Aug 14, 2023 | Managed IT Service
In today’s fast-paced business landscape, the role of your IT team in minimizing downtime has never been more crucial. The cost of a single workstation’s inactivity can escalate rapidly, often exceeding a thousand dollars per day. Despite technological...
Jun 18, 2023 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
Imagine this scenario: a valuable member of your IT team leaves the company, taking their knowledge of the network with them. Without proper documentation, you have a black box, unsure of how to manage and maintain the network effectively. This can lead to chaos,...
Mar 8, 2023 | IT Cybersecurity, Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
Does your organization have backups? Many may quickly respond with an affirmative response, but they may subscribe to myths about backups. Someone may say, “Back up their critical infrastructure, check that box, and move on.” When choosing a backup...
Feb 5, 2023 | Managed IT Service
Selecting a managed IT services provider (MSP) is stressful, especially if you’re transitioning from a messy situation. The last thing you need in your life is more IT problems, so it’s appealing to go with the MSP that’s most confident that your transition will be...
Dec 1, 2021 | Managed IT Service
If you’re considering a new Managed IT Service Provider (MSP) for your business, you probably know how difficult it is to assess them objectively. Many MSPs tout objective measures like Average Response Time and Mean Time to Resolve. These are important measures, but...
Dec 21, 2020 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
Whether you’re moving to a new office, your contract is up or your business is growing, determining how much bandwidth you need is more stressful than it should be. Overshoot, and you could be stuck in a contract overpaying for years. Go with too little, and you...
Oct 22, 2020 | Business Tips, Managed IT Service
When COVID-19 hit in March, there was a lot of fast movement by IT teams to get employees working productively from home. Most people felt like the following few weeks would be a very challenging time. But then weeks out of the office started to look more like...
Oct 20, 2020 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
Many businesses fail to prepare for major storms because they seem like a remote possibility until they’re right in front of you. Hurricanes are the most common natural disasters in North Carolina, and if your business is in the line of one, it can have a big impact....
Aug 21, 2020 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
There are plenty of statistics out there about disaster recovery. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says 65% of businesses fail within two years of a disaster, while the Small Business Administration (SBA) says it’s 90%. That’s a wide range, but it...
Jun 12, 2020 | Managed IT Service
If you don’t have great processes to gather and store important information across your entire company, remote workers are really going to hurt your bottom line. Here’s how. One of your employees picks up a ringing phone (at home, of course; we’re still in the age of...
Jun 7, 2020 | Managed IT Service
If you felt like you were totally unprepared for the transitions you had to make in the first days of the Coronavirus crisis, don’t feel bad; so was the rest of the world. Hertz went bankrupt 12 days after the CEO described it as an exceptionally resilient company. ...
Jan 17, 2020 | IT Cybersecurity, Managed IT Service
It’s been all over the news this week that Windows 7 officially reached “end-of-life” on Tuesday. Of course, that doesn’t mean your computer isn’t going to turn on today if you’re running Windows 7. It also doesn’t mean that Microsoft stopped selling Windows 7 this...
Dec 9, 2019 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
Disposable Technology Is Expensive It seems like nothing is built to last anymore. Incandescent bulbs, if you can get them, last around 1,500 hours. But an incandescent light bulb built in the late 1890’s has been turned on for nearly every minute of the last 119...
Nov 25, 2019 | Business Tips, IT Cybersecurity, Managed IT Service
Who Provides IT Help to Businesses? If you have more than a handful of employees, the odds are good that you will have to turn to specialists to address your technology needs at some point. Depending on how extensive your technology needs are, you’ll likely solve...
Nov 11, 2019 | Managed IT Service
Many businesses are lured in by the promise of a cheap “basic” managed IT services packages. These packages often sound like the perfect solution for businesses that don’t need all the bells and whistles of a full-service contract. But what many...
Sep 17, 2019 | IT Cybersecurity, Managed IT Service
Just as Houston’s lack of zoning regulations has led to some incongruous juxtapositions, the lack of data zoning in many companies can lead to similar problems. While there is a great deal of value in allowing different departments to use the...
