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  • Why More SMBs are Turning to the Cloud to Reduce TCO

     
     
    Why More SMBs are Turning to the Cloud to Reduce TCO
     
    More small and mid-size businesses (SMBs) seem to be taking the initiative to learn more about the benefits of the cloud.   Determining why SMBs have this sudden keen interest in the cloud isn’t all that tricky.
     
    If you shouted, “Cost Savings!” in a room full of SMBs, you’d undoubtedly be the center of attention. And it seems as if this is also the motivating factor as to why more SMBs are looking into cloud-based solutions to reduce expenditures.
     
    Although it seems like an oxymoron to recommend investing in new technology to control costs, cloud-based solutions can be leveraged for a greater return on already inevitable operational expenses. By enhancing productivity and overall efficiency, the cloud could help spur business growth and profitability.
     
    Here are few of the reasons more SMBs are opening up to cloud-based solutions…
    • Containing Costs – This is the big one. Every SMB wants their business to grow but that growth is accompanied by rising costs to maintain safe, reliable, and sustainable business technology.
    On-premise solutions are expensive.  If you’re paying someone $60K a year to manage and monitor your technology, and most of their day is spent performing routine maintenance tasks or running to the aid of the intern who complains that something is running slow, are you really getting a return on that investment? You can do better and your on-site IT support can do more for you.

    The cost for cloud-based solutions have been found to be anywhere from 35% to 50% lower than with on-premise solutions. This is because the cloud can completely eliminate most infrastructure costs such as servers, databases, backup, operating systems, upgrades, migration, physical space, power and cooling, and associated in-house or third party staffing costs.
     
    • Greater Flexibility – No doubt you’ve been privy to an office Happy Hour conversation or two about Infrastructure-as-a-Service (Iaas) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS). Is that crickets we hear? Okay, well since you’re in the dark, the flexibility of the cloud makes it really attractive to SMBs. IaaS and PaaS are two increasingly popular cloud technologies because of their flexibility when it comes to big data analysis.
    IaaS technology is flexible as it allows an as needed rapid deployment of resources. Basically, fast expansion to accommodate growth. SMBs can pay accordingly for this on-demand usage, giving them the ability to access and analyze the kind of big data seen at larger enterprises without having to pay for necessary hardware capacity.

    PaaS technology gives SMBs the ability to affordably increase or decrease data storage capacity as needed.

    Of course, there must be a need for big data analysis that justifies the use of these technologies. Many SMBs may be just fine using Microsoft Excel for data analysis.

    • Greater Mobility – Many SMBs are turning to the cloud to provide remote employees with access to communications solutions. Through the cloud, remote workers can use smartphones, laptops, and notebooks to access documents and files for internal and external collaboration.
    As you can see, it’s understandable why the cloud is being seen by SMBs as the “great equalizer” to take their business to the next level and stay competitive with even the big dogs despite budget and staffing limitations. It also helps that cloud-monitoring services have simplified the monitoring and management of SMB cloud deployments, alleviating a lot of the fear about migrating to the cloud.
     
    Contact us at Slappey Communications

  • HOW YOUR COMMUNICATION AFFECTS YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE


    Good customer service pays off. Can you remember the last good customer service experience? What made it good? We love the Starbucks example on good customer service. If we could model this behavior for how we interact with potential customers, it could radically impact our ability to perform.

    When you walk into a Starbucks, you walk-in and the store is streaming seasonal music. Interested in knowing the song? You can simply open the Starbucks app and add that song to one of your personal playlists. Nice! Then when you actually order your coffee, you can customize it to your liking. If you’re into vanilla almond milk lattes, then you’re in luck! And when you complete your order, they transform the experience from customer to client. They ask your name. How do you feel after that experience? If you’re like us, pretty satisfied. But they don’t stop there… You are rewarded with their star system and you’re one star closer to getting a free drink. Once they call for your drink, you see your personal cup of coffee. It has your favorite ingredients, your name on the cup, and your own creamer-shaped-heart to top it off. Starbucks has totally transformed the coffee industry and consistently creates Raving Fans.

    But what about the bad experiences? Maybe you can’t recall one, or maybe you’ve never forgotten them. You can invest a lot of time in making your customer service experience remarkable, but people are 2x more likely to share a bad experience than a good experience.

    To help improve customer service satisfaction, we’ve created a Communication Diagnostic for you to complete. It’s 10 questions asking about your communication strategy, both internally or externally. At the end of the diagnostic, we will email your score and give praise for what you’re doing well, but also offer feedback on areas of improvement. Complete our Communication Diagnostic and receive your Communication Effectiveness Score!

