Tech Tip: 3 Technologies Your Business Can Use Right Now
By • August 17, 2020 0 611
A lot of people didn’t take the novel coronavirus seriously when it was first declared a pandemic in March. Five months later, as it rages on, people continue to work from home, have their hours cut or be completely out of a job.
For the business owner, this period has been filled with difficult decisions, including halting all major IT projects. If your business is looking for a solution to add needed technology at a price that works for this period, here are three useful options.
Backup and Disaster Recovery
Your data is your business’s lifeblood. Keeping it protected has to be a priority. There is no more proficient system to protect your data from loss than Backup and Disaster Recovery. BDR features a network-attached device that you can configure to copy changes in data as frequently as every 15 minutes. This guarantees that your organization won’t lose a great deal of work. Once a backup is taken, the data is uploaded to an offsite storage facility. This ensures that, if something happens to your physical workspace, your data is protected in the cloud.
Virtualized Environments
For years now, if your business had to purchase a new server, it would be something that you would have to plan for. Centralized hardware, software and configuration can cost a company a lot of money. Instead of spending five and six figures on IT that you are going to underutilize, try taking advantage of virtualization to save a lot of time, effort and — most important — money.
With virtualization, you can digitize and transfer several servers onto one piece of hardware and, using virtual machines, run those systems just as they would if you had several servers running. In doing so, you spend less on hardware and get the same amount of reliable computing constructs necessary to effectively run your business. Additionally, now that this technology can be purchased in the cloud (usually by the gigabyte), your company can further scale back the required upfront capital outlay.
Voice over Internet Protocol
Businesses rely on their communications systems. Today, there are options outside of the pricey platforms available through your regional telephone company. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) uses your existing bandwidth to run an enterprise-grade phone system that has dozens of features for a fraction of the cost. These features, which include video and voice conferencing, instant messaging and soft phone capabilities, can help any business stretch their IT budget. VoIP solutions are incredibly secure. With built-in encryption, your business’s communications won’t be intercepted.
In stressful times, technology is often the best answer. Talk to an IT professional today about getting the technology your business needs to get through this stressful period.
Alan Edwards, CISM, is chief information officer at Computerware, Inc., in Vienna, Virginia.