Jul 18, 2019 | Managed IT Service
We’re located just a few miles south of downtown Raleigh, which is one of the most tech-forward areas in the country. But there are plenty of small towns only 20 to 30 miles away – towns that are well within our service area but offer a very different environment...
May 29, 2019 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
Clearly, moving applications and data to the cloud is popular right now. You don’t have to look any further than cloud providers’ financial results: Microsoft reported that quarterly revenue from its Azure cloud was up 73% year over year. Amazon’s annual run rate is...
May 21, 2019 | Managed IT Service
Warren Buffet famously said that it takes 20 years to build a reputation, and five minutes to ruin it. If that’s still true, most businesses don’t hang around long enough to earn a reputation. It doesn’t take quite 20 years anymore – tools such as online...
Mar 6, 2019 | Managed IT Service
Most companies start out with zero IT support staff, if you exclude the person who has to stop what they’re doing and figure out what’s going on when technology stops working. As the company grows, that person might track down a freelancer they can pay to come help...
Jan 17, 2019 | Business Tips, Managed IT Service
When it comes to business insurance, there are a number of factors to consider, such as coverage, deductibles, and compliance requirements. However, one thing you generally don’t have to worry about is whether the insurance company is financially sound. This is...
Oct 14, 2018 | Managed IT Service
Sometimes in the fast-paced business world, making prompt decisions becomes imperative. While swift actions can be critical, they might also lead to unforeseen complications. Particularly when it comes to technology-related matters, prompt yet uninformed decisions can...
Sep 24, 2018 | Business Tips, Managed IT Service
There are very few things that all businesses have to do in order to be successful. One of those is to sell products or services. No matter how good you or your product is, if you can’t convince the customer to buy it, your business won’t last long. There are plenty...
Sep 13, 2018 | Business Tips, Managed IT Service
As the looming threat of natural disasters, like Hurricane Florence, continues to stir anxiety and prompt precautionary measures among North Carolina residents, the impact on businesses cannot be understated. The resilience displayed during such trying times often...
Jul 11, 2018 | Managed IT Service
It may not be immediately obvious how, but great managers and great managed IT service providers (MSPs) have a tremendous amount in common. Great MSPs, like great managers, give you the confidence to have a hands-off approach. That’s because they won’t hesitate to...
Jun 15, 2018 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
New technology can help businesses bring their data together, be more responsive to customers, and be more efficient. For example, cloud-based software can make it easier for businesses to access and share data across different departments, and customer relationship...
May 26, 2018 | Business Tips, Managed IT Service
Whether you run a 15-person company that’s considering its first IT hire, or a 100-person company looking at expanding your IT team, there’s a lot of value that technology expertise can bring. It can improve employee productivity, make it easier to contact prospects...
May 18, 2018 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
Some problems are obviously technology problems. When your email server is down, it’s pretty clear what needs to get fixed and who needs to fix it. It’s not a “user problem” when the printer is jamming on every third page. Sometimes, however, it’s not as clear that...
May 4, 2018 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
From time to time, a client will have a need for additional network ports or want to expand their wireless coverage, and ask if they can get a router or wireless access point like the one they have at home to do exactly that. Unfortunately, that’s almost always a bad...
Apr 25, 2018 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
If you’re in charge of managing finances for a small business, you know that technology can have a major impact on the bottom line. If you spend money on technology that doesn’t provide a return, it can eat into your profit margins for years. If you spend too little...
Apr 11, 2018 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
A recent study by Japanese technology manufacturer Fujitsu found that 25% of retailers who had invested in technology found that the investment made it harder to connect with their customers. In the retail world, where technology behemoth Amazon is king, it’s a...
Mar 28, 2018 | Managed IT Service
If you’ve ever read an article from one of the big consulting firms, it’s clear they’re pretty excited about technology, but it’s not clear why. Is it the social matrix? The frictionless blockchain-enabled business? What does that stuff mean anyway? Unless your...
