5 Things to Consider When Upgrading Your Servers

PC Server, Tower, Updates, upgrade hardware, Windows Server, ,
04
Sep 2018

Your server is the backbone of your organization’s IT functionality, but what do you need to consider when it’s time to upgrade?

Purchasing and installing a new server is a massive move for any organization. Install the best server for your needs and your productivity should skyrocket. Choose one that doesn’t quite fit with your business and it will seriously harm the way you’re able to operate. Therefore, choosing the correct server is important if you value your organization’s future.

Moving forward, though, isn’t always straightforward due to the complexity of such an upgrade. To help simplify matters, we’re going to share five things to consider when upgrading your servers.

  1. The Right Performance

First and foremost, you have to make sure that any potential new server is able to meet the needs of your organization’s IT needs. The main reason that an organization looks to upgrade is because the current technology isn’t able to fulfill their existing needs. Consulting with various department heads and IT professionals is essential to gauge the necessary requirements, so start by compiling this information and work from there.

  1. Is Integration Possible?

You’ve more than likely got an existing server in place, but upgrading doesn’t mean that you need to chuck your old one out with the trash. In fact, it’s possible that you’ll be able to integrate vast sections of your existing server into your new server. Not only does this potentially save you costs on new technology, but it also provides a level of consistency in terms of staff knowledge on the existing technology.

  1. Costs?

Performance, of course, is paramount, but price is equally important as all organizations work to a strict budget. Once you understand your performance needs, the next step is to evaluate which available servers meet this most closely. Technology, after all, can be costly, so you shouldn’t be paying for any technology that won’t be of use to your organization’s output.

  1. Factor in Maintenance

A brand new server is fantastic, but even the most up to date technology needs to be maintained. Any length of downtime is disastrous for any organization which understands the basics of productivity, so the shrewdest move with servers is to ensure that some form of maintenance cover is put in place. Often, there will be a warranty included with new technology, but this will always have an expiry date, so make sure you start asking about extended warranty options from an early stage.

  1. Future Upgrades?

It may seem counter-intuitive to consider future scalability as you upgrade, but looking to the future is vital when it comes to working with IT technology. The rapid pace at which technology expands means that you may need to consider growing your server a lot sooner than you expected. Discussing expansion options is crucial to safeguard against being lumbered with huge costs in the future when your existing technology is unable to expand further to keep pace.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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What are the Benefits of Upgrading Your Hardware?

hardware, Repairs and Upgrades, Security, upgrade hardware, , ,
05
Jun 2018

Upgrading hardware can be a costly affair, so it’s often easier to stick with your existing hardware. How many benefits, though, are you missing out on?

New hardware is constantly being released, but there are two main reasons that organizations shy away from investing:

  • The initial costs are deemed too high when the current hardware can meet a certain level of performance
  • The downtime involved in installing new software is a major turnoff due to the break in productivity it can cause

However, aside from these necessary evils, upgrading your hardware can bring a wide range of benefits that your organization cannot ignore. To help you understand why upgrading could make a real difference to your productivity, here’s a list of the benefits:

Enhanced Performance

New hardware will almost always be quicker and more productive than your existing hardware. Technology advances at such a rapid pace that external hard drives hold more storage space than ever, printers print more sheets per minute and servers can operate at much higher speeds. With this increase in productivity, your organization can achieve more and increase the time available to advance your operations even further.

Increased Security

Cyber security is becoming more and more important, so it’s no surprise to find that it’s become a major selling point of new hardware. Not only is new hardware protected from all existing threats, hackers are unfamiliar with these new systems. Therefore, there’s less chance of them becoming vulnerable to security threats for a significant period of time. Additionally, support will be available for new hardware for much longer than your existing technology.

Downtime is Reduced

While it’s true that installing new hardware results in a certain amount of downtime, new hardware will actually reduce your organization’s IT downtime in the long run. Older hardware becomes less reliable over time and this is why crashes on older systems can easily become commonplace. However, with hardware upgraded, you’ll soon discover how your downtime is reduced due to the increased reliability of your new hardware.

