Businesses have ramped up their efforts to utilize all that the internet has to offer, but they often forget about one of the most crucial aspects of having an online presence. They do not always address security on the internet.

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Information that is on the internet never really goes away. It is often floating in cyberspace. The large amount of information that can be found on the internet has led many criminals to search for it. They are looking for private information that they can use to further their own greed.

They enjoy wreaking havoc anonymously on others, thanks to the stealth that the internet can offer. Authorities can try to track down the cyber criminals, but this can be difficult and often only happens after that have destroyed a business.

That puts the responsibility to protect the public somewhere else. It is up to the business and to the customers of the business to make sure they know how to prevent cyber-crime. The business can use these tips to help them avoid becoming a victim of a hacking attempt by a cyber-criminal.

How to Protect from the Cyber-Threats

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The key to stopping cyber-criminals is to realize how they are able to commit their crimes. If you know how the criminal is going to attack, you can put up the defenses that will stop them. These are some of the common methods that cyber-criminals use and how to prevent them.

• Email – The threat of malicious software and cyber-crime through email is not new. For many years’ people have been told not to open any email that comes from an unknown source. They have been told not to click on any links in emails. Other problems with emails occur when hackers get their hands on the emails that contain sensitive information about a business. Cyber-criminals will continue to utilize emails to commit their crimes so it is up to the business to make sure they are doing what they have to do to keep email safe. Encryption software for email can add a layer of protection that makes criminals look somewhere else. Anti-malware software to improve cyber security with the help of intrusion prevention detection system can help make sure that a malicious email that is received does not cause any damage to the business.

• Continued Training – The messages that have to be delivered to the employees are not new. They need to be taught how to create strong passwords and how to change the passwords on a regular basis. They need to understand the dangers of emails and how they can safely use the internet. They need to be told to make sure that their computers are locked and password protected. All employees should be trained on cyber security when they are hired, when new systems are put into place and throughout their time of employment with a business. The employees also need to be monitored to make sure they are following the security policies in place, that they are using the right tools and that they are not jeopardizing the business by opening up holes for cyber-criminals to crawl through. If any employee is making mistakes, more training should occur.

• Take Advantage of Malware Protection – There are plenty of anti-malware software programs available that are tailored for business uses. The software is one of the most effective tools that a business has to stop a cyber-crime before it happens. The software is not perfect. It is possible that a cyber-criminal may find a way around the software, but that is not the biggest problem that a business will have in making the software work. A cyber-criminal will often avoid a business that has any type of malware protection in place and look for someone that does not have it. In order for a business to use malware software they need to make sure of these things:
  • The employees know how to use it
  • The software must be kept up to date
  • The software must be used on all computers that the business and its employees are using
  • The software must be turned on

What Are the Crucial Cyber Security Prevention Steps?

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If these things are not done, even the best malware protection won’t work.

• Protection from Cyber-Crime in the Cloud – The attacks on individual employees and their computers can be dangerous, but the increased reliance on the cloud makes this an even bigger threat. The cloud offers phone systems sharing of information and storage of data for a business that can help the business run more efficiently and make the business more successful with apps. The problem is that cyber-criminals are working to hack into the information a business has put in the cloud. Free cloud antivirus for better security can encrypt the information and can protect it in other ways. Like any other type of malware protection, it only works if the business and the employees use it.

Cyber-criminals are not any different from the criminals that do their work face to face. They are not going to work hard to commit their crime. They are going to look for the easiest path to commit their crime.

A criminal that is breaking into a home is most likely to find the one person that left their doors unlocked. A business needs to tackle cyber-crime prevention in the same way a person protects their home. They need to lock their doors.

All of the things above are designed to make it harder for the criminal to attack a business. None of the tools can completely prevent a cyber-crime from happening, but they can make a business a less likely target for the hackers.

These steps can accomplish that, but the business must be ever vigilant. If they leave the locks to the business’s cyber world unlocked one time, that may all the cyber-criminal needs. It is up to the business to make sure the doors are always locked.

How much responsibility does business have to prevent cyber-crime? What is the role of the individual? What are the best ways to prevent cyber-crime? If you have the answers to these questions or if you have any thoughts, ideas or suggestions, take a minute and share them with us.

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In fact, the cloud infrastructure in North America will grow by 20.7 by 2020. At that point it will be worth a staggering $5.7 billion. You should pay attention to the cloud.

The good news is that the cloud can help you in each of these aspects by improving your business’ productivity.

The Cloud

If this word is a mystery to you, sounding more like something from a sci-fi movie, then you most certainly should keep reading. Even if you are familiar with the term, but do not exactly know how it applies to your business, you should also keep reading. Odds are, whether you realize it or not you are already reaping the benefits of the cloud.

However, knowing how the cloud can further benefit you by increasing your business’ productivity, will ultimately bring immense value to your company in the long-run.

