Low-level IT workers average $50,000 a year, and a CIO makes three times that with a $150,000 average salary. A lot SMBs find themselves in a difficult situation: it’s hard to add those sorts of figures to their payroll, but they still have IT needs that absolutely must be addressed. Low-level workers are necessary for all the services that prevent disaster and improve daily production like network security, equipment optimization, business continuity, cloud migration, etc. But, thankfully for your budget, you can outsource your IT needs to {company} instead. We’re able to provide all of those services (mostly remotely, though we can make on-site visits when necessary) at a flat rate that’s much more affordable than adding new members to your in-house team. Outsource Your Servers, Too Humans aren’t the only thing that can be outsourced. Just how much are your servers costing you? We’re not even talking about the thousands it took to initially buy and install your servers. Looking past those upfront costs you’ll see that all the electricity and maintenance required to keep your equipment running is what’s really costing you. Using a cloud server instead of your own server will allow you to cut those ongoing expenses out completely, because it’s the person who runs the server you’re accessing remotely that’s responsible for all those costs. All you have to pay for is a small access fee. And Why Not Outsource Your IT Consulting Needs As Well? It’s easy to get caught up with the day-to-day responsibilities of running a business and forget that if you want to grow in the future, you better start planning for it now. Remember how we mentioned earlier that the average CIO takes home $150,000 a year? Well, {company} can do everything an in-house CIO does, and we don’t ask for six figures. So, let’s talk. What do you think defines your business? What are your goals? We know how to translate the geek speak associated with the IT industry into plain English/business value that C-level execs can understand. {company} will be with you every step of the way, helping you use technology to achieve all your goals. Contact us at {phone} or {email} for more information about our IT services.
Everything You Need to Know About Windows 10 Cost, Features & More! July 29th is the official release date of Windows 10, and some of you might be wondering what exactly that will mean for your business. The main benefit that will come with Windows 10 is ease of use. This will increase your employee’s productivity and essentially save your company money. Especially if your copy of Windows 10 is free. Free? Everyone keeps saying that Windows 10 is going to be free, but that can’t be real, can it? The truth is, Windows 10 will be free, however, Microsoft is planning at this point to offer the upgrade to any Windows 7 or Windows 8, Pro or Core machines that connect to Windows Update. Software Assurance is the other half of the equation. Customers can upgrade Windows 7 and Windows 8 computers “for free” if still covered under SA. This means companies need to ensure: Licensing hasn’t expired by the time Windows 10 releases. Upgrading occurs within the first year of the release. If you have an older computer running Windows Vista or an older version of Windows, you won’t be able to receive the free upgrade, but if you’re running a computer that’s far too old, you might want to upgrade and buy a new one, anyway. When Microsoft says Windows 10 will be user friendly, they’re referring to the wide range of added features, such as: The start menu: The beloved start menu finally returns – offering a button on the bottom left of the screen wherein once clicked, two panels pop up side-by-side with the left showing pinned and most-used apps. Cortana on desktop: A voice controlled digital assistant makes it simple to interact with your device – letting you search specific files, open photos, or launch presentations by telling your PC what you need to do. Multiple desktops: A new multiple desktops feature allows you to run another set of windows without the physical monitor – meaning you can set up a whole other virtual desktop for programs. Universal apps: Universal apps, a category of software, lets you leverage apps, such as Photos, Music, Maps, and more, the same way on tablets, phones, and PCs for seamless transition across devices. And much more Windows 10 brings a host of multitasking, productivity, and collaboration features designed to improve the way your company operates, one device at a time. {company} can guide you through this transition. For more information about Windows 10, contact us at {email} or {phone}.
