Fans of the Microsoft Windows XP operating system will bid adieu to the OS known for being feature-rich and user-friendly. April 8, 2014 is the official “end of support” date for XP, which means there will be no updates, support or patches issued beyond that day. When this happens, computers running XP will become obsolete and vulnerable. If you are currently using a computer with XP, it’s time to make a plan to replace it.
Who, me?
Staying ahead of government and industry rules and regulations is always a challenge, no matter what business we are in. Many organizations now manage operations and transactions electronically, but not all are aware of Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). Compliance with these standards is essential, yet the topic is frequently misunderstood or overlooked.
In the middle of February, I attended a conference celebrating the “impossible.” Cochlear Celebration 2013 brought together 1,000 people whose lives have been affected by cochlear implants, devices that rely on technology once deemed impossible. Luckily for 80,000 people like me, Professor Graeme Clark ignored the naysayers and devoted his life to creating the technology that allows severely or profoundly deaf people to hear.
We are continually developing and improving to provide even better and more efficient IT support for you. As we have grown our tech team in the last year, it has created opportunities for us to designate our technicians to more specific roles and opened up some possibilities we could not have done with a smaller team.
Some of the best advice I received recently relates to how we can be successful in both business and life. It is, “Not realizing what you want is a problem of knowledge. Not pursuing what you want is a problem of motivation. And not achieving what more
A review of 2013 trend predictions from IT leaders shows mobile and cloud computing continue to lead us into the future.
Some share visions of feature-rich devices in every area of our lives. Someday your preferred settings for comfort and home appliances might follow you on vacation and manage your home while you’re away. Responsive outdoor advertising might display offers geared toward the destination you’ve entered on your GPS. And the fields of science, engineering and education will continue to benefit from on-demand access to unlimited cloud computing resources.
In medical school, students are taught that when they hear hoof beats, they should look for horses, not zebras. That’s a sound policy in the information technology arena, too. We usually have a pretty good idea about what we’re going to find during a service call based on the initial description of the problem.
There are, however, occasional zebra sightings. We thought we’d end 2012 with a lighthearted look at some of the things we’ve encountered. Perhaps these fun stories will help you spot a few zebras of your own! more
IT professionals answer a lot of questions. Some are unusual and situation-specific, while others are common. Lately, we’ve been fielding inquiries about replacing laptop or desktop machines with tablet computers. While industry gossip says the new Google Nexus 7 may shake up the category, this article focuses on the current frontrunner, the iPad.
More business is being done using small and mobile devices. Recent estimates say 50% of work is being done on desktop or laptop machines, 30% on iPads, and 20% on smart phones. more
Your business is a result of good ideas, sound planning, and hard work. If it grew from one or two people to several employees, it’s a safe bet that your reliance on computers has grown, too. Do you have a plan that keeps your data safe, computers operating smoothly, and team working efficiently?
Businesses that start with no network at all, or a simple network connecting individual workstations, can outgrow their systems quickly. Each machine requires its own software, backups and security. File sharing can be problematic, and reliability is often an issue. more
Meet Quirky, Crabby and Slowpoke. No, they’re not Snow White’s newest friends, they’re nicknames for computers we’ve encountered. Unlike Snow White’s protective little buddies, these characters steal time and wreak havoc in businesses.
With several years in service and a hard drive full of applications, even the most well-built machine can slow down, become unpredictable and affect your performance. Regular upgrades and maintenance are good ways to extend the life of a machine, but at some point, not even a kiss will turn a frog back into a prince. more