2017 Technology Tips for Denver Businesses

Technology Tips for Denver Businesses

The Denver business community has grown tenfold in recent years. Several large businesses have recently relocated to the Denver area and startups and small businesses are cropping up in Denver at a growing rate as well. Many new business owners find themselves overseeing areas of a business they are not familiar with though, such as IT. With such a fast-changing landscape, it’s important to stay up to date on technology tips for Denver businesses. Keep your competitive edge and don’t let next year’s new businesses edge you out!

Have a Cloud Backup Solution

Backing up your network on an in-house server or hard drive has become more expensive and less secure than cloud backup for businesses. Find a cloud provider that can backup your network on an ongoing basis and that will maintain your system updates and cyber security.

Having a professional cloud backup solution will protect you and your business from hacks, system failures, human error, or anything else that could cause data loss. Data loss issues can put businesses days or weeks behind, but with cloud backup, you can restore everything within a matter of minutes.

Password Protect Everything

You have likely heard this many times before, and here it is again: do not use the same password for everything! Yes, I know it’s just easier that way, but with the same password on everything, if one account gets compromised then everything with that same password is essentially compromised as well.

Use a different, long password for each log in you have. The longer the password, the better. One tactic that can get you a long password that is easy to remember is by stacking 2-3 words on top of each other. If you have a huge number of accounts though, use a password saver to eliminate the risk of forgetting them.

Use Cloud Computing Rather than a Traditional Network

Cloud computing has become the gold standard for 2017 businesses. Employees expect the flexibility to be able to access their desktop from anywhere, and clients expect you to be able to send them anything they need digitally.

Cloud computing has a number of benefits for business owners too. Businesses save money on IT staff and equipment because they do not need a physical network of servers. Cloud computing is also more secure against viruses, hacks, and data losses than a traditional network. This means less risk of compromised proprietary or confidential client information.

Mobile Friendly Everything

For retailers and essentially anyone with a website, having everything mobile friendly is a requirement for competing in 2017. Mobile payments are expected by customers and are more secure for vendors too.

For the first time, in 2016 internet use on mobile phones surpassed that on desktops. If your website is not mobile friendly you are turning away more than half of your visitors! Make sure you have a responsive website design that looks and works great on both desktop and mobile devices.

Technology Tips for Denver Businesses

Denver is growing and so is its business community. Keep your company competitive by staying up to date on all of the modern technology trends. Each year, what consumers expect of a business changes. If you don’t change with those expectations, you will find yourself falling behind the next generation of new businesses.

/0 Comments/by

What is Cloud Computing?

what is cloud computing

Most working professionals have heard of cloud computing, either as the rising workplace trend or as a hot term in tech. Many people who hear the phrase though find themselves asking, what is cloud computing?

In basic terms, cloud computing is storing and accessing information over the internet rather than from your device’s hard drive. The traditional way to store information is to have a computer with a hard drive and all information stored in your files there. In many offices, there is also an internal server where shared information can be stored and accessed by others in your organization. In contrast to this, cloud computing is having everything stored offsite and accessed by users through the internet.

Once you know what cloud computing is, you can start to imagine the number of benefits and conveniences it offers businesses of any size.

Benefits of Cloud Computing

 

Minimal Hardware Onsite

With cloud computing, you and your organization will need only minimal hardware onsite. No servers, no back-ups, not even sophisticated computers are needed for cloud computing. Devices hardly need any internal storage when you are computing 100% in the cloud.

Access Files and Programs Anywhere

Being able to access your saved data and programs from anywhere is invaluable. The convenience of not needing to bring a laptop to and from the office or adding files to a flash drive for every meeting seems difficult to imagine. With cloud computing, by simply logging on to any device you can pick up right where you left off. This means easier working at home, easier travel, and quicker set up for presentations when you can simply log in to the cloud on location to grab the files you need.

Lower Your Costs

For those money conscious business owners out there, all of this information is probably starting to look like some serious savings. With hardly any hardware and memory needed, your costs in equipment and servers just got cut down to a fraction. Not only that, but with only minimal hardware onsite, your IT staffing needs just went to down too. Cloud computing allows you to both save money and gain convenience.

Speed & Security

Cloud computing will give you both speed and security in your network. There is no lost time due to sitting around waiting to load a large file on an old computer, and no long phone calls with IT when your system goes down. With cloud computing you also have an automatic back-up to call on if you lose data due to a hack, natural disaster, or (the most common cause) human error.

Your productivity will skyrocket when time spent twiddling your thumbs in front of a slow computer is eliminated. With all data stored remotely, there is little to no computing power needed on your end. Say hello to both speed and security with cloud computing.

What is Cloud Computing?

To both small and large businesses, cloud computing is cost saving and convenient. Access your files from anywhere while still benefitting from heightened security and speed.
 

Are you looking for a better computing experience?

