IT Management Archives - LI Technology Solutions

Are You Properly Backing Up Your Business Data?

litechsol on August 2, 2023

Every modern organization collects a wealth of data on its customers, clients, and more. But that data must be protected and easily retrieved in the event of an IT infrastructure outage or cyberattack. This guide explains why you should properly back up your business data and how data protection solutions safeguard your data for maximum protection.

Why Back Up Business Data?

Businesses just like yours must back up crucial data for two key reasons:

Modern legislation such as the CCPA and GDPR fines companies for not properly protecting and backing up customer or client data. Therefore, you need to back up business data so you have it for easy retrieval by your clients and customers.
Losing data can significantly and negatively influence business operations. It can make it harder for you to keep your organization secure, lead to lost sales, and more.

Imagine a scenario in which you have all your customer relationship data included on a single server. However, that server crashes and the data is lost. At that point, you now have to start from scratch rebuilding your consumer relationships, including the contact information, their preferred methods of contact, and more.

Callout 1: Internet technology business concept- two key reasons for backing up business data

What Data Should You Back Up?

Backing up all business data is important, but two specific types of data are more vital than others.

Customer Data

As touched on above, you must keep sensitive client or customer data secured and backed up at all times. Customer data includes personal identifying information, order histories, personal preferences, and much more.

Company Data

You’ll also want to protect company-specific data, like passwords for your servers, sensitive organizational information like your order flow or vendor ID codes, and so on.

The last thing you want is a cybercriminal gaining access to sensitive corporate data, then blackmailing you by threatening to release that information to your competitors or your customers.

Callout 3: Cloud computing concept- Use right technologies, methodologies and services- three listed

Best Data Backup Technologies and Methods

Given the importance of backing up crucial company data, it’s wise to implement a back up policy ASAP. But many companies may not properly back up their business data.

For example, they may simply copy over important files once a month onto a separate hard drive. Or they might use secondary or subpar technologies to back up server files, only to find that a server outage results in most of the data being lost during a single unlucky incident.

If your company hopes to back up data properly, you need to use the right technologies, methodologies, and services. Data protection solutions include:

Cloud data backup technology. By integrating with the cloud, you can save your data off-site or in multiple locations, allowing easy retrieval in the event of an outage
Regular backup sessions. By regularly backing up company or client data, you’ll never run into a problem where you forgot to back up data after a major sale or meeting, then lost it because of a crash or attack
Data backup virus protection. Cybercriminals may try to crash your IT infrastructure specifically to get to sensitive data. Proper IT security policies and managed services can help you prevent this outcome

Read more in our blog: 4 Dangerous Ransomware Myths Proven False

How LI Tech Solutions Insulates Your Business from Disaster

Above all else, the best way to properly back up your business data is to rely on managed services providers like LI Tech Solutions.

As dedicated managed IT services providers in Long Island, New York, our enterprise data protection solutions and other services are just what you need to make sure your data is backed up safely and correctly every single time.

Disaster Recovery Services

LI Tech’s disaster recovery services are designed to insulate your business and sensitive data from all manner of hazards, ranging from cloud or other technology breakdowns to operator errors to cyber sabotage to environmental calamities and more.

Specifically, we take several key steps to safeguard your data, apps, and systems before that crucial digital information is lost. These steps include:

Identifying any application interdependencies and automating shutdowns or reboots in the right order based on tested scenarios
End-to-end data encryption, which acts as a flexible and effective safeguard for any environment, whether it’s the cloud, virtual, on-premises, or something else
Support for 20 platforms and workloads with as much scaling as your organization needs. You can choose a data backup location such as Microsoft Azure, Amazon S3, and more
Regular backup analysis and improvements to protect your business, its data, and its people from ransomware, phishing, and other forms of cyber attacks

If your business ever encounters a disaster that causes its infrastructure to collapse or its data to be lost, you can rest assured that LI Tech’s backups will have you “back up” and running in no time.

Scheduled Backup Services

More than that, LI Tech takes responsibility for scheduling and implementing regular data backups for your organization. With regular backups, all crucial data should be secured on the cloud or elsewhere. You’ll never run into the disaster scenario where sensitive data created or collected a day previously is lost because of an ill-timed server outage.

