days,” we mean “good old days of tedium, installing software on computers one by one.” 

Software as a Service, or SaaS for short, has put an end to those days and has made way for better options for SMBs. Today, we want to look into these subscription-based tools and showcase their benefits.

If your business technology setup is driving you nuts, you’re not alone. Many business owners and managers have endless gripes about the technology they use for their business. It could be that your Wi-Fi is crawling along and not allowing for productive Internet speeds, your software feels like it was developed for Windows Vista, or you’re constantly wondering how you are going to keep your data safe. Whatever the case, it can be fixed. In today's blog, we’ll go into how to rebuild your IT plan from scratch.

Remember buying software on disks and installing it, computer by computer? Thankfully, those days are long behind us. Today, Software as a Service (SaaS) offers powerful advantages, especially for small and medium-sized businesses.

Let’s explore how you can benefit from these subscription-based tools. 

If given the opportunity, would you rather manage a room full of big, bulky servers to maintain an in-house data network, or would you prefer to decentralize your infrastructure to make it more accessible, redundant, and secure? A data center can help you do just that, and it’s not nearly as difficult or as complicated as you might think to utilize one.

Running a small or medium-sized business means juggling countless priorities. You're focused on your customers, team, and bottom line… but what about the technology that powers it all? 

Often overlooked, your IT infrastructure is far more than just the computers on desks. It's the complex web of network equipment, essential software subscriptions, cloud services, and even the personal smartphones and tablets your employees use for work. Keeping this entire ecosystem running smoothly and securely is a significant challenge for many SMBs.

An expiration date helps to make sure you aren’t buying fast-turning foods at the grocery store, and now, the technology industry is making strides to establish a similar standard. A new industry report recommends new legislation pushing for End-of-Life (EoL) disclosure, which would, in theory, allow businesses and consumers alike to make more informed purchasing decisions. What does this mean for your business?

One of the biggest things that businesses need to consider today, from an IT front, is how artificial intelligence fits in. One way many companies are integrating AI into their businesses is through chatbot technology. Today, we will tell you everything you need to know to get started with chatbot technology.

Running a small business comes with many challenges: managing customers, handling inquiries, scheduling appointments, and marketing your services, just to name a few. While these tasks are mandatory for the creation of a successful business, they can also be extraordinarily time-consuming. That’s where chatbots come in.

Skype, once a popular and beloved video chat platform, has reached the end of its rope (in a manner of speaking). Microsoft is discontinuing the 20-year-old communication application, instead focusing its efforts on Microsoft Teams. The last update to Skype will be on May 5, but that doesn’t change the impact Skype had on the development of modern communication tools.

The modern business is more technologically driven than ever before, but there are some out there who haven’t embraced the benefits of technology and have alternatively chosen to stick with their more analog, tried and true methods. In today’s blog, we’ll discuss why technology is important and how to get started if your business is stuck in the 20th century.

Absolutely nobody likes dealing with passwords. They’re annoying, hard to remember, and yet, somehow, hackers seem to have no problem cracking them. That’s where password managers come in. They take the stress out of remembering a hundred different logins while keeping your business secure. If you’re still relying on sticky notes or using the same password for everything so you can remember it, it’s time to make the switch.

Smart speakers have been around for a while, but let’s be honest—they haven’t exactly changed the world. Sure, they’re great for playing music, setting timers, and answering random trivia questions, but beyond that? Not much has evolved. So, how did we get here, and what’s next? More importantly, can they actually be useful for businesses, or are they just another gadget collecting dust?

The entire purpose of modern IT is to improve the processes that work requires us to do. Today, we wanted to address a few business priorities—productivity, cybersecurity, and accessibility—that the right tech can help you accomplish, explicitly exploring how different tools can contribute to your success.

If I were to ask you what technology your business possessed and where it all was right now, could you give me an answer? If not, you’ve demonstrated the importance of keeping an accurate inventory of your business’ IT.

So, let’s go over some best practices to make managing your business’ IT inventory more effective.

We’ve all had to confirm we’re not a computer when attempting to log into an account. This is the core purpose of what once was called CAPTCHA… the Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart. However, it seems surprising that computers don’t easily overcome these simple-seeming tests.

Let’s dig into why these simple tests actually are effective at differentiating between human users and automated bots.

We can’t tell the future—no one really can—but it is both possible and vital to make predictions based on present trends and current events. Let’s look forward to the rest of this year to see what predictions we can make for business IT and the notes we should all take over the next few months.

New technology is always a bit intriguing. It can also be scary for some. Business owners typically only see the cost, even if it presents solutions to their organizational problems and can err on the side of caution as to not too much strain on their budget. There are a couple of really cutting-edge technologies businesses can use today that can help them confront problems they have. Let’s take a look at them in today’s blog. 

Hardware is far from the most fun topic for a business owner to learn more about, but that doesn’t diminish its importance. If you want to ensure your business stays ahead of the game, then you need to be strategic about your hardware implementation. Otherwise, you risk falling behind, put your business in danger, and—even worse—imperil your budget. Today, we want to help you get the most out of your hardware, long before you have to invest in anything new.

