5 Things to Look for in an ERP Software

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Businesses are turning to ERP systems to innovate processes across the organization — a cloud-based platform can connect various functional areas into a unified whole. There is no question about the relevance or importance of implementing a modern ERP system; Gartner has coined cloud computing in 2019 as a “slope of enlightenment” phase.

Gartner predicts that the fastest IT spending category is cloud computing infrastructure and applications — out of an overall $3.77 trillion global information technology spend. Digital transformation is front and center; in fact, 72% of companies globally across industries will adopt cloud computing by 2022 based on the latest Future of Jobs Survey by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Modern ERP software solutions help employees work smarter, improving efficiency and visibility across the organization; this can include everything from purchasing and sourcing, manufacturing, and inventory control to sales and marketing, distribution and customer relationship management.

Many companies that are migrating to the cloud realize it’s the right thing to do, but don’t know where to begin. Here are some key points to consider:

1. Scalability and Flexibility

The first step in selecting an ERP system is to fully assess the needs of the organization at the present time. Reviewing company goals will help to ensure all bases are covered. Once initial needs are determined, look toward future needs that will be realized as the company grows — change means adapting for the future.

An ERP system must be flexible enough to scale the needs as a business matures. Stay away from legacy sites that are built on-premise or those disguised as cloud solutions, but are really a patch and run job — the company will outgrow lesser options quickly. By seeking an ERP with the agility to integrate with emerging technologies, a company is future-proofing its business!

Read more about the advantages of a true cloud ERP system, as well as fake cloud systems that businesses should steer clear of.

2. Mobile-Friendly

The way people work has changed; the advent of the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) workplace and a growing amount of remote workers mean businesses need to offer new ways to do business. Employees need to be able to access workflows and data wherever and whenever they see fit, and this can be a boost to overall productivity — and profitability. If mobile functionality is limited, those efficiency gains will be impossible to realize.

Employees should be able to tap into ERP dashboards to get what information they need, when they need it. It’s also important that they are able to enter data directly from the field, as it reduces the risk of errors that occur when they have to re-enter data collected at a previous time.

3. Recommendations and Testimonials

Transparency is key. An ERP software vendor should be able to provide customer references that a company can reach out to — this will help provide an inside look into the implementation process. Reviewing the actual software should not be overlooked, but an organization must consider the collaborative experience the vendor’s implementation team offers, as well as the overall technical and business acumen in partnering with a company in the same or related industry. Give them a call, and, if possible, pay the company a visit to see how the system reacts in a real-life scenario.

Communication is king when opting for an ERP vendor. The vendor should be committed to building a strong, collaborative relationship between the two teams.

4. Ease of Use

Functional areas across the business will be working in the system daily, inputting data that relates to the department. User experience (UX) should be customizable for each function, so only the most relevant information is presented — users should be able to drill down for a more finite view. This includes contextualization for international companies that work across locales and require region-specific data and units of measurement.

A promising ERP will present the right information to the right people at the right time — all in a simple, accessible way. The system should function smoothly, addressing these needs easily. If a vendor is suggesting clunky workarounds to get a system to localize and contextualize, that’s a red flag.

5. System Cost

When looking at the cost of an ERP system, don’t get caught up just in what’s due upfront, but look at the whole picture. A company looking to migrate to the cloud should consider long-term implementation costs and the total cost of ownership (TCO). Many leading cloud-based ERP vendors offer flexible licensing, which helps to keep costs down as a company grows.

Embracing innovation is about change management and an ERP system should be set up to mirror the future of a business and its necessary processes. A solid ERP system vendor will be ready and willing to evolve as the needs of its customers develop.

Getting Started

Thinking about implementing a cloud-based ERP system? Contact us to learn more about how to utilize IT managed services to meet business goals!

Advantages of a True Cloud Management Software

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Moving from an outdated legacy ERP system to the cloud is a wise choice. As businesses plan for migration from outdated legacy systems, it’s important decision makers understand that there are a lot of solutions marketed as “cloud” that don’t quite fit the bill. The “cloud-washing” of applications can be disastrous and buyers must beware.

