MSPNetworks Blog

Businesses create and need to handle more data than ever before. In the past, this would mean that there would be a lot of wasted data. Today’s document management system can completely revolutionize your business. Let’s take a look at the steps that go into creating a comprehensive digital document management system. 

Document Capture and Creation

The first step to creating a comprehensive document management system is to get the documents into your new system.

Create New Documents

This step involves the creation of new documents, which could be anything from reports and memos to spreadsheets and presentations.

Capture Existing Documents

Capture physical documents by scanning them or collect digital documents from various sources like email, cloud storage, or file servers.

Document Classification and Indexing

Getting started classifying the data can be one of the biggest speed bumps to the creation of a comprehensive document management system.

Categorize Documents

Assign categories or metadata tags to each document to make it easy to classify and retrieve them later.

Index Documents

Create an index or catalog of documents based on metadata, keywords, or other identifiers to facilitate quick searches.

Storage and Organization

Determining the underlying technology is something that the IT professionals at MSPNetworks can help your organization with.

Choose a Storage System

Select an appropriate storage system, whether physical file cabinets, network drives, or electronic document management software.

Organize Documents

Establish a consistent and intuitive folder structure or taxonomy to arrange documents logically.

Access Control and Permissions

Security has to be a major point of emphasis when dealing with any data, let alone the operational information of your business.

Define Access Rights

Specify who can view, edit, or delete documents. Implement user roles and permissions to protect sensitive information.

Encryption and Security

Ensure that documents are encrypted both in transit and at rest to safeguard against unauthorized access.

Document Retrieval

You would be surprised how much document retrieval can cost your business. Digital document management can mitigate these costs.

Search Capabilities

Provide robust search functionality, allowing users to find documents quickly using keywords, metadata, or full-text search.

Filters and Sorting

Enable users to filter and sort search results for better document retrieval.

Collaboration and Workflow

In today’s business, people need secure access from anywhere at any time. A document management system can deliver this flexibility. 

Collaboration Tools

Facilitate document collaboration by integrating with tools like document editing suites and communication platforms.

Workflow Automation

Implement automated approval processes, notifications, and routing to streamline document-related workflows.

Backup and Disaster Recovery

Many situations can arise where data is unavailable or lost, having up-to-date copies can operate as a failsafe for many businesses. 

Regular Backups

Schedule regular backups of documents to prevent data loss in case of hardware failures or disasters.

Disaster Recovery Plan

Develop a disaster recovery plan to ensure the continuity of document access and management in adverse situations.

Compliance and Retention

Today, many businesses operate under government or industry-sponsored mandates and need to stay in compliance with these regulations for the good of the business.

Compliance Policies

Establish and enforce document retention and disposal policies to comply with legal requirements and industry regulations.

Audit Trails

Maintain audit trails to track document access and changes for compliance purposes.

Monitoring and Maintenance

Keeping a dedicated eye on your IT systems is nothing short of essential. Document management is no different. 

Regular Maintenance

Periodically review and update the document management system, including metadata, security settings, and access permissions.

Monitoring and Reporting

Implement monitoring tools to track system performance and generate reports on document management activities.

Training and User Adoption

It’s important that you train your employees quickly so that you can get the most benefit from your document management platform.

User Training

Provide training and support to ensure that users understand and effectively use the document management system.

User Feedback

Encourage user feedback to make continuous improvements to the system.

Continuous Improvement

You need to revisit your document management plan regularly, just as you revisit your other IT systems. 

Evaluate and Adapt

Continuously assess the document management process and technology, making improvements based on feedback and changing business needs.

We understand that managing your organization’s documents isn’t ever going to be cheap and easy, but with a dedicated document management platform, it can be much easier and more effective than more antiquated file management strategies. If you would like to learn more about what MSPNetworks can do in terms of document management or any other IT-related strategy, give us a call today at (516) 403-9001.

Tape backup has been used for a long time, and it was once the most prominent solution for data backup out there. Nowadays, it’s not used much at all, mostly in favor of better and more convenient solutions. However, there has been a slight resurgence in tape backup, so we want to look at why some companies might still use it, despite its flaws.

Why Use Tape Backup?

Data redundancy tends to fuel businesses and their data strategies, and this is even more true as the cost and availability of digital backup systems has decreased over time. Tape backup has mostly been phased out, but some businesses still choose to cling to it for a variety of reasons. Here are some of them:

• Reliability and Longevity: Tape backup is reliable, and has been for a while. It can last for a long time when it’s cared for properly, being less susceptible to corruption over time compared to some storage media.
• Long-Term Storage: Tape is also helpful for storing large amounts of data for long periods of time. The infrastructure is the initial investment, but ongoing costs are low compared to other solutions.
• Data Retention Regulations: Data retention is a point of contention for some organizations, entities, and industries. Tape backup is a way to meet those standards for the sake of compliance, if nothing else.
• Large Data Sets: Businesses that have a lot of data to work with will find cloud backups somewhat impractical, largely due to bandwidth limitations. Tape backup can skirt around this issue.
• Legacy Systems: If compatibility with legacy systems is a factor, then tape backup could give businesses an out while they migrate to newer systems.
• Offline Backups: Tape is stored offline and in a secure off-site location, keeping data loss low in the event of a system failure or natural disaster.

Other Solutions Are Better, Though

We think it’s great that people are making the effort to protect their data, even if it’s with tape, and even if there are better options available. One such solution that we love to recommend to our clients is the BDR, or backup and disaster recovery solution. This system uses incremental backups that occur as often as every 15 minutes to save and store data both on-site and in the cloud or a secure, off-site data center. This provides the redundancy needed to guarantee recovery when it’s needed most.