As an added benefit, when you hire us to schedule your data backup services, your people can focus on other elements of your business.

Callout 4: Backup business data with managed services LI Tech Solutions- three reasons

IT Infrastructure Review

In addition to the above services, LI Tech Solutions will plan and carry out a full IT infrastructure review for your organization if you choose. The infrastructure review can identify:

Potential points of weakness in your IT infrastructure, like your servers or hard drives
How a data loss could potentially occur

Armed with this information, we’ll then upgrade or streamline your IT infrastructure depending on what you need. Such improvements can lower the likelihood of data loss entirely or protect your business from catastrophe.

Contact LI Tech for Data Protection Solutions

All in all, LI Tech is the number one managed IT services provider on Long Island. We serve brands just like yours by offering not only disaster recovery and data backup services but also IT security services and more. Contact us today to see how we can help your brand thrive in the modern digital environment!

Best Practices for Optimizing Your IT Solutions

litechsol on June 5, 2023

As a Long Island, NY business owner, you know that IT solution optimization is more essential than ever. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us learned to do business in different ways. As many enterprises transitioned to remote work, we saw the value of capable, efficient IT solutions like never before. Now that the crisis is over, we’re left with the task of re-evaluating former practices and looking for new ways to achieve IT solution optimization on Long Island, NY.

Why Is IT Solution Optimization So Essential?

Why take the trouble to optimize your IT solutions? Quite simply, the health of your entire business can rise or fall on the success of your IT team. But striking the right balance between the costs of IT support and the team’s performance is not always easy.

Interested in finding the best practices to optimize your IT solutions on Long Island? The good news is that an MSP company like LI Tech Solutions can be the answer you’re looking for. Keep reading to discover more about IT solution optimization, and the best practices you can employ today!

What Does it Mean to Optimize Your IT Solutions?

If you’re interested in IT solution optimization here on Long Island, NY, you probably want an effective IT team at an affordable cost. At its core, optimization means having your business needs met, while getting the best possible value for the funds you spend on your IT solutions. Is that really possible? With a managed service provider like LI Tech Solutions, the answer is yes!

The Changing Face of Optimized IT Solutions

The best practices for Long Island IT solutions are rapidly changing. IT is a constantly evolving field, and yesterday’s priorities aren’t always relevant today. Within the past few years, many employers have experienced a shift in the needs and expectations their IT partners must meet. Let’s take a look at a few of these growing concerns.

How to optimize your IT solutions: Understand today’s employees

Over the past few years, employers on Long Island (and across the country) have been prioritizing their employees satisfaction with every aspect of their work lives. Trends like “quiet quitting” and “career cushioning” reflect the new face of employee-employer relationships. It’s important to understand that today’s employees value workplace satisfaction more than ever before. If your employees don’t feel supported and respected, they will be less productive or go elsewhere.

Optimizing your IT solutions to improve internal customer service

What do the shifts in employees’ relationship to work have to do with your Long Island IT solutions? Quite a lot, it turns out! Gone are the days when rude, uncommunicative IT professionals were acceptable. Your IT professionals will likely be interacting with your employees on a regular basis. If they’re unprofessional or unhelpful your employees will take notice. Even if your IT support team is friendly, they can create problems if they’re hard to reach or slow to act. Your employees expect a seamless, timely response when they need IT support. Choosing the right Long Island, NY IT partners is vital for if you want to implement optimal IT solutions. A managed service provider like LI Tech Solutions can guarantee the professional, responsive support you need.

Optimizing your IT solutions to create meaningful work opportunities

Too many Long Island businesses make the mistake of hiring full-time IT support when they cannot provide them with an optimal work experience. If working for your company’s IT team is not a strong career move, you’re unlikely to attract quality candidates. If you have full-time IT employees, do they spend most of their time simply waiting for problems to occur? Do they have opportunities for advancement within your organization? If you need to revisit your IT solution, LI Tech Solutions could be the answer. Our IT partners are available to help your organization succeed, without joining your staff full-time.