Lawyers aren’t usually associated with cutting edge technology. When most people think of lawyers they think of the low-tech images movies and TV have filled our heads with: thick legal volumes, pads and pens, suits that wouldn’t look out of place in the 50s, the judge’s robes that wouldn’t look out of place in Ancient Greece, the stenographer’s typewriter, and an old-fashioned courtroom where there isn’t a screen to be seen. But, as is often the case with stereotypes, the public perception doesn’t really match up to reality. Working with the law is an incredibly complicated task, and lawyers are often more in tune with the latest technology than other professionals simply because they need all the help they can get. {company} has a lot of experience working in the legal vertical. We know exactly what lawyers need to get out of their IT support. We Will Secure Your Network Maintaining attorney-client privilege is a high priority for all lawyers. The active online threat landscape puts that confidentially at risk: over 300 million new pieces of malware were created in 2014 alone. Thousands of law firms are attacked every year. It addition to losing the trust of your clients, you’ll also find that a cyberattack is incredibly costly. It’s going to run you an average of $150 per compromised file to recover from data loss resulting from a cyberattack, and thousands of files are usually compromised in a single attack. We know how to secure your network and keep out unauthorized access. We Will Support Your Apps Popular apps used by many law firms include: PCLaw Pro Law Juris Clio Timeslip Amicus Abacus Tabs3 / Practice Master It takes a lot of time to train an entire firm how to use the same apps. And if you’re having a problem with a particular app that no one in the office can seem to figure out, where will you turn to for support? {company} is here to help. Contact us at {phone} or {email} for more information about our services for law firms.
Everything You Need to Know about Gmail’s New Facelift, Inbox. Google’s recent launch of Inbox is considered to be the tech giant’s first major makeover of Gmail since its introduction in 2006. When Inbox was first released in fall of 2014, it was available to a select group of Gmail users via invite-only. As of two months ago, Inbox has been made available to the general Internet public. And, although Inbox appears to be an upgrade, Google won’t be phasing out Gmail anytime soon. Instead, users are being encouraged to try Inbox alongside Gmail in order to see which email application works best for them. In essence, Inbox regards emails as to-do tasks. And, while this may seem appealing to many people, not everyone has received Google’s new email invention with open arms. Nonetheless, email habits are a matter of personal preference. Therefore, Inbox may not be right for everyone. Whether you are a frequent or occasional user of Gmail or another email service, Inbox is worth trying, if only to see what all the fuss is about. If you want to learn more about Inbox before taking the plunge, I’ve included information regarding some of its key features below: Bundles neatly group together similar emails into one folder so that you can stay organized. Promotions, Purchases, and Trips are some of the bundles Google has already created for you, but you can also create your own. When you manually group emails together, Inbox even adapts to your organizational habits and automatically groups them for you. Highlights provide you with previews of email contents. This means that you can find important information, such as flight itineraries, hotel reservations, and order updates at a mere glance. Highlights also include photos so that you won’t always have to open an email to view attachments. Reminders prioritize your to-dos at the top of your inbox. Google even gives you a hand with completing these tasks by supplying you with the necessary information. For instance, if you write a reminder to call your IT service provider, Google will provide you with the phone number. Snooze lets you deal with messages and reminders at any date or time of your choosing. The emails that you snooze disappear from your inbox temporarily and reappear at the specified time. Without question, the added functionalities of Inbox can allow you to be more productive in email management. Deciding whether Inbox is right for you or your business requires you to fully embrace the new email service without pitting it against its predecessor, Gmail. After all, Inbox wasn’t intended to be a better or worse experience, just a different one. Interested in learning more about Google’s exciting new email service? Contact us at {phone} or send us an email: {email}. {company} is the top IT services company in {city} – working alongside your company to make IT promote your goals and objectives.
Back in 2013, Cottage Health System found out that the third party vendor handling the PHI at one of its hospitals was not actually secure, exposing the private information (names, addresses, DOBs, as well as details about their diagnoses and treatments) of thousands of patients. Cottage contacted the 32,755 patients whose records were exposed and let them know that their information had been compromised. What happened was that one of Cottage’s vendors, inSync, was storing PHI unencrypted on a system that was easy to access over the internet (that’s what you get when you trust a vendor named after a 90’s boy band). The affected patients were understandably upset. A class action lawsuit came about, and they were able to get a $4.13 million settlement out of Cottage. Good thing Cottage had insurance, right? Not so fast… In the proud tradition of insurance providers taking their client’s money month after month, year after year, and then resisting paying any settlement they might be able to weasel their way out of, the provider of the insurance Cottage had invested in is now claiming that they shouldn’t be on the hook for that settlement. That insurance provider, the Chicago-based Columbia Casualty Company, already reimbursed Cottage for that $4.13 million, plus additional legal fees. Now, they want that money back. To be fair, Cottage did sign a contract with the following clause: “precludes coverage for any loss based upon, directly or indirectly, arising out of, or in any way involving any failure of an Insured to continuously implement the procedures and risk controls identified in the Insured’s application.” To further make Columbia’s case, apparently Cottage confirmed with Columbia before agreeing to terms of their insurance contract that they had performed their due diligence and made sure that all their third party vendors were adequately secure. Let this be a lesson to you, hospitals: even insurance might not save you from the wrath of patients scorned. Vet your vendors thoroughly. Also, don’t neglect investing in your IT infrastructure (and maintaining that infrastructure), because an effective network security solution is all that’s standing in the way between your PHI and cybercriminals/the multimillion dollar fines and lawsuits that could result from a breach. Contact us at {phone} or {email} for more information about our network security services.
