Ulistic Projects Blog

November 4, 2019November 3, 2019

Downtime Is Extremely Expensive – Can You Actually Afford It?

Downtime is bad for business.

Whether you agree or not, it’s a fact – just a couple years ago, small businesses with up to 50 million in annual revenue reported that just a single hour of downtime cost them $8,600.

Why Does Downtime Cost So Much?

The main cost of downtime is not the fix itself, it’s the halt in your business’ productivity. If an IT-related or natural disaster occurs and takes critical systems offline, employees will be unable to complete their tasks, yet your normal business expenses will carry on.

During that time, you incur all the expenses of running a business without the revenue you would usually generate. Even if downtime does not grind everything to a halt, some of your staff will have to divert themselves from their normal work to mitigate the problem – again reducing productivity. Furthermore, while your systems are down, you can’t deliver services or sell products to current and potential new clients.

Not all of the costs associated with downtime have a tangible price tag. The trust of your clients and the reputation of your company are invaluable assets that can erode with prolonged or frequent downtime issues. A diminished reputation can negatively affect your future business opportunities.

Some downtime is inevitable, but much of it can be prevented and mitigated.

What Are The Primary Causes Of Downtime?

Power Outage: If your power source fails, that can lead to a long list of complications like servers going down and lost, unsaved data.
Cybercrime: Cybercrime has increased in recent years and is still on the rise. All it takes is one employee opening a malicious attachment and your business data could be held hostage.
Human Error: Accidentally unplugging key equipment, overloading the system, and improper installations can all cause downtime, but maintaining certain policies and procedures can cut down on human error.
Natural Disasters: Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes happen. Having a plan for getting back to business if the unthinkable happens is the fastest way to recover.

What’s The Best Way To Prevent Downtime?

…by stopping it in the first place.

The best way to approach downtime prevention is proactively – you need to keep an eye out for system issues that can spiral into total stoppages. You need to implement backup technologies and best practices to prevent outages. You need to enhance your cybersecurity to protect against cybercrime.

Unfortunately, that’s a lot for you to handle on your own, especially when have other work to see to. That’s why a managed IT services company can be so helpful. They’ll provide 24/7 active monitoring of your systems, business continuity best practices and cybersecurity services that will keep costly downtime at a minimum.

November 3, 2019

Microsoft Excel Experts SWEAR By This…

Businesses nowadays collect an incredible volume of data from various sources, including online sales, in-store-transactions, social media, and various other places.

So how do you find value in that data? The simple answer: Organizing it properly within worksheets.

Ready to unlock the potential of your data? If you want to analyze and make sense of the information you’re storing, here’s how…

Watch Our Microsoft Excel Tips and Techniques Video

In the video above, we teach you how to link several worksheets together within one workbook AND how to link data across multiple workbooks to:

Reduce errors
Save time
Improve data integrity

Click here to watch online

Questions? Feel free to reach out to us at any time.

October 31, 2019

Which Cloud Storage is Right For Your Business

Don’t Be Confused When It Comes to Cloud Storage Options

Cloud storage helps your employees share and collaborate like never before. Check out these three popular cloud storage solutions to find the one best for you!

Businesses are making the switch from physical servers to cloud storage to increase productivity and streamline file-sharing capabilities. This short review looks at three of the most popular cloud storage options, OneDrive, Dropbox, and Google Drive, comparing their storage capacity, file-sharing capabilities, and pricing.

All three of these cloud storage solutions offer various plans for both personal and business use. OneDrive and Google Drive also have options to bundle cloud storage along with access to online versions of standard office applications. In this review, we will look only at the lower-priced standalone cloud storage business solutions available from OneDrive and Dropbox and the Business and Enterprise solutions from Google Drive that do include access to GSuite applications.

OneDrive from Microsoft

OneDrive has two tiers of dedicated cloud storage. Plan 1 costs $60 a year and gives you 1 TB of cloud storage. You can opt for Plan 2 at $120 per year if your business has five or more users, and you need unlimited storage. OneDrive does not offer per month pricing. There is a 15 GB limit per individual file.

When it comes to collaboration, OneDrive shines. It is easy to access stored files directly from the Microsoft ecosystem of products, or use the built-in search and discovery tools to find the files you need. Share individual files securely with a link and set permissions to prevent unauthorized changes. Plan 2 also comes with upgraded security, including data-loss prevention, to help you to monitor and protect your confidential information.

Dropbox

Businesses with three or more users can choose either the Standard or Advanced business plan from Dropbox. The Standard plan comes with 3 TB of cloud storage and costs $150 a year or $15 monthly. The Advanced plan is $240 a year, or $25 monthly. With a file transfer limit of only 2 GB per file, Dropbox’s Standard plan may not fit your needs, but its Advanced plan does allow up to 100 GB transfers.