In comparison, tape is labor-intensive and time-consuming. It could take hours or days just to restore a backup. It’s not reliable, and you can do so much better. Let us help you get there with BDR. To learn more, call us today at (516) 403-9001.

Your business only has so many resources, from its budget to its time to its employees’ capabilities. This is what makes it so crucial to properly manage all of them.

Let’s run through some basic practices that can help you make the most of what your business has at its disposal.

Resource Management Practices for Business Success

Focus More on High-Demand Resources, and Prioritize Appropriately

As we’ve established, you’re only going to have so much of any given business resource at your disposal. Your circumstances will dictate where you have feast and where there is famine.

As such, it is important that you are aware of where your resources are needed the most for your operations, and where they will be able to contribute the most to your success. The 80/20 principle is helpful to keep in mind.

Think about it this way: 80% or so of your resource shortages are going to refer to just 20% of your resources—the people, materials, time, or what have you that are in highest demand. Carefully planning how these resources should be allocated, based on which processes and outcomes are most important, will ultimately help your business accomplish more.

Apply Strategic Planning

Different tasks will need different levels of investment, in terms of your resources, and organizing them based on the aforementioned priorities we discussed earlier will help you to adjust your processes accordingly.

It’s important that this process takes the different levels of your tasks into consideration, with more resources spent where they are needed. 

Track Time

Tracking your time greatly helps define how resources are being used, giving you the data that you need to better plan for the future. 

Evaluate and Adjust

Finally, it’s important that you take the time periodically to take account of your progress and make improvements. Where did conflicts appear in workflows, specifically where your priorities and goals are impacted? Take note of these conflicts and address them in future repetitions of your given process.

We Can Help Equip Your Business with the Tools for Success

From the IT support to keep you in operation to the strategic investments to improve your technology as a means to further grow, you can turn to MSPNetworks. Give us a call at (516) 403-9001 to learn more.

Across the board, modern businesses rely on no small amount of technology to support their operations, making it key that you, one, have the technology your operations require, and two, have the means to keep this technology operational. Fortunately, managed services help you by providing both. Let’s review what managed services are, and how they work.

Managed Services are the Next Level of Outsourced IT Support

Traditionally, a business seeking assistance with its technology would either have to rely on any internal team members to fulfill their needs, or turn to an external provider to do so by coming in to service their equipment. Nowadays, there’s a third option.

Managed services shift the focus of IT maintenance away from repair and instead focus on mediation, working proactively to prevent issues whenever possible through modern remote monitoring and maintenance activities. As a result, the downtime that was inherently a part of the other methods can be largely avoided.

For a predictable monthly fee, you’ll have an entire team keeping an eye on your business’ technology, catching issues and spotting signs of impending threats before they manifest. This translates to increased productivity and employee efficacy.

A managed service provider also assists a business in its future technology planning, considering where its technology currently stands and designing a strategy focused on improvement and growth over time.

In a Very Real Way, This Makes Managed Services an Easy Way of Expanding Your Business’ Capabilities

To be honest, we’ve barely scratched the surface of what managed services can do for your business, and we’d love to have the opportunity to discuss it with you in more detail. Please give us a call at (516) 403-9001 to learn more about the benefits of a managed service agreement.

It seems that almost everyone owns a smartphone these days, and with smartphones come a multitude of apps. Mobile applications are the driving force behind the world\'s largest computing ecosystems. Consequently, the question arises, "Is it necessary for my business to have a mobile app?" Whether this is a wise decision depends on your unique business objectives, target audience, and available resources. Let’s explore the advantages and disadvantages of developing a mobile app for your business.

Here are a few advantages of developing a mobile app:

• Enhanced Customer Engagement - Mobile apps offer a direct channel to engage with your customers, enabling personalized notifications and exclusive offers, fostering enduring customer loyalty.
• Improved User Experience - Apps provide a smoother and more interactive user experience in comparison to mobile websites, leading to greater user satisfaction.
• Access to Device Features - You can harness the capabilities of the device, such as the camera, GPS, and push notifications, to provide enhanced functionality.
• Branding and Recognition - Having an app can elevate your brand\'s visibility and recognition, giving your business a more professional and tech-savvy image.
• Data Collection and Monetization Opportunities - Apps offer opportunities to gather valuable data on user behavior and preferences, which can inform your business strategy. Additionally, you can generate revenue through app purchases, in-app advertising, or premium features.

Here are a few disadvantages of developing a mobile app:

• Development and Maintenance Costs - Creating and maintaining a mobile app can be considerably more expensive than maintaining a website, especially if it needs to support multiple platforms like iOS and Android.
• Market Saturation - There are millions of apps available, and if you operate in a market that has a lot of competition, having just another app could actually work to your business’ detriment.
• Compatibility Issues - Ensuring that your app functions smoothly on various devices and operating system versions can be complex, necessitating continuous development to ensure updates are available for each platform. If your app becomes incompatible with newer versions of iOS or Android, it will require additional time and financial resources to update.
• Security Concerns - Apps, especially those not in constant development, can be vulnerable to security threats. You must invest in security measures to protect user data.

Before deciding to develop a mobile app for your business, it is crucial to conduct a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis, take into account your target audience\'s preferences, and evaluate your long-term strategy. In some instances, a mobile-responsive website may be a more cost-effective and practical choice.

Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to invest in an app or opt for a website depends on the individual business owner\'s assessment of what best serves their business\' needs.