Did you know only 3% of data loss results from natural disaster while 97% results from human error? Imagine going into the office, turning on your computer, and being unable to access your emails and files. Would you be able to keep working? 50% of companies that experienced data loss and couldn’t recover all of their files ended up filing for bankruptcy within 4 months. Yet so many business owners fail to prepare for unexpected, potentially business-destroying events, such as: Natural disasters that destroy or damage equipment Malware, ransomware, or virus infections Unexpected power surges or outages Employee errors such as accidentally deleting files Don’t risk the livelihood of your company and employees. You NEED a business continuity plan to avoid losing clients, business opportunities, and revenue when data loss occurs. Contact us at {phone} or send us an email: {email}. Your data is the lifeblood of your organization – letting you interact with and serve clients effectively; and when you lose your data, you’re unable to get work done, which often leaves your clients looking for another company that offers what you offer. Fortunately, we understand how important staying operational is. That’s why we offer business continuity planning, which includes: Backing up all important data, applications, user settings, and more – ensuring you’re able to quickly restore everything. Storing backups onsite and offsite in a secure cloud data center to prevent loss if onsite equipment becomes damaged. Creating a reliable business continuity plan with step-by-step procedures for simplified recovery. Monitoring and testing all backups on a regular basis to ensure they’re working and ready to restore. It’s only a matter of time before some type of disaster strikes. Contact {company} at {phone} or send us an email: {email}. We’ll help you prepare for the worst to maintain the livelihood of your company and employees.
Does any business really want to deal with their own IT equipment? Let’s start with the most superficial of drawbacks: your employees were perhaps already cramped into too small an office, and now you’ve got a bunch of big equipment taking up what little room you do have. And then there’s the money factor to consider (could there possibly be a more important factor in the world of business?). It’ll cost you thousands of dollars, more likely tens of thousands, to set up your own IT infrastructure. The expenses don’t end there: it takes a lot of power to keep all that equipment running… if you didn’t know that by now, you’ll figure it out soon enough when you get your next electricity bill. Another expense to consider is the ongoing maintenance it’ll take to fix all the technical issues you’re sure to eventually encounter. You don’t know much about IT, so you’re going to have to hire professional help to manage your equipment, and professional help isn’t cheap. Have No Fear, the Cloud Is Here The nightmare of being dealing with your own expensive IT equipment that you don’t even understand is no longer necessary. That’s because we live in the wonderful world of cloud computing. It’s a great time to be alive, my friends. Just a few years ago you had no choice but to set up your own network and manage your own equipment. But now, with the cloud, you have a better, more affordable option. Paying a flat rate for remote access to someone else’s server (that’s how the cloud works) allows you to get rid of the upfront, electricity, and maintenance costs that you had to put up with previously with your own in-house equipment. Now those expenses are someone else’s problem. Contact us at {phone} or {email} to hear us gush some more about the benefits of cloud computing.
Offering Complete IT Solutions to Help Members Leverage Technology as a Strategic Business Enabler! Hammett Technologies, LLC, the top IT consulting company serving businesses throughout Baltimore and Washington, DC, has recently joined the Dundalk Chamber of Commerce to get more involved with the local business community! We truly look forward to: Gaining a better understanding of technology issues facing companies throughout the area through attending various networking events, in order to help us better align our solutions with common challenges faced. Meeting local business owners and getting involved with the local business community to find out how we can help support them in meeting their goals and objectives. We look forward to getting involved and helping the local business community receive the same level of service larger companies have with internal IT staff – at a fraction of the cost. You Deserve an IT Company That’s Responsive, Doesn’t Leave You Waiting, And Most Importantly, Knows What They’re Doing… As your trusted IT consulting company, we take your needs seriously. We know you need a team of IT experts that understand how your company works, what goals you want to meet, and how to align technology with those goals to help you succeed. We’re here to help you: Develop a 3-5 year technology plan that works for your business goals. Protect your network, and all confidential data, against cybercrime. Leverage the cloud for greater flexibility, productivity, and cost savings. And much more! Contact us at {phone} or send us an email: {email}. We’d be happy to discuss how we can help you leverage technology as a strategic business enabler – helping you become more efficient and profitable than ever before.