Mar 12, 2018 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
Investing in technology is about more than keeping your network up and running. When properly used, technology can help you achieve your primary business objectives – recruiting customers, recruiting employees, and designing a better product or service. In the...
Mar 5, 2018 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
Most executives receive plenty of warning about the importance of network security. Emails from vendors, insurance agents and managed service providers all describe the damage that a data breach can cause. Often, the prescription is technology and policies: more...
Feb 26, 2018 | Managed IT Service
With the implementation of the European Union’s GDPR regulations, companies are now placing a heightened emphasis on data security. However, even if your business doesn’t cater to EU clients, the significance of data security remains a primary concern....
Feb 19, 2018 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
Office relocation is undeniably a stressful endeavor, with the challenge of managing numerous tasks simultaneously. Despite meticulous planning, the need for last-minute coordination often feels unavoidable. However, there are crucial aspects you can address in...
Feb 12, 2018 | Managed IT Service
Market Volatility Serves as a Reminder that Technology Volatility Can Hurt Your Business, Too Last week was a crazy week for the stock market. The past two years have seen dramatic changes in the world – Brexit, the election of the current administration, a...
Feb 5, 2018 | Managed IT Service
Companies don’t always grow in straight lines. When most people mention this fact, they’re addressing the unfortunate reality that companies sometimes face revenue shortfalls. However, new clients don’t always come at a steady pace, either. Whether due to luck or...
Jan 25, 2018 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
When cloud applications first started getting big, some technology experts were predicting that companies would move their entire technology stack to the cloud. Even five years ago, Salesforce.com had revolutionized the way that many large businesses managed their...
Jan 16, 2018 | Managed IT Service
One of the biggest technology challenges facing companies isn’t technological at all – it’s the lack of people with the skills necessary to build and execute a strong technology strategy. According to CIO magazine, US businesses posted 604,000 IT job openings in the...
Dec 21, 2017 | Managed IT Service
The FCC’s recent rule change overturning Net Neutrality regulations has gotten a lot of press recently. Net Neutrality regulations mandated that your internet service provider (ISP) not prioritize one specific type of content over another. Of course, you might...
Dec 16, 2017 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
Like all technology companies, we’ve got plenty of people at WingSwept who love new tech. We talk about all of the latest hardware months before it’s even been released, and try to imagine all of the things that will be possible once it’s in heavy use. Some of us...
Dec 10, 2017 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
If you’re a business of almost any size, you’ve probably gotten a hundred emails on Office 365. Office 365 has many advantages compared to traditional Microsoft Office licenses, and there are many companies out there that offer to migrate your document services and...
Nov 29, 2017 | Managed IT Service
If you’ve looked for someone to keep your business technology network in good shape and to serve the technology needs of your company, you’ve probably run across the phrase Managed Service Provider or MSP. It’s one of those phrases that’s used a lot by people inside...
Nov 22, 2017 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
Does your office WiFi drive you nuts? Is the signal strength terrible, or does it periodically ‘blink’ out entirely? Can it be made better, and if so, how much will it cost? Unreliable workplace WiFi is one of the most common business technology complaints. ...
Nov 17, 2017 | Managed IT Service
Think about the service provider your company most appreciates; it might be a law, technology, accounting or marketing firm, or someone else entirely. Regardless of who it is, there’s a pretty good chance that it’s someone you’ve used for a while. In fact, there’s a...
Nov 12, 2017 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
The odds are pretty good that you’ve heard of Bitcoin. The odds are also high that you heard about it because of two facts. The first is that it is that ransomware encrypts, or locks, your files and requires that you pay in Bitcoin to unlock them. The second (and...
Nov 5, 2017 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
There was a time, decades ago, when most computerized business data was on a single computer (likely a mainframe), and the only way to access it was a terminal inside of the building. Those days are long gone. It started when desktops became common – business data...
Oct 26, 2017 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
Good news: you probably don’t need a three-year refresh cycle on company desktops and laptops anymore. There are plenty of reasons that hardware refresh cycles are expanding. More and more software is operating through the cloud – the server does all of the...
