7 Reasons to Outsource Your IT with CTG

As your business grows, so to do your IT needs. But for many small businesses, hiring a dedicated, in-house IT technician is just not financially possible. For businesses like these, we at Convergent Technologies Group offer HighGround by CTG, our managed IT Services, giving you all the benefits of a full IT department without the overhead!

The Benefits of Managed IT Services with Convergent Technologies Group

1. Cut Costs: Outsourcing your IT needs allows you to utilize an entire team of IT specialists for less than the cost of an in-house employee.
2. Increase Productivity: Give your customers and employees the benefit of professional support when they need it. By reducing downtime, your office remains more productive often.
3. IT Network Security: If you rely on technology, IT security is a crucial component of your business plan.
4. Disaster Recovery: As a business owner, you know that downtime can kill a business. That is why we offer outsourced disaster recovery to ensure that your vital business data is available when you need it.
5. Preventative Maintenance: Maintenance is the key to keeping your network up and running. Convergent Technologies Group analyzes computer systems for potential problem areas to keep your business running smoothly.
6. Focus on Growing your Business: We believe business-people should focus on their business, not on the tools that make it run. You are not an IT specialist. You are a business owner. So let us worry about you technology needs while you worry about what's important, like growing your business. 
7. Education: At Convergent Technologies Group, we believe in educating our customers; explaining sometimes overly-complicated technology terms in ways that our customers understand, so that they feel more comfortable with what they have, and better understand what they may need to move forward. 

Utilize all the benefits of a full IT department for one predictable, low-cost monthly fee. We look forward to working with you and your business. Contact Convergent Technologies Group for your free no obligation consultation and see if HighGround by CTG is right for you. 804.353.5307

Ready or not here BYOD comes!

With more than 5.9 billion mobile subscribers and 1.2 billion Web users worldwide, it is safe to say that mobility is no longer the future of networking—it is the reality. To get their jobs done, employees are now using a mix of mobile devices --personal and company owned--for what is known as the hottest trend in the workplace called Bring-Your-Own-Device or BYOD.

The Challenge: Ready or not here it comes

As more and more devices join the network, the ability to control access to applications, protect corporate data, and financially support both new and legacy systems is presenting IT managers with significant challenges. Demands and expectations for performance, bandwidth, and reliable access to applications are just going to continue to rise. Not to mention the host of security, management and legal issues BYOD can present. 

If you think stopping BYOD at the front door is a possible way around this, think again. In a recent survey, “Trusted Mobility Index,” conducted by Juniper Networks of more than 4,000 mobile-device users and IT professionals’ reports “many employees circumvent their employers’ official mobile-device policies with nearly half of all respondents who use their personal devices for work (41%) doing so without permission from the company.” Whether you are ready for BYOD or not, it is inevitably here for good with predictions of almost 15 billion network-connected devices by 2015.

The Solution: Embrace mobility with Simply Connected by Juniper Networks

Businesses need a solution that enables them to deliver on the promise of mobility without sacrificing performance, scalability or security. 

• Deliver coordinated security for enterprise network access
• Remote data wiping
• Access rights management
• Full enforcement of security policies on any device, anywhere, anytime
• Deliver a comprehensive enterprise offering
• Resilient network throughout, with no single point of failure
• Improved operational efficiency, with real-time automation to support critical business processes
• A foundation for fast, secure, and reliable delivery of applications to all users and devices at any location

As you can see, mobility and BYOD is a very present reality and impossible to avoid but with Simply Connected you can embrace it and Convergent can help. To learn more about Simply Connected by Juniper Networks contact Convergent Technologies Group and we will get you started. 

Great Article: Keeping Passwords Out of the Hands of Hackers

Could your business be the next one hit by hackers hungry for passwords? 


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BYOD: Developing a Security Policy

Who hasn’t heard of BYOD or bring your own device?  It’s happening right now in your organization as we speak. Chances are you may even be reading this on one. According to a recent poll completed by Harris Interactive, more than 80% of employees use personally owned electronic devices for work related functions. Smartphones, notebooks, iPads, e-readers, gaming consoles and more—the list of personal devices gaining access to employer networks seems to be growing every day in what has come to be a new phenomenon in the way employees are connecting to enterprise networks.