Optimizing Your IT Practices to Prioritize Cybersecurity and Data Protection

The importance of enterprise data protection is growing exponentially. A key aspect of IT solution optimization on Long Island, NY is preventing cyberattacks before they occur. Business is the US sector most often targeted by data breaches. When your cybersecurity is breached, the costs can severely disrupt your business operations. Did you know that around 68% of all US companies have paid ransoms as a result of ransomware attacks? Clearly, it’s more cost-effective to get the IT support necessary to prevent data loss before it occurs. LI Tech Solutions provides highly efficient, affordable solutions to protect your data from accidental loss and cybersecurity threats.

Optimizing Your IT Solutions: Consider Moving to the Cloud

Remote and mobile work became the norm for many NY businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. Today, your employees still expect the flexibility and agility that the cloud provides. If your enterprise needs accessibility, efficiency, and the ability to innovate faster, cloud computing can deliver. With LI Tech Solutions’ innovative cloud services, your business can experience the win-win of cloud computing. Our service offerings include:

Private clouds
Public clouds
Hybrid
Multi-clouds

Optimize Your IT Solutions by Choosing the Best Software for Your Business Needs.

Software has always evolved rapidly. Today, innovation in business software is happening faster than ever before. Many Long Island companies find themselves using outdated software, because selecting new software can be overwhelming. The transition to a new software app can also create temporary challenges. However, these will be outweighed in the long run by the benefits of choosing the right software for your business needs. Optimizing your IT solutions and practices on Long Island often starts with your willingness to be flexible in a rapidly evolving environment.

Best practice: Select your software with professional help

What to optimize your IT solutions? Make sure to consult with trusted Long Island IT professionals about the best software to meet your needs. Rest assured–LI Tech Solutions’ Hosted Services can handle the complexity of the software you need.

Why an MSP Gives You the Best of Both Worlds

Often, working with a Long Island managed service provider is your best option if you want to optimize your IT solutions. This option allows you to partner with qualified professionals, without the costs of adding full-time staff to your payroll.

Choosing the Right MSP and Avoiding Pitfalls

However, choosing the right Long Island, NY MSP is vital for optimizing your IT practices. Partnering with IT professionals who are unequipped to help your business succeed–or don’t care about your success–can have devastating consequences. When choosing an MSP, keep an eye out for red flags such as:

Limited references
A very narrow range of service options
A lack of interest in your business’s needs
A reactive approach that focuses on “putting out fires” instead of preventing them

LI Tech Solutions: The Best Long Island, NY MSP for IT Solution Optimization

What is the best practice for optimizing your Long Island, NY IT solutions? The first step is partnering with LI Tech Solutions. We’ll handle your full array of IT needs, from hardware to software to networking. As industry leaders, we can provide peace of mind to small and medium sized businesses who want to leave their IT support needs in capable hands. We serve a broad spectrum of industries, including:

Healthcare
Labs
Professional Services
Architecture
Engineering
Public Relations
Advertising
Non-Profit Organizations

When you partner with LI Tech Solutions, you’re on the road to the best IT solution optimization in Long Island, NY. Let us handle your tech needs, so you can focus on running your business. Call (516)210-6400 today, and get started with a free consultation and technology assessment.

The Latest Technologies in IT Solutions for Businesses on Long Island, NY

litechsol on April 27, 2023

Do you own a business on Long Island or in NYC? If so, it’s important to stay on top of the best technology solutions for businesses in NY. As technology rapidly evolves, your IT solutions will need to adapt and grow accordingly. Choosing a comprehensive, proactive MSP like LI Tech Solutions is essential. If your IT partners are unable to adapt quickly enough to changing trends, your business could fall behind competitors.

What emerging technologies for IT solutions in businesses in NYC should you keep an eye on? In this article, we’ll take a look at the latest technology solutions for businesses in NY.

Emerging technologies for IT solutions in businesses in NYC: what does the future hold for your business?

Your business may or may not be working with these emerging technologies yet. However, the future of tech is rapidly evolving, and new tech is changing the way we live and work at lightning speed. Evaluating the role these technologies might play in your business is a great way to stay ahead of the curve. That’s why it’s important to partner with an MSP that stays on top of current trends, like LI Tech Solutions. Let’s take a look at what tomorrow might hold for businesses on the cutting edge of technological advances.