A great IT service provider isn’t just one single thing; it’s an entire package. When you’re searching for the best IT service, make sure you’re looking for a team that’s ready to give you their all. What does that encompass? Effective technology and solutions, support whenever you need it, guidance to use your IT to its fullest, and a partner that’s always looking out for you. We know how crucial it is to have great IT, and we’re here to provide it. Support and Solutions We tell you the secrets other IT companies are leaving out to make more money off of you. We know you can’t settle for generic services; we talk about your goals, concerns and objectives so that we know your business inside-out. You get the right IT to match your unique needs. Regular meetings and upgrades are part of the deal. We know your system can’t just be setup and left alone; technology requires regular maintenance to thrive, so we always ensure your systems are performing at their best. Technology is designed to make your life less complicated. That means simplifying management of your tasks and calendar, and making the way you do work more effective and efficient. With the right IT provider, you get the right tools to streamline work and improve the quality of your output. Your clients will be happier than ever and you’ll be confident knowing you’re turning out your best work. The Whole Package We’ve heard horror stories about unresponsive, unreliable IT companies. That’s why we assure you right away that as soon as you need support, we’re there. Your future is too valuable to skim over – when we get you setup, we talk to you about to you about business continuity plans. We know you work better with peace of mind knowing that your business is being protected with backups and encryption. When you’re looking for the best IT services in {city}, turn to {company}. We provide the support and services your business needs to thrive. Contact us at {email} or by phone at {phone} to guarantee you get the best return on your IT investment.
Many businesses believe that online security breaches are only a real problem for big businesses. You only ever hear about cybercrime on the news when it happens to a business as big as Target or Home Depot. This way of thinking seems logical on the surface: When international corporations like Target are apparently vulnerable to unauthorized access, why would any cybercriminal bother with a business that isn’t worth the assets of a single Target store, or (as is the case for many smaller businesses and one-man operations) even just a single department within a single Target store? Contrary to this belief, smaller organizations are actually more likely than large corporations to be the victim of a cyberattack. In 2014, 60% of cyberattacks targeted small to medium-sized businesses. Don’t be surprised. While businesses the size of Target do have more assets for cybercriminals to take advantage of, they also have the resources to invest in the best security tools available and hire top-tier IT talent to secure their network. On the other hand, smaller businesses have fewer resources and are more likely to skimp on their IT budget and neglect their network. Over half of businesses that sustain significant data loss from a cyberattack go out of business within 6 months of their breach. Make yourself an easy target with a weak security solution and you’ll eventually get hit too. All it takes is one successful attack to close you down for good. 300,000,000 Read any article about the current threat landscape and it will boil down to this basic point: there are a lot of web-based threats out there, so many that it’s stupid not to worry about network security. You may be wondering, just how many threats is “a lot”? Well, allow us to quantify the problem for you: in 2014 alone over 300 million new pieces of malware were created. If that figure intimidates you, it should. This isn’t a problem that antivirus software can solve alone. You need an expert that can help you navigate this crowded minefield and keep the integrity of your data intact. The Dark Side of Mobilization More and more businesses are mobilizing their workforces. The efficiency and convenience benefits of mobilization are clear, but there are also security concerns to consider. 17% of all Android apps will infect your phone with malware. Putting that stat in context makes it even scarier: there are about 1.5 million apps available to Android users, which means about 255,000 Android apps, any one of which might be downloaded by one of your employees, are malicious. There’s a lot of potential for an employee’s personal mobile device to be compromised, and depending on how much you’ve invested in the cloud, this mobile device may be used to access business data and share files with co-workers, taking a virus that started as an employee’s problem and making it your problem. It isn’t enough to just enable your employees to work remotely. You need to make sure to secure those remote communications, too. More access points through the popularity of cloud computing and mobile devices make your network more vulnerable. Contact {company} at {phone} or {email} and take the first steps towards truly securing your network.