Currently, the tech industry makes up 35% of the total world market (Zippia) with more than 585,000 tech companies operating out of the US alone. The Big Four tech companies (Amazon, Apple, Google, and Facebook) are now collectively worth $4 trillion. It’s a fairly safe bet to say that adapting to new technologies faster and more efficiently is going to be a major factor in ensuring the survival (and competitive advantage) of any business.

Benefits of new technology for businesses

Unlock a higher degree of efficiency with new technologies

Using new technologies to streamline business processes can save time, enhance communication, and make tasks easier. For example, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone systems and instant messaging apps enable seamless instant connectivity no matter where your teams or even your clients are located. Your team can always get in touch with each other and clients and business partners anytime, anywhere on any internet-connected device. This makes relaying critical information quicker and easier reducing the scope for communication errors or lags and enabling seamless decision-making.

Similarly, business process management solutions enabled by reliable managed service providers such as IT Support Rhode Island unlock the opportunity for organizations to automate repetitive tasks. These can include recording but time-consuming processes such as accounts payable processes. With automation, your staff can significantly reduce time and effort spent on repetitive tasks and instead focus on accomplishing higher-order tasks.

Make sure your infrastructure is ready for remote and hybrid work

For many organizations, issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic continue to pose challenges. Many businesses are still struggling to cope with the challenges including how to manage remote and hybrid workforces. These issues can be addressed by implementing modern communications and collaboration tools that enable entire organizations to stay connected and on the same page. Managers can check in on employees, co-workers can call or message one another regarding projects they’re working on together, and teams can share documents and edit these at the same time if needed. They have the ability to set and track task progress so everyone’s always kept in the loop—and much more. If you are a local business that needs help with setting up its infrastructure to support the future of remote work, consider reaching out to Managed IT Services Boston.

Improve your potential for employee engagement and retention

When computers frequently freeze or take a long time to load, employees become less productive and experience frustration. Inadequate technological equipment that is not updated over time can lead to poor employee engagement and experiences. When you provide your team with the latest hardware and software, they are able to perform tasks smoothly and efficiently without being distracted by technology frustrations. Moreover, keeping your technology updated continuously shows that you are a proactive employer on top of evolving technology and security demands. It also tells employees that you are invested in ensuring their comfort with a smooth and frictionless work experience, increasing morale, loyalty, and employee retention.

Reduced costs

As technology evolves, it is imperative to adopt new solutions. New technology is vital to the growth of any business. The cost of implementing new equipment or software is often less than the expense of repairing or replacing existing equipment, downtime, or lost productivity. By investing in the cloud, you can save even more — cloud providers shoulder the burden of managing your hardware, so you no longer have to worry about expenses like utilities and maintenance. Cloud-based services turn out to be highly cost-efficient in the long run, as they eliminate the need for hardware and utilities. Regardless of your company’s size and industry, new technologies such as cloud computing are key to achieving your goals and sustaining your competitive edge. To ensure that any new hardware or software is implemented properly and aligned with your business needs, reach out to our experts today. Seasoned experts at IT Consulting Boston can help your company decide which cloud solutions are right for its unique needs and goals. Contact us today to find out how.

About Kenny:

Kenny Rounds is the founder and CEO of Braver Technology Solutions, a leading IT Support Boston Company offering full IT Support & Security solutions. Throughout the last 30 years, Kenny has continually expanded his workforce, embracing the core values of integrity and innovation and growing into one of New England’s premier IT service providers. He is a cybersecurity expert and has presented at local groups and hosted educational webinars on all things IT.

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Virtual reality is an evolving technology primarily known for its application in video games, but it could also be used in business. The primary ingredient of a virtual reality system is a headset or other device that completely takes over the user’s field of vision and provides an immersive experience. More advanced systems offer audio immersion, extremely high-resolution imagery, and positional tracking, allowing users to move around and use their hands to interact with the virtual environment. For extensive resources on how businesses can implement virtual reality in their daily operations, please refer to IT Support Virginia. 

What is Augmented Reality?

Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world, thus enhancing one’s perception of it. AR is more or less a computer graphic overlay that aims to transform an actual, existing object.

Use Cases of AR and VR

Corporate Management

Corporate management is composed of the people and machinery that work behind the scenes to produce products and services. Augmented reality applications are very common in human resource training and data organization.