Callout 1: quote from text about MSP LI Tech Solutions for best technology solutions business

Futuristic technology solutions in IT for businesses in NYC: Artificial intelligence

What can AI do for your business? It likely has the potential to streamline your processes and reduce mindless, repetitive tasks for your employees. Some industry watchers tend to worry that AI will replace humans in the workforce. However, AI’s role in the workforce doesn’t have to be destructive–it can be freeing instead. When meaningless tasks are outsourced to computers, humans are free to innovate, be creative, collaborate, and build meaningful relationships.

Advanced technology solutions for businesses in NYC: Blockchain technologies

What is a “blockchain,” anyway? In the simplest terms, a blockchain is a database, but it’s different from traditional databases in some important ways. Information is shared among the nodes of a computer network, and data is structured in blocks rather than in tables. Since information isn’t centralized, blockchains offer increased security and efficiency, among other benefits.

People tend to associate blockchain technology with cryptocurrency. However, it has far-reaching potential to revolutionize fields such as healthcare, finance, supply chains and voting procedures. In fact, blockchain is already being used by 81 of the top 100 public companies. Blockchain is only positioned to grow as one of the leading technology solutions for businesses in NY.

Futuristic technology solutions in IT for businesses in NYC: VR, AR, and XR

Virtual reality, augmented reality and extended reality will only become more essential to running a successful business in years to come. As the lines between the physical world and digital worlds become more blurred, it’s important for your company to assess the roles virtual reality might play in your future success.

What if you could let potential customers preview your products by offering immersive experiences? What if you could replace a traditional assembly or instruction manual with a virtual experience? Tomorrow’s customers will expect your business to stay on the cutting edge of virtual reality technologies. Delayed adoption of advanced technology solutions for businesses in NYC is usually a mistake.

Callout 2: AI technology, blockchain, VR concepts- What does the future hold for your business with emerging technologies? 3 listed

Today’s technology solutions for businesses in NY: Don’t let the competition leave you in the dust

Your company might still be working on its long-term artificial intelligence or virtual reality strategies. However, some relatively recent technologies are essential today for most businesses–not only for large corporations, but also for small and medium-sized businesses. What are some recent trends that your business should respond to? Let’s take a look at some of today’s emerging essentials in the world of business technologies.

Advanced technology solutions for businesses in NYC: a growing need for sustainability

Today’s consumers, top talent, and investors are looking for greener and more energy-efficient processes. The world expects your business to use tech for the benefit of our planet. According to Forbes, technology is an indispensable tool for achieving global sustainability. More and more companies are taking responsibility for their environmental impacts and looking for ways to reduce waste. As a best practice, your small or medium-sized business should be proactive about participating in this trend.

How can technology help your business become more green? There is a whole world of possibilities. From carbon-negative data centers that produce energy instead of consuming it, to smart waste bins that create a more environmentally-friendly workplace, the options are endless.

Today’s technology solutions for businesses in NY: the importance of cybersecurity

Cybersecurity has always been at the top of the list of vital technology solutions for businesses in NY. However, today, it’s more essential than ever before. Major companies, including Facebook, have recently experienced notoriously disruptive cyberattacks. Other recent data breaches have affected industry leaders like Chick-fil-A, Uber, and even MailChimp. Particularly since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, cyberattacks have been increasing in volume and complexity.

How can you stay ahead of the ever-growing need for better cybersecurity? LI Technology Solutions has the answers you’re looking for. We stay on the cutting edge of data protection and backup solutions. When it comes to technology solutions for businesses in NY, we lead the way in the industry.

Callout 3: Essential recent technologies for all-sized businesses and corporations- 3 listed

Emerging technologies for IT solutions in businesses in NYC: the growth of cloud computing

Cloud computing is among the most important advanced technology solutions for businesses in NYC. It offers many benefits to small and medium-sized business owners. A few of these include:

Better insight
Improved collaboration
More customer engagement
Enhanced speed

If your business isn’t taking advantage of what cloud computing can offer, you risk being left behind. LI Technology Solutions offers end-to-end cloud computing solutions, so your team can focus on what you do best: running your business.