With organizations running on technology, it is important that it is reliably managed. It’s also important that your organization has the technology in place that will help your team be the most productive and that will keep your data secure. The best way to accomplish this is with help from certified and knowledgeable IT technicians. 

Understanding of Business Technology

There are people who know technology, and then there are those that work with it day in and day out. You can’t operate a business without having the right technology in place, complete with those who help to keep it in proper working order. Your IT technicians should be knowledgeable about how to set up and configure computer systems, troubleshoot hardware and software, and secure a network from both internal and external threats. With this expertise, your IT technicians should be fully capable of managing and maintaining small business technology with minimal incident.

Keeping an Eye Out for Potential Issues

Certified IT technicians can work to proactively monitor your systems for a variety of issues that could lead to more frustrating problems. The idea behind proactive monitoring is that these issues can be addressed before they become worse, allowing organizations to dodge the expensive frustrating downtime and data loss that comes from a halt in operations.

Responding as Quickly as Possible (and Necessary)

If you experience technology problems during the course of everyday operations, time is of the essence. You need technicians who can respond quickly and appropriately to minimize the amount of time and money lost during the downtime. With the right combination of expertise and knowledge, a certified IT technician can get your business back in proper running order as soon as possible.

Improving Data Security

Data security is an issue that plagues all businesses, especially small businesses that don’t have the same access to enterprise-grade security tools and solutions as larger organizations do. They also struggle to take advantage of the same level of IT security expertise due to limited budgets. Thankfully, certified IT technicians and managed service providers offer small businesses the same opportunities offered to larger companies, from security solution configuration to remote backups to ensure data security and integrity on all levels.

Scaling According to Need

Small businesses can grow rapidly, and so too do their technology needs and expectations. A certified IT technician can help SMBs adapt to their constantly changing technology needs to ensure it aligns with their goals every step of the way. This involves planning for future growth, too, and ensuring that changing technological requirements do not get in the way of further innovation.

MSPNetworks can give your business access to the certified IT technicians it needs to be successful. To learn more, call us today at (516) 403-9001.

Today’s businesses are heavily reliant on technology to streamline operations and do more to enhance workforce productivity. With the multitude of technology options available, however, finding the right solutions for your business can be more difficult than it seems at first glimpse. Let’s take a look at how technology professionals can help you navigate the technology landscape and find solutions that align with your business needs.

Understanding Your Business Requirements

Technology professionals play a crucial role in helping businesses identify their unique technology requirements. By conducting in-depth consultations and understanding the specific goals and challenges within your industry, these experts can develop a comprehensive understanding of your business needs. Whether you require software applications, hardware infrastructure, or cloud-based platforms, technology professionals can conduct a thorough analysis of your requirements and recommend the most suitable options.

Getting the Right Technology

The technology marketplace is brimming with a vast array of options, making it overwhelming for business owners and decision-makers to evaluate and choose the right technology solutions. Technology professionals possess a deep knowledge of current technological trends, industry standards, and emerging innovations. They stay up-to-date with the latest advancements, ensuring they can guide businesses toward the most relevant and effective technology options.

Choosing the Right Vendors 

Choosing the right technology vendor is a critical step in the process of finding the technology your business needs. Technology professionals have established relationships with various vendors and possess extensive experience in assessing their capabilities. They can help streamline the vendor evaluation process by comparing offerings and completing due diligence. By leaning on their expertise, businesses can confidently select vendors that align with their requirements, budget, and long-term goals.

Customize Technology to Your Business’ Needs

Every business has its own unique processes and workflows. Technology professionals understand this and can help tailor technology solutions to fit seamlessly within your existing infrastructure. They possess the technical skills to customize software, develop applications, and integrate normally disconnected systems. By ensuring smooth integration and customization, technology professionals can maximize the value of the chosen technology and minimize disruptions.xc

Ensure You Have the Right Support

Technology professionals provide ongoing support and maintenance services to ensure smooth operation and optimal performance of your technology solutions. From troubleshooting technical issues to applying necessary updates and patches, these experts are dedicated to keeping your technology infrastructure running smoothly. They can also provide training to your employees, ensuring they have the necessary skills to utilize the technology effectively.

Your business needs the right technology consulting, procurement, and support to get the tools needed to point your business in the right direction. Our knowledgeable technicians can help you get and manage all the technology you use on a daily basis. Give us a call today at (516) 403-9001 to learn more about how we can help your business.

Technology has touched nearly everyone over the past decade or so. More is done using technology than ever before. In this week’s blog, we go beyond individual uses of technology and discuss how technology is going to be used to improve infrastructure and the delivery of services that we take for granted. 

Smarter and More Efficient Cities

The rapid urbanization we see today demands smarter solutions to address the growing challenges of building and managing urban infrastructure. This is where technology comes in. Technology plays a crucial role in creating smart cities that are sustainable, efficient, and responsive. Through the Internet of Things (IoT), sensors and connectivity enable real-time monitoring such as traffic flow, energy consumption, waste management, and public safety. These data-driven insights empower city planners to make informed decisions, optimize resource allocation, and enhance the quality of urban life.

Intelligent Transportation Systems

Transportation infrastructure is undergoing a remarkable transformation thanks to technology. Intelligent transportation systems use advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and real-time data analytics to enhance the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of transportation networks. From smart traffic management systems that alleviate congestion to the development of autonomous vehicles that reduce accidents and fuel consumption, technology is revolutionizing the way we move people and goods.