Human Resource Training

Human resource training includes team-building activities that are important in maintaining the chemistry of human resources. Some companies now opt to hold virtual tours, challenging the spirit of cooperation and camaraderie between employees by requiring team members to work together toward a common goal. This lets companies avoid the hassle of picking an available schedule with favorable weather and the additional expense of transportation, food, and accommodation. This is particularly applicable in a situation like the pandemic, where many organizations were forced to opt for virtual tours to guarantee employee safety and well-being. 

Data Organization and Presentation

Organizing and presenting data is one of the most critical aspects of business management. While it has been traditional for people to keep track of important data by hand, computers have made it easier to manage large amounts of information. Augmented reality and virtual reality are newer technologies that can help you organize your business data. With them, you can create a tiny envelope with an augmented reality interface that lets you keep track of all the data while presenting your findings in a non-intimidating way by giving each icon an information button you can click on for more details, even inserting short explanatory videos for each section.

Product or Service Conceptualization

The biggest hindrance in the product or service conceptualization process often comes from the prototype-building phase. Traditionally, one must invest in raw materials without knowing whether the final creation will work out as planned. The experimentation process often leads to mistakes, which also leads to wasted resources and can be prohibitively expensive. This is where digital technologies have an edge with the edit and undo feature. With this, we can save resources by not worrying about wasting them on failed attempts at creating our final product. Augmented and virtual reality technology stepping up its game, we can now utilize the conceptualization process in a more immersive way. For help and guidance on AR/VR-enabled product or service conceptualization, please contact IT Consulting Virginia.

Product Design or Service Planning

Industries like beauty, tourism, and entertainment will likely find virtual reality technology a lifesaver. The technology allows users to “edit and undo” their designs in real-time. For beauticians, experimenting with product color formulations on physical skin through augmented reality is a big help. Likewise, architects and engineers may also benefit from 3D design software enhanced with features of environmental simulation.

Better Layout Designs in Marketing Planning with AR/VR

Marketing planning includes the decision-making and outline of the marketing efforts implemented upon product or service launching and actual operations. One of the usual marketing strategies implemented by different businesses is having a poster or infographic that showcases their product or service. The poster and infographic layout design is an attention-grabbing critical tactic in swaying potential customers. Therefore, layout designing is a tedious process that businesses depend on to have more diversified and non-constrained ideas for conceptualization, which is considered “in” at that time. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) give an edge over just a two-dimensional experience, which shall leave an impression on potential customers with AR/VR technology.

Advertising and Product/Service Testing with AR/VR

Businesses rely on consumers for the success of their products or service. That is why companies need to enhance customer awareness of their offerings and convince them with advertising. In an inflationary economy, customers are likely to become only more prudent with their purchase decisions. They can study products carefully by weighing their net weights, comparing prices per gram, checking durability and quality, and ensuring that they conform to their personal preferences. This is where Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality technology can be used to test products as significant value addition and added attraction in courting potential consumers. Managed IT Services Virginia offers extensive resources on the applications of AR/VR in advertising and product testing.

Post courtesy: Strategic Solutions

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Software as a Service (SaaS)

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) is a category of cloud computing that provides access to software applications over the internet. SaaS applications are available from various providers, such as IT support 24/7, who manage the infrastructure and often maintain the application. Examples include Google Apps, Salesforce.com, Hub spot, Mail Chimp, DocuSign, Slack, and Drift. The subscription-based model of SaaS allows businesses to pay for only what they need and access updates as soon as they become available. SaaS platforms target customer relationship management (CRM), marketing automation, or agreement management, among other functions. Maintenance, compliance, and security services are bundled as a part of the subscription offering. This can be a considerable benefit for businesses as it can be time-consuming and costly when using on-premise software.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) is a layer of cloud computing that provides an application development environment. It enables you to deploy and run applications without worrying about the underlying hardware or software infrastructure. These resources are purchased on a pay-as-you-go basis and always remain available for access using a secure internet connection. Common examples of PaaS include Microsoft Azure, Google App Engine, AWS Elastic Beanstalk, SAP Cloud Platform, Salesforce Lightning Platform (formerly Salesforce App Cloud), and Zoho Creator.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) provides business computing resources, including virtual machines and other infrastructure elements. The resources are typically provisioned on-demand and metered by usage. Cloud computing providers like WP Engine, Go Daddy, or Dream host provide IaaS.