Better Communications

Upgrading hardware can seriously boost your organization’s ability to communicate. Video conferencing software, for example, has now expanded into 4K technology and this not only looks fantastic, but also allows your organization to communicate clearly and professionally. And when it comes to communication technology, you want to be using the very best to engage with your staff and your customers.

Better Experience for your Employees

Your employees want to be using the best technology as it makes their jobs easier and more productive. Say, for example, your network is prone to lags in speed, this is going to seriously frustrate your employees who are unable to connect to certain applications. However, with upgraded hardware you’re enhancing your employees’ experience. No longer is there any delay in completing tasks and, as a result, they can achieve more than ever in a timely manner.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

 

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USB Drives: Simple, But Deadly Hacking Devices

hardware,
26
Jun 2017

bad_USBWe’re all used to using USB devices with our PCs for easy connections, but it’s this convenience which also makes them perfect for hacking.

The hacks that grab the headlines are those that are distributed online and through email due to the huge numbers of people these can attack; USB sticks – and, in fact, any USB devices – are limited in their range due to their physical existence, but this doesn’t mean they can’t cause huge problems in localised areas. And hacks involving USB devices can completely disable your PC, so this can have a huge impact on the ability of your business to operate.

Therefore, we’ve decided it’s a good opportunity to give you a quick lesson on the USB hacks that can affect you and how you can counter this everyday threat.

The World of USB Device Hacks

destroy-or-hack-computers-with-USB-pendrive

Due to the presence of autorun software loaded on to USB sticks, all a hacker needs to do is ensure that their infected USB stick is plugged into a PC to activate it’s malicious payload.  Sometimes, though, USB devices don’t even need to be plugged into the PC, so this is why they’re particularly tricky to identify and combat. Here are some of the most common hacks contained within USB devices:

  • USBdriveby – This USB stick is easily identified by the chain attached to it (apparently this is so the user can wear it round their neck!) and contains a particularly nasty surprise inside. Once plugged into a PC, it begins to imitate your keyboard and uses keystrokes to disable firewalls, opens backdoors to allow remote control and tells network monitoring apps that everything is okay.
  • KeySweeper – Disguised as a USB wall charger, the KeySweeper hack is a very well concealed device which uses wireless connections to identify and spy on local Microsoft wireless keyboards. And, by monitoring keystrokes, KeySweeper can quickly obtain login details and transmit these back to a remote location.
  • BadUSB – Another USB stick hack, BadUSB impersonates your keyboard to allow itself to reprogram firmware associated with your existing USB devices e.g. network cards can be reprogrammed to send users to sites containing malicious software which can soon infect your entire network.

All of these hacks are very simple, but can cause a lot of damage, so how do you combat them?

Combatting USB Hacks

rubber_ducky

Thankfully, when it comes to USB hacks, there are some very simple steps you can take to combat them:

  • Educate your users on the dangers of USB devices. Some hackers have been known to drop infected USB sticks in the car parks of large corporations in the hope that a curious employee will plug them into their work PC.
  • Never ever use pre-owned USB devices in your business, always purchase new devices which can’t have been tampered with.
  • Lock USB port use on the PCs that make up your business and only allow access to trusted administrators. This is perhaps the most guaranteed way to prevent any infected USB devices activating their contents as the USB ports will essentially be disabled and unable to do anything.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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New Processors to Only Support Windows 10

hardware, Office IT, ,
01
Mar 2016

windows-10-hero-official-wallpaper-

Many people have resisted migrating from Windows 7 and 8.1 to Windows 10, but Microsoft has now announced that new processors will only run on Windows 10.

You might have noticed, last summer, that windows were popping up on your PC encouraging you to switch to Microsoft’s latest operating system (OS) – Windows 10. However, a high percentage of users avoided hitting the ‘INSTALL’ button.

You see, Windows 8 was somewhat of a disaster for Microsoft, both technically and aesthetically. As a result, consumers were reticent to take up Microsoft’s offer of a free upgrade as they had no idea what would be waiting for them.

These fears were further compounded when story after story emerged of issues with Windows 10 e.g. security flaws and Microsoft actively forcing installs onto users’ systems. As I’m sure you’ll agree, though, progress is always necessary, so you were probably going to give in at some point.