Learn More About CloudColorado, the Leading Cloud Provider in the Denver Metro Area

 

/0 Comments/by

Why All Small Businesses Need a Professional Backup Solution

Why All Small Businesses Need a Professional Backup Solution

Small businesses are often run lean – no room for unnecessary costs, no luxury of extended vacations, and definitely no space in the budget for lost time and revenue due to data loss. No matter the size of your business, a professional backup solution will save you from disaster when a data loss happens. Whether it be a cyber attack, natural disaster, system failure, or even human error, having a backup to call upon when you need it most will allow to pick your business right back up and continue where you left off.

Minimize Losses When the Unexpected Happens

 
Did you know that over 40% of businesses without a backup solution go out of business when a major data loss happens? Losing years of digital infrastructure and client information is too much for many businesses to recover from.

There may have been a time when huge losses due to cyber attack or natural disaster seemed unlikely to ever happen to you. In recent years though, both events have become more common and the horrendous after-effects have been highly publicized. Using a professional backup solution can save you the hit to your image and wallet that these data losses cause.

Keep Client Data Safe

 

Having a breach of client information is often reputation ruining. Using a professional backup solution will prevent personal and financial information from getting into the wrong hands. A backup company will not only store a backup of your data but will work around the clock to keep the backup system updated and protected from security breaches. The threat of a hack or cyber attack is probably what comes to mind when you think about having client data stolen, but unfortunately, internal breaches happen often and are more difficult to prepare against. With a professional backup solution, you can limit access to sensitive files to a need-to-know basis.

Prevents Loss Due to Human or System Error

 
Everyone makes mistakes – humans and computers alike. Don’t allow an accidental deletion or system crash to put you in a panic-inducing situation. If your data is backed up, all it takes to get that lost information back is the click of a button and is accessible from any device.

Data losses due to error are not only stressful but cost businesses in lost revenue as well. When an employee, or entire department, loses access to their files it can take days to months to either fix the problem or attempt to replace the lost information. Most businesses can’t afford even a week of lost revenue. Prevent spiraling losses by always having your systems backed up.

Round the Clock System Management

 
Having a professional backup solution versus DIY means that there are people and resources devoted to keeping your data safe and maintained around the clock. You never need to remind yourself to run a backup and don’t have to worry about the safety and security of your backed-up data. A professional backup solutions business has staff and cutting-edge technology devoted to keeping your data safe and updating your backups consistently. Not to mention, it will cut down on your personnel and equipment needs too.

Professional Backup Solution

 
Still on the fence about if you need a professional backup solution for your small business? Try a free trial for 30 days – see how simple it can be to free yourself from the nagging feeling that your data could be at risk at any moment.
 

Get a Free Trial of CloudPLUS Desktop Backup Solution

/0 Comments/by

IT Trends for Small Businesses

IT Trends for Small Businesses

As a small business, it can be difficult to stay up to date with current technology trends when you hardly have time to keep up with your clients and staff. Small business technology is taking off though as secure software is more affordable and as our culture overall embraces every-day tech. Keeping up with IT trends for small businesses could save you not only loads of time, but will save you from wasting money on obsolete technology that might be holding you back.

Cloud Computing for Small Businesses

Cloud computing has become the norm, and not just for large tech companies. It has been taking the small business sector by storm because of its convenience and affordable price point. Cloud computing allows small business owners to hand off IT to someone else and focus on their core business while offering the convenience of remote work and being able to access your desktop from any device. Cloud computing is also, contrary to popular belief, more secure and less expensive than managing your own traditional computer network in house.

Collaboration Tools

Tools like Slack, Wrike, and Skype for Business are becoming more affordable and essential for the modern small business. They are helpful for keeping your team all on the same page, organizing different conversations by project, and minimize the disconnect often experienced by remote teams.

As more small businesses have remote employees or work from home, collaboration tools are necessary to keep everyone in the loop. Cut out the incessant phone calls and emails by keeping communications in one central location.

Offsite IT Management

Most small business owners hardly have time to keep up with their clients, let alone have the time to manage an IT department. More companies have been using offsite IT companies as businesses are moving to the cloud and cyber attacks grow more common.

Small business are common targets for cyber attacks because they often use outdated systems or just don’t know a lot about securing their network and protecting against hacks. Using an offsite IT company has grown to be more cost effective than hiring experts in-house and it makes cyber security one less thing for small businesses owners to worry about.

Catering to Mobile

Did you know that more emails are opened on mobile devices than desktop computers every day? Catering to mobile devices is important not only for marketing and web design, but for payment methods as well.

With everyone having a smart phone in hand, mobile payments are a preferred way to pay and even process payments for small vendors. Users like it because they never have to pull out their card or directly give their financial information to the vendor, and vendors like it because they can get paid faster and not have to carry/deposit large amounts of cash.

IT Trends for Small Businesses

Implementing current technology in your small business wisely will save you money, not drain it. Bring your team to a more efficient and secure place with cloud computing, offsite IT management, and collaboration tools.

/0 Comments/by