The cloud affords many small businesses and small business owners the opportunity to gain access to advanced technologies that will help leverage business growth and development.

It is the access to such virtual servers that helps give small businesses the opportunity to operate in similar ways as larger corporations, but for a fraction of the cost. It negates the need for having to harbor an expensive IT department, it decreases infrastructure costs, and it promotes mobility and accessibility, all of which, in turn, promote productivity.

The cloud is a flexible, affordable, and accessible tool that boosts competitive advantages within organizations by way of improved productivity.

Though you are probably unknowingly (or perhaps not) already utilizing the cloud, here are four ways that you can further exploit the cloud to promote productivity within your firm.

How to Count on the Cloud to Provide Better Phone Services

Regardless of the location of where the majority of your business is being done, you need to have a full-featured, reliable business phone system. A cloud based business phone offers many benefits to businesses over traditional lines. Not only is the quality always good, but a cloud based phone system also improves accessibility and mobility.

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This is because the system allows you to tie mobile lines to your business and therefore you can access your business line and answer calls from anywhere. Additionally, cloud based phone systems are much more cost-effective than are traditional lines. They boast features like:

• Call directing capability
• Voicemail forwarding abilities
• Voicemails emailed to you by way of audio files
• Call waiting music options
• And so much more!

All of the features that come packed into your cloud based phone system will ultimately ensure that your business run more smoothly, effectively and efficiently.

What Is Advanced Collaboration Ability

Though you might be the sole owner/operator of your business, you are not working alone. That being said, the ability to collaborate with your team is an imperative productive measure that one must take in order to improve efficiency.

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The cloud makes collaborating with staff a breeze—regardless of locale. Utilizing the cloud will allow you and your team to gain access to valuable documents without limitation of location or device. You can share, edit, and upload documents and data. You can take advantage of virtual visual conference call abilities, as well as product management tools.

Also, you can track deadlines, communicate with your customers, brainstorm ideas with your marketing team, and monitor individual team member progress.

Make No Need for IT Support

Switching to the cloud makes having an expensive IT department unnecessary. When you make the move to the cloud you are essentially outsourcing your operational IT work and it is through this external company that you will now receive unlimited IT support.

Say goodbye to the need for large spaces for bulky servers, high electric bills, expensive hardware and software, pricey upgrades, and stressful maintenance requirements. Moving to the cloud removes these burdens and shifts the risks involved with each outside of your company to your cloud service provider.

Selecting a reputable cloud service provider will provide you with limited burden and risks, as well as multiple benefits including extensive IT support—of which will be made available to you at a fraction of the cost you were paying before.

Not having to focus on IT issues, upgrades, and developments allows you and other members of your team to more effectively use your time in a more productive manner.

Cost-Effective

It is hard to overlook the cost-effectiveness of cloud computing. The cloud offers an affordable means for businesses to be more competitive in a difficult climate by way of improved productivity. For small business owners whose sole priority is to cut operational costs whenever and wherever possible in order to turn a larger profit, you cannot deny the benefit of the cloud.

As a business owner, surely it is easy to see that arguably the most important benefit that comes along with switching to the cloud is the financial one. When businesses are able to save on operational expenditures they are therefore able to redirect funds to areas that result in higher productivity for their firm. Not only that, but they are able to spend more where it matters most—those areas more likely to promote operational productivity.

Hopefully reviewing these few benefits that come along with switching to the cloud made it easier for you, as a business owner, to see that the cloud can ultimately boost your operation’s productivity. Increased productivity translates to higher profits, which we all know leads to business growth and development. What it boils down to in the end, is that the cloud allows your business to function on a larger more productive platform, without a large cost.

It improves productivity, efficiency, and professionalism within your firm and it helps your small business to make a big impact. It is a tool that is vital if you, as a business owner, desire higher profits and a more impactful footprint in today’s competitive market.

Have something to contribute? Please share. We would love to hear your input!

The post How to Use the Cloud to Increase Your Business Productivity appeared first on Colocation America.

There are many keys to starting a successful business. A successful business has to offer something that people want. They have to let people know what they are offering. They have to have a way to deliver what they are offering. They need to have a way to provide service to their customers. The businesses that can accomplish these things and are able to be successful in other areas are the ones that will have a business that will do well.

While there are many different ways to achieve the goals needed for a successful business, one of the keys to accomplishing them is technology. Now, more than ever before, technology is one of the major reasons that businesses are able to succeed. It is not enough to gather all of the different technology. It is important to choose the technology that is right for the business. A business has to consider the impact the technology has, the cost that it entails to employ the technology and the types of technology that are available.

While some technology will only work for a certain type of startup business, there are several technologies that will work for just about any startup. These technologies can allow small businesses to behave like bigger businesses. They are not too costly and they can have a major impact on the way the startup business is able to compete.