Many, but not all, popular business applications are already configured to connect with Dropbox. Users have the option to share files through a secure link or to use Dropbox Spaces to allow other employees access. Administrators can create private groups for members to share their work.

Google Drive

Google Drive offers a Business plan for $12 a month and an Enterprise Plan for $25 a month. Both come with only 1 TB of storage unless you maintain five licenses. Then you receive unlimited storage. The maximum size of an individual file is 5 TB.

Both plans let you share files with links, and admins can set security controls to manage file permissions. The Enterprise plan offers data loss protection and improved security options.

For most businesses, OneDrive makes the most sense. It is already optimized to work with the Microsoft applications you probably already use. The only major drawback is the 15 TB limitation on file transfers, but this restriction won’t affect most businesses.

October 31, 2019

5 Ridiculous Ways Technology Transforms Your Industry

Incredible Ways Technology Has Changed How We Do Business

How has technology transformed your industry? Explore 5 important ways technology has recently changed how we do business, delight customers and grow businesses

It doesn’t matter which industry we’re in. Technology is a must. It makes things faster, safer and better when used right. It can propel our businesses and leave competitors in the dust. But many businesses are simply unaware of what’s out there and just how accessible it is to any size business. Here are five incredible types of technology that are completely reshaping how we do business.

1. Big Data Revolutionizes Data-Driven Decisions

As business leaders, we’ve always made decisions based upon the available data. But more recent advancements in data collection and analysis have made it easier and more cost-effective to gather data and put it to work. We can make smarter decisions about the direction of our companies where we once had to rely solely on gut instinct.

We can enhance customer experiences to not only increase sales but to raise that net promoter score, building trust, loyalty and powerful word-of-mouth.

2. We Reach Customers in More-Effective Ways

87% of purchases now begin online. This doesn’t mean they buy online, just that they found the product or service online.

Digital marketing technology is a business technology that has transformed how we connect with customers. We can now more precisely target audiences to enhance the relevance of our ads to specific customer bases.

Thanks to the pay-per-click model, we don’t pay for advertising that doesn’t work. And thanks to optimization tools we continually improve strategies to find what does work.

Digital marketing allows us to reach customers where they find new products and services through:

Search engines
Social Media
Review Websites
Influencers

3. Virtual Reality Gives Employees Real-World Training

From healthcare to aviation to manufacturing, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are helping schools and businesses train employees in very lifelike situations. Employers can help employees become more comfortable in likely scenarios by allowing them to experience it in an artificial environment first. They can learn how candidates may perform at their jobs before sending that job offer to get the best people into important roles.

4. Enhanced Business Continuity Tools Reduce Down-time

From more effective ways to keep business and customer data safe to data backup to re-routing of important functions to remote locations, advancements in technology are making it easier for businesses to both avoid disasters (physical and virtual) and keep moving when disaster strikes.

Developing a strategy, deploying tools effectively and putting a plan into action, of course, take know-how, but those involved in business continuity planning now have a wider range of tools for the business continuity tool belt.

5. Better Technology for Less Cost

It’s not news to anyone that technology gets cheaper the longer it’s in use. And by now many amazing technologies have been around long enough that they’re getting very affordable, even for small business. Yet, many businesses still aren’t taking advantage of them because they don’t know what’s out there.

That’s why it’s important to work with technology experts who can introduce you to technology you’ll find useful to cut costs, enhance productivity, delight customers and more. To learn more about how technology is disrupting every industry, follow our blog.

October 30, 2019

Should You Worry About Facebook Identity Thieves?

Tips for Avoiding and Reporting Facebook Identity Theft

Financial fraud and access to confidential business data rank among scammers’ reasons for setting up fake profiles in Facebook identity theft schemes.

Right now, hundreds of people could be viewing your photos on Facebook — on an account that doesn’t belong to you. In recent years, Facebook identity theft has become a significant problem, leaving victims struggling to reclaim their rightful identities on the social media platform. What do you need to know, and how can you protect yourself?

Reasons Behind Facebook Identity Theft

Imagine receiving a sudden flurry of messages from friends and family members alerting you that someone is posing as you. After the initial shock, you might wonder why an individual would go to the trouble of setting up a fake profile that uses your name and other identifying details.

As banks and other financial institutions have become better at spotting fake identities, scammers have turned to using the identities of real people for a variety of purposes, including opening lines of credit and draining bank accounts. Setting up a Facebook profile can be one step in establishing ownership of an identity — especially if the scammer can manage to get the real identity owner locked out of their account in the process.

How Can Your Job Make You a Target?