Sustainable Energy Infrastructure

The future of infrastructure heavily relies on sustainable energy sources, and technology plays a pivotal role in enabling this transition. Renewable energy generation, such as solar and wind power, is becoming increasingly affordable and accessible, thanks to advancements in technology. Moreover, smart grids and energy storage systems allow for efficient distribution and utilization of renewable energy, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and minimizing environmental impact.

Resilient Infrastructure

In an era of increasing climate change and natural disasters, resilient infrastructure is of utmost importance. Technology equips us with the tools to design, build, and manage infrastructure that can withstand and recover from adverse events. Through predictive analytics, remote sensing, and real-time monitoring, technology enables early detection of potential risks, allowing for proactive measures to mitigate damages, ensure public safety, and minimize disruption.

Advanced Construction Techniques

The construction industry is not immune to the transformative power of technology. Emerging technologies such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), robotics, and 3D printing are revolutionizing the way we design and construct infrastructure. BIM facilitates collaboration, reduces errors, and improves efficiency throughout the entire construction process. Meanwhile, robotics and 3D printing enable faster, more precise construction, reducing costs and increasing sustainability.

Technology will shape the future of our culture, including the way we go about improving efficiency in all walks of life. If you would like to have a conversation about how technology can push your business forward as it is pushing infrastructure forward, give the IT professionals at MSPNetworks a call today at (516) 403-9001.

Businesses today deal in contracts. Every agreement has a proverbial paper trail. Traditional paper-based contracts are not only time-consuming, but they also involve manual efforts and can be prone to errors. This is where eSignature tools come into play, offering numerous benefits that revolutionize the way we handle and sign documents. This week, we explore the key advantages of eSignature tools and how they can positively impact businesses of all sizes.

Enhanced Efficiency

eSignature tools eliminate the need for printing, scanning, and physically mailing documents, saving valuable time and resources. With just a few clicks, documents can be prepared, sent, and signed electronically, significantly reducing the turnaround time of legal agreements. Whether it's contracts, agreements, or invoices, eSignature tools streamline the entire signing process, enabling businesses to operate smoothly.

Cost Savings

By adopting eSignature tools, businesses can experience substantial cost savings. Traditional paper-based processes involve expenses more than paper and ink. With eSignature tools, any costs incurred by the organization are significantly reduced, as everything is handled digitally. 

Improved Accuracy and Security

Paper documents can easily be misplaced, damaged, or tampered with, leading to potential legal and financial risks. eSignature tools provide a secure and reliable way to handle sensitive information. They offer various security features such as encryption and authentication, ensuring the integrity and authenticity of signed documents. With eSignature tools, businesses can have peace of mind knowing that their documents are protected and legitimate.

Convenient Collaboration

eSignature tools facilitate seamless collaboration among multiple parties, regardless of their location. In a traditional signing process, coordinating meetings and obtaining physical signatures from all involved parties can be a logistical nightmare. By using eSignature tools, businesses can effortlessly collaborate with customers and employees, alike, enabling efficient document sharing, tracking, and signing. This seamless collaboration enhances communication and expedites decision-making processes.

Enhanced Customer Experience

Your customers expect prompt and hassle-free interactions. eSignature tools provide a convenient and efficient way for businesses to interact with their customers. By enabling customers to electronically sign documents from anywhere, at any time, businesses can deliver a seamless and personalized experience. This not only improves customer satisfaction but also strengthens the overall brand image.

eSignature tools offer a wide range of benefits that can transform the way businesses handle document workflows. If you would like to learn more about how to get eSignature tools that would allow you to conduct business digitally and gain all the benefits of doing so, give our IT experts a call today at (516) 403-9001.

Sports franchises have changed the way they use data to help them strategize. In the past, businesses used basic scouting to find and develop talent, but with the use of advanced analytics, not only can sports franchises improve their talent bases, they can save money and build a competitive advantage over organizations that aren’t so analytically inclined. 

Enhanced Analytics

The field of sports analytics combines statistical analysis, data processing, and predictive modeling to build competitive superiority. In fact, more and more teams are enhancing the way they view data as franchises that were at the forefront of this strategy have found success using them. Improvements in sensor technology gives teams the ability to measure anything to help with team construction, individual performance, and what sells the best at the concession stands. 

Data-Driven Decision Making

With data driving organizational decision-making, teams can identify metrics to help them get the most out of their investments. By creating key performance indicators an organization can make more informed decisions using objective data rather than subjective insights, often to the benefit of the whole franchise. 

Improved Player Performance Analysis

Advanced analytics replaces some of the more basic statistics that sports franchises depended on to track player and team performance like goals scored and batting average with more advanced algorithms and statistical data that is collected using IoT sensors that give team managers a more accurate representation of the product on the field. This helps players know what to work on and helps teams construct better game plans. 

The technologies behind these major analytical improvements can work to help you make your business better as well. From measuring individual employee performance to strategizing your sales and marketing improvements to using predictive analysis to improve your standing processes, data analysis can help any business be more successful. If you would like to learn more about how to use data to improve your business, give us a call today at (516) 403-9001. 

With things like cryptocurrencies and NFTs flooding the public awareness, the term “blockchain” has been brought up more than a few times. However, this association hardly covers what the blockchain is or what it is capable of.

Let’s briefly review what the blockchain really is, and what the technology can do.

The Blockchain is Nothing More Than a Distributed, Immutable Ledger

So, what does this mean?

In other words, the blockchain is a means of recording information in such a way that it is effectively impossible to manipulate, as this record is replicated across the network of devices that create the blockchain. Every transaction made (a block) is recorded in this network (the chain), which means that any attempt to edit information results in a new block being created.