Oct 19, 2017 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
We recently wrote about server replacements, one area of technology where CEOs should be involved in the decision making process. Another area where CEO’s should get involved: decisions that change the core, day-to-day software that your employees are using. That’s...
Oct 6, 2017 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
How confident are you that your company will have similar technology needs two years from now as it does today? Most small and mid-size businesses have little certainty around what circumstances they will face in two years’ time. Despite this, there are all sorts of...
Sep 28, 2017 | Managed IT Service
Do you feel like your MSP (Managed Service Provider) is being kept busy resolving the issues in your office? That may not be a good thing. Of course, it’s a great sign if your managed IT service provider is busy in their first months serving your company. They need...
Aug 29, 2017 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
Server replacements only come around every five years or so for most companies, which is a good thing given the high costs of replacing them. And while the servers themselves are expensive, they represent only a fraction of the costs incurred. Replacing a server...
Aug 24, 2017 | Managed IT Service
Information Technology professionals frequently talk about the dangers of having a single point of failure. If your data isn’t backed up (and if those backups aren’t tested), you will eventually lose some of it, and there’s a good chance that some of it will be...
Aug 6, 2017 | Managed IT Service
Have you ever taken a look at a proposal from a Managed Service Provider (MSP) and wondered if it covers everything your company needs? Some specifications may need to be gathered during the pre-proposal discovery process – for instance, the type of coverage for...
Jul 29, 2017 | Managed IT Service
Cloud security has been a recent issue for a couple of big companies with lots of resources. Part of the reason can be attributed to changing patterns of thought. The evolution of the perspective of companies on moving data to the cloud has closely followed the...
Jul 21, 2017 | Managed IT Service
Six years after releasing Office 365, Microsoft has announced another completely different product named Microsoft 365. If that’s not confusing enough, Microsoft 365 isn’t a new product at all, but a relaunch of the Secure Productive Enterprise. Here’s what you need...
Jul 9, 2017 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
If you plug your desktop computer into a surge protector (also known as an uninterruptible power supply or UPS) instead of an unreasonably heavy box on the floor, here’s some good news: you’ll be protected from hours of frustration when the power goes out...
Jun 17, 2017 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
With rumors swirling today that Amazon may buy Slack for as much as $9 billion, many people may be hearing about team collaboration software for the first time. To be fair, the vast majority of businesses still rely on other software to handle internal office...
Jun 6, 2017 | Managed IT Service
The last year has been a phishing and ransomware whirlwind. A little less than a year ago, we talked about how more than 150,000 businesses had been targeted by ransomware, and the ransom demands were rising to upwards of $5,000. Since that time, ransomware has gone...
May 25, 2017 | Managed IT Service
Technology is expensive. Running even a small business today requires servers, workstations, a range of software suites, internet access, printers, phone systems, website design and maintenance, and several layers of data protection. But if the first thing that...
May 19, 2017 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
Everyone has had this experience: you’re just starting up an important task or presentation, and an update reboot request pops up on your computer. The best case scenario is that you have to ask it to go away for a short period, and it asks you periodically until you...
Apr 20, 2017 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
If you’re still using a traditional Private Branch Exchange (PBX) phone system for your small or mid-sized company, it might be time to consider a hosted VOIP solution. While some technical planning will need to go into the transition, a cloud-hosted VOIP, or...
Apr 5, 2017 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
For most office professionals, fast internet access is essential to getting work done. If your device isn’t always connected to a wall – whether that device is a laptop, tablet or phone – that means that speedy wireless is essential. For devices managed by your...
Mar 22, 2017 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
Have you noticed recently that things are taking far longer than usual to load at work? Are file downloads taking forever? Before you call your internet service provider and sign up for that bandwidth upgrade they’ve been offering, you might want to take a look...
Mar 17, 2017 | Managed IT Service
McKinsey’s Digital Practice released an article last month detailing seven CEO focus points, as technology transforms both the value of companies’ products/services and the efficiency required to deliver them profitably. Where should CEOs put their focus? It’s a...