  • Penetration Testing vs. Vulnerability Testing Your Business Network



    Hearing “all of your confidential information is extremely vulnerable, we know this because…” is bad news, but whatever follows the ellipses determines just how bad. Consider two scenarios.
    1. “All of your confidential information is extremely vulnerable… we know this because a hacker took all of your customers’ credit card info and locked all of your files behind ransomware.”
    2. “All of your confidential information is extremely vulnerable…we know this because we did a vulnerability scan of your network, and have some suggestions on how you can improve.” 61% percent of small businesses are victimized by cyber attacks each year, and one in five victims do not survive. It is financially worthwhile to make sure that you end up being the person hearing the latter sentence.
    Scenario 2 describes the statement after you have had a vulnerability test conducted. A vulnerability test is a comprehensive audit of security flaws that a hacker could exploit, and the possible consequences. This is the equivalent of a doctor giving a physical examination. This information will allow you to know what your risks are and plan your security policies accordingly.

    Vulnerability tests should be conducted quarterly, and can be done by in-house IT or outside consultants.They should be done quarterly, or whenever you are incorporating new equipment into your IT network.

    What is a pen-test: A pen-test is a simulated attack on a network to test the strength of its security. Usually, the pen-tester will have a specific objective (e.g. “compromise this piece of data…) A vulnerability scan tells you “what are my weaknesses?” and pen­test tells you “how bad a specific weakness is.”

    How often should you pen-test: Different Industries will have different government mandated requirements for pen­testing. One of the more broad reaching regulations, the PCI DSS, for example, requires pen-testing on an annual basis. However, it is prudent to go beyond the legalminimum. You should also conduct a pen-test every time you have
    • Added new network infrastructure or applications,
    • Made significant upgrades or
    • Modifications to infrastructure or applications,
    • Established new office locations,
    • Applied a security patch
    • Modified end user policies.

  • The biggest threat to your IT infrastructure: Your own employees

    The biggest threat to your I.T infrastructure: Your own employees

    Did you know that your employees often unwittingly ‘help’ cybercriminals gain access to your system? Often, employees play a part in compromising the security of your IT infrastructure, even without them realizing it. For example-

    When your employees use their own devices for work purposes such as to access emails, to connect to work servers or to work on office files. In the event their device gets infected by a malware or hacked, the virus or the hacker gets access to your data as well. Your employees may put your network at risk by connecting to unauthorized networks, downloading unauthorized software, using outdated antivirus programs etc, on their personal devices and then using it to access work files.Then, there’s the chance of them losing their devices such as smartphones, laptops or tablets putting your data at risk.

    Your employees may also fall victim to phishing messages and scams and expose your network to the biggest risks out there, unintentionally. Plus, there’s always a slim chance that a disgruntled employee looking to make a few quick bucks may actually compromise on confidential business data intentionally.

    So, what can you do to keep your IT safe?

    • Train your employees through drills, workshops and classroom training sessions that help them identify possible IT security threats
    • Establish clear IT usage policies related to password management, use of personal devices, data sharing and internet access
    • Conduct timely audits and have positive and negative reinforcements in place to ensure policy adherence
    • Install physical and virtual security mechanisms like CCTVs, biometric access, software programs to track employee activities when they are accessing your network and data, etc.,
    IT is the lifeblood of your business and when you let your employees access your IT network, you are, in a way, trusting them with your business. Make sure they are trained and trustworthy enough.

  • END-TO-END CLOUD PHONE SUPPORT: DO THEY PROVIDE IT (AND WHY YOU NEED IT)


    If you are considering the move to a cloud based phone system, one of the biggest questions you need to ask is where you will get your support from. Depending on the specifics of your phone system infrastructure, you will be relying on a mix of hardware and software, on-premise and in the cloud. You need to know whether or not your cloud provider offers end-to-end support for your entire system, or if they are only concerned with their end of the program.

  • How good is your password

    How good is your password?

    Did you know that having a weak password is one of the biggest security risks you face? This blog focuses on the best practices related to passwords that you can follow to ensure passwords are not your weakest link.