The only way that this information can be changed is if every single block in the chain is simultaneously altered—requiring anyone trying to change that record to infiltrate each and every device in the chain simultaneously, which potentially means hacking dozens or even hundreds of endpoints all at the same time.

This Gives the Blockchain Assorted Advantages

For example…

The Blockchain is Very Secure

The distributed nature of the blockchain, and the fact that it relies on digital signatures, makes the prospect of fraud nearly impossible due to the scale of the network and the need for the digital signatures in order to change data as well.

The Blockchain Enables Automation

Transactions can be set up to be completed when different triggers are fulfilled, allowing you to focus on other matters with the confidence that the blockchain will attend to what you have previously instructed it to do.

The Blockchain Saves Time

Finally, while many traditional transactions need to go through numerous, time-consuming steps, the blockchain can reduce the time you need to spend on these processes from days to mere minutes.

How Can Your Business Put Blockchain to Use?

There are actually quite a few ways that the blockchain can be used by businesses of all sizes, from supply chain management, smart contracts, and others. Reach out to us to learn more about how you can use various technologies with our help to benefit your business. Give us a call at (516) 403-9001.

Businesses struggle with a lot of different issues, but when a problem hits you hard in the pocketbook, it can be disastrous for the whole organization. Let’s take a look at some technology that can help you make the most out of your time and effort.

Streamlined Operations

Efficiency is the cornerstone of a successful business. Implementing technology can help streamline various operational processes, reducing manual errors, saving time, and lowering operational costs. Here are a couple examples:

• Automation - Businesses can automate repetitive tasks such as data entry, invoicing, and inventory management. This not only reduces the risk of errors but also allows employees to focus on more value-added tasks.
• Data Analytics - Advanced analytics tools can provide valuable insights into customer behavior, market trends, and operational inefficiencies. This data-driven approach enables businesses to make informed decisions and optimize their strategies.

Improved Customer Engagement

Technology enables businesses to connect with customers more effectively, resulting in increased revenue opportunities. Here\'s how:

• Personalization - With the help of AI and machine learning algorithms, businesses can analyze customer data to deliver personalized experiences. This can boost customer satisfaction and lead to higher conversion rates.
• Chatbots and AI-driven Customer Support - Implementing chatbots and AI-driven customer support systems can improve response times and provide 24/7 assistance, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction.

Enhanced Decision-Making

Informed decisions are pivotal to revenue generation. Technology empowers businesses with access to real-time data and analytics that can guide strategic choices.

• Predictive Analytics - Predictive models can forecast future trends and customer behavior, allowing businesses to proactively adapt to changing market conditions.
• Risk Management - Technology aids in identifying and mitigating risks, ensuring that businesses can protect their revenue and assets effectively.

Are you Ready to Get More Done Through the Use of Modern Technology?

MSPNetworks is here to help. Give us a call today at (516) 403-9001.

Have you considered the use of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) for your business? If so, you’re not alone—many small businesses are opting to use these technologies in new and exciting ways, particularly as it relates to engaging customers, enhancing products, and creating better training experiences. Let’s look into how your business can utilize AR and VR to its advantage.

Product Visualization

Some of the more powerful applications for AR and VR consist of visualization, or the act of allowing potential customers to try their products before they commit fully to them. For example, let’s say you’re trying to buy something for a furniture store and you want to see how it would look in your home, or you want to purchase an outfit, trying clothes on virtually before clicking the “Pay” button. These types of visualizations allow businesses to cut down on returns and improve customer satisfaction.

Customer Engagement

These technologies are also incredible for customer engagement, offering interactive AR experiences that can entertain or educate customers. A restaurant might use an interactive menu that shows a 3D view of their dishes through a smartphone app, or a local museum might implement similar technology to bring their exhibits to life in new and immersive ways.

Virtual Tours

Businesses that are a part of the travel, real estate, or hospitality industries can use VR to offer virtual tours of properties or destinations without the customer or buyer’s physical presence. It can save time during the home buying process, something which any prospective home buyer who has had their dream property snatched away within minutes can appreciate. A travel agency can also give destination previews, allowing customers to make informed decisions while planning out their next vacation.

Employee Development

Small businesses might struggle to offer meaningful training and development exercises for their staff. VR can make this training immersive and cost-effective, leading to better training outcomes. A small manufacturing company, for example, can use VR to simulate potentially dangerous scenarios and allow employees to act them out or interact with them in a way that could prepare them for such situations in real time.

Advertising and Marketing

Finally, small businesses can use these technologies to great effect for marketing and advertising. With AR-powered ads, customers can interact with products, and with VR experiences, users can be transported to a simulated reality to experience a business’ offerings. These types of strategies work wonders for immersive experience and brand engagement.

How would your business use AR and VR? Do you want to get started with utilizing emerging technologies for your business? Call us today at (516) 403-9001 to find out how we can help.

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is just one way of describing the concept of machine learning technologies. AI has grown considerably over the past couple of years, so much that automation as we know it today wouldn’t exist without it. Throw in some data-driven insights and you have a technology that has cemented itself for use in a business environment, but there are some concerns with how fast it is growing and evolving.

Defining Artificial Intelligence

If you’ve seen the AI on display in movies and on television, the kind that quickly becomes so advanced that it threatens all sentient life, you’ve seen a science-fiction depiction of AI that is not necessarily grounded in reality. AI is often characterized as a technology that grows too fast and spirals out of control, eventually overthrowing humanity and acting of its own volition. One recent leak from the US Air Force in which the AI system saw the human operator as an enemy is one such instance that has been, at this time, denied by the U.S. Department of Defense. Whether or not this is a true story, however, is not why we are here today.