In addition to financial fraud, prospective scammers often have another goal in mind when they target specific individuals: access. Facebook identity thieves may target people in certain jobs — including CEOs, IT directors and human resources managers — because of their valuable access to data, people and financial resources.

By posing as a key executive in an organization, an identity thief may hit the jackpot by gaining access to computer systems that hold confidential customer data, employee Social Security and bank account numbers, or proprietary information. Scammers may set up a fake profile in your name as part of a social-engineering scheme designed to persuade your Facebook contacts to turn over information or access.

Steps for Preventing Facebook Fraud

To help lock down your Facebook account and prevent identity theft, consider adjusting your privacy settings to control who can view your photos and posts. Allowing everyone — or even friends of your friends — to see your information can make you vulnerable to identity theft.

Avoid accepting friend requests from unfamiliar people, and use caution when posting photos; think twice before posting images that include your driver’s license or other documents with identifying information. In addition, consider setting your profile to unsearchable.

What if someone has stolen your identity on Facebook? If you receive a friend request from someone who already is on your friends list, you may be the victim of identity theft. You should take immediate action by reporting the suspect profile if you discover that someone is using your name, photo or other identifying details. In the event that an impostor reports your account as fraudulent and has you blocked, you may need to ask a friend to report the incident for you.

October 30, 2019October 30, 2019

Happy Halloween 👻

Happy Halloween!

What better time than now to tell some scary stories?

Ok, so they’re not “scary stories” per se, but facts that will alarm AND spook you.

A cyber-attack happens every 39 seconds.
Over 75% of the healthcare industry was infected with malware last year.
Human error accounts for 95% of ALL breaches that happen.
Over 77% of companies don’t have a cybersecurity incident response plan.

Here’s Your Special Halloween Treat

Take action to protect against cybercrime. Hit the reply button to schedule your free cybersecurity consultation with us.

In the meantime, have fun this year, whether you’re taking the kids out trick-or-treating or heading to a few parties.

Have a great day!

October 24, 2019October 24, 2019

Quickly Unlock Useful iTunes Store Applications that Are Blocked in Your Country

Unblock Geo-Restricted App Store or iTunes Content in a Few Clicks

Discover how to quickly gain access to geoblocked apps via the App Store or iTunes with a few simple clicks whether you’re on on an iPhone, iPad, Mac or PC.

Apple’s App Store and iTunes apps give you access to thousands of great games, utilities and social connections. But there are thousands more you can never access due to geographic restrictions.

Why Are Certain Apps Blocked?

Location-based restrictions, known as geoblocking, are actions taken by companies or government regulators. They restrict access to content, including App Store apps, based on your location. You can experience these issues on sites such as YouTube or platforms such as Netflix, where certain content is unavailable to certain users, often due to licensing issues or other legal issues.

Geoblocking is usually done by tracking the unique identifiers known as Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. Any request you make to a site or app includes your IP address so the pinged computer knows where to send the requested content. IP addresses are allocated to internet service providers (ISPs) to distribute to their customers and reflect the geographic location of the computer, smartphone or another connected device.

Why Unblock Geoblocked Content?

There are many valid reasons for wanting to access geoblocked content. You may be visiting or living in another country and want to connect with content and functionality unique to your country. Maybe you need to access content that is only available via an app that is restricted at your current location. You might want to compare content presented on different versions of an app.

No matter what the reason, geoblocking can cause frustration for those wanting to access something they can’t connect to. Fortunately, there are some easy ways to unlock this content.

How Do I Unlock Geoblocked Content?

Here’s a step-by-step guide to unlocking iTunes and App Store content in another country. No matter which method you use, be sure to cancel any subscriptions to Apple Music, iTunes Match and other apps associated with your Apple ID.

On an iPhone or iPad
- Open Settings > [Your Username]
- Click on iTunes & App Store
- Tap on your Apple ID. Authenticate if asked
- Click on View Apple ID
- Select Country/Region
- Select Change Country/Region
- Choose a new country, click on Next
- Accept the Terms and Conditions
- Enter your payment method
On a Mac or PC
- Open iTunes
- Click on Account > View My Account
- Sign in using your Apple ID
- Press Enter or click on View Account
- On the Account Information page, click on Change Country or Region
- Click Agree to the terms and conditions
- Enter a new payment method
- Click Continue
From your Apple ID profile
- Log on to your Apple ID account profile
- Scroll to Account
- Tap on Country/Region
- Choose your new country or region. Click Continue when asked to confirm your new selection

Does Unblocking Content Allow Access to All Apps?