Futuristic technology solutions in IT for businesses in NYC: the benefits of tech outsourcing

Why is tech outsourcing among the top emerging technologies for IT solutions in businesses in NYC? Partnering with an MSP like LI Technology Solutions offers the maximum value for your dollars. Let’s consider a few of the benefits that tech outsourcing can offer.

Access to top talent

Your business may not be ready to hire a full-time IT professional who specializes in a specific cutting-edge trend. However, when you partner with an MSP, you get access to industry specialists who can put their expertise to work for you on an as-needed basis.

Increased agility in the face of emerging trends or crises

Technology changes fast, and a data breach or hardware failure can strike when you least expect it. Partnering with an MSP gives you the option of a sudden increase in labor, so you can effectively respond. Otherwise, you may not have time to quickly hire additional staff when an urgent need arises.

Callout 4: NYC cityscape with AI technology icons- LI Tech Solutions benefits for MSP partners- 3 listed

Reduced costs

By partnering with an MSP, you can avoid the expense of hiring full-time staff, without sacrificing quality. LI Technology Solutions offers predictable, flat-rate pricing so you can effectively manage your IT expenses.

LI Technology Solutions: the top technology solutions for businesses in NY

Why should you partner with LI Technology Solutions as your MSP? You’ll gain an IT partner to handle all of your business’s needs, without bringing additional full-time staff on board. LI Technology Solutions is an industry leader among technology solutions for businesses in NY. We stay on top of current trends and technological advances, so you don’t have to worry about getting left behind. Call 516.210.6400 today for a free consultation and technology assessment!

7 VoIP Setup Tips for a More Productive Office

litechsol on April 20, 2023

The global pandemic put a big emphasis on the need to run a business from anywhere. Enabling employees to work remotely requires cloud solutions. This includes collaborative platforms like Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone systems have also become critical.

VoIP allows companies to stay in contact with customers and potential customers. Employees can work from anywhere and still answer the business phone line. Callers get a similar experience no matter where employees may be working, office, or home.

When you have people working from home, those old landline systems are inefficient. This has led to a large movement by businesses to VoIP. Both for necessity and cost-savings.

According to Microsoft, 82% of organizations have reported saving money after implementing VoIP.

While VoIP is the way to go for the future, this doesn’t mean it’s foolproof. Companies that don’t set up their system efficiently, can experience issues. This includes things like dropped calls, low bandwidth, and features left unused.

If you’ve been struggling to make your cloud phone system more efficient, check out these tips below. They provide setup best practices for VoIP. Use these to positively impact your bottom line.

1. Check Network Capabilities

You can’t just assume that you can enable a VoIP system, and all will be well. Your network may not be able to handle the extra bandwidth needs without adjustments.

Things you want to look at include jitter and packet loss. Additionally, review router settings to make sure it can handle peak traffic times. Experiencing dropped calls or choppy audio shows a need to address issues. These may include adjusting network hardware and/or increasing your ISP bandwidth.

2. Prioritize Your VoIP Software Using QoS Rules

Quality of Service (QoS) is a router settings area that allows you to say which traffic is most important. If QoS is not in place, it means resource issues. A large cloud backup could kick in and interrupt your calls because it’s taking up bandwidth.

QoS sets up “traffic lanes” that give priority to certain functions. You’ll want to have your VoIP software prioritized to get the bandwidth it needs. This avoids issues with less critical processes hogging up internet resources.

Using QoS keeps your calls smooth. It also improves the reliability of your cloud phone system. It’s also a good idea to use these rules for other important cloud activities.

3. Provide Quality Headsets for Your Team

A cheap headset can ruin the call experience for a potential customer. If someone calls in and can’t hear anything or gets choppy reception, they’ll quickly get frustrated. They will most likely figure that your company doesn’t have its act together.

Your employees may not be able to afford high-quality headsets. They also may not know what type to buy. Head off potential problems by issuing quality headsets for your team to use.

4. Set Up Departments & Ring Groups

One of the great features of VoIP phone systems is the ability to set up ring groups. You first set up your department groups (accounting, marketing, etc.). Then set the included employee extensions.

Creating a ring group allows you to have a call go to your customer support department as a whole. This is better than one person, who may be busy. That way, the whole group gets the ring, and the first available person can pick up.

Ring groups improve the caller experience by reducing the wait time. It can also mitigate the need for the caller to leave a voicemail and get stuck waiting on a callback.

5. Create Your Company Directory

Auto assistants are extremely helpful and nearly all VoIP systems have them. First, you set up your company directory and then record messages to prompt the caller.

For example, you can set up a message that prompts them to input the last name of the person they are trying to reach. If they aren’t calling a specific person, they can be routed to a department.

While setting up a company directory takes a little effort upfront, it will save much more. You no longer will need to have someone specifically routing every call. Callers can also get to the person or department they need faster. This improves the customer experience and boosts office productivity.

6. Have Employees Set Up Their Voicemail & VM to Email

When you get out of a long meeting, going through a bunch of voicemails can take time. Instead of having to listen to each one to see which calls are a priority, you could simply read through them.

The voicemail to email feature in VoIP phone systems will automatically transcribe voicemails. They are then emailed to the recipient. This improves efficiency. It also eliminates wasted time having to listen to entire messages to know who called.

Have employees set up this feature with their extension and email address. Some VoIP systems also offer an option to have transcribed voicemails sent via SMS.

7. Train Your Team on the Call Handling Process

Don’t leave your employees to jump in and learn a VoIP system themselves. It’s important to train them on the features and the company calling process. This ensures that your team can enjoy all those time-saving features.

Get Help Enhancing Your Business Phone System

Need help improving your business phone system? Looking for a better customer experience? Give us a call and schedule a consultation. LI Tech Solutions, a Long Island managed services provider, can help!

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Featured Image Credit

This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.

7 Things to Consider When Getting a New Computer to Avoid Buyer’s Remorse

litechsol on March 20, 2023

Have you ever bought a new computer and then had buyer’s remorse a few months later? Maybe you didn’t pay attention to the storage capacity and ran out of space. Or you may have glossed over memory and experienced constant freeze-ups.

An investment in a new PC isn’t something you want to do lightly. Doing your research ahead of time and consulting with a trusted friend or IT shop can help. It will keep you from making major mistakes that could come back to haunt you later.

Here are several things to consider before you put down your hard-earned money on a new computer.

The Amount of Memory (RAM)

One of the big mistakes that people make when looking for a new computer is to ignore the RAM. Random access memory may be called RAM on the specification or “memory.” If your system has low memory, you run into all sorts of problems.

These issues can include:

Browser freezing up when you have too many tabs open
Issues watching videos
Some software not working properly
Sluggish behavior
Inability to open multiple applications
Constant freezes

Memory is the “thought process” of the PC. If there isn’t enough, it can’t take on another task until it completes the current processing tasks. This can cause frustration and ruin your productivity.

People often go for those low-priced computer deals when looking for a new device. But these can include only 4GB of RAM. That’s not a lot if you do much more than staying in a single application or just a few browser tabs.

The higher the RAM, the more responsive the system performance. So, look for PCs with at least 8GB of RAM. Or higher if you do any graphics/video or other processing-intensive activities.

User Reviews for Longevity

Buying a new computer is an investment. So, it’s natural to want that investment to last as long as possible. You don’t want to spend $700 on a new computer, only to begin experiencing problems when it’s just two years old.

Take your time to research user reviews on the specific models you’re considering. You’ll begin to see patterns emerging. Steer clear of models that have consistent complaints about breakdowns sooner than expected.

You may have to pay a little more for a system that has a better track record of performance. But it will save you in the long run when you have more years of usable life before that device needs replacement.

Whether the PC is for Personal or Business Use

If you have a small business or are a freelancer, you may try to save money by buying a consumer PC. But this could end up costing you more in the long run.

Consumer PCs aren’t designed for continuous “9-to-5” use. They also often lack certain types of firmware security present in business-use models. The price gap has also shortened between good consumer computers and business versions. If you’re not looking at the cheap systems, you’ll find that it’s not that much more to get a business-grade device.