While BYOD is not necessarily a bad thing—staff can stay in touch with up-to-the-minute, real-time data, regardless of where they happen to be—it can pose a serious security risk for companies who don’t have a BYOD policy in place.

The risks you ask? The possibilities are endless when an unsecured device can gain access into the core intellectual property of an organization.

• Users browsing malicious sites
• Clicking malicious links in email and SMS messages
• Installing questionable firmware updates
• Making assumptions about the security and privacy of applications and public Wi-Fi connections 
• Forgotten or stolen devices without simple levels of security in place like password protection
•   Confidential company data lying around on unsecured devices

These are just a few of the possibilities when you do not have a BYOD security policy in place. Unless organizations can control the highly mobile platforms their users are allowed to bring into the enterprise, security will inevitably become a problem.

Now you are aware, what do do about it? Below are a few simple ideas to think about when getting started: 

1. Establish what devices are permitted 
• Specify to employees who are interested in BYOD which devices you will support and which ones you will not. 
2. Establish a stringent password policy on all devices
• If your employees want to take part in BYOD then they will have to have a complex password in place to access their devices at all times. 
3. Define who own what apps and data
• The line gets a little fuzzy when combining both personal and work data onto the same device. If an employee quits or the device is stolen or lost what happens to the data? Enacting a policy providing you the right to wipe personal machines if they were used for work purposes should an employee quit or lose their device, will aid in keeping the company secure. 
4. Train employees on good security policies 
• Empower your employees to recognize questionable websites and links, educate them to identify possible phishing attacks and show them how to take on the simplest of security measures by turning on auto-locking features, password protections and encryption of their devices. 
5. Make it an easy transition for your employees 
• Always assume your employees will value their own convenience over company security. If your security policy is to complex or inconvenient they will find a way around it. Keep this in mind when you are establishing your BYOD security policy.   

These are just a few simple and inexpensive ideas to get headed in the right direction. Contact Convergent Technologies Group and we will help you with the right solutions to keep your company protected. 

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Security and the Modern Data Center

Modern data centers are undergoing a transformation by supporting more services, users, and data than ever before. With new technology, come new risks.  As a result, IT architects must build proper security controls, policies, and processes to address and alleviate new threats. Below are three main data center trends and their associated risks:

Virtualization

It’s easy to understand why virtualization is one of the fastest growing technologies these days for businesses large and small. With the ability to cut power consumption, save space and make IT admin’s jobs easier, it’s hard not to love it. However, there are two sides to every coin and virtualization is no different.  Virtualization, although highly recommended, introduces new security risks, including:

• Blind Spots: Virtualization causes security analysts to lose visibility into communication between          virtual machines (VMs) on the same host.
• Lack of Separation of Duties: Virtualization makes it easy to move VMs to any host or establish connectivity between any VMs on the same host. Misconfiguration or lack of policy enforcement makes it possible to combine VMs containing sensitive data with other VMs on the same host or bridge two different networks that should never communicate with one another.
• VM Sprawl: The transmission of VMs without adequate coordination or oversight can make it difficult to locate critical servers and determine their state of patching and configuration. Security risks become more tangible because a VM that is not properly tracked and managed may not have updated patches or proper configuration control, leading to vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit.

Endpoint Proliferation

With bring-your-own-device or BYOD on the rise, personal and professional devices for today’s workforces are converging. In a surveycompleted by IDC and Unisys, Unisys Consumerization of IT Benchmark Study, found that 95% of workers report that they use at least one self-purchased device (smartphones, personal laptops, tablets, and other devices) for work.  With minimal visibility into personal devices accessing the network and no control over the security practices in place, the potential for increased risk is inevitable.