Mar 4, 2017 | Managed IT Service
This week, Amazon’s Simple Storage Service (S3) went down across the East Coast, due to a typo by an engineer. The result was website outages across a massive number of both smaller companies and major brands including Nest home thermostats and work productivity...
Feb 26, 2017 | Managed IT Service
Recently, a company that manages 10 percent of all web traffic has been discovered to be leaking bits of customer information across the internet. The company, CloudFlare, was relying on software that would occasionally provide different data than was requested....
Feb 17, 2017 | Managed IT Service
In an earlier blog entry, we discussed the different types of software licenses and the benefits and drawbacks posed by each type. In light of the heavy volume of software audits experienced by small and midsize companies, however, it’s worth revisiting the value of...
Feb 10, 2017 | Managed IT Service
Cloud applications have become more and more prevalent in the last decade; each year, more companies are using cloud applications and more are building their own private clouds. Despite its increasing prevalence, however, a poorly planned cloud migration can lead to...
Feb 2, 2017 | Managed IT Service
When a technology failure causes a big drop in productivity, it’s obvious. For instance, you can’t get invoices out because the print server dies, or the phones sporadically disconnect. But many technology failures aren’t instantaneous, and technology “uptime” isn’t...
Jan 25, 2017 | Managed IT Service
In a previous blog post, we explained why healthy technology partners should be spending time learning about your business goals, allowing them to prepare for major needs many months in advance. Proactive technology support is important for a very obvious reason –...
Jan 23, 2017 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
When you meet with your technology partner, what are their goals? If you have a healthy partner, their goal should be to gain an understanding of what your business is planning to accomplish in the coming months, and what it hopes to accomplish in the coming years. If...
Jan 13, 2017 | Managed IT Service
The cost of fiber-based internet decreases each year, but it remains more expensive than traditional cable or DSL internet. With lower speeds of business-class fiber now available for less than $500 a month, however, it might be time for your business to consider a...
Jan 9, 2017 | Managed IT Service
In the realm of home technology, a prominent trend making waves is mesh networking. Although relatively new for residential users, businesses have long embraced a more dependable version of mesh networking to enhance the reach and reliability of their wireless...
Dec 16, 2016 | Managed IT Service
It seems like you can’t buy anything these days without someone offering you an extended warranty for it. Last week, I was offered an extended warranty on a handheld vacuum. But while extended warranties may not make sense for most items, they’re important for...
Dec 2, 2016 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
With Black Friday sales all around us, it’s hard not to see those $400 computers without wondering whether it’s worth stocking up on them for your office. Unfortunately, that won’t work – and it’s not just the purchase limit of one machine that should hold you back...
Nov 18, 2016 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
WingSwept spends substantial time making sure that each client’s technology is supporting their goals – for many clients, these goals include increasing efficiency, maximizing returns, and supporting future growth. But one goal that all of our clients share is...
Nov 4, 2016 | Managed IT Service
There are so many providers trying to sell backup solutions that rarely a week goes by without most executives getting an email on the importance of disaster recovery. If you aren’t subscribing to a backup service, your business will go out of business, they warn. ...
Oct 17, 2016 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
If you have an office with dozens of workstations, one question you’ve probably encountered is whether to maintain each workstation independently or to use a Virtualized Desktop Infrastructure, or VDI. Generally, VDI uses thin clients, or cheaper network devices, to...
Oct 6, 2016 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
Executives are well-versed in the threat of hackers, but the bigger danger lies in legitimate login misuse. What might not be as apparent is the more significant risk posed by individuals wielding legitimate login credentials to access sensitive data improperly. The...
Sep 30, 2016 | Managed IT Service
Sometimes, it’s easy to tell if your IT provider isn’t serving your needs. A major data loss can’t be recovered even though you’re paying for backups; a hardware failure reveals that there’s no backup plan for major network infrastructure; nobody at the IT provider...
Sep 15, 2016 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
You might already know that Microsoft has different versions of its software designed for consumers and business – For instance, both Windows and Office have Home and Professional versions, among others. But there are also different ways to license this software –...
Sep 9, 2016 | Managed IT Service
According to Flexera, 63% of organizations have been audited by at least one of their software vendors in the last two years. Microsoft is among the most active in auditing companies’ use of its software, so if you’ve been in business for long, there’s a good chance...
Aug 26, 2016 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
IT Checklist For Opening a Satellite Office In a recent post, we discussed some of the things to consider if you’re relocating offices. This can present some unique challenges, including the temporary need to have a functioning network in two locations at once. But...
Aug 19, 2016 | Managed IT Service
WingSwept has assisted many companies who are transitioning to a larger office or adding a new location. In many cases, our clients upgrade offices or add a location shortly after selecting us as their managed services provider (MSP). This is because many of the...
Aug 4, 2016 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
Recently, consulting firm McKinsey wrote about what questions a company board should ask about their company’s technology and IT capabilities. Beyond the obvious question about the impact of technology on the company, the first question was “What value is the business...
Jun 15, 2016 | IT Cybersecurity, Managed IT Service
At the farthest ends of the spectrum, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) can be described as one of the most employee-friendly policies you can have or one of the biggest security risks you can take. For most small and medium-sized businesses a BYOD policy will fall closer...
Apr 25, 2013 | Managed IT Service
North Carolina auditor Beth Wood’s findings that state government IT projects end up costing twice the original estimates and aren’t coming in on time may be the first hard look at a procurement system now costing taxpayers $1.4 billion a year. But in reaching...
Jul 26, 2012 | Managed IT Service
The iPad…that magical device that can turn the drudgery of PC use into a gentle touch and smooth animation opening a life-changing app that instantly makes your life easier. Why would anyone want to haul around a clunky laptop that takes minutes to boot when you can...
May 24, 2011 | Managed IT Service
Businesses that lack a long-term technology plan tend to face a lot of problems. Without realizing its long-term needs and planning accordingly, a business can wind up with technology that is unnecessary, or hardware that isn’t adequate later on. Upgrading or...
May 12, 2011 | Managed IT Service
WingSwept considers data backup an insurance policy for your business. Losing data could mean more than lost information, but could result in loss of reputation and loss of business. Some businesses do not have a backup policy at all while others don’t consistently...
Nov 5, 2010 | Managed IT Service
Choose a Pro: While it may be tempting to simply use the help of a tech-savvy neighborhood kid or a family member who has always been good with computers, neither are equipped with the skills to help your company grow like a professional engineer is. Tap into IT’s...
May 18, 2010 | Managed IT Service
Managed Services is a mutually beneficial IT system. WingSwept’s customers can spend less and get more protection, and WingSwept’s technicians can stay in-tune with the ongoing network health of a customer’s business. One thing this article points...
Feb 25, 2010 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
It seems pretty ironic, but electricity, the very thing that powers your computer, can actually hurt it more than help it. WingSwept wanted to let you know that electricity can cause your computer network to go haywire in a couple different ways: First there are...
Dec 29, 2009 | Managed IT Service
If you are a business professional of today, then you are most likely on the move and rely heavily on technology to connect you to your work. When you are traveling, you may transfer important data to your laptop and work on it away from the office. Perhaps you have...
Dec 18, 2009 | Managed IT Service
What would happen if there was a flood, fire, or theft? Could your business operate? How long would it take you to be up and running again? Some don’t realize how much they rely on data until after the fact…when it is too late. That is why every business...
Dec 15, 2009 | IT Cybersecurity, Managed IT Service
Today’s economy has every business owner questioning their expenses and reducing the amount of risks they take, which is why data security is more important than ever. You may think this is only true for enterprise level companies that can afford expensive plans, but...
Oct 12, 2009 | Managed IT Service, Technology Tips
What Small Businesses Need to Know About Hard Disk Failure Let’s talk about the behind-the-scenes drama of data storage – yeah, those unpredictable hard disk failures that can turn your digital life upside down. But hold onto your tech hats, because...