The Processor Used

It can be confusing to read through the processor specifications on a computer. How do you know if Intel Core i7 or i3 is best for your needs? What’s the performance difference between AMD and Intel processors?

If you don’t want to do the research yourself, you could call up your local IT shop. We will be happy to steer you in the right direction. We’ll explain in layman’s terms the differences. As well as which processor makes the most sense for your intended use.

For Laptops: The Case Type

If you’re looking for a laptop computer, it’s important that it is durable. Laptops have some unique characteristics that differ from desktops. For example, the screen is often folded down one or more times per day. Additionally, the keyboard is part of the case and is not easily replaced by the user.

If you get a laptop with a cheap plastic case, it’s bound to break during normal use. Keys could also easily pop off the keyboard, requiring a trip to a computer repair shop.

You want to consider the materials used for the case. Paying an extra $20-$30 upcharge for a better casing is definitely worth it. It can help you avoid unneeded headaches.

Storage Capacity

Storage capacity can be a pain point that you experience after the fact. If you buy a computer without paying attention to hard drive space, you could regret it. You may not be able to transfer over all your “stuff” from the old system.

But storage capacity can also be an area where you can save some money. If you store most of your files in the cloud, then you may not need a lot of hard drive space. The less space you need, the lower the price.

Hard Drive Type

If you can get a computer with a solid-state drive (SSD) rather than a traditional hard disk drive (HDD) you should. SSDs are faster and less likely to have read/write issues. They have no moving parts; thus they are quieter as well.

Solid-state drives have come down in price quite a bit recently. There are many affordable options, and you’ll also find some PCs with both a hard drive and SSD.

Come to Us Before You Spend Money on a New Computer

Don’t blindly invest in a new computer without some expert guidance. Contact us today for a free consultation to save you from a bad new PC experience.

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Featured Image Credit

This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.

How Cloud Computing Is Revolutionizing the IT Solutions Industry in 2023

litechsol on March 13, 2023

The Internet has transformed the world in obvious ways. You only have to look at someone using their phone to see that. Eyes down, a quick giggle or two, then calling home and asking whether to pick up Chinese or Mexican food for dinner. Finally, using the same device to Google the local food pick-up spots. In a productive way, the Internet has made high-performance cyborgs of us all.

But what you might not have noticed is the invisible revolution that’s been taking place behind the screen: cloud computing. Imagine if you had sold steel during the railway boom of the 1800s. That’s what cloud computing is to the Internet: laying the groundwork that makes the digital world possible. The way we save our data and store our files affects everything around us. That may be why the cloud computing market worldwide might hit $1 trillion by 2028.

That’s still a long way off. What revolutions are happening in the meantime? Let’s look at how cloud computing figures into the IT solutions industry in 2023. Where is it going? What innovations will have the biggest impact? And how will cloud computing surprise and delight us in ways we never could have imagined before?

Callout 1: Cloud technology concept- quote from text about cloud computing

The State of Cloud Computing 2023

If the rail boom of the 1800s defined a century, then Google “revolution of cloud computing” and you’ll see something similar is happening right around us.

First, let’s get up to speed. We all know cloud computing has made saving files much easier. Save a file to the cloud, access it somewhere else, and voila—you never have to worry about data backup.

But for many of us, that’s where our knowledge ends. Let’s consider all the other ways cloud computing has had a bottom-line impact across every industry:

Reducing costs. File storage and additional security can cost a lot of server time. If you host your own servers, that provides some advantages, like control. But it costs a lot on the bottom line. Security, electricity, and storage can all run up quickly if you store all of your information locally. And if you don’t need to hire an MSP or additional IT technicians and security personnel to oversee your file storage, that adds up to tremendous savings on payroll.
Increased efficiency. There’s a reason it’s called “cloud” computing, after all. It seems like your important files are saved on some invisible “cloud.” That highlights the efficiency of cloud computing. You can outsource your file storage and security to a third-party location. This untangles your own systems, increasing your efficiency. Imagine, for example, that you didn’t need to use desks—you could just borrow a work surface whenever you needed it. That’s the kind of bottom-line efficiency you get out of cloud computing.
Flexibility. Switch devices? Sure. Worry about backing up your own files? Yeah, if you want to. But cloud computing’s remote security has added flexibility to our lives. We trust third-party servers to store our information. This takes a load off our minds, freeing us to focus on productive work.