Increased Resource Requirements

Endpoint proliferation means increased resources and increased access to networks that won’t interfere with the performance of mission critical, high-bandwidth applications. The need for these larger networks often requires significant human resources to manage and maintain. With all this additional traffic coming and going it is almost impossible to effectively monitor and track everything for threats.  If the traffic can’t be monitored effectively, then unseen threats can potentially penetrate the network.

Being aware and understanding potential security risks can allow IT architects to transform their data centers with confidence.  Reduce costs, go green, offer more services, and support more users and growing amounts of data safely and securely by staying informed and having the right solutions in place. Convergent Technologies Group can be your trusted adviser to ensure you are always going down the right technology tracks. Call us today for a free consultation and we will help you get started. 

Why Cloud-based Email Archiving?

An enormous amount of information is being exchanged today via email, and this volume of emails sent and received is only growing with time. Organizations not only need a system in place to safely store these messages, but also a way to efficiently monitor and retrieve ones that may contain sensitive and confidential data. Then inability to do so can result in serious legal and reputational threats to an organization, should sensitive and confidential data get through the cracks.

Email archiving solutions allow organizations to store, monitor, and collect information exchanged by their users, ensuring compliance with internal policies and government regulations. In addition to email, most archiving solutions can also archive and manage other types of data, including instant messaging, web-based emails, calendars, contacts and files. If you are currently using an email archiving solution or are looking into one, cloud-based email archiving is something you should certainly consider. Here are a few reasons why:

1. No large upfront costs- you can avoid making a significant upfront investment by outsourcing. A typical email archiving solution can run you upwards of $100,000.That kind of initial capital can be difficult for small and medium businesses to fork over.
2. Smaller onsite IT staff- Since you are outsourcing with a hosting provider, your in-house IT staff can focus on other important tasks.
3. Strong security features- Hosting services often provide better protection of your archived data versus on-premises storage. Typically, all archived data is stored encrypted and the storage facilities provide multiple backup features to ensure preservation in case of power failure and other emergencies.
4. Higher up-time- When the solution is hosted in the cloud, instances that require going off line due to power failures, hardware malfunctions, and other unpredictable circumstances are highly reduced. To ensure hosting providers avoid interference in service delivery they use a combination of failover technologies and backup power sources, which keep your archived data up and accessible.
5. Unlimited archives- On-premises based archiving solutions require organizations to continually purchase new hardware in order to accommodate the growing number of messages. Cloud based archiving on the other hand provide unlimited amount of data and bandwidth per use for a flat rate, predictable fee.
6. Ensured compliance- Cloud based archiving ensures that not only is data stored and easily retrievable, but that the latest in regulatory compliance needs for messaging services are met. This can dramatically reduce resources and overall risk of the organization.
7. Predictable on-going costs- Typically, hosting providers will charge you on a per user/per month basis for archiving your data. This will result in a predicable monthly fee and a more accurate calculation of total cost per year.

These are just a few of the reasons why organizations are making the switch to cloud based solutions. Archiving in the cloud offers unlimited, secure archiving at a predictable fee with no large upfront investments required. Not only is cloud based archiving a cost effective alternative to on premises storage, it is also much more secure and the continuity archive solutions provide is unmatched. 

Are you looking to make the switch to cloud based email archiving for your organization? We can help. Contact Convergent Technologies Group for your free consultation. 

How to use Video for your Business

Web video is a very simple and effective way to convey information about a business, yet many businesses still aren't utilizing it. If you’ve been wondering how you can use videos for your business, take a look at these great examples.

Testimonials

Sharing your business’ success stories is a great way to grow your business through word of mouth. In order to do this, many companies ask for testimonials – which satisfied customers are often happy to give. Requesting a video testimonial can make that success story more effective than ever.

Chances are, your clients know how to create a video and have a webcam built-in to their computers. If you are able to get a video testimonial, instead of a written one, it really brings the story alive to prospective clients.

Replace written content

Most business websites are text-heavy and don’t offer much excitement. Throwing a video or two into the mix can make your site easier for your clients and prospects to find their way through.

