Information Technology is a constantly developing and evolving science that has become a necessity for businesses of all sizes. However, many businesses are too small to fully support a 100% dedicated IT department complete with IT professionals and service for clients and employees during all hours of the day and night. That is where the new concept of Information Technology as a Service (ITaaS) has come into play. Through organizations like US Logic, businesses are able to obtain managed IT services equivalent to that of a large company without the huge burden on their payroll and establishment.
How does this work? Well, there are many ways. Anyone interested can check out this informative white page that describes how our primary Managed IT Services partners handles their business. It’s tough to say exactly what managed IT services do, simply because they do so much for their clientele throughout the course of a day.
Multi-Tiered Helpdesk Services
It sounds complicated but it really isn’t. The “tiers” separate your issues in terms of severity and urgency. The top tiers of this helpdesk service exist to help with extremely difficult troubles. This includes disaster recovery and severe equipment malfunctions. The lower tiers deal with simpler tasks like retrieving a backup or recovering a lost e-mail. The 3 tiered service exists so that issues and problems are receiving the highest level of necessary urgency to complete the task hassle-free.
Hosted Platforms/Software as a Service
Let’s explain what these are in a little greater detail. Hosted platforms are programs that exist on an off-site server that your business can access anywhere, anytime. Having all this information stored in an off-site server means protection from loss of data and technology as well as easy backup and document recovery and matter documentation. In a nutshell, many people benefit from hosted platforms because of the extra layer of employee and client management that it provides to their users.
Aside from hosted platforms, there are many other products that managed IT firms provide to their clientele. These programs are referred to as “software as a service,” (SaaS) and they take some of the strain off of a workstation and allow the main server to take part in the burden. SaaS can take multiple forms in an office, helping employees with e-mail, word processing, graphic design, information, content management and much more.
Software as a service, combined with hosted platforms, means that you can take your business with you anywhere, whether it’s to your home or on a trip, your business will always be at your fingertips. Managed IT firms also make sure to handle all necessary updating and patching in order to ensure that clientele are using the most up-to-date software at any given point in time.
System Administration/Monitoring
The days of leaving computers purely in the hands of employees has passed. Unfortunately, there have been recent studies performed by professionals in the malware and virus field that showed that, in 2014, around a million pieces of malware or viruses were released every single day. That being said, it’s more important than ever to have trained professionals overseeing your IT systems day in and day out. System administrators from MainTech and other Managed IT Service firms are trained to notice problems before they become catastrophes. Their keen eyes catch problems in a system from minor to severe and then provide circumvention before anything can go awry.
These services can also help with monitoring activity and devices throughout organizations of all sizes. Devices of all kinds can be registered with the system administration team and then monitored for unauthorized activity and more. E-mails can be managed in order to detect spam and also monitor the activities of team members and employees however seen fit. If a device is broken or stolen, monitoring can pinpoint this and provide different actions depending on the situation.
This has become the trend of the future – with the advent of so many new viruses and online threats, more and more companies are moving towards having comprehensive monitoring and filtering services. Great monitoring also can keep track of performance levels, software distribution and even security systems if necessary. When your business finds itself in need, contact US Logic.
Scalability – IT Services That Grow As You Do
Even though the IT services you purchase may help your company today, they may not sufficiently assist the company you will be tomorrow. That’s okay though, because great managed IT services don’t come with concrete sizes, they are scalable. This means that they can have resources and technology added on to or taken away from a system to meet the personalized needs of the company they are being used within. Rest assured that when you purchase managed IT services through US Logic, that they are prepared for your company to grow and will grow alongside you.
Our Conclusion – We believe that the only way to stay ahead in America’s corporate world is to provide topnotch services and to strive to stand out above the competition. Having top quality IT services is a great way to keep clientele pleased with seamless internet and computer access, as well as a wonderful way to keep employees productive and satisfied. There really is no substitute for a working IT department within any organization. If you can’t afford a whole IT department, look into purchasing Managed IT Services from US Logic. Reach us today by phone for more info at 609-530-0005.
Cybersecurity and Your Data Center Equipment
At US Logic, we’re constantly exposed to the world of technology and all of its involved problems, errors and stresses. Computers fail and technology encounters errors—these things are unavoidable and we’ve learned to accept that throughout the years. However, some of the problems are preventable, especially those that could’ve been avoided with fully up-to-date equipment and software and proper cybersecurity measures.
Cybercrime is on the rise, enough so that it’s becoming a common household topic. For instance, people have been reporting hackers stealing their federal tax returns through the digital theft of their social security numbers. How did this happen? In the case of many people residing in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, it’s probably because of the recent cyberattack targeting a large insurance company, where thousands upon thousands of policyholders had their information stolen. Companies can prevent cyberattacks and digital threats by safeguarding their systems and only using the latest and most updated software and hardware.