Gartner predicts 17.3% growth in 2019 to total $206.2 billion in the cloud services market. Companies are migrating to the cloud, but many don’t know what a true cloud solution looks and acts like. How can they decipher true cloud solutions from rogue imposters?

True Cloud vs. Fake Cloud

True cloud vendors offer solutions that are built from the ground up with software that is coded to perform better as a fully hosted solution. These vendors are well versed in hosting, maintaining, and managing the software across hundreds of servers, as well as multiple levels of data redundancy in their own multi-tenant cloud environment.

Don’t fall for anything short of multi-tenancy! With a true cloud provider, all customers will typically access the same solution from the same cloud, which grants customers continuous and instantaneous access to the most advanced offerings and freshest product upgrades.

Those that aren’t true cloud solutions were designed to run on-premise. Vendors don’t typically host, manage, or maintain these solutions; instead, they turn this task over to a value-added reseller (VAR) or other service provider. This is an outdated system that simply didn’t work —- about 20 years ago application service providers (ASPs) operating under this model went out of business.

Comparing True Cloud to “Cloudy” Competitors

The reality is vendors that are really in the cloud are usually better funded and more financially secure. Advantages of true cloud include:

  • No painful upgrades: Regular and transparent upgrades provide customers with the latest innovations and benefits. With a true cloud solution, a business is always running on the latest version of software and customizations automatically reflect in the system.
  • More reliable, secure, and timely access to the system, remotely and 24/7: The cloud gives teams access to systems from any place connectivity is possible —- infrastructure is built to provide nearly a 100% guarantee for fast performance and advanced data privacy protections. This promise is built in the cloud vendor’s business model; their success is directly tied to customer success.
  • Integrate with other applications: The cloud makes integration easy for both cloud and on-premise solutions!
  • Self-service: Manage, configure, customize, and maintain cloud applications at the touch of a button. There’s never a need to hire pricey consultants to tweak the application.
  • Better overall investment: A cloud vendor helps businesses maintain their bottomline —- they can achieve better economies of scale, passing savings onto customers.

Just as there are obvious perks to fully joining the cloud, fake solutions turn out to be more expensive, inefficient, and not nearly as scalable. There are obvious drawbacks:

  • Delayed and painful product upgrades: Even if others are hosting an on-premise solution, a company will have to suffer through the same painful upgrades every time a new software version is released. Vendors make the call as when to upgrade and they also determine which customer is first in line, or last in line. Customizations need special handling, which can cause delays of months or years.
  • Costly, unstable integrations and customizations: On-premise products were not built for hosting, and are, therefore, not intended to be integrated while being hosted. Forcing these outdated systems to work with other applications — either on-premise or cloud —- can cause unlimited headaches due to instability.
  • Excessive downtime and inadequate security and support: VARs cannot provide the service a true cloud vendor can, as they lack the manpower and resources. Ask about PCI-DSS security compliance, EU Safe Harbor certification, and SSAE 116 (SOC1) Type II audit completions, as well as uptime performance and contractual uptime guarantees.
  • Capacity buying and provision: Uncertainty around capacity will result in the need to over-buy licenses. Guess on the low end and a company won’t be able to meet the needs of its clientele — it’s just too dangerous to risk failing to plan ahead.
  • Financial viability of the hosting firm: What happens if the VAR goes bottom up? Businesses need a more secure service provider or they risk losing important data and information. Additionally, a company doesn’t want to have to go scrambling if things go bad for their provider; a secure infrastructure needs to be in place.

Make the Smart Choice

There are a lot of vendors fighting for a stake of the growing cloud environment. Separate the true cloud vendors from those that feature outdated technology by looking at the facts. To help differentiate true contenders from the rest of the competition, Acumatica offers a whitepaper for immediate download. Make an informed decision and invest in a true cloud solution!

To learn more about complete cloud-based IT support, contact us.