6 Ways Cloud Business Solutions Accelerate Growth

Competitive advantage

To have the best chance of success, a company’s leadership must maintain a planned and deliberate approach to gaining a competitive advantage over its rivals. Managed Cloud Services offers companies a chance to gain an edge over their rivals, and a recent Verizon survey shows that most businesses believe the cloud is helping them to do so. However, many organizations prefer to keep data on-site rather than in the cloud. This is large because of fears about risk, reluctance to change, and financial commitment to legacy systems or on-site installations. As a result, these businesses will continue to be at a progressive disadvantage as cloud business solutions become mainstream. They will not be able to compete with companies that have cloud technology on their side and probably be compelled to switch to the cloud after growth stalls.

Supports Mobile Work Environments

According to Spice works’ 2020 State of IT report, one of the most significant benefits driving companies to the cloud is desktop virtualization. Having access to a virtualized desktop means that employees can access their desktops no matter where they are. All they need is an internet-capable device. This enables seamless productivity where work and critical decision-making happen on the go. Using a cloud solution, your business can have 24/7 access to any data stored on that cloud. Most services render device-specific copies redundant, enabling employees to access important files on any device while traveling. There will also be less of a chance that you’ll get caught with outdated information. You’ll always have access to the most current data/ doc or project version that your team is working with.

Increased Cost-Effectiveness

Cloud computing typically means a business will only pay for its resources. It won’t need to purchase or maintain extra physical storage, processing power, or networking equipment.  Cloud services can help companies avoid capital expenditures on physical servers and other IT infrastructure. All employees can access the cloud and any cloud-based resources a business may have so long as they have devices that can connect to the internet. Cloud computing also unlocks the potential for more automation than ever before. This means businesses can automate processes they couldn’t even imagine automating. This will result in significant benefits in improved efficiency and reduced IT costs.

Flexibility and Scalability

Cloud services can be scaled up with ease. A simple phone call will usually suffice if your business needs more storage space or processing power. The change will occur much quicker than if you had to wait for new hard drives to arrive or for a server rack to be installed in a data center. As such, scalability is one of the most valuable benefits of cloud solutions. It is beneficial for growing businesses with limited resources to devote to managing IT infrastructure and data storage needs. Thanks to the scalability provided by cloud solutions offered by reliable providers such as IT consulting services, companies that contain a high volume of data or/ and rapidly scale can be more efficient in their operations.

Improved Collaboration

Cloud-based services and storage can allow team members and partners to work from anywhere, allowing them to collaborate using the same tools and data no matter their location. With even extended teams on the same page at all times, collaboration becomes much easier and allows you to get expert assistance from across the world. Syte Consulting Group works with manufacturing companies across the US without the unnecessary traffic and its associated costs. This improves productivity and efficiency and reduces the risk of miscommunication.

Stay up-to-date and secure. 

Cloud-based solutions from Managed IT Services can help your company to keep its software up to date — which helps prevent unauthorized access to your network. The most recent version of the software is almost always the most secure, and using cloud-based solutions can help you ensure that your team is using the most secure software possible. This can help prevent unauthorized access to your network and any confidential or sensitive data you work with or store on the cloud. Keeping software updated is especially important because hackers are working faster than ever. A recent report by the NSA found that cybercriminals can now weaponize security walnut abilities within 24 hours of them becoming public. For more help on cloud migration, please refer to our extensive Cloud Migration Guide. 

About Nora:

Nora Erspamer is the Director of Digital Marketing at New Charter Technologies, a group of companies specializing in Cloud Computing Solutions. She is an experienced marketer and sales strategist with a demonstrated history of working in various technology industries. She is skilled in strategic campaign development, lead generation, and marketing automation software. Her blog can be found at https://www.newchartertech.com/learning/.

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Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) has the potential to be a game-changer for numerous aspects of business, from customer service to data analysis to fraud detection. Some companies are already seeing the benefits of implementing A.I. into their organizations—and it’s not just start-ups or tech giants; companies across all industries are starting to see how artificial intelligence can help solve problems and improve processes.  Artificial intelligence in business is expected to transform the sector by streamlining processes, aggregating data, and bringing technology out of the two-dimensional screen and into the three-dimensional physical environment surrounding an individual. Future-forward MSPs such as IT Support Vermont can customize AI-powered solutions for businesses to suit their needs. This article examines how AI is being used in businesses and how it will continue to evolve in the future.  

Benefits of Artificial Intelligence in Business

A.I. powered customer service

Managing customer relationships (and providing the human touch) is complex and involves many moving parts. ​​Customer service is more than answering emails and phone calls—it requires coordination with multiple departments across your organization, from marketing to sales to finance. It’s an essential part of every business because happy customers lead to more sales and referrals, but also because unhappy customers can cost you dearly in terms of brand reputation or even legal action.