The Internet Crime Compliant Center (IC3) posts yearly reports on internet crime. In 2013, the IC3 received 262,813 individual consumer complaints. When the losses related to these complaints was added up, the number was a little eye-opening-- $781,841,611 lost to cybercrime in 2013 alone, and hackers are only getting more resourceful, with better coding and newer computers.
That is just one of the ways that we can help people. At US Logic, when we come into any environment, we first quantify what the client already has and then figure out if their current equipment can be re-vamped and updated to be current and effective, both for their business and against cyberattacks. After that, we make our suggestions. As a VAR, we have many pieces of new, refurbished and recertified data center equipment that has had elements of it tweaked and even improved, including the on-board operating systems and more. If a client needs an integrated firewall or enhanced security options, we have the proper connections to ensure that their system is built with the highest level of security in mind.
So What Do I Have to Get Concerned About?
Recently, threats have been evolving. Now, more than ever, people have to be extremely concerned about fake websites, and bogus e-mails. One small slip and entire lives are compromised by cybercriminals. The unfortunate truth is that every year, literally hundreds of millions of new malware is created and distributed, according to reports from CNN and Symantec, a leading cybersecurity organization.
Cybercriminals have stepped their game up—malware is now using bulletproof hosting sites to safeguard their “intellectual property.” Malware used to be an inconvenience—something that maybe stole your phone number and caused your computer to experience extra pop-up windows or product advertisements. Now, these threats get on your computer and don’t leave until you give the cybercriminals something— a trend known as “Advanced Persistent Threats.” With the advent of these Advanced Persistent Threats, it’s more important than ever to have your data center up-to-date and secured by our experts at US Logic.
One example of an Advanced Persistent Threat would be the scourge of malware, “CryptoLocker,” and its now much abhorred 2.0 version. This malware finds its way onto a victim’s computer, and then encrypts all of their data against their will. The software then demands a ransom, often to the tune of hundreds of dollars. Because of the nature of this malware, it has been coined “Ransomware” by technology experts, and there are many other lesser-known forms that threaten users.
Businesses and residential internet users alike need to be concerned about these threats. With a business, the livelihoods of their owners, employees and managers are at stake whenever something threatens their technological infrastructure. With contact information, social security numbers, insurance policy information and more at stake, there’s much more to lose than servers or computers—a business could be totally shut down from a bad enough outbreak.
Moreover, hackers pose as professionals regularly in this day and age. They pretend to be timeshare marketers, employers offering work from home, software companies offering “free advice” for some contact information, payday or mortgage loan agencies, and even loan modification agencies. Some websites even post mugshots and other personal information on their site and tell the victim they must pay to have the information squelched.
With all of these threats, it’s important to keep US Logic in mind when you’re looking to protect yourself from digital threats. Cybercrime is extremely serious and as computer technology gets more advanced and complicated, there will be more and more hackers taking advantage of back doors, glitches and vulnerable individuals. For more information on how we can protect your company, please contact us today by phone to request a consultation at 609-530-0005.
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery – Why Bother?
Many business owners see a crisis like Hurricane Katrina and think “it won’t happen to my business.” And, for what it’s worth, it may not. Consider this-- wearing a bicycle helmet is a great idea, even if you don’t plan on falling off, don’t you think?
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery services for your business could be seen the same way—a safety helmet protecting your business from accidents and unexpected crises. We don’t buy helmets and wear seatbelts because we are going to get hurt, we use them for an extra layer of security in the unfortunate event of an accident.
That’s exactly what we at US Logic provide for our clientele when we provide remote backup and cloud services as well as refurbished / recertified data center equipment. We act with our client’s best interests in mind—the idea that a business should be fully protected, regardless of rain, sleet, snow, sunshine, earthquakes, tornadoes, meteorites—you name it.
So let’s take the time to go over exactly why you might need Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Services. Implement shoddy data protection protocols and you may find your business in danger.
Common Threats to Businesses and Their Data
Natural Disaster – Many people write off natural disasters, assuming they are a catastrophic event like a severe earthquake, hurricane, tornado or alien attack. However, individuals often fail to realize that a natural disaster can be anything. It could be an earthquake, but it could also be a leaky roof or single lightning bolt hitting your building.
Viruses – This is one of the most important reasons to get effective and efficient remote backup and data recovery services. With all of the viruses contaminating the internet these days, it’s a great idea. So you think viruses are only downloaded by the technologically illiterate and uneducated? Think again.
What if a loved one gets hacked and sends out a seemingly harmless e-mail? What if one of your clients brings on a new customer that doesn’t have your best interests in mind? There are new, dangerous viruses circulating around. Consider RansomWare, a dangerous new trend in viruses. These viruses infect your system, entirely encrypt all of your data, and then make you pay a fee to get your data back—effectively holding it for ransom, hence the name. With all these new and increasingly dangerous viruses around, you should be looking into Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity services.
Theft – This is an often overlooked danger that businesses face. Even if you have password protection and unbreakable 256-bit AES Encryption, what do you do if that machine goes missing? The data might never be stolen, but it’s still lost. That is where great remote backup systems will come through in a pinch.
In the unfortunate event of theft, it’s important to be able to inform the proper authorities, and if necessary deactivate the machine and transfer the data to a new one. This is one of the fundamental services provided by world-class backup services. When theft strikes, the best disaster recovery and business continuity services offer solutions and not excuses.
Fire – Fire does beat them all. Even the best and most expensive computers with the most advanced cooling systems won’t do too well in a burning building. In the unlikely and unfortunate event of fire befalls your business, you better hope you have that data backed up somewhere off-site.
We’re proud to say that we offer this and more at US Logic – effective and affordable solutions to on-site storage, and alternatives to the risky practice of neglecting routine system backups. With our remote cloud backup and storage services, you can recover from a fire in a day without losing any contact information, and you will be up and running again before you know it.
Equipment Failure - This is probably one of the risks that businesses are most familiar with. Hard drives often fail due to scoring—a process where the hard drive loses smoothness of operation, and the spinning elements in it start to “grind” against the other parts of the hard drive, completely and utterly destroying any information on the storage device and making it impossible to retrieve.
Hard drives crash unexpectedly and it’s very hard to accurately foresee this happening; even for IT professionals. For this reason, it’s best to always regularly backup hard drives, especially ones getting on in their years.
User Error – This one is last but not least—just about everyone has made a user error at one point in time in their lives, from CEOs to the entry-level network administrators. Typically, user error refers to an error made by an individual while interacting with a computer system. This means that improper coding, a bad file, or any other issue can result in data loss. It’s much easier to justify data loss from a lightning storm than it is a bad day at work.
Of course, user error could also include an employee dropping a computer down the stairs by accident—that’s also an error. Either way, when user error befalls one of your beloved machines, it’s a good idea to have quality backup to get the data back where it belongs as soon as possible.
For more information on our cloud and remote backup storage services, please contact us today. Reach us by phone any time at 609-530-0005 or by e-mail at sales@uslogic.com.
Cloud Storage – The New Wave of Disaster Protection
More and more companies are moving to the cloud.
Cloud storage refers to an off-site storage server that is provided typically on a subscription basis, or through purchasing a cloud-based unit through a virtual data center company.
Cloud storage and cloud-based backup systems and protocols are a business practice of the modern day. Businesses that move their data entirely, or back their Big Data up on a cloud are protected in the unfortunate occurrence of any kind of data loss scenario.
Why Disaster Protection / Recovery is important
Data loss incidents are destructive to businesses. Many businesses suffer greatly after they experience severe data loss, meaning customer contact information, e-mails, purchase information, billing information and any other digital information associated with running a visit.
You can prevent yourself from suffering by backing up your data on a cloud server or by moving it there entirely.
Consider this: if a fire, flood or hurricane strike and your property is compromised, your data will be safely stored in another state, ready for you to access it at any time.
Also, think about how user error and physical damage can affect data. Whether you’re losing data from a disgruntled employee or just an inexperienced one, data loss still hurts. Maybe you knocked over a laptop by accident and it broke. If you back up all your data on cloud servers, it will be there for you, as if nothing ever happened.
That is how cloud storage saves businesses from disaster.
Other Reasons to Move to the Cloud
Another big reason that more and more businesses are moving to the cloud is cost efficiency. Businesses are saving themselves tons of money on expensive, complicated IT infrastructures with internal cabling and server arrays. Instead, professional virtual data centers are protecting Big Data for businesses with features like military grade encryption and VM Imaging that backs up data across multiple servers.
We’ll Help You Find the Right Cloud
Contact one of our specialists today to learn about where you can get cloud-based protection for your company’s Big Data.
At US Logic, we can help you find the latest and greatest in cloud-based storage. Our engineers will work with you to create a customized cloud-server environment contoured specifically for your business.
Through analyzing your IT requirements as well as the amount and types of data you manage we will design a cloud solution for you. Whether you’re handling sensitive billing information, medical records or troves of contact information, we will build a cloud for you that exceeds all your necessary compliance requirements and also meets your budget.
Making Your Relationship With the Cloud Easier
So you’re moving to the cloud, and you’re having it built just for your business. That is excellent, but there are still ways you can make your business more cloud-friendly.
One way to work better with your cloud storage is to refine your business’ internet capabilities. Through investing in faster computers, fiber optic and other high-end internet connections and quality enterprise-grade routers, you will access the cloud much faster.
If you want to bring your business to the modern world of cloud storage and backup services, please contact US Logic today. We work with all major brands of cloud storage mediums including EMC, Brocade, NetApp and more.