Microsoft has decided to try and force your hand a little sooner with their announcement that new processors will only be compatible with Windows 10, so let’s take a look at what this means for you and your business.

What Exactly Has Microsoft Announced?

Microsoft is keen for the latest processors being designed to use the most up to date Windows OS. This means that new processors released by AMD, Intel and Qualcomm will only work on PCs running Windows 10. If you’re running an old OS, they simply won’t work. And when Windows 11 comes around, the exact same procedure will be put in place.

Why is Microsoft Making This Policy Change?

Windows-10-Free-Upgrade-Windows-10-Free-Insider-Program-Windows-10-how-Can-Upgrade-How-to-Upgrade-Windows-10-586338

Upgrading previous versions of Windows always had a financial pinch for consumers, but Windows 10 is completely free. This is all part of Microsoft’s plan to market Windows 10 as a service rather than a costly product.

Microsoft wants everyone to adopt it, so ensuring that Windows 10 is essential for new processors means there will be no choice but to upgrade.

It’s also a move which will keep hardware developers for Microsoft happy as they will no longer have to outlay huge amounts of cash on making their processors backwards compatible.

Does This Mean You Have to Upgrade Immediately?

Microsoft-Upgrade-Your-World-Windows-10-600x360-600x330

You might be concerned that Windows is forcing you to not only upgrade to Windows 10, but also to upgrade to one of the new processors. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Windows 7 and 8.1 will still receive essential security and application updates for several years, so, as long as your hardware stays the same, your OS will remain supported.

However, remaining on an ‘antiquated’ OS is not the best way for your business to stay competitive and work to its full potential. That’s why it seems as though it’s only going to get harder and harder to resist the upgrade to Windows 10.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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Are Solid State Drives Worth It?

hardware, ,
10
Aug 2015

Intel_SSD_straight

Solid state drives are non-mechanical storage devices which reduce load times and replace hard drives. Are solid state drives worth it for a small business?

What is an SSD?

Traditionally, the hard drive of a computer has always been a hard disk drive (HDD) made up of spinning disks covered in a magnetic coating to allow data to be read/written.

An SSD, however, has no moving parts and is powered by Flash memory. Essentially it’s a giant USB memory stick. And we all know how much quicker they are than fiddling round with disks!

SSDs, therefore, have become increasingly popular due to the speeds offered. In fact, sales of SSDs are currently doubling each year as HDD sales fall.

But what is it about SSDs that make them so appealing?

The Benefits of an SSDComparison-SSD-vs-HDD

Increased Speed

We all get frustrated with the load up times for our computers and it’s even more irritating for business users who need to connect to numerous networks. However, by replacing an HDD with an SSD, users can find a 1 minute load time reduced to 15 seconds.

And it’s not just operating systems that receive this sprightly boost. Software such as Microsoft Office will also load in a fraction of the time.

Where SSDs really excel is their capacity to read and write data at speeds that are double that of an HDD. This results in a much quicker rate for creating and transferring files.

There are never enough hours in a business day, so anything which increases work time is a real bonus.

Better Data Integrity

A huge benefit of SSDs is that they’ll never crash and take all their data to silicon heaven. They simply stop writing data and preserve the current data load. Anyone who’s ever lost data to a hard drive crash will know that this is invaluable.

No Moving Parts

The fact that SSDs have no moving parts brings a number of benefits to your computer.

The main area of concern for a business is the process of wear and tear on an HDD due to the intense pressure the disk is put under by running at up to 7200rpm. An SSD, though, is never going to wear out and die.

No moving parts also make SSDs more energy efficient and help promote your business’ green image.

Is an SSD Worth the Extra Cost?

You’re probably getting quite excited over the prospect of SSDs, but they do have one drawback – the cost.

A 128gb SSD costs around $40 at the time of this writing, but a 160gb HDD can be as low as $15. This may not be a huge difference for a one off consumer, but if you’ve got a workforce of 50 computers then it begins to get pricey!

However, costs are dropping rapidly – as with all new technology – so SSDs are only going to become more affordable. You’re getting more bang for your buck with SSDs due to the increases in speed and reliability they offer.

For a small business, SSDs offer an exciting upgrade which will increase productivity and help your business reach the next level.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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