    1. Avoid sequences and repetitions: How many times have you used passwords like dollar12345 or $$$BobMckinley. Passwords containing sequences and repetitions are just easier to hack.
    2. Avoid using your personal data: Do not make your birth date, bank account number or address a part of your password. It puts your data at stake if your personal information is stolen.
    3. Don’t repeat passwords: Make sure you pick unique passwords every time. Unique, not only verbatim, but also in combination. For example, if password one is a combination of number, symbols and letters in that sequence, password two should be letters, numbers and symbols.
    4. Manual password management is not a good idea: Invest in a good password management tool. You can even find some free ones online. But, manually managing passwords, by writing them down on a spreadsheet is a big NO.
    5. Password sharing: Discourage password sharing across the organization. Every employee should have unique access to data depending on their role and authority. Password sharing gets things done faster, but can do irreversible damage.
    6. Password policy: Have a password policy in place and enforce it. Conduct timely audits to ensure the passwords match the specified safety standards. Also, take corrective actions against employees who don’t follow your password policies related to password sharing, setting, etc.
    7. Don’t use dictionary words: Hacking software programs can guess dictionary words faster. The key is to mix things up a little bit–some numbers, some symbols, some punctuation and some alphabets.
    Don’t choose passwords that are way too simple just because they are easier to remember, because, more often than not, it can get you into a lot of trouble.

  • 3 STEPS TO CHOOSING THE RIGHT OFFICE PHONE SYSTEM


    Office phone systems have come a long way in the last few years. It is now possible to completely outsource your telecommunications hosting to a third party and connect easily with mobile devices, desk phones, laptops, and a variety of other options. Choosing the right system for your office will depend on your goals and the equipment you currently have at your disposal. Here are three things to do before you make your next big investment in office phones:

    • Set a Goal: As with any major investment on the part of your company, spending money without having a clear goal in sight will only lead to disappointment. Before you ever begin shopping, take a moment to decide what the end goal of your phone system will be. Are you aiming to have a full-service call center? Will you be expanding to a new location soon? How many employees do you want to support? Take the time to set out a defined goal for your investment so that you can be sure to see the return on investment once you reach the other side.
    • Figure Out What You Need: In addition to considering where your business is headed and how your office phone systems will serve that end, discuss what you actually need out of your phone system. Are you currently experiencing reliability problems with your phones? Do you need to add conferencing or voicemail capabilities for better customer service? What complaints are you hearing from staff members about your current setup, and how can those problems be addressed?
    • Consult With a Professional: A professional telecommunications company can be your greatest asset in choosing your new office phone systems. Often they can take your list of wants and needs and offer multiple solutions to choose from. You can compare and contrast these systems and learn about how each system will serve you differently.

    Office phone systems are no longer the beastly investment they once were, but they do require a higher level of understanding about how and why you are communicating. In order to choose an effective office phone solution, it is important that you take the time to define where your business is headed long-term to avoid making repeat investments every time you hit a major milestone. In addition, reflecting on the problems you have faced with your current system and looking for solutions to that will point you in the direction of features and functions that you may not have needed when you made your last major phone system purchase.

    Once you have defined your goals and made a list of needs, it is time to call on a professional phone system integrator to put together a selection of options you can choose from to meet your needs. Compare the technology, the price, and the features included in each plan so you can confidently determine which one is best suited to your operations.


  • Is Your Website Mobile Optimized?



    Smaller firms often struggle just to keep up with maintaining a website. Worrying about a scaled­ down version for mobile users seems like just too much trouble. Today’s blog is all about why this matters to you and why should you bother with a mobile version.

    A bit of background: Mobile sites are versions of your website that can be easily read and used on a small mobile screen. What is readable on a laptop of desktop monitor can be too tiny to use on a small screen. Also, the buttons and fields on your forms become impossible to use.

    Why does this matter? Three reasons

    1. Showing up in search rankings. If you want to be found in a search and appear high in the ranking, you need to have a “mobile optimized” site. Google has now included the failure to have a mobile optimized site as a specific reason to lower a website in its search rankings. If you don’t have a mobile optimized site, you slip lower in the ranking. Slip lower in the rankings and fewer people ever find you in a search.

    2. More search and web activity now occurs on mobile devices than standard PC and laptops. If you want attention, you need to be “mobile ready.” You can’t just write off those mobile users- ­­there are too many of them.

    3. If your site is too difficult to use on a phone screen, the user is just going to jump to another vendor. There’s nothing else to say.
    So the summary is, if you haven’t already done so, you need to bite the bullet and get a mobile optimized site. The internet offers too much business to just ignore the issue.

  • Shadow IT: How Employees Using Unauthorized Apps Could Be Putting Your Business At Risk

    Your employees might be the biggest cybersecurity risk in your business – and not just because they’re prone to click phishing e-mails or reuse passwords. It’s because they’re using apps your IT team doesn’t even know about.

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  • The Overlooked Factor That Can Shape Your Business Success

    Outdated IT can cause downtime, security risks, and missed growth. The right solutions boost productivity and security. Assess your IT strategy this Q2!

    When it comes to running a business, most owners focus on key areas like customer service, product reliability, and financial performance. However, one crucial element often goes unnoticed—your technology.     

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