Running a small business is no easy feat, especially when it comes to managing supply chains. You’ve got to keep track of suppliers, shipments, inventory, and customer demands—all without losing your mind. Luckily, technology is here to help. Let's break down some of the key tech tools that small businesses are using to make their supply chains smoother and more efficient.

Artificial Intelligence is one of the most disruptive and innovative technologies that has come down the line in a decade. It can do things in minutes that would take people hours or days. It will only get more sophisticated from here. Unfortunately for business owners, the use of AI can mean that sometimes you lose sight of just how valuable your human employees are. This month, we take a look at why human employees can be an important part of keeping your automated tools in check. 

With so many devices connecting to the Internet, it’s natural that a term would emerge for devices that don’t typically have Internet connection, but nowadays do anyway: the Internet of Things. Businesses can leverage the IoT to take advantage of incredible benefits, but these devices come with an inherent security risk. Why does the IoT matter for businesses, and what can you do to keep your organization secure?

Unless you’ve been living off the land in the wilderness for the past couple of decades, you’ve heard of Facebook, Twitter (now X), and Instagram. Most people have some type of social media presence on one or all of these platforms (or at least on LinkedIn, TikTok, or YouTube). Many businesses once used or currently use these platforms as a part of their marketing efforts, and despite being billion-dollar companies, there are some serious concerns about the viability of these platforms going forward. In this week’s blog, we will discuss some of the problems people are having with these established social media platforms and how alternatives might just be the future of social media.

Using AI is all the rage these days. Seemingly every opportunity software developers have to add some type of AI or machine learning technology into their offerings is being taken; not only for the benefits that it gives their customers, but also for the marketing clout it immediately provides. This month, we thought we’d go into some of the ways AI is helping create more dynamic software and if it really provides end user value or if it’s kind of a red herring used by developers to position their products better in a more competitive market.

So you got a new computer for a holiday gift. That’s great! We’re excited that you’re excited. But you also need to consider how you are going to dispose of your old device and how to do so in a safe way. Today, we want to discuss how you can safely discard, or potentially even reuse, your old device so you don’t put your data at risk.

In business, innovation and productivity go hand-in-hand. When you think outside the box, you open up new ways to get things done faster, smarter, and more effectively. In this month’s newsletter, we thought we’d discuss five innovative strategies to help your business reach new levels of productivity.

Business technology can sometimes seem like a hedonic treadmill: you maintain a baseline level of operation with your IT, but it will inevitably fail, leaving you in the tough situation of having to replace it. Today, we want to help you get ahead of the curve a bit with a technology needs assessment. We’ll discuss the benefits of a needs assessment, as well as what it focuses on both now and in the future.

A new year is a great chance to look at what your business is doing well and where it can get better. Your technology is one area where there’s usually room for improvement. If you’re thinking about adding new tech this year, here are four questions to help make it a success.

The Internet is right along with electricity as a completely essential part of doing business. Today, we take a look at the central metric of Internet usage: Bandwidth.

The new year is generally associated with fresh starts and new opportunities. One opportunity that will continue to demonstrate and expand upon what it can do for businesses is the Internet of Things, also known as the IoT.

Let’s take a few moments to break down what the IoT is and—more importantly—what it can help you and your organization accomplish throughout 2025 and beyond.

While we all know how much magic the workshops up at the North Pole rely on to produce presents for the good children of the world, we have it on good authority that they also rely on quite a bit of technology. For instance, there are a lot of letters that need to be sorted and read before Santa’s big ride. Let’s read up on what our partners up north frequently deal with in their critical operations.

With Christmas a couple of days away, most of us are either wrapping up our shopping or wrapping up the presents we’ve already purchased. If you are looking for a last-minute gift to give the tech lover in your life, here are three that we found really cool.

Artificial intelligence is the latest IT buzzword that everyone seems to focus on and it’s because it is a big deal. Advances in computing have created an environment where developers can create software that effectively learns. Unfortunately, due to the nature of AI regulation; or, the complete lack of it, there are some who are concerned that the technology—which could be a revolutionary tool for the improvement of human societies—is being degraded.

Have you ever searched for something on Google, played a game that remembers your high scores, or checked your Instagram messages? These apps feel smooth and efficient thanks to something called a Database Management System (DBMS) working quietly in the background. In this month’s newsletter, we’ll explore what a DBMS is, how it works, and why it’s essential for creating a seamless user experience.

Computer problems can be super frustrating, especially when they slow you down while working. Many times, it is something that can be fixed quickly, but then there are issues that an experienced IT professional has to address. Let’s take a look at some of the most common computer problems professionals run into.

Artificial intelligence, or AI, has upended the way that we discuss technology in business, society, and individual everyday life. While we mostly focus on the benefits of the technology, there are many downsides to consider as well. That’s what we’d like to discuss today; how AI has a dark side to it that potentially requires regulation.