The method described above only works for free apps available for iOS devices. If you want to access paid apps, you’ll need to enter a payment method — and billing address – for the country

Switching from one country identity to another on iTunes or the App Store is complex, but can be done, by following these steps:

Open App Store > Apple ID
Click on Sign Out
Open Settings/General
Click on Language & Region
Select Region
Select a new country or region and create a new account by finding an app you want to download in the new country
- Tap on the app. If a screen pops up that the item is not available, click on Change Store
- Go to the app listing and tap Get > Install
- Click Create New Apple ID
- Select the new country or region and complete the Apple ID creation steps
- Select None under Billing
Switching between stores is now possible by signing out of one iTunes or App Store account and signing back in via another

Accessing content in other countries can be critical for many users. With a few taps, you can open up a world of opportunities.

October 24, 2019

Communicate Consistently With Customers About Their Technology Needs and Your Value

MSP Customer Communication Leads to Deeper Long-Term Retention

Discover why it’s important that your managed services provider develops a regular communications schedule with each customer and what messages to convey.

MSP Communication

Managed services providers (MSPs) know that customer retention is a critical element of business success.

Communicating with your MSP customers is a must. But knowing how, when and what to communicate makes a difference.

How Frequently Should We Communicate with MSP Customers?

The frequency of communication is as much an art as it is a science. There may be some customers, especially those who are new, in the midst of a major project or in the throes of strategic planning, when more frequent contact and communication is necessary.

Face-to-face communication is the most effective means of communication, allowing for both a better give-and-take and a clearer interpretation of body language.

Ideally, you’ll schedule at least monthly in-person communication with your customers, meeting both with principals and other employees to understand what’s working and what could be improved. This communication, which includes a healthy dose of active listening, helps your customers feel heard, valued and respected, even if it’s an informal conversation over coffee and doughnuts.

What Brings Value to MSP Customer Communications?

Your customers look to you as more than a service provider. You’re also a valued advisor. You want your communications to have several elements that can bring value to your customers and how they perceive their relationship with you. These do not need to be a sales pitch, and usually should not be, but rather opportunities to demonstrate your expertise and insights, including:

Identifying solutions before you’re asked. If your client has, for example, recently had several cyberattack attempts that were the result of phishing attempts, you may want to suggest a heightened approach to employee education, including campaigns that test their responses to sample attack emails.
Looking forward. You want to provide insights on technology trends, emerging solutions and challenges, whether it’s a new version of software, regulatory changes affecting their business or the sunsetting of an operating system. Providing information that helps the customer consider the possibilities is a compelling way to demonstrate your value. These conversations can often unearth concerns and priorities that previously were not expressed.
Find synergies and partners. Look for connections and introductions you can make among your customers. You can also identify opportunities for partnerships or bartering opportunities, such as working with a printing company client to produce signage and business cards in exchange for a discount on provided IT services.

Value-added conversations that help your customers think in new ways are a powerful way of deepening customer relationships.

What Points Are Worth Repeating to MSP Customers?

One of the greatest outcomes of better customer communication is the opportunity to reinforce high-value and valuable services that are already being used or possible. Your communication should regularly reinforce some of the core values of working with a managed services provider. Driving these points home helps to make renewals, upgrades and the purchase of new services much easier.

Those key points are small reminders of why it makes sense for your customers to work with you, including:

Cost savings. Produce and walk your customers through how their managed services are reducing costs through improved efficiency, fewer downtime costs, lower operational costs for data centers and reduced internal IT staffing
Predictable costs. Customers need to be reminded that a fixed monthly cost for a range of IT services — help desk, vendor management, storage, disaster recovery, cloud hosting and security — means more budget certainty and fewer unanticipated technology expenses.
Less downtime. MSPs should tout their reliability and the high levels of uptime for services and systems. While these may be contractually mandated, it’s still an effective reminder of how committed your company is to their business operability levels.
Insurance. People and businesses purchase insurance to protect what matters most. That’s one way to frame managed services: insurance for your most critical systems, operations, processes and data.

A strategic approach to customer communications pays major dividends with regular, trusted and valued discussions.

October 22, 2019

What Cybercrime Will Dominate 2020?

Now may be a good time to invite in cybersecurity specialists to evaluate your system and recommend ways to avoid cyber threats in 2020.

Techradar gurus predict that 2020 cyber threats will look a lot like the cast of characters responsible for many of the breaches that have occurred over the past few years. Here’s what to avoid in the coming year:

Email fraud
Ransomware attacks
More attacks on cloud environments

What Email Vulnerabilities Will Be Exploited?

Email remains a major entry point for hackers. Credential theft, business email compromise and malware are likely to thwart the efforts of countless network administrators. Here are the areas that are most vulnerable to attack and what to do about it:

Credential theft is the most effective way to gain access to secured databases. Targeted and mass-mailed attacks are equally effective. It only takes two or three people falling victim to attacks to pave the way for additional phishing emails disguised as trusted senