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Managed IT Services Baltimore: Big Solutions for Small Businesses

March 20, 2013 by

Your small business is anything but small to you. It is your livelihood. More than that, your small business is your life. With the budget restrictions of small businesses, small business owners are forced to wear many hats, including accountant, customer service representative, salesperson, custodian, and so much more. Unfortunately, there are just some things that you, as a small business owner, just cannot keep up with, such as IT.

Nowadays, technology plays a major role in every business, both small and large. And while large businesses have the financial wherewithal to hire a full-time IT specialist (or two or three), small businesses simply do not have the luxury. So where do you turn when your computers, network and security systems need an upgrade to accommodate growth? What do you do when one of these systems fails?

You turn to Working Nets!

At Working Nets, we provide managed IT services to companies who don’t require a full-time IT department or who cannot afford a full-time IT department, but do need reliable assistance when challenges arise. Working Nets was founded to provide small businesses with expert information technology support – because we know computer and network performance is crucial to success.

Managed IT Services

  1. System Setup & Support: Whether you are starting a new business or expanding your current business, you will need to setup your system. Fortunately, Working Nets is here to keep your office running smoothly, from installation to testing to support.
  2. Security & Disaster Preparedness: It is important to be prepared for the worst. Did you know that 86% of companies suffered costly downtime last year? Some of these instances resulted in major data loss. Of companies that experience major data loss, 51% close within 2 years, while 43% never recover. Don’t let this happen to your business. Data protection and recovery is crucial. Working Nets assures that your vital business data is kept secure if disaster strikes.
  3. Virus/Spyware Protection: Viruses and spyware are time-consuming and costly. The virus protection we offer at Working Nets is top-notch and consistently updated, ensuring your business is safe.
  4. Managed Services Program: Why be reactive when you can be proactive? Working Nets can monitor and analyze your computer systems, looking for potential problem areas so they can be handled before they become serious issues.
  5. Guidance with Equipment Purchases: With so many hardware and software option on the market, how do you know which ones best suit your business needs? Working Nets can make recommendations based on our knowledge and experience.
  6. Network Design and Configuration: Your network is at the core of your business. Ensuring that it is designed correctly and properly maintained is at the core of ours.
  7. Troubleshooting: When trouble arises, how do you handle it? At Working Nets, we’ll figure it out and provide the right solution that gets your business up and working again, minimizing costly downtime.

Working Nets can handle any challenge, from the simplest software installation to creating and implementing a network. We’ll meet with you, listen to your problems, and then propose a solution to fit your needs. After all, information technology solutions aren’t one size fits all. Different businesses require different systems and infrastructure.

Our goal is to help you get the most out of the technology investment you’ve made!

If you have any questions, please contact Working Nets by calling (443) 992-7394 or visit WorkingNets.com today!

Welcome to Working Nets – your virtual IT Department!

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

Filed Under: IT industry Tagged With: , ,

New Technology you need to see to believe: The Leap Motion Controller

March 13, 2013 by

First there was the keyboard. Next came the mouse. Then touchscreen technology was the new, trendy thing. So what’s next? How about gesture control? The Leap Motion Controller, which will retail for $80, plugs into almost any newer laptop, allowing the user to manipulate the screen using a series of hand gestures and finger movements.

“It’s sort of like having a touchscreen computer, but without actually touching the screen.” – Jason Gilbert, The Huffington Post

Just take a look!

According to Wired’s Roberto Baldwin, the Leap Motion Controller works best as a secondary controller, used in conjunction with a trackpad or mouse. The gesture control device is scheduled to be available for purchase on May 19 (May 13th to those who pre-order).

If you have any questions, please contact Working Nets by calling (443) 992-7394 or visit WorkingNets.com today!

Welcome to Working Nets – your virtual IT Department!

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

Sources:

  1. Leap Motion, Gesture-Control Gadget For Your Laptop, Will Be Released This May For $80
Filed Under: IT industry, Review / Opinion Tagged With: ,

System Downtime costs Companies $366,363 annually. Fight Back!

February 22, 2013 by

Where did all the data go?

Shockingly, according to the 2012 Acronis Disaster Recovery Index survey, system downtime costs companies an average of $366,363 annually. The survery, which was conducted by the Ponemon Institute and data protection software developer Acronis, found that 86% of companies suffered costly downtime the year before, losing an average of 2.2 days annually. The primary culprits were…

  1. Human Error: 60% of respondents cited human error as the most common cause of downtime.
  2. Data Storage: 70% of respondents cited data storage and the moving of data between different physical, virtual and cloud environments as the biggest cause of downtime.

According to Continuity Software, a New York-based provider of service availability risk management solutions, data storage carries the biggest risk for data loss and costly downtime. The company found that…

  1. The primary cause of downtime and data loss in 58% of cases is storage.
  2. Servers come in second at 17%.
  3. Clusters account for 11%.
  4. Virtualization and the cloud, 9%.
  5. Databases round out the group at 5%.

What is perhaps most shocking is what follows. According to Continuity Software’s findings, 25% of downtime results in Response Time Objective (RTO) violations, which increase downtime. Why? According to Working Nets own David Spigelman, the primary culprit behind RTO violations could be fear.

“The first question the boss is going to ask is, ‘Why didn’t we have that covered?’” explained David. “And if you don’t have a good answer to that question, there’s a real fear that you should have.”

According to a 2011 EVault survey, 17% of IT decision makers would rather have their teeth pulled without painkillers than inform their bosses of critical data loss. And for good reason. Major data loss can be devastating for a business. Of companies that experience a major loss of business data 51% close within 2 years, while 43% never recover.

Do you want to know the secret to minimizing downtime and data loss? Be proactive! Having a disaster recovery and data backup system in place is the best way to minimize downtime and get your business back on track quickly.

Minimize Costly Downtime with Working Nets, your Virtual IT Department!

Downtime is a business owner’s worst nightmare.  This is why data protection and recovery is crucial. At Working Nets, we help ensure that your vital business data is kept secure if disaster strikes. We provide top-notch information technology services to companies who don’t require an IT department, but do need reliable assistance when challenges arise.

By reducing downtime, your office remains more productive and ultimately more profitable!

If you have any questions, please contact Working Nets by calling (443) 992-7394 or visit WorkingNets.com today!

Welcome to Working Nets – your virtual IT Department!

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

Sources:

6 Surprising Surveys About Causes And Effects Of System Downtime

Filed Under: IT industry, IT Tips Baltimore Tagged With: , , ,

Windows Sales have declined since the launch of Windows 8

January 11, 2013 by

“People always fear change. People feared electricity when it was invented, didn’t they? People feared coal, they feared gas-powered engines… There will always be ignorance, and ignorance leads to fear. But with time, people will come to accept their silicon masters.” – Bill Gates

Well, Microsoft has recently changed, launching its newest version of its popular operating system, Windows 8, and people have not been receptive. In fact, window sales were down 21% after the first four weeks Windows 8 was on the market.

“Windows 8 has captured 58% of Windows computing device sales. Comparatively, Windows 7 had garnered 83% of such device sales in its first four weeks of release,” according to the NPD Group.

However, it is unclear as to whether the drop in sales is due to the release of Windows 8 or the fact that Microsoft increased the average price of its machines from $433 to $477 after the release of the new operating system. The only thing that is for certain is that Microsoft Windows sales are down. But Microsoft should have saw this coming, right? Public opinion of Windows 8 was not good when the product was demoed before its full scale launch. If you recall from one of our previous blog posts a few months ago, before the launch of Windows 8, most analysts were not very high on the new operating system.

 

According to ZDNet.com, even hard-core Windows 8 fans prefer Windows 7 by a two to one margin.

 “We really don’t think Windows 8 will get significant traction as a PC OS in a corporate environment,” said Gartner analyst Steve Kleynhans. “Why? Because Windows 8 is a “plumbing” upgrade. This is an upgrade that drastically changes the technology without adding significant improvements.” “An SMB is unlikely to decide ‘Windows 7 is no longer good enough, I must have Windows 8!’,” said Analysys Mason analyst Patrick Rusby. “Windows 7 is proven and popular.”

Do you have Windows 8 or have you used it? What do you think about the new operating system? Do you love it, hate it, or are you indifferent? We want to hear from you!

If you have any questions, please contact Working Nets by calling (443) 992-7394 or visit WorkingNets.com today!

Welcome to Working Nets – your virtual IT Department!

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

Sources:

Windows Sales Down 21% Since Windows 8 Launch

Brainy Quote

Filed Under: IT industry, Opinion, Review / Opinion Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Karma of Networking Events: Patience is the Secret to Lead Generation

November 9, 2012 by

The other night I attended a networking event. It’s an annual event, but this is the first time I’ve gone. I was fascinated as to how many people I knew at this event. Many from events I still regularly attend, but others from groups I used to go to, or even groups that just are no more. I met some knew, and re-established contact with folks with whom I’d been long out of touch.

This morning, I emailed someone who was at the event, who doesn’t do very much networking for his business, and asked him what he thought of it. His response was, “As far as the event, I met a couple of people that I will follow up on. If anything positive comes out of that, it will have been worth it, otherwise, not.” Now, to me, that perspective is… bizarre. But I have come across it many times before. So I responded to his email, but I’d like to share it with all of you who use networking as part of your business-marketing plan:

My philosophy on networking events is that it’s almost always worth it. If nothing solid comes out of it, you met some people. Next time, you’ll run into some of them, and now you’re not strangers anymore. You talk a little bit about whatever – the Ravens, vacation spots, whatever. The next time they’ll smile when they see you and say “HIIIII – How ARE you?” And after that, you schedule a one-on-one, etc… Like other marketing initiatives, this is a game of brand awareness. The more you get to know them; the more they get to know you, the more likely they will feel comfortable thinking of you as “the accountant” when they have issues, or when they talk to other business owners.

I go to two networking meetings pretty much every week. And for those folks, I am the “computer guy.” I don’t always get leads from them, but when I do, it’s business. I’ve gotten $10,000+ deals from these meetings. Only a few, but to me, that justifies my attending them. I also go to several other events, as I catch them. And very often, I meet people that I know from other events, and they introduce me to other people I didn’t know. And the cycle goes round…

For example, I met someone from a networking group I was in years ago, whom I haven’t seen in a long time. He’s now working for a different company, and when we were talking, I asked him whom his targets are. One of his targets turned out to be the company that one of my friends works for, and he was there last night. I introduced them. He’s so happy; he wants to buy me dinner! A woman I met at the same event is a target for another one of my friends, who was also there last night. I introduced them. Now whether or not they actually wind up doing business together, those people will remember that I tried to help them. And if they have the opportunity to refer someone back to me, or if they even meet someone who wants to work with small IT companies, chances are I’m going to get that referral. That’s the power of networking.

That’s not to say be a mercenary and pretend that you want to help others in order to receive some future gain. It doesn’t work like that. It’s more like… karma. You put good stuff out there; good stuff will come back. I believe that, and I’ve seen it in my business.

So if you go to meetings and events, and don’t immediately meet people that are looking for what you do, don’t give it up as a worthless endeavor. Keep going. Meet more people. Get to know the ones you’ve already met, better. And help people, even if you don’t think they can help you. Because you never know…

If you have any questions, please contact Working Nets by calling (443) 992-7394 or visit WorkingNets.com today!

Security & Disaster Preparedness Services: Data protection and recovery is crucial. Working Nets assures that your vital business data is kept secure if disaster strikes.

Welcome to Working Nets – your virtual IT Department!

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

 

Filed Under: IT industry, IT Tips Baltimore Tagged With: , ,

Gmail Smart Labels for Social Updates and other Email Helpers

November 7, 2012 by

Are you tired of weeding through a seemingly endless string of emails? Of course you are. We all are. But what other options do we have? Well, now thanks to Google’s new Smart Labels, you are able to filter your email more efficiently, allowing you to receive only the content you want to read!

Enabling Google Smart Labels

  1. Go to your Gmail settings menu
  2. Click “Labs”
  3. Enable Google Smartlabels

Smart Labels automatically categorizes bulk, notification, forum messages, and more, leaving your Inbox free from unwanted clutter.

Other Email Helpers

  • Boomerang: Boomerang gives you control of when you send and receive email messages.
  • Rapportive: Rapportive gives you immediate access to the biographical information of your contacts, including what people look like, where they’re based, where they work, and more.
  • Mailstrom: Mailstrom is one of the smartest and fastest ways to clean out your inbox, deleting or archiving hundreds or even thousands of messages at once. “I’ve cleared out 60% of my mailbox already,” said Working Nets own David Spigelman.

If you have any questions about Google Smart Labels and other Email Helpers, please contact Working Nets by calling (443) 992-7394 or visit WorkingNets.com today!

Troubleshooting Services: Productivity is crucial in any business. When trouble appears, we’ll figure it out and provide the right solution that gets your business up and working again.

Welcome to Working Nets – your virtual IT Department!

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

 

Filed Under: Explanations, IT industry, IT Tips Baltimore, Review / Opinion Tagged With: , , , ,

Disaster Preparedness: Hurricane Sandy, Battery Backups, Redundancy & more

October 31, 2012 by

As the weather finally begins to clear, the full aftermath of Hurricane Sandy is being realized. Countless businesses along the east coast were devastated by the storm. Was your business one of them? How did you fare during Hurricane Sandy?

If you had a disaster recovery plan and offsite data backup in place, you are probably okay. Yet, astonishingly, only 25% of computer users regularly backup their data! And major data loss can be devastating for a business. Of companies that experience a major loss of business data 51% close within 2 years, while 43% never recover.

That means that only 6% of businesses that experience major data loss survive!

So what can you do to ensure that your business does not become another statistic? You can plan ahead.

Whether you call it disaster preparedness, emergency preparedness, disaster recovery, or business continuity, the goal is the same: to get your business back up and running as quickly as possible in the event of a disruption.

  • Communication: You need to ensure that each of your employees knows what to do in the event of a disaster. Where will they do, how will they do their jobs, and how will they communicate?
  • Batter Backup: Battery backups are designed to provide power to your business when the grid is knocked out by natural disaster.
  • Off-Site Backup: If disaster strikes and you store your backups onsite, you could STILL lose all of your vital business information. Data loss can cripple any business. So make sure your vital business information is kept safe by utilizing off-site backup.
  • System Redundancy: The more redundant your systems, the less you will suffer, within reason. That’s the idea behind data backups, but there are other things you will need “backed up,” besides your data itself. These additional items include copies software, passwords, vendor information, and more!

Disaster recovery is not just for Fortune 500 companies. But what do you do if you cannot afford to hire an in-house IT technician? You outsource, of course!

If you have any questions about Disaster Preparedness, please contact Working Nets by calling (443) 992-7394 or visit WorkingNets.com today!

Security & Disaster Preparedness Services: Data protection and recovery is crucial. Working Nets assures that your vital business data is kept secure if disaster strikes.

Welcome to Working Nets – your virtual IT Department!

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

 

Filed Under: Explanations, IT industry Tagged With: , , , , ,

Windows 8 vs. Windows RT: Microsoft’s new Operating Systems explained

October 24, 2012 by

As you probably know, Microsoft is expected to launch its newest operating system, Windows 8, later this week. And in our last blog post, we posted several opinions (mostly negative) about the upcoming launch of Microsoft Windows 8. But what you may not know is that Microsoft is also debuting a second operating system, Windows RT.

PCs and Tablets powered by x86 processors (both 32-bit and 64-bit platforms) will run Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro. Devices on an ARM platform or WOA will run Windows RT.

  • Windows 8: Touted as Microsoft’s “full” version of Windows, 8 supports all of the same software as Windows 7, Vista, and XP, but also runs a batch of new, tablet-like apps available through the Windows Store.
  • Windows RT: Windows RT is a feature-limited tablet version of Windows 8 designed to run on ARM processors. Unlike Windows 8, RT will not support any older Windows software. Windows RT runs only Windows Store apps and built-in software. This means you won’t be able to download any software that is made to run in the desktop environment. This means no third-party browsers…no third-party games…no third-party anything for that matter.

Windows 8 and Windows RT look the same, but behave completely differently. And as you can imagine…or as you may be experiencing…this can be quite confusing for consumers.

If you have any questions about Windows 8 and Windows RT, please contact Working Nets by calling (443) 992-7394 or visit WorkingNets.com today!

At Working Nets, we work closely with each client to determine their IT needs, and how to meet them quickly and inexpensively. We’ll meet with you and perform an extensive system review before creating a detailed, comprehensive strategy to meet your unique needs.

Welcome to Working Nets – your virtual IT Department!

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

 

Filed Under: Explanations, IT industry, Review / Opinion Tagged With: , , , ,

Windows 8 is set to be released next Week. What is the Public saying?

October 17, 2012 by

The release of Windows 8 is right around the corner. But why does no one seem excited? According to Microsoft, Windows 8 is “Windows reimagined and reinvented from a solid core of Windows 7 speed and reliability.” But what does the public think?

Unfortunately for Microsoft, public opinion has not been in favor of Windows 8. In fact, the closer Microsoft gets to unveiling its newest operating system and the more the public learns about Windows 8, the less likely they are to implement it.

Windows 8 Reviews

 

  1. “We really don’t think Windows 8 will get significant traction as a PC OS in a corporate environment,” said Gartner analyst Steve Kleynhans. “Why? Because Windows 8 is a “plumbing” upgrade. This is an upgrade that drastically changes the technology without adding significant improvements.”
  2. According to ZDNet.com, even hard-core Windows 8 fans prefer Windows 7 by a two to one margin.
  3. “An SMB is unlikely to decide ‘Windows 7 is no longer good enough, I must have Windows 8!’,” said Analysys Mason analyst Patrick Rusby. “Windows 7 is proven and popular.”
  4. “[Windows 8] really seems to be designed for tablets and phones,” said Working Nets own David Spigelman. “While you can install and run it on a desktop or notebook, it’s really not designed for that.”

Checkout How People React to Windows 8

Do you think you will make the switch to Windows 8?

If you have any questions about Windows 8, please contact Working Nets by calling (443) 992-7394 or visit WorkingNets.com today!

At Working Nets, we work closely with each client to determine their IT needs, and how to meet them quickly and inexpensively. We’ll meet with you and perform an extensive system review before creating a detailed, comprehensive strategy to meet your unique needs.

Welcome to Working Nets – your virtual IT Department!

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

 

Filed Under: IT industry, IT Tips Baltimore, Review / Opinion Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Windows 7, Windows XP, & Malware Infections: Is your Computer at risk?

October 10, 2012 by

According to the latest Microsoft Security Intelligence Report (volume 13), the average number of infected Windows 7 SP1 machines has increased in 2012 by 23% on 32-bit systems and 7% on 64-bit systems, compared to the last quarter of 2011. Meanwhile, the average number of malware-infected Windows XP SP3 PCs has increased by around 10%.

According to the report: “A similar trend of slowly increasing infection rates was observed for Windows Vista between 2007 and 2009, prior to the release of Windows 7.” But why? Well, as more and more people adopt software, security suffers. Early adopters are often well versed in cybersecurity techniques. However, the general populous is not.

“As the Windows 7 install base has grown, new users are likely to possess a lower degree of security awareness than the early adopters and be less aware of safe online practices,” according to the Microsoft security report.

Quick Security Tips from Working Nets

  1. Avoid questionable behavior. If you engage in questionable behaviors; if you don’t have SOME healthy skepticism about clicking on links to who-knows-where; if you download “drivers” or “players” willy-nilly, so that you can see that “new video”, and especially if you don’t have some form of anti-virus software, you’re going to get hurt.
  2. Trying to avoid paying for software by downloading license key generator, also known as Keygen, software to allow you to install a full-version of whatever software you’re talking about is not only illegal, it constitutes “questionable behavior.” Remember what we just talked about. There is plenty of free software, and if the software you want to use isn’t free, and is that important to you, it’s probably worth paying for. It’s usually cheaper than having to have viruses uninstalled, and is certainly cheaper than having financial credentials stolen.

If you have any questions about Cybersecurity, please contact Working Nets by calling (443) 992-7394 or visit WorkingNets.com today!

Virus/Spyware Protection Services: Viruses and spyware are time-consuming and costly. The virus protection we offer is top-notch and consistently updated. Our monitoring software ensures your business is safe.

Welcome to Working Nets – your virtual IT Department!

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

Sources:

Windows 7 Malware Infection Rates Soar

 

Filed Under: Computer Security Baltimore, Explanations, IT industry, IT Tips Baltimore Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,
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