Rebooting your device presents several benefits. If you ever experience an issue with your device, rebooting it will likely improve it. Heck, even the National Security Agency (NSA) recommends you do this… but why?

Downtime can be lethal to businesses, not only because too much can lead to failure, but it can easily waste a lot of your team’s time as everyone shifts gears to find a solution. This is why is it best to avoid it as often as possible.

That’s why we’re discussing three of the most prevalent causes of downtime, and what you can do to prevent them.

For the longest time, smartphone manufacturers looked to develop devices that came with unique features in all different manners of form factors. Nowadays, however, there are very few phone manufacturers and those that are left have pretty much decided, for now, what the smartphone would look like. Even the ones that fold in half look and function pretty much the same. In this week’s blog, we will take a look at the declining innovation in the smartphone market and why it may not be a bad thing.

One of the many tasks undertaken by the United Nations is to protect human rights around the globe while also working to create more sustainable and climate-friendly development. As such, the UN has recently taken a healthy interest in the development of artificial intelligence, hoping to develop guidelines that allow us to get the most value out of AI without creating more significant problems.

We all depend on the Internet. For most of us who have been using it since the mid-90s, we’ve seen a massive change in its use. Today, silent continuous connectivity has replaced the dial-up tones of the late 90s and early 2000s. In today’s blog, we thought we’d discuss how Internet connectivity speeds have changed over the past 30 years. 

Telephone systems are a crucial part of any business. Voice over IP, or VoIP, takes telephone systems one step further by making the service more accessible, flexible, and affordable for SMBs. Today, we want to highlight some of the benefits you can expect from using a VoIP system.

A business experiencing a network bottleneck is having a bad day, especially since the ability to share data is so important to many industries today. That said, today’s resource-intensive technologies can easily eat through an organization’s bandwidth and create these kinds of network slowdowns.

Let’s talk about what can be done to reduce these bottlenecks, if not eliminate them outright.

Streamlining communications for small businesses can significantly boost efficiency and elevate overall performance. However, achieving this isn’t as simple as just deciding to implement it. This month, we’ll explore some key advantages that a unified communications platform can offer.

The tech we have at our fingertips has the potential to dramatically enhance our productivity, support a great deal of creativity, and improve a person’s overall quality of life. What happens when you don't use this technology to its full potential? The answer is simple: you lose out. Let’s take a look at some of the negative effects of not using tech to its fullest.

Your computer has a brain, of sorts, in its CPU… a tiny square that literally enables everything the device does, as it processes billions of instructions at a time. Of course, to support this on such a relatively tiny piece of hardware, most CPUs are packed with microscopic transistors—these transistors being small enough to fit hundreds on a single blood cell.

As you might imagine, this means things can go wrong pretty easily… and gone wrong, things have. Many newer computers are suffering from a bug that could cause permanent damage to the CPU… and if you don’t take steps fast, it could be too late.

A business has to have people who know how to balance its spending to cover its bases and keep the company healthy. For the small business it is often a matter of choices. In this month’s newsletter, let’s go through some of the ways that keeping it simple might just be the best strategy in terms of their technology.

There’s no doubt that data is valuable. It can improve many different aspects of a business, most notably operations, customer relations, and marketing. The more data you have, the more specific actions you can take to improve your business. But it can also be a real problem if you don’t have a plan for managing it. Let’s discuss some problems your data can present and how to avoid them.

Software fuels most businesses nowadays, even the small shops down the street. Depending on the size and scope of the business, however, managing software can be complex and downright unfun. Today, we want to highlight a type of tool that your business can find great value in: a software management solution.

Effective management is crucial for success. One way to achieve this is by using management software. With so many options available, how do you choose the right one? Today’s article explores the different types of management software to help you make an informed decision.

Staying optimistic can be challenging, not just in business but in life. Here’s a few ways to give your business a little more confidence in your ability to support your business.

No matter your industry, size, or business model, satisfying your customers is crucial. Your business' survival depends on your ability to do this effectively.

To achieve this, it is essential to leverage every opportunity to deliver for your audience. One way to do this is through modern business technology, such as customer relationship management (CRM). Let's explore what a CRM is and why it's beneficial.

Technology is an essential part of most business operations nowadays, regardless of the size of the business… and how that size may change over time. As such, it is essential that the infrastructure that supports this IT can adapt to these swells and declines.

Let’s discuss why it is so important that your IT infrastructure fits your business and a few best practices for tailoring it.

Do you have trouble keeping up with your email inbox? You’re not alone; business professionals all over the world struggle to get to the fabled “inbox zero.” If you want to change the way you manage your inbox for the better, you should consider the RAD method. It might just change your life.

The proposed ideas here come from Nick Sonnenberg, founder and CEO of Leverage.

Doing business using the cloud is now commonplace, but every business is different and needs to fit its IT infrastructure to its operational requirements. This is possible, but trying to fit a one-size-fits-all solution into a complicated operational structure will cause more harm than good. In this month’s newsletter, we wanted to give five general tips to consider when you want to deploy the cloud in your business.