Must Have Technologies 

The list of must have technologies may vary slightly, but these five technologies can be very helpful for any startup businesses.

• Web conferencing – Online web conferencing tools such as UberConference and Go to meeting are the best ways for a startup business to connect with its employees and its clients. It allows easy face to face meetings anywhere in the world at any time. There is no travel expense and there is no need for a meeting room. It is easy for everyone to connect through the power of the internet. It saves a startup business money, it is efficient and it’s a very effective communication tool.

• Project management tools – Technology tools that allow a startup business to manage all of its projects including scheduling, assigning duties, collaboration and evaluation can be the best way to make sure that everything is getting done.

• Data management – The information that a business collects is very important to its success. It needs to be up to date, it needs to be available and it needs to be in a format that the business can use. One of the most popular technologies that is being used for data management is the cloud. Cloud data storage allows the business to collect the data, it allows it to be easily used by all of the employees, including allowing for collaboration with the employees, and it is secure. It is the most cost effective way for businesses to store the data and information that they collect and create.

• Security – If a business is going to rely on technology, security should also be a priority. Everyone connected to the business has an expectation that the information the business has will be kept private and that the business will have systems in place to prevent anyone from breaching the database of the business. The first line of defense is some type of security software that is always on and is always up to date

• Analytic software – Many startup businesses will claim to be successful, but will have nothing to back that claim up. Analytic tools are able to tell a business exactly how well they are doing. It can track the number of customers they have and how they are getting these customers. It can let a business know how much they have to spend to acquire new customers. It is the best way to tell what is working and what is not for a startup business.

Using the Technology

Simply coming up with a list of technologies for a startup business is actually very easy. Anyone is capable of doing that, but just having the tools does not guarantee that it will make a business successful. Any implementation of technology needs to include a plan. The plan needs to include the cost of the technology, the expectations of the technology and a plan to show everyone how to use the technology. It is that the technologies that are used are capable of more than many businesses realize.

The web conferencing tools, the data management tools and the security tools usually have many things that business either do not realize or do not take the time to learn how to use. Education that helps get the most out of every technology is a very important step to finding the best technologies. If you have suggestions or tips, feel free to share them with us.

The post 5 Technology Tools Every Business Startup Should Adhere To appeared first on Colocation America.

So where is the bad? Isn’t being able to make a dinner reservation from what seems like the middle of nowhere a good thing? Shouldn’t the benefits of a search engine extend to anywhere there’s Wi-Fi service?

The answers to those questions are both yes. Once we discover all the things we can do online, with our portable devices in hand, on the wrist, or clipped to our belt, we’ll never go back to what we did before. Nor should we. But there are risks involved, too.

Hackers are Always a Threat

Putting anything online carries a risk that someone will find it and use it for their purposes, and not yours. As sophisticated as technology can be, there’s always a way for someone with tech skills and determination to get at it. Like the safe-crackers of old, modern-day hackers can size up security measures and look for ways of getting around them. And all too often, they can find them out.

Identity theft is a soaring concern, made all the more real by the proliferation of smartphones and other web-enabled devices. Credit card information, medical history data breaches, and the likes are all risks that come with our wireless lifestyles today. The more web access that we have, the more dangers we face.

Wearing the Web, Everyday

The next step in the evolution of a cloud based phone system is wearable technology. Google’s eyeglass experiment is perhaps the most visible example of taking the internet with you at all times, but other examples are right behind it. From a wristwatch to a fitness tracker, we can now transport the internet with us, wherever we go. And those armband holders for our cell phones when we want to go running are one more example. Wherever we go, the cloud allows the internet to come with us.

But this “wear ever” revolution lets the data thieves come with us, too. We realize that our home computers need protection, but our need for protection while on the go is less understood. The protection that we need can come from the cloud, but first we have to realize what we need and how to find it.

Finding Answers in the Cloud

The cloud helped make this all possible, but it can also provide the solution to the problem. Security solutions based on cloud technology can meet the problem where it exists, and head off the type of malware and data breaches that can put private information at risk. Realizing that the cloud monitoring tools can offer real time protection services, in addition to the greater flexibility and portability that we already know about, can be a tremendous relief. But only if we realize the dangers and plan for them accordingly.The global nature and reach of the internet is a glorious thing, but it carries a risk that we must also be aware of. Our online presence is worthy of protection, because being a Luddite is not a viable option. Embracing the cloud and all of the possibilities it offers is a must, but so is protecting ourselves in the process.

Think of it like this: Would you get into a car and not put your seatbelt on? Of course not, but people once did this all the time, many years ago, because the need for seat belts wasn’t fully understood. While the automobile was first introduced in the late 1800s, the first modern seatbelt, as we know them, was introduced in 1959. How many lives were lost in the half century where people simply did not understand the need to restrain themselves in the event of a crash?

The need for security online may not literally be a matter of life and death, but it can have far-reaching consequences. And being unaware of the dangers out there is not acceptable. It’s much better to realize the risks, and take whatever steps are available to head them off, before it’s too late.

As the technology of the internet continues to expand, there’s an understandable need to jump into the fray ourselves. Who doesn’t want to be a step ahead of their friends, when it comes to the latest mobile technology? But doing so won’t be a headlong rush into an unforgiving online abyss, either. Embracing the cloud as a source for greater capabilities, and for greater security and protection as well, is to realize the true yin and yang of online technology.

Author Bio:

Sheza Gary has been a Project Strategist since 2009 and also involved in the launching of startups and tech companies in New York for over 5 years. She has keen interest in writing her own experiences about business plans and upcoming business supporting technologies. You can also follow me on Twitter @shezagary

The post How Cloud Technology Adoption Could Be the Savior of Your Devices appeared first on Colocation America.

Cloud based POS systems are cost effective and safe, making them the new standard of technology for businesses today. Here are just the top five reasons cloud based POS systems should be considered by your small business.

Natural Progression with Ultimate Flexibility

Today’s market is different than it was just 10 years ago. Businesses of yesterday are known as “mom and pop stores.” And while these antiquated shops have their place in society, today’s mainstream customers want an integrated experience. They want their social media and loyalty rewards to be one seamless transaction. This offers your business the added benefit of receiving an advertisement through a cloud based POS system as the customer gives added exposure to your business.

Since most small businesses fall under hospitality or retail industries, splitting checks at a restaurant at the table heightens the customer’s experience. It allows them to feel confident they are paying for services received and saves your employees valuable time. If a mom needs to pick up her to-go purchase but doesn’t want to take all her children in with her or leave them in a car, an employee can bring a POS device out to her with the purchase.

Meanwhile, the ability to have multiple POS devices allows managers and other employees to stay in contact. Vital transactions can be accomplished and inventory tracked while away from the main hardwired POS terminal—even away from the actual brick and mortar store. Because mobile devices are synced up to the cloud, all data is kept in real time—allowing you to access and manage information at any time of the day, from any of your devices.

Upgrades Made Easier Than Ever

Because most cloud based systems are based on monthly fees, any vital upgrades to the cloud software is done automatically. If there are updates that need to be downloaded to devices and on-site terminals, it typically only needs to be downloaded to one device and all the others will be updated. This causes less disruption time or the need for employees to come in early to perform the updates.

Centralized Management for Multiple Locations

The added flexibility that cloud based systems offer your small business allows you to effectively manage all of your locations using real-time data. Even if you are on vacation, you are still able to oversee your small business performance and make necessary changes from your mobile device. This centralized source of information allows you to effectively communicate with managers between locations and ensure all are on the same page. It also allows your team leaders to access all vital information for ensuring each location is operating with synergy and focus.

Highest Standards for Security

One of the top concerns when cloud based POS systems first hit the scene was their level of security. Developers listened and now offer the highest levels of security in the market. After multiple high profile stores had security breaches in their B & M stores, it is safe to say, cloud based technology adds the competitive upper hand. In cloud based POS, there is no delivered software or server sitting at the POS where credit card or debit card data is stored.It is done in the cloud which limits the scope of security liability and the chance of the breach of credit or debit card, as hackers cannot get to the data; it is not there.

If any data is lost, it is only temporary. Backup systems restore data and even offer encryption as protection from hackers and viruses. Because cloud based POS systems are at the forefront of small business operations, security updates with quick response times decrease the potential risk of credit card breaches.

Cost Benefits and Freedom

The cost to operate a cloud computing POS system is highly attractive. Cloud based systems have lower costs associated with them over the traditional hardwired on-site programs. With a multitude of options for providers and services, finding the right cloud based POS system for your small business will put your business at an advantage over competitors.

It is easy to switch providers in this almost flooded market of cloud computing hosts and most will not lock you into a contract. Competitive prices range from around $50-200 a month depending on the services you agree to and the size of your business. Some smaller plans even offer a pay-per-swipe fee. With the ability to upgrade or downsize without breaking a contract makes this freedom an appealing interest for businesses of any size.

As with any investment in your company, researching the right option is done by weighing the risks to the benefits. With cloud based POS solutions, you are reducing risk and increasing profit.

A business’s success is directly related to how well it can keep up with the technology surrounding its time. How successful do you want your business to be?

Author Bio:

Sheza Gary has been a Project Strategist since 2009 and also involved in the launching of startups and tech companies in New York for over 5 years. She has keen interest in writing her own experiences about business plans and upcoming business supporting technologies. You can also follow me on Twitter @shezagary

The post Top 5 Benefits of Cloud Based POS Systems for SMBs appeared first on Colocation America.