Is there an ROI in IT Disaster Recovery?

Submitted by Sam Roguine on 15 Oct 2015

In light of recent U.S. and global catastrophes, disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity are top of mind for more and more IT professionals like you. Even CIOs are asking more questions about business continuity plans and how the IT department will respond in the event of a disaster.

According to an ITIC survey, one hour of downtime can cost over $100,000. If your company is smaller, you can be at an even greater risk. An estimated 25% of small businesses do not reopen following a major disaster. If you do not have a business continuity plan, your company can quickly become a statistic.

Where to Back Up Now – Locally or in the Cloud?

Submitted by Sam Roguine on 7 Oct 2015

Data is the lifeline of your organization. You, as an IT system administrator, know this perfectly well through the daily trials and tribulations babysitting your IT systems, through the pain and suffering of getting things back up and running when they go down. Because of this you know that backing up everything you manage is essential – and maybe you even learned this hard way.

So, what do you do?

First, you select a complete and reliable backup solution, and provision it in your environment. However, when you get to the settings of your backup policy, you are stumped by the simple question: “Where do you want to back up to?”

“Hold on. Where do I want to back up?” you ask yourself. The software gives you multiple options – disk, network, cloud, tape – but which one is the best?

Well, it can be tricky – as there is no absolute best option. For example:

Using Macs in the Workplace? Make the Move to El Capitan Beautiful

Submitted by Gill Borniche on 30 Sep 2015

Apple promises lots of new features in its latest release of OS X El Capitan, including improved enhancements for Spotlight searches, new editing tools and the ability to manage multiple email threads. Just check out the quote included in Apple’s press release, reminding us that El Capitan is here:

“People love using their Macs, and one of the biggest reasons is the power and ease-of-use of OS X,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “El Capitan refines the Mac experience and improves performance in a lot of little ways that make a very big difference."

Why iCloud, Google Drive, and Dropbox Can’t Truly Protect Your Data

Submitted by Pete Wermter on 23 Sep 2015

Today, most people understand cloud applications and cloud computing, but some still question the differences between a cloud backup solution, like Acronis, and cloud storage services, such as iCloud, Google Drive, and Dropbox. In some cases, the providers of the latter three products advertise their services as a backup solution. In other cases, consumers believe that anytime they store data in the cloud, it's always protected in the event of loss. Let’s set the record straight when it comes to online backup vs. cloud storage services!

How Are Cloud Storage Services Different From Backup Software?

To start, take a look at the definitions of the different types of cloud storage services available today:

How to Protect Your Family’s Digital Lives

Submitted by Pete Wermter on 9 Sep 2015

Long gone are the days of the single computer household and mobile phones being a luxury item. With two little ones at home, my family has already accumulated more technology (one iPad, two mobile phones, two laptops and one desktop computer) than we know what to do with.

Plus, we task all of these devices with creating and storing enormous quantities of information that remains central to our lives – from personal photos, videos and music to important work and household documents. At the same time, all of these devices being connected to the Internet, making our digital lives more on the go than ever: nine out of ten households in the US have three or more devices connected to the Internet now.

1,000 Memories in Your Pocket - How Are You Protecting Them?

Submitted by Jeff Stiles on 31 Aug 2015

According to a recent Acronis survey, a third of us have experienced some sort of data loss. However, 22% of us don’t backup our computers or mobile phones, at all.

We’ve all thought about what we’d grab from our house in case of a fire or natural disaster: photos, videos, important documents, and jewelry are probably at the top of your list. These physical objects are something we value a lot. The things we touch, see and feel everyday become an important part of our lives – so it’s natural to want to protect them.

Our digital data holds the same value. Thousands of pictures and videos, precious personal files and information, and important work now live in digital form on our mobile phones, tablets, and desktop and laptop computers. Today, our data is our life. 

 

How are you protecting your digital life?

3 Things Every Business Should Know About Backup

Submitted by Pete Wermter on 28 Aug 2015

Many people think that backup is simply about copying data and then copying it back if needed. The process probably was that simple in 1960 — as simple as punching another set of computer cards and keeping them in a safe place. Technology has advanced rapidly in the past 50 years, so backup processes have also had to advance. Backup covers a variety of use cases from simple file recovery to recovery of complex systems

 

Companies have protected their data ever since carbon copies were stored in bonded warehouses, but times have changed. The techniques for protecting information and recovering from disastrous data loss have also changed. Let us bring you up to speed on modern data protection.

 

Upgrading to Windows 10? Backup Everything Before You Do!

Submitted by Nat Maple on 4 Aug 2015

Windows 10 is coming soon and many individuals are planning to upgrade their personal PCs. If you are one of these individuals, follow these 7 tips to ensure you have a positive Windows 10 upgrade experience and that you don’t lose any data.

1. Plan your upgrade – If you have multiple PCs, don’t rush into installing Windows 10 on all your machines right away. Choose one computer and upgrade to Windows 10. This will help you learn what to do and what not to do, and make the upgrade process easier for your other PCs.

10 Tips for Smooth Migration to Windows 10

Submitted by Sam Roguine on 30 Jul 2015

Microsoft has just released Windows 10 – the last Windows version number ever released. Instead of releasing major new versions, the Redmond software giant is going to drive a regular stream of improvements through frequent Windows updates.

"Right now we're releasing Windows 10, and because Windows 10 is the last version of Windows, we're all still working on Windows 10," said Jerry Nixon, Microsoft's developer evangelist, at the Ignite tech conference.

With this monumental Windows release, IT desktop administrators everywhere have an opportunity to check off the huge, expensive, and daunting task of Desktop OS Migration. As you may know, Windows XP support ended on April 8, 2014, yet almost 16% of all PCs worldwide are still using it.

Mac Marketing Pros – 5 Impactful Tips for Better Productivity and Happier People

Submitted by Gill Borniche on 24 Jul 2015

In today's world of striving to gain competitive advantage and doing more with less, cutting edge technologies to increase sales - like digital marketing - are on the forefront of every CEO’s mind. As a result, many companies are currently advertising for new marketing professionals, especially in the digital marketing sector.

And what’s their device of choice? Today’s young and bright marketing graduates who have been “digitized” since they can walk clearly prefer Macs. Not only do they tend to own their own Macs but they often use up to three mobile devices – and they expect to use them at work!

The need for a company BYOD policy can no longer be ignored. Today’s young professionals (like my 17 year-old son, Louis - a graphic arts student), want to use their Macs at work and wherever they are working.  Unless you can afford to equip each of them with a Mac and properly manage the user experience, your marketing team’s productivity is at risk of going down.