That brings us to where we are now. But no matter how many “cloud computing industrial revolution” articles you might read, it still leaves one question unanswered:

Where is cloud computing going to take the IT solutions industry?

Callout two: cloud computing and the IT solutions industry 2023- four bullet points

Cloud Computing and the IT Solutions Industry 2023

IT Solutions and cloud computing can have a love-hate relationship. Of course cloud computing is a boon to IT Solutions providers like MSPs. They often use it themselves for the reasons we just listed. But whenever an IT technician searches for “cloud computing revolution” online, it’s not always with curiosity in mind. They might be a bit suspicious of how much cloud computing is going to eat into their business.

We described it as a love-hate relationship for a reason. Let’s consider all of the factors at play in 2023:

What companies can outsource, they likely have outsourced already

After all, cloud computing is nothing new. It’s been a major portion of Microsoft’s income for a while. Even just this past quarter, headlines read: “Microsoft Cloud strength drives second quarter results.” Microsoft’s customers have already moved much of their systems and files to cloud solutions.

That includes file storage, yes. But it also includes solutions like Salesforce. Entire online shops run on solutions like Shopify.

This has eased the lives of IT technicians. After all, if there’s less IT for them to manage, then their lives are necessarily going to get easier. But companies also use cloud computing to outsource some of their IT work. This means fewer IT technicians being hired—there’s less to think about.

That isn’t the only challenge, however, because IT support specialists are still necessary. They may simply be necessary to handle the more difficult tasks—the ones that aren’t so easy to outsource to cloud solutions.

“Now that the simpler projects have been established on the cloud and the companies will be shifting,” writes Analytics Insight, “the more complex applications to the cloud in the hope of even better workplace efficiency.”

Cloud computing makes complex tasks simpler

When there are cloud-based solutions that only cost a fraction of the price of hiring a new team, most companies choose the former. Why wouldn’t they? Even at large-scale enterprise costs, many software solutions cost a fraction of what it would take to build out new solutions with human capital.

This means more companies are utilizing sophisticated information technology. After all, the solutions are easier to use than ever. If the average entrepreneur can figure out a complicated CRM (customer relationship management) software offering, it makes previously-complex tasks simpler. This provides more opportunities for businesses to scale. The simpler it is to onboard new employees and new systems, after all, the easier it is to replicate those systems as a company grows.

Callout three: where cloud computing takes us beyond 2023- facts from text

Where Cloud Computing Takes Us Beyond 2023

Where will cloud computing take us? It can go in all sorts of directions.

Forbes calls these “as yet undetermined opportunities.”

In NYC, for example, Forbes’ note on transportation is especially pertinent. “The Cloud’s infrastructure could enable the installation of a virtual computer in each car that would enable the development of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), where cars brake before they hit something,” writes Forbes. The minute ADAS becomes reliable enough to roll out safely, driverless cars are the next step.

Goodbye to Uber, taxi companies, and half the services in NYC and other metropolitan areas.

For the IT Solutions industry, this means information technology will become more important than ever, not less important. Yes, cloud computing could enable a veritable revolution in the way vehicles interact with the world. That’s bad news for taxi and truck drivers. But when a machine breaks down, it’s the IT professionals who have to step in.

This could also herald a revolution in ecommerce, as driverless trucks make it possible to host entire package-delivering fleets on the road, without having to scale up the amount of drivers you hire. Delivery fees could plummet, further providing incentives for customers to shop online. Once again, companies will be at the mercy of IT Solutions. They can’t afford to miss a delivery, after all.

Callout four: quote from text about importance of It services

The Cloud Computing Revolution for IT Services and MSPs

Though cloud computing might have made software more accessible to the masses, it’s also going to expand how many businesses rely on software. Many are looking at cloud computing as the 4th industrial revolution. At LI Tech Solutions, it’s our job to anticipate these changes—and make preparations for what that means for our clients. In the world of IT Services, the skill of knowing how to repair and maintain programs is going to be vital—in 2023 and beyond.