How to Select an ERP Solution

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Determining an ERP solution for a business can be a daunting and time-consuming task with many pitfalls along the way. When it comes to evaluating a system, it is important to understand the steps the organization must take to ensure the procurement process runs as smoothly as the most refined solution on the market.

With ERP systems on a steady rise, it’s important that a business selects a vendor that can meet its needs — now and into the future. A true ERP system should provide customers with the flexibility to start where they need and grow with them, adding applications and adjusting for users with an affordable and sustainable plan.

Gartner predicts 17.3% growth in 2019 to total $206.2 billion in the cloud services market. Many companies that are migrating to the cloud, don’t know where to begin. Here are some key points to consider:

System Requirements

Assessing business needs and what is required from a prospective system is an imperative first step; one that needs to take place even before reaching out to prospective ERP vendors.

ERP systems will operate across the organizational layout and while implementation may start out focusing on only a few primary areas, it’s very likely the system will grow to encompass more as time goes by. Because an ERP system grows to cover more areas and evolves with the company, it’s essential to review all departments, including those it may take a couple years to impact. The project team should be sure to consult relevant parties and establish a list of requirements.

Company Goals

Project leaders should also determine how a new ERP system will assist the business in achieving its short-term and long-term goals. This task should be straight-forward, unlike the system requirements phase. The company’s goals should already be established — look to its strategic plan and those of various departments as a starting place.

Take a look at how the ERP will assist in bringing these goals to successful fruition. Perhaps the short-term aim is to improve system efficiencies, or the long-term goal is for your business to branch out into new markets; the business should have an idea how an ERP system can help achieve business goals.

System Integration

An ERP system is the core component of a company’s primary system structure. It will need to “play” well with other applications employees use to perform their work functions. Make sure the ERP the business chooses, works well with these other systems and even potentially compliments them. Integration is a key benefit to cloud-based ERP systems, as it offers infinite flexibility.

With true cloud solutions, businesses will find, more than not, ERP systems that are widely-used and won’t buckle to the challenge of integration. Additionally, many ERP systems offer a partner network — take a look to see who they’re already working with!

Training

It’s essential that companies determine their needs before they choose a solution — this will prevent surprises that could negatively impact the budget. A misunderstanding in regard to cost and responsibility for training can severely derail an implementation rollout.

Fortunately, top ERP vendors offer flexibility in this area and will offer unlimited licenses and a broader approach to training. To make matters easier, the systems are generally user-friendly, which means it won’t take heavy lifting to get users comfortable within the system; there are also additional resources such as manuals, training partners, and user forums that employees can turn to as they’re ready to advance their knowledge.

References

Customer reviews and references play a massive part in all buying decisions, and the ERP selection process should be no different.

Seeking out references from business in similar industries and situations as your company can provide unique insight. Reach out directly to these companies, and, if possible, visit to see how the software is working. These conversations often provide the best chance to evaluate whether the system is a good fit for the business; it may also make a company aware of potential pitfalls that could lie ahead with this particular ERP system.

Budget

An ERP system implementation should be a top focus for many businesses. While it’s important to look at cost-savings along the way, make sure the system the company chooses fits its current needs — as well as where it would like to take the business in the future.

While the price should be a strong factor in the overall decision, it’s not always about getting the cheapest possible solution. An ERP system that is well-suited for a business can provide it with endless efficiencies and ultimately profit. Look at the big picture.

Getting Started

A company deserves the freedom to focus on its growth. A well-developed cloud strategy gives businesses the advantage they need, thanks to powerful tools available at any time, from anywhere. To learn more about implementing an ERP system, contact us today!

Why SMBs Should Upgrade to the Cloud

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Technology innovation is moving forward at lightning speed and companies that fail to keep pace risk losing their competitive edge. This is of even more concern for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that lack expansive amounts of IT and financial resources. The quickly changing technology landscape can be intimidating for businesses without the ability to adapt at the pace of competitors.

What should SMB’s do to remain competitive? Looking to the cloud can help such organizations respond to the demands of the day with modern technology that allows them to go nose to nose with businesses of like size, as well as larger corporations.