The kind of AI used by businesses is built around automation. Many tools use machine learning as a way of automating specific tasks that would typically slow down processes and systems. This is the type of AI we are examining today.

Let’s look at some ways that businesses use AI and automation to improve their processes and productivity.

Better Customer Experiences

A business cannot last long if they don’t have a consumer base, especially in today’s competitive business environment. The biggest use of AI in business is perhaps the use of AI chatbots on the support side of the house to help consumers get the help they need, when they need it. This means that the human typically responsible for such work can instead focus their efforts elsewhere, or help consumers with more complicated requests.

Improved Business Knowledge

AI and automation can be used to help improve countless processes within your organization, and it’s all thanks to AI and automation allowing for data insights and analytics. Collecting all of the data is one thing, but sifting through it and gleaning insights from it is another story altogether. AI can handle it faster and more efficiently than any human resource could, allowing businesses to both learn and act much faster than they typically would be able to.

But How Fast is it Advancing?

Some industry leaders believe that these technologies are growing too fast for comfort, depending on who you ask. As demand for these solutions increases, people feel like they are losing control over their technology, and since AI tools are growing so fast, humans often feel like they have to slow the technology down to keep it from going too wild with the data at hand.

Here are some of the major concerns people have with AI:

• AI-fueled automation creates problems for organizations to keep workers.
• Making workers depend too much on technology and are less productive.
• Information that is unreliable is being shared because of its prevalence of it.
• A complete lack of oversight.
• The creation of dangerous malware.

Are you considering implementing artificial intelligence systems for your business? MSPNetworks can help you make the most of them. To learn more, call us today at (516) 403-9001.

The use of technology is one of the things that brings most people together. For the past couple of decades people have depended more and more on technology as a way to manage their lives, socialize, and get the goods and services they choose to purchase. This has led to the development of a lot of solid technology-related television shows. In this week’s blog, we thought we would take a look at three shows that cover multiple genres that are solid viewing for the technology enthusiast. 

#1 - Silicon Valley

Developed by Mike Judge, the comic genius behind Beavis and Butthead, Office Space, and King of the Hill, Silicon Valley is one of the best comedies created over the past decade. Silicon Valley is set, you guessed it, in Silicon Valley. It centers around software developers that live in an “incubator” in Palo Alto, California. The main character, Richard Hendricks, is developing an app hilariously called Pied Piper that is being developed as a tool to search for copyrighted music. The real value of the app, however, is that it has a revolutionary lossless compression algorithm that allows people to keep huge databases that can run just about anything. This overlooked feature opens a bidding war that quickly gets out of hand. 

Silicon Valley ran for six seasons on HBO and wrapped up in 2019. It is laugh-out-loud funny for the entire run of the show. Some of the highlights of the show are Hendrick’s ineptitude at running a company, his running rivalry with the head of one of the biggest technology companies, Gavin Belson, and incubator developers Dinesh and Guilfoyle’s back and forth banter throughout the series. 

Silicon Valley
Created by: Mike Judge, John Altschuler, and Dave Krinsky
Starring: Thomas Middleditch, T.J. Miller, Josh Brener, Martin Starr, Kumail Nanjani, Zach Woods, Amanda Crew, Matt Ross, and Jimmy O. Yang
Network (years active): 2014-2019
Where to watch: Max

#2 - Mr. Robot

Created by Sam Esmail, Mr. Robot is a character study in schizophrenia. The show follows Elliot Alderson, a cybersecurity engineer and cyberterrorist with several mental illnesses and a drug addiction. Elliot is recruited by Mr. Robot, a manifested characterization of his late father to head up “fsociety,” a hacker collective that is attempting to encrypt the financial records held by the world’s largest technology company, ECorp. 

Mr. Robot is fashioned as a thriller and has been universally praised for its representation of the alienation that can sometimes come through the use of technology. Throughout much of the run, the show uses the dissociation of its main character to great effect, providing intrigue and ambiguity. The show ran four seasons from 2015-2019 on USA Network. 

Mr. Robot
Created by: Sam Esmail
Starring: Rami Malek, Christian Slater, Portia Doubleday, Carly Chaikin, Martin Wallström, Michael Cristofer, Stephanie Corneliussen, Grace Gummer, BD Wong, Bobby Cannavale, Ashlie Atkinson, and Elliot Villar:
Network: USA Network
Where to watch: Amazon Prime

#3 - Black Mirror

Black Mirror is a dystopian anthology that is centered around the view of technology in future societies. The series started in 2011 and has won critical acclaim for its representation of situational speculative fiction. The series covers multiple genres and has touched on many different technologies and how they will affect humanity in the future. 

Black Mirror started on Channel 4 in the UK, but after season two it was picked up by Netflix. They have produced four more seasons as well as one of the very first interactive movies, Bandersnatch. The series was created by Charlie Brooker and he has written most of the episodes himself taking inspiration from authors such as Philip K. Dick and Issac Asimov. 

Black Mirror
Created by: Charlie Brooker
Starring: Anthology series, multiple stars.
Network: Channel 4 and Netflix
Where to watch: Netflix

Technology is now ubiquitous in our culture, and as time progresses there will certainly be more shows and series created centered around it. For more great technology-related content, check back weekly to our blog.