Customer relationship management combined with artificial intelligence capabilities can assist employees in being more productive and efficient. It can guide them to manage specific tasks like calendars, making phone calls, scheduling meetings, taking notes, and assisting them in every manual task. As a result, companies need people equipped with AI to parse vast amounts of contextual and customer information to gain insights, analyze, and resolve issues faster. 

Improved fraud detection with AI

Fraud detection is critical because it helps you prevent financial loss and avoid financial fraud. Firms using artificial intelligence-powered fraud detection software can stop these attempts before they happen without compromising customer experience or trust in the brand. A study by Forrester Research has shown that companies using AI for detecting fraudulent activities save around $1 million annually due to reduced losses incurred through such activities. IT Outsourcing Vermont can help local businesses detect and prevent fraud effectively with AI solutions.

Decreased training costs

Training employees is expensive and time-consuming and can prove prohibitively costly for companies with a higher churn rate. It can take months or even years to train someone, which means a massive investment in human capital. Artificial intelligence can help reduce the cost and time it takes to train new employees by providing structured learning materials that are more efficient than human teachers. AI also reduces the scope of errors in training. 

Gain insights from vast and complex datasets

In the future, the power to effectively analyze vast amounts of data will be a crucial differentiator and competitive advantage for businesses. AI can be used to analyze data from multiple sources and make decisions based on that analysis. This means that you can use the insights from your customer’s behaviour and preferences to improve their experience with your company, boost sales, increase productivity and quality, and make strategic decisions that could help your company thrive in a competitive market. However, we are still at the early stages of being able to unlock the full potential of such applications of AI.

Take advantage of intelligent pricing

Determining the cost of a service or product is one of the most significant challenges facing all organizations. Competitors can beat you on price, and customers may not be willing to pay high fees for your products. You must analyze customer reviews, production costs, activity, and competitor prices to determine the price. With artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) tools, and enough data, you can plan pricing that maximizes profits while remaining competitive in the marketplace.

Implementing AI in recruitment

One of the essential tasks for a recruiting crew is sorting through the pool of applicants to identify the best candidates. Most companies have a difficult time finding qualified candidates for open positions. Artificial intelligence can help make the recruiting process more efficient and accessible. It can screen potential candidates, track down their contact information, and schedule interviews based on preferences set by the company. In addition, AI can predict how long a candidate will remain in a position before leaving – allowing companies to plan accordingly when filling open positions.

AI is the Future

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already changing the healthcare industry. A recent analysis by the University Hospitals Birmingham and collaborators found that AI correctly detected a disease condition with 87 percent accuracy while human experts could only attain 86 percent. While it took doctors 10 minutes to diagnose a patient, AI technology needed only one second and could assess one million possibilities simultaneously. Human beings are prone to mistakes, but computers don’t – if designed well. Many companies have already launched initiatives to replace human workers with intelligent machines in sectors as diverse as financial industries, service delivery, manufacturing, and recruitment. 

There is no denying that humans are capable of more expansive and creative thought. We can think in the abstract, imagine, judge, feel and anticipate situations. While AI may be unparalleled at processing data, it is not invulnerable. There are cases where AI has failed, such as Uber’s self-driving car killing a pedestrian in 2018 and IBM’s Watson supercomputer advising unsafe and incorrect cancer treatments. But those are highly advanced use cases. For most SMEs and enterprises, AI applications in business can unlock a treasure trove of benefits and cost savings to grow their business. To know more, please consult with the experts at Managed IT Services Vermont. 

About Steve:

Steve Loyer is the president and CEO of Tech Group, LLC. An IT consulting Vermont company. With over 25 years of experience in network and network security solutions, Steve has earned technical and sales certificates from Microsoft, Cisco, Hewlett Packard, Citrix, Sonicwall, Symantec, McAfee, Barracuda, and American Power Conversion. Steve graduated from Vermont Technical College with a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technology.

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Today’s workplace is a very different experience from the one we had before the COVID-19 virus struck. Both the old-fashioned 9-to-5 workday and the old-fashioned idea of working in an office are gone. Many workers now create their schedules and routines, often working at home with frequent interruptions from family, pets, and daytime soap operas. Since many people work around the clock on their computers, having 24/7 access to your network is essential. As a result of this new “always open” society, businesses need secure and reliable access to their networks day and night. Companies require reliable managed services providers, such as IT Support Joplin who are available 24/7/365 to streamline complex remote/ hybrid workflow processes.