The New Normal

Today, SMBs are taking note! Cloud adaptation is the number one trend for these businesses — something that probably comes as no surprise. According to a recent study by the SMB Group, areas where SMBs are using the cloud the most are:

  • Business intelligence and analytics (37%)
  • Marketing automation (36%)
  • Sales and contact management (31%)

Accounting and finance lags with a surprising 62% of those surveyed still using on-premise software. Concerns about data security and compliance are likely responsible, but with cloud vendors making major strides and building a new sense of trust, this is an area expected to explode. In fact, SMB Group reported 42% of customers surveyed cite better security and reliability as a top reason to migrate to the cloud.

What are SMBs looking for as they embrace the cloud? Topping the list are cost effectiveness, ease of use, and a better customer service record. A central theme among respondents identified that SMBs will be looking at new ways to use the cloud.

As of a 2017 SMB Group survey, 48% of all SMBs were planning to engage in activities that will help them adapt and transform for a digital future, while 36% were already implementing activities to support digital transformation.

The Value of Cloud ERP Software

A free SMB Group eBook gives an in-depth look at SMBs and what is driving cloud growth. As SMBs invest in the cloud and expand their business capabilities, they will be driven by key factors, such as:

  1. Cost efficiency (51%)
  2. Easier/Faster deployment (50%)
  3. More Flexibility (48%)
  4. Improved security (42%)

It’s essential for growing businesses to have speed and agility benefits that the cloud can offer, as well as having all their business-critical information stored in one database. When a company implements a cloud-based ERP system, employees are able to access real-time data and information from anywhere, anytime — driving better business decisions. A cloud-based ERP also provides visibility that can help to align messaging between different departments or areas, which in turn helps staff to present customers with informed and consistent service.

There are various cloud options available to businesses. This helps to meet a company’s needs now and into the future. SMBs are able to choose between:

  • Public Cloud/SaaS: “Do it for me” approach
  • Private Cloud: “Do it yourself” approach
  • Hybrid Cloud: “Blended” approach

Whatever the choice, it’s essential companies select a true-cloud ERP. A native cloud solution will be built in the cloud from the ground up, multi-tenant, single code, scalable, and flexible. It will not be hosted on-premise and require manual updates.

Selecting the Right Solution

SMBs should do a thorough business assessment, specifically looking at business goals, what kind of resources the company has available, and the amount of customization that’s required. An incremental, yet integrated approach is suggested. Pay attention to reporting capabilities, including third-party providers’ integration solutions.

Reviews, analysts, and trusted advisors can help identify solid ERP vendors. Limit top picks to two or three, at max, and make sure they have a “successfully validated SAS 70 Type II audit” — this confirms the vendor has made security measures a priority.

CCS Technology is familiar with the top cloud ERP options available. Our approach includes getting a holistic picture of how your business works so we can make the right recommendation. We can also provide support during deployment, ensuring your new system is up and running without any glitches. Contact us today to learn more.

7 Common Mistakes That Place Your Data in Danger

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Information security is a critical challenge for businesses. Threats come from everywhere; even old fax machines can become entry points for malware. It’s easy to make mistakes when configuring or managing systems and accidentally make yourself vulnerable to attack. Take a few minutes to double-check that you’re not making these common errors.

1. Failing to keep up to date with patches

This is a major mistake with major implications for data security. Applying patches isn’t like locking the barn door after the horses are gone; it’s putting a better lock on the barn door. Without patches, you remain vulnerable to known vulnerabilities. Patches ensure you’re protected against them. Although patching systems and tracking that patches were applied to all systems can be time consuming, it’s important to create a patch routine that keeps your systems current.

2. Disabling or misconfiguring firewalls

Firewall rules are a pain to keep straight. It’s easier to enable access to a range of IP addresses than to a specific server. When applications are retired, it’s easy to forget to cancel the firewall rules that are relevant. As time goes on, the firewall rules become a complex mess that no one really understands. Avoid this problem by adequately documenting firewall rules when they’re added. Perform an annual review to validate that existing rules are still needed, and make sure updating the firewall is part of your process when shutting down an application.