Try replacing some standard, informational text with a video that describes your company in order to liven up your site a little and intrigue your site’s visitors.

Educate!

How to” and demo videos are great ways to educate your clients and prospective clients about your business. Although you may not actually sell products that you can demo, there are still plenty of ways to educate clients about something relating to your business.

Restaurants, for example, can create a video on how to properly prepare an artichoke, or something along those lines, that anybody could find useful. Videos of this sort are great because they make you look like an expert in your field.

Web video is a growing medium and a great way to share your stories and ideas with your audience. For even more ideas on using web video, check out this article.

How to Have the Right Attitude at Work

Succeeding in business is difficult to do without the right kind of attitude. It takes a special mix of ambition and personality, and the ability to be both forward thinking and conscious of those working around you. Business is built around a foundation of interacting with other people. Whether you’re working with a coworker on the job or with a prospective client, having a good attitude is paramount to getting things done. Here are a few important character traits for you to consider when evaluating your business attitude.

1.    Be positive

Staying positive is at the core of any good attitude. Studies show that praising your coworkers often, setting reasonable goals and consistently showing gratitude are all traits common in successful businesspeople. Thinking pessimistically fosters a negative attitude that makes seeing the positives difficult and, in turn, decreases your ability to succeed. Thinking positively lets you see the good things around you and allows you to build off of them, creating an attitude beneficial to advancement. If you’d like more tips on staying positive, take a look at this article.

2.    Act assertively, not aggressively

Assertiveness is probably the top traits of those successful in business, however it is often coupled with aggressiveness. The most important thing when attempting to be assertive without being aggressive is communication. When asserting yourself in the office, allow other people as much time to describe their needs as you’ve allowed yourself. When they are expressing their needs, try not to devalue their perspectives; doing so will allow you to stay open to meeting them halfway.

Practicing these tips will make you a member of the team and create an environment that allows for your career advancement. If you’d like additional tips, please consider this article.

3.    Approach conflict with compassion

Interpersonal conflict is an unavoidable part of every work culture. Try approaching resolution with compassion if and when you find yourself at odds with a coworker. Stepping into conflict resolution with an open mind instead of defensiveness will often result in a more positive outcome. Adding compassion to your business attitude will improve your skills at resolving conflict. If you’d like to read more about being compassionate at work, take a look at this article.

No matter your experience or career, people will always be challenging to deal with. Having a fresh and positive attitude when dealing with them will allow you to advance and flourish in the work place. Remembering these simple tips are the first steps in cultivating a good business attitude, and having a good business attitude is the first step to advancing your career.

If you enjoyed this article, please share it or comment below!

5 Things to look for in a Managed Service Provider (MSP)

A Managed Service Provider (MSP) is an IT firm that supports your businesses complete IT infrastructure. Through a mixture of technologies, people, and processes MSP’s keep your operations running 24x7x365 for a flat-rate monthly fee.  Your managed service provider will monitor your network, remotely support your servers and workstations, provided appropriate planning should a disaster occur, and ultimately, keep your employees operations running at peak performance.When the time is right for your business to bring on an MSP, there are several things to consider before signing a contract.