We tend to focus a lot of our time on this blog talking about the technologies that businesses can (and usually should) use as a part of their operations. However, without clients or customers coming in, there’s only so much good that these technologies can do. That’s why we wanted to briefly touch on a few technologies that can help you attract more people to your business so that all the other IT solutions we recommend can live up to their potential.

What Tools Can Benefit My Business’ Marketing Efforts?

The real key to your marketing success, regardless of your industry, is data. Data is critical if you want to accurately and efficiently answer some of the most important questions that will help guide your business’ marketing efforts. These questions include things like:

• What challenges or problems does my business solve for my clientele?
• Who should my marketing efforts be targeting, or in other words, who am I talking to?
• How can I most effectively communicate the reasons my business is the best choice for my prospective clients to choose—what is it that they find important?
• Where can I most effectively reach the people I should be talking to?

Fortunately, there are IT tools available today to help you organize your data and better answer these questions.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Platforms Help You Understand and Meet Your Customers’ Expectations

With a CRM platform at your disposal, you’re able to much more efficiently track various data points about your clientele that can be used to generate valuable conclusions about all sorts of things, helping you attract, onboard, and retain loyal customers over time. From helping associate common purchases to identifying spikes in certain customer behaviors to providing insight into far too many correlating factors to list here, your CRM effectively takes your data and identifies ways that you can optimize your marketing to suit your customers’ needs and priorities.

Various Platforms Help You Automate Your Marketing Efforts

Have you ever been browsing a website for some product, and suddenly you find yourself receiving emails offering you deals on similar or related goods? This is made possible through the combined use of a CRM and an email marketing tool. By taking the insights compiled by your CRM, you can use the data generated and apply it to your marketing efforts through email. Let’s say you wanted to sell more doodads… by taking a list of interested prospects from your CRM, you could use email marketing software to create an automated campaign to help push these doodads to a list of interested contacts, with other lists created to help you sell widgets, thingamajigs, and whatever else you wish.

In addition to helping you with your more targeted efforts, other platforms simply make your marketing less time-consuming. Options exist that allow you to schedule social media posts in advance, saving you from having to commit time each and every day to coming up with and posting new content on your various social channels. Many of these platforms also offer features that give you (what else?) additional data points to help you make these efforts more effective over time, as well.

Analytics Platforms Add to the Data at Your Disposal

Finally, if you want to market your business as effectively as possible, it will be important to go back and reexamine how effective your assorted efforts were. Different analytics platforms exist to help you in this regard, condensing the data into a digestible form to better communicate your ultimate return on investment. From there, you can take advantage of this data to make improvements and try it all again.

Of Course, Your Operations Need to Live Up to Your Marketing Promises

That’s where we really come in. We’ll be there to ensure that your business’ essential technology is firing on all cylinders and you’re functionally capable of delivering on the promises your marketing makes. Give us a call at (516) 403-9001 to learn more about our managed IT services.

For the small business, technology is an issue; and reasonably so. For something that holds so much importance for an organization, there are bound to be problems attached. These problems can disrupt efficient workflows and ruin some situations. In this week’s blog, we will take a look at four things you can do to cut down on your technology troubles. 

Update Your Software

One of the simplest yet most effective ways to minimize technology problems is by keeping your software up to date. Software updates often come with bug fixes, security patches, and performance enhancements. By regularly updating your operating system, applications, and antivirus software, you can ensure that your devices are equipped with the latest features and protection, reducing the likelihood of encountering technical issues.

Secure Data Backup

Data loss can be a nightmare, especially when it comes to important files, photos, or documents. To prevent the devastating consequences of data loss, it is crucial to establish a robust backup system. At MSPNetworks, our BDR service not only provides you with network attached storage that is updated as data is added and changed, it also pushes that backup to the cloud so if something were to happen to your hardware, your data is safe. 

Practice Safe Browsing Habits

The internet is full of potential threats, including malware, phishing, and malicious websites. To cut down on technology problems, it is important to adopt safe browsing habits. This includes being cautious of suspicious emails, avoiding clicking on unknown links, and refraining from downloading files from untrusted sources. Additionally, installing a reliable antivirus software and keeping it regularly updated can provide an additional layer of protection against online threats.

Seek Assistance from the Experts

Sometimes, technology problems can be extraordinarily complex. They are often well beyond our expertise. In such cases, seeking professional assistance can be a wise decision. Enlisting the help of IT professionals can actually save your business time and money rather than wrestling with an issue and sustaining your organization’s downtime. 

Our team of IT experts can provide the proactive management and comprehensive IT support your business needs to ensure that your information systems stay up and run optimally. Give us a call at (516) 403-9001 to talk to one of our knowledgeable consultants.

We get it: you’d expect to read the statement “AI is everywhere nowadays” as a science fiction story about the enslavement of humans by the very machines they’ve created. We aren’t quite there yet, but more and more humans are coming to rely on artificial intelligence to automate a lot of different tasks inside their businesses. Let’s take a look at what people are actually using AI for. 

Automating Repetitive Tasks

One of the most significant contributions of AI to businesses is its ability to automate repetitive tasks. Machines equipped with AI algorithms can effectively perform tasks that would otherwise require significant time and effort from human employees. AI systems can automate data entry, invoice processing, and inventory management, eliminating the need for manual intervention and reducing human error.

Improved Decision-Making

With the vast amounts of data generated by businesses on a daily basis, decision-making can become a complex and time-consuming process. However, AI-powered analytics tools can quickly process and analyze massive datasets, providing valuable insights and recommendations to business leaders. By automating data analysis, AI enables businesses to make informed decisions in real-time, saving considerable time and resources.

Enhancing Customer Service

Exceptional customer service is a crucial aspect of any successful business. AI-powered virtual assistants and chatbots have become increasingly popular in providing round-the-clock customer support. These AI systems can handle a wide range of customer inquiries, assist in troubleshooting, and even make personalized product recommendations. By promptly addressing customer needs and automating support processes, businesses can significantly reduce response times and enhance overall customer satisfaction.

Predictive Maintenance

In industries that heavily rely on machinery and equipment, AI plays a vital role in predictive maintenance. Traditional maintenance practices often involve scheduled inspections and repairs, which can be time-consuming and costly. However, AI algorithms can analyze real-time data from sensors and machines to detect potential issues before they escalate. By predicting maintenance requirements, businesses can proactively address equipment failures, minimize downtime, and save significant time and costs.

Optimizing Supply Chain Management

The efficient management of the supply chain is crucial for businesses across various industries. AI-powered algorithms can analyze historical data, market trends, and customer demand to forecast demand accurately. By optimizing inventory levels, businesses can avoid stockouts and overstocking, saving both time and money. Furthermore, AI can automate the routing and scheduling of deliveries, ensuring efficient logistics operations and timely deliveries.

AI is evolving extraordinarily fast and will create more places in which businesses need to consider investing in the technology. For more information about how to leverage AI for your particular business needs, give the IT experts at MSPNetworks a call today at (516) 403-9001.

Small manufacturers and distributors operate under a whole separate set of conditions than their larger competitors. This is because they don’t have the available capital to have any noticeable inefficiencies, and if they do have some, they are going to definitely affect their ability to compete. One solution that these organizations can lean on is a logistics platform. 

What Is Logistics Technology?

Logistics is the act of using information and technology to improve the efficiency of your business’ supply chain, procurement, and overall operational efficiency. With so much depending on a business’ ability to deliver products and services in real-time, having the data needed to make that a reality is important.

How do you go about doing this if you don’t have the massive capital to spend on a large logistics platform? It can be difficult to get started, but as the business world has shifted away from the station-to-station model and embraced a more mobile-centric model, logistics not only is extremely important, it is easier to come by than it once was. Let’s take a look at some of the options SMBs have when it comes to integrating logistics platforms into their business. 

Work with Logistic Vendors

One of the best ways to get a logistics platform for a small business is to partner with like-minded companies. Many businesses have the budget restrictions your small business has and since most logistics companies set rates based on volume, you may be priced out if you are only doing a small amount of business with them. Teaming up with another company could deliver the cost-effective price point that will allow you (and your partners) to meet both of your logistics needs. 

Try Logistics Services from Major Providers

Another great option for smaller businesses is to use a small business logistics service that is run by an enterprise logistics company. Nearly every single one of these companies offers solutions for small businesses. This includes UPS, FedEx, DSL, and more. You may end up paying less than you would if you choose to implement a standalone logistics service and you’ll have some of the best companies in the business backing you up.

Look for Industry-Specific Options

Depending on what your business does and what market you do business in, you may find hiring a logistic provider that dedicated themselves to your market to be the best option. Logistics providers that do business in a specific vertical will know the ins and outs of how to handle procurement, distribution, and all the other parts of logistics that can be difficult for a small business. 

Managing Your Supply Chain Doesn’t Need to Be Difficult

Regardless of what you choose to do about your supply chain management and logistics platform, there are many different solutions that cater to the small business. If you would like to have a conversation about getting a logistics platform for your business and what you need to do to operate more efficiently in the changing business world, give the IT professionals at MSPNetworks a call at (516) 403-9001.

The Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, has put together a Safeguard Rule to help establish guidelines for how businesses store and interact with customer information. Enacted in 2003, this rule was recently revamped in 2021 to stay relevant with the latest technology used by businesses. Let’s look at some of the policies and procedures that your business needs to know about the FTC Safeguard Rule.

What is the FTC’s Safeguard Rule?

The Safeguard Rule is a mandate put in place to protect personal information. Those impacted by this rule include financial institutions like mortgage lenders, payday lenders, finance companies, mortgage brokers, account servicers, check cashers, wire transferors, collection agencies, credit counselors, and other financial advisors, tax preparation firms, non-federally insured credit unions, and investment advisors that aren’t required to register with the SEC.

Compliance with the FTC Safeguard Rule involves applicable financial institutions writing out their information security program and having it address specific metrics. This plan must also be appropriate for the size and scope of the business, and it must be tailored to the specific type of information that the organization is responsible for.

With the Safeguard Rule in place and governing how businesses manage sensitive information, it should technically address challenges such as the security and confidentiality of customer information, threats to the integrity of this information, and protection from unauthorized access, theft, or destruction of that data, as well as any problems it might cause for the customer.

You Can Build an FTC-Compliant Security Platform Too

When you get into the details, the reality is that there is nothing in the FTC Safeguard Rule that you shouldn’t already be doing for your customer data. Here is a quick rundown that the FTC recommends for businesses that want to make sure their networks are FTC-compliant.

1. Designate a qualified individual to oversee organizational data security.
2. Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment.
3. Design and deploy necessary safeguards outlined in the risk assessment.
4. Monitor system and regularly test it.
5. Train employees in best practices of data security and privacy.
6. Oversee any third-party’s access and control.
7. Regularly update the security program to keep it current. 
8. Create a written response plan for necessary continuity. 

Need a Hand?

MSPNetworks knows network security and compliance laws like the back of our hands. To learn more about how we can support your business’ efforts, reach out to us at (516) 403-9001.