3. Not using network segmentation

If an intruder does manage to make it through your firewall, network segmentation will limit how far they’re able to go, how much data they’re able to access, and how much damage they’re able to do. Like firewalls, managing network segments can become complicated.

4. Using default settings

Default configuration settings may not be optimized for security. When you use enable default administrator accounts and leave them on their default password, you’re leaving the door wide open for anyone to walk in.

5. Failing to control privileged accounts

Unfortunately, misuse of privileges by employees is a common cause of data breaches. Admins should be given individual accounts with the appropriate level of privileges, rather than sharing a common admin account. In addition, privileges should be granted based on roles rather than allocated to users individually, and there should be a periodic review to make sure users have only the privileges appropriate for their job function.

6. Not controlling mobile access

It’s great that employees are able to work from anywhere using their own devices, but this can expose your data to a wide variety of risks, from shoulder surfers to lost devices to malware installed over public WiFi. Make sure you define a “bring your own device” policy so users know about their responsibility to protect corporate data on their devices, and consider using mobile device management or other tools to enforce controls over mobile access to corporate resources.

7. Not inspecting outgoing traffic

Keeping data secure isn’t just about blocking hackers from entering your network; it’s about making sure confidential data doesn’t exit your network. This can be the result either of a breach or of employees using unapproved cloud services or even email to share files. Consider using data loss prevention software that can identify when sensitive data is being sent outside of your environment.

Keeping data safe requires being proactive. If you’re making any of the above mistakes, take action to close the security holes. CCS Technology Group develops comprehensive information security strategies that help you put effective data protection controls into place. Contact us to learn more about avoiding mistakes that threaten your data security.

Additional IT Security Resources

Closing the most common cybersecurity holes

Phishing 101: What it is, how it works and how to avoid it

The cybersecurity employee training checklist

Backups Are Not A Disaster Recovery Solution

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Backups are an important part of your disaster recovery strategy, but they aren’t the complete solution by any means.

Backup vs. Disaster Recovery

Backups are simply copies of data intended to restore an old version of a file. This may be in order to bring an application back online after a failure, or to use historical data for analytics or a legal inquiry.

A disaster recovery solution extends beyond the replacement of old files to loss of complete infrastructure. The solution needs to ensure you can recover all of your lost systems within a reasonable time period and with limited data loss, even if you have no access to your data center and all your servers are unavailable. Disaster recovery typically requires a second location that duplicates your production environment, either in a different physical location or in the cloud. Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) offers a third way of implementing a recovery environment.

Backup copies are usually stored onsite to ensure they can be accessed rapidly. Copies earmarked for disaster recovery purposes need to be stored offsite to ensure they can be accessed when your site is unavailable.

Planning for Backup vs. Planning for Disaster Recovery

Backups can be planned and implemented relatively straightforwardly. All you need is to make sure all systems are backed up and that the process is monitored to make sure it completes successfully. This can usually be automated, with any failures triggering an alert to IT support.

Disaster recovery requires a much more comprehensive planning process. While you need backups of all your systems, having those available isn’t enough to ensure effective recovery. You need to identify your mission critical systems and prioritize restoring them, first. You’ll want to identify recovery time objectives (how fast you need to be able to bring the system back) and recovery point objectives (how much data you can afford to lose) when developing your plan. These objectives will help you decide what kind of backup or disaster recovery technology will work for your business.

Any complex procedures for bringing systems back on line and ensuring the restored data is consistent should be fully documented. Because these recovery procedures can be complicated, the process should be tested at least once per year to ensure that no steps—or even applications—have been overlooked.

Backups and Disaster Recovery Are Always Needed

You need a backup and disaster recovery strategy even if your infrastructure resides in the cloud. Cloud providers do backup files, but their retention strategy (how long old data is preserved) may not meet your requirements. In addition, while the cloud generally provides high availability, there have been cloud outages that impacted cloud customers.