Here are the Most Common IT Issues

Forgotten Passwords

Many businesses and organizations find themselves dealing with forgotten passwords on a day-to-day basis. Having to reset or change passwords every time employees forget their login credentials is disruptive, mainly when it occurs right before a major project is due. To avoid this situation entirely, it would be a good idea to follow a strategy that would decrease the chances of users forgetting the password in the first place. Alternatively, you may want to eliminate the problem by investing in reliable password management software like Last Pass, which allows users to generate hundreds of strong passwords and secure them in a special vault. Password managers can be a godsend for forgetful users as they offer users multiple recovery options. Password software can be incredibly cost-effective, too, with plans beginning as low as $4 per month.

Accidentally deleting an important file

Accidental deletions are more common than we think. If a user accidentally deletes a file, there are many ways to retrieve it.

• Hard Drive: If your hard drive is still working, it’s possible to recover the files. However, this won’t be possible if the hard drive has crashed or stopped working entirely.
• Memory: The same applies to computer memory. If the memory is still functioning correctly and hasn’t been damaged by malware or viruses (which could cause permanent damage), then there may be a chance that you can recover some or all of your lost document(s).
• Recycle Bin: If you have emptied one particular folder without emptying its corresponding Recycle Bin (which appears on most Windows computers as soon as new folders are created), then it should be possible for those files to be recovered from there as long as other files didn’t overwrite them before being put into this location!

To provide additional layers of protection against accidental file deletion, you may benefit from using syncing software such as OneDrive or Drobox. These programs automatically sync files on your computer to the cloud. If you accidentally delete a file from your hard drive, the most recent version can still be retrieved from the cloud. Although deleted files can be recovered from synced files on the cloud, files can still be permanently lost through cyber-attacks which is why Managed IT Services Joplin strongly suggests having backup solutions in place to eliminate this risk.

Computer slow in performance and lagging

If your computer is slow and lagging, there are a few things you can do to fix this problem. You can try doing a clean boot on your system, which will help remove unnecessary processes running in the background. If this doesn’t work, try uninstalling some of the applications you no longer use or need on your system; this will free up space on your hard disk drive (HDD). If neither option works for you, then defragmenting your HDD may be the solution to getting rid of laggy performance issues.

Overheating, fans making noise, and slowing down the system

• CPU temperature – The first thing you should check is the CPU temperature, which can be done using a utility like CPUID Monitor.
• GPU temperature – If your system has a dedicated graphics card, it’s imporessentialeep an eye on its temperature. You can also use the same software for this task, but you will have to make sure that it supports monitoring GPU temperatures.
• PSU fan speed and noise level – Since power supplies usually take up most of the space inside a computer case, they tend to get quite hot while running at full load. This is especially true if they’re not actively cooled by other fans in combination with them being placed at one of the exhaust positions on top or rear side panels. To avoid overheating issues caused by such setups, we recommend checking whether all fans are spinning smoothly without any rattling sounds coming from within. You can continue working if there’s no sign indicating something terrible might happen soon. Otherwise, fix this problem before continuing!

Slow internet connection and network issue

• Check your Internet speed

If you’re experiencing slower than expected speeds, there may be issues with your network or computer. Some common causes for slow internet include:

• A faulty modem and router
• Malware on the computer (such as viruses and spyware)
• Interference from another device or appliance that uses Wi-Fi near the computer (e.g., a wireless printer)
• Check for any interference from other devices

USB Plug & play problems

Sometimes the computer may not recognize USB ports, or they may not function at all, or they don’t charge the connected device, etc.  USB problems can arise from the device, the port, or the laptop. The first thing to do is check if the device works on other devices. If so, this narrows it to either the port or the laptop. The first time you use a USB device, it may need to auto-install drivers to allow it to work efficiently; likewise, an updated version of your USB driver may fix these problems. IT Consulting Joplin has the right solutions for various computer problems/ issues. Local businesses looking for a reliable IT support vendor to manage their hardware/ software issues should consider getting the best solution for their problems from the experts.

About James:

James Richards is a serial jelly bean eater with over 30 years of experience in the Information Technology industry. Growing up around the first generation of home computers, he always had a strong interest in technology and is continually grateful to be in a profession that he honestly enjoys. James is a problem solver whose vision to provide quality is the foundation of Stronghold Data. His goal is to deliver solutions for customers that genuinely impress them with the outcome. His authenticity and compassion for his team and clients extend into the community with his active leadership roles.

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