1.  Do they offer Disaster Recovery planning and periodic testing?- Disaster recovery should be an essential component of your overall IT strategy. While some MSP’s include Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) as part of their service offering, others offer BDR at an additional service fee or do not address BDR at all. It is important to choose a provider that not only offers Backup and Disaster Recovery, but also periodic testing of your BDR plan at least once a year or after significant changes have been made to your technology infrastructure. If you do not currently have one, a good MSP can help your organization develop a practical disaster recovery plan.
2. Do they provide third party Vendor Management?-Third party vendor management can be a huge benefit for businesses who have taken on the burden of dealing with vendors themselves. Should an application or support need extend beyond the MSP’s included service levels, a vendor must be contacted to provide support. A good MSP will take on the issue themselves by contacting the vender on behalf of the customer and see the issue through to resolution.  This is a very important part of an MSP’s service offering and alone, can save you hours of time and grief spent resolving issues yourself versus focusing on your day-to-day.
3. Do they offer a mix of remote and on-site support?-  Most good MSP’s will provide a combination of remote and onsite support in their service agreement. However, some do not unless required by a special project or for an additional fee. A combination of both is important because it allows your service provider to become familiar with the physical layout of your facility, the unique needs of your users, and of course, provide needed face-to-face time with you, the customer.
4. Guaranteed response time?-  This is a must for any managed service offering. How fast will your provider respond during office hours, after-hours, weekends and holidays? Most MSP’s do not include night and weekend responses in their offerings so make sure you choose one who does. These guaranteed response times are referred to as your Service Level Agreement (SLA), and it is important that the level of service you receive aligns with the needs of your company.
5. Do they provide monthly reporting?- How do you know if your MSP is really providing you a return on your investment? A good MSP offering includes detailed monthly reports about services provided, maintenance completed, and the overall health of your network. Most MSP’s provide this anyways, but it’s always good to bring up in case it is not addressed.   

If you are looking for a great deal of value at a fixed price, managed services is the way to go. MSP’s provide you with peace of mind in knowing your IT operations will be running smoothly at all times and that you are taking a proactive approach to your network. However, choosing the wrong MSP can also cost you valuable time, money and aggravation. So shop around, do your homework and choose your managed service provider wisely.

If you have any other questions about Managed Services or would like to learn about Convergent Technologies Groups' managed service offerings, please leave a comment below or contact CTG today!

5 Ways Your Company Can Benefit From Cloud-Based Videoconferencing

Cloud computing is all the rage these days as organizations have come to realize how robust, efficient and cost-effective this alternative to premises-based technologies can be. For the small to midsize business (SMB) realm, who have traditionally been keeping pace with enterprise companies as best they can, this is especially huge. Thanks to "the cloud," a whole new world of opportunity has come to the forefront for small and medium business--one of which is videoconferencing. 

Below, we explore the top five benefits of cloud-based videoconferencing for SMB's.

1. Lower total cost of ownership- It used to be that in order to purchase an enterprise-grade videoconferencing system you would literally have to auction off your first born child. Thankfully those days are over and SMB's can now utilize enterprise-grade video for a fraction of the price. There are a variety of videoconferencing services to choose from, including room based systems that you can buy or lease, virtual rooms that can be accessed from your desktop and deployed throughout your organization and also services to connect to road warriors via their tablet or smartphone devices. 
2. Rapid/Scalable Deployment- Five year projections? Ten year projections? For most businesses, it has become nearly impossible to make accurate predictions as to where the economy will take you. Therefore, you need highly flexible technology for scale up/scale down deployments. You're in luck! Cloud-based videoconferencing provides just that. As your business grows, your videoconferencing solution can grow with you and vice versa. 
3. Reliability and Security- The real cherry on top when it comes to cloud-based videoconferencing is the built-in reliability and security hosted solutions provide, without the overhead and complexities of managing it yourself. Cloud-based video offers you a high quality, always available video network including a built-in firewall traversal for secure company-to-company video calling with customers, suppliers and colleagues inside or outside your organization.
4. Easier Maintenance- Since it is a hosted service after all, cloud-based videoconferencing systems require very little IT support or training to administer and are very easy to deploy. Another bonus--system upgrades happen automatically with no hardware upgrades needed to take advantage of new features and technologies leaving you more time to focus on growing your business.
5. Increased Productivity- Not only will you be saving time from easier maintenance associated with cloud-based services, you will also increase productivity throughout your organization by providing access to existing and emerging workforces who demand constant connectivity and productivity from anywhere at any time. 

Cloud-based videoconferencing offers exciting opportunities for businesses of all sizes but is especially opportune for the SMB who can take the most advantage of its affordability, ease of operation and non-dependence on in-house IT resources to manage. 

If you would like to learn more about cloud-based video conferencing for your business please contact Convergent Technologies Group and we will help you get started. Looking to get started right away? Try a free trial of our cloud-based videoconferencing solution, LifeSize Connections.