Create A Backup and Disaster Recovery Strategy

Creating a backup and disaster recovery strategy starts with understanding your systems. CCS Technology Group works with our clients to create disaster recovery plans that allow your business to survive an outage no matter how big or small. Contact us to learn more about making sure backups are just one part of your disaster recovery strategy.

Additional Disaster Recovery Resources

The top 5 reasons to prepare your business continuity plan

Why a business continuity plan is essential

5 disaster recovery tips from aboard the Battlestar Galactica

Choose the Right Cloud Model to Meet Your Business Needs

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Matching technology to your business needs is always complicated. When it comes to cloud, understanding the different “as a service” models is important to make sure you receive the benefits you’re hoping to get by using this technology.

Software as a Service

Software as a Service (SaaS) is perhaps the simplest cloud model. In SaaS, you are a subscriber to an application. The application vendor hosts the application on their own site and stores all the data at their site as well. You have no responsibility for supporting the hardware or for making sure there’s sufficient storage for your data. You are also not responsible for applying any patches or updating the application. However, you are responsible for ensuring that user privileges are granted only to authorized employees.

Infrastructure as a Service

With Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), the cloud provider gives you a virtual machine and storage, both sized according to your requirements. You’ll also get the basic networking services. The cloud provider handles the hardware support. You are responsible for all application support, usually including the operating system. The cloud provider will ensure the physical facility is secure, but you’ll need to handle the security of your virtual machines and your applications.

Platform as a Service

Platform as a Service (PaaS) provides you a virtual machine and frameworks needed to deploy and run applications. The goal is for these services to allow your internal developers to write, test, and deploy code faster, often using a “DevOps” methodology. In some ways, PaaS is like SaaS, where your developers are the subscribers to the development software.

All three of these models offer agility and scalability. You can add users and resources on demand, as you need them. There can be large cost savings, as you don’t need to have spare capacity purchased and provisioned in advance.

Software as a Service is ideal when there’s a vendor product that provides the exact functionality you need or the application isn’t a core business function. Platform as a Service is the right choice when you need to build custom applications but don’t want or need to handle the lower-level infrastructure that supports them. Infrastructure as a Service gives you the most control and the most flexibility to tailor your cloud environment to your exact specifications.

Everything as a Service

In addition to the three “standard” cloud models, you’ll find many other products offered “as a Service.” This includes Database as a Service (DBaaS), Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS), Desktop as a Service (DaaS), Identity as a Service (IDaaS), Security as a Service (SECaaS), and more. These offerings provide access to specialized functions and may be appropriate choices to meet specific technology needs.

Adopting and Adapting to Cloud

Whichever cloud model you choose, it will take time to adapt to it. You’ll need to migrate your existing technology to the new cloud platform and train your team to monitor and manage it. It’s often helpful to get support from a managed services provider with expertise in cloud to make sure your new environment operates properly and you get the benefits you expected.

CCS Technology Group provides cloud services that help you turn the flexibility of cloud into a competitive advantage. Contact us to learn more about choosing and using the right “as a Service” model for your business.

6 Big Benefits from Using Managed Services

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As the world has become more complex, there’s an increased emphasis on specialization. Businesses rely on outside firms to provide the functions that aren’t part of their core business. For many organizations that aren’t in the information technology industry themselves, IT is too complicated to successfully handle with an internal team. Relying on a managed services provider solves their IT problems and provides many business benefits.

Top Business Benefits from Using a Managed IT Services Provider

The chief benefit of working with a managed services provider is more reliable IT. This comes in different ways, including a proactive approach to maintenance and problem solving, better technology selection, and improved monitoring and backup and recovery procedures. Other benefits from working with a managed services provider include:

1. Improved information security

The threats to information security are constantly evolving. Managed services providers are more able to keep current with threats and solutions and evaluate their impact on your technology. Managed services providers also implement effective patch management strategies to ensure your systems remain protected against all known threats.

2. Effective use of new technology

Cutting-edge IT solutions become obsolete rapidly. It’s difficult for internal IT teams to get up to speed on new technology and ensure it’s implemented in a cost-effective way. Managed services providers develop expertise in new technology through close vendor relationships as well as their experience working with multiple clients. This makes managed services providers an ideal choice for introducing unfamiliar technology, such as cloud, into the data center.

3. Cost-effective IT expertise

Hiring and retaining experienced IT personnel is difficult for non-IT firms. As technology changes, it’s difficult to provide training to help staff upgrade their skills. Working with a managed services provider is a cost-effective way to access IT talent with experience and expertise in the latest technology.

4. Focus your IT team on business value

By using a managed services provider to handle your routine IT support and maintenance, your own internal IT staff are freed up to focus on strategic work. They can leverage their IT knowledge and combine it with their insight into your unique business needs and opportunities to identify ways to apply technology to strategic projects that truly add value to the business.

5. Manageable spending

Technology costs are highly variable, but a contract with a managed services provider makes that portion of your technology spending highly predictable.

6. 24×7 support

It’s a 24×7 world, and technology support needs to be 24×7 too. Managed services providers are available around the clock to address IT problems as soon as they occur.

CCS Technology Group provides managed services to meet the needs of your entire technology infrastructure, whether on premises or in the cloud. Contact us to learn how to get the benefits of managed IT services working for your business.

7 interesting tech facts you might not know

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Whether you think of yourself as a technophobe or an IT expert, you will be surprised by these fascinating technology facts. From mobile apps to big data and even the Deep Web, the technological sphere is broader and stranger than most people suspect — and it has been for quite some time.

Read on to discover some of the most interesting tidbits from the tech world:

1. The QWERTY keyboard was explicitly designed to slow typing

Fans of the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard scoff at the inefficiencies of the QWERTY keyboard layout that most people use. Originally, however, QWERTY’s inefficiencies held a clear purpose: the keyboard design was intended to slow down users.

At one time, mechanical typewriters jammed if typists were too quick. QWERTY cut down on this problem. Today, we continue to use QWERTY because we’re accustomed to it, but many experts strongly favor alternate typing approaches.

2. It’s still possible to visit the world’s first webpage

The original webpage went live in 1991 and ran on a NeXT computer at CERN — the European Organization for Nuclear Research. This useful page was entirely dedicated to informing the public about the World Wide Web. Today, it primarily serves as a historical archive. Click here to check it out.

3. Email predated the World Wide Web

In today’s mobile age, it’s tough to imagine a world without the internet. Interestingly enough, however, the internet is a relative newcomer compared to email. Ray Tomlinson sent the very first email message to himself in 1971 — years before the internet came about. Tomlinson claims that his initial test emails were entirely forgettable.

4. A website tracks the internet’s age – and it’s not as anxious as you might think

At https://howoldistheinter.net, you can determine how many days the internet has existed — and how old you were when it was initially launched.

5. The majority of internet content exists on the Deep Web

The average internet user can only hope to scratch the surface of available content. While a prominent Dutch researcher believes that 4.5 million websites are currently indexed by search engines, the internet extends far beyond this easily searchable content. Estimates regarding the size and scope of the Deep Web vary, but some researchers believe that it is at least 400 times larger than the surface internet.

6. 3D printing is nothing new

The technology for 3D printing has been around for decades, but it has only begun to attract attention in the past few years. The concept initially appeared during the 1980s, when it was referred to as Rapid Prototyping. Charles Hull successfully secured a patent for the stereolithography apparatus in 1986, and yet, the first commercially available 3D printer was not offered for sale until 2009.

Since then significant market divergence has allowed for the introduction of 3D printing processes in several sectors and at every level of the market.

7. The vast majority of the world’s currency is digital

It’s no secret that digital currency plays a huge role in the modern economy, but most people are unaware of the extent to which it dominates. A mere 8% of global currency consists of physical money. The rest is stored electronically.

The way we interact with money is just beginning to change, however. With the rise of bitcoin and blockchain, experts believe that our entire approach to commercial transactions will evolve sooner rather than later.

If you’re struggling to keep up with the rapidly changing world of technology, you can benefit from the assistance of a managed IT services provider. Reach out today to learn more.

3 common computer problems & how to fix them yourself

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“Have you tried turning it off and on again?”
– The IT Crowd

It’s become a catchphrase because it’s effective and really works. And while that solution can solve a lot of issues, there are other things you can try to when your computer is acting up.

Here are 3 common computer problems and some simple steps you can take to troubleshoot them yourself without having to call in the IT support cavalry.

Your computer is running slow

Computers need rest, just like us. If you leave your computer on for long stretches at a time, your computer can begin to feel sluggish.

Here are some things you can try when a slow computer has got you down:

  • Close unneeded programs and tabs: Whatever your workflow, it’s easy for extra windows, open files, and internet browser tabs to pile up. Each of these is eating up system resources whether you’re actively using them or not. Close what you don’t need and see if that improves performance.
  • Open Task Manager or Activity Monitor: Sometimes background process hang around or become bloated. In order to really see what’s going on, use the Windows Task Manager or Mac OS X Activity Monitor. They provide easy to read diagnostics that show how much of your system’s resources each process is using. From there you can see what program needs your attention and force quite programs that are frozen or not being used.

If you’re running into this problem a lot, it could be time for a more thorough, professional evaluation.

Difficulty connecting to the internet

As more of our work moves to the cloud, slow or intermittent internet connections can be maddening when you’re trying to work. It could be the issue is with the connection itself, in which case you’ll need to address that with your internet provider (or try a different coffee shop down the street). But sometimes your computer or location is causing the problem.

Here are some things you can do to try and improve your internet connection.

  • Check your computer: The first step is understanding exactly what is acting slow. Is it your whole connection, or just your browser? Try closing different applications to see if that makes a difference. If you like to listen to an online radio service, it could be hogging all your bandwidth.
  • Check your surroundings: Our lives are increasingly networked, so odds are you have your smartphone nearby and maybe your smartwatch or other accessories too. Wireless frequency bands are surprisingly narrow bands of frequencies and it’s easy for signals to get crossed and performance degrade. Try to adjust your devices so they have sufficient breathing room to send and receive without conflict.
  • Check your network: Is the person next to you having the same problems? Check your hardware and make sure that everything is plugged in and receiving a signal.

Deeper issues such as how your business utilizes its WiFi and data transit may require expert management.

Your document won’t print

We may be more digital than ever, but sometimes we still need paper. All it takes is one temperamental printer to back everything up.

If you’re trying to print and nothing is coming out, here are some things you can try.

  • Check the printer status from your computer: Open the Printers & Scanners menu of System Preferences in OS X or in Windows, open Device Manager, so you can see if there’s a paper jam, an offline printer or something else.
  • Check the physical printer: Maybe it has a paper jam, or is out of paper.
  • Check the size of the document you’re printing: Just like when you download something from the internet, when you send a document to the printer, it has to download the entire file before it can print. If you’re sending a large document that’s full of graphics, it can take your printer longer than you might expect to download the entire document before it starts printing. Really large files can also cause the printer to get overloaded and freeze.
  • Reset the printer connection: In Mac OS X, when you have the Printers & Scanners menu up, Right-Click on the list of devices and select “Reset Printing System”. On Windows 10, you can use the Printing Troubleshooter by typing “Printing Problem” into the system search bar to get started.
  • Turn the printer off and on again: Yes, this technique works on printers too.
  • Update your drivers: Printers don’t often get the same love our computers do in staying up to date, so it’s easy for them or our connection to fall behind. Check your computer’s printer drivers.  In Windows 10, use the Device Manager and find your device. Then right-click and select “Update drivers”. Check for a System update with OS X and if it’s built-in, your system will update automatically.

Increasingly, printers are shared across whole departments and keeping them running well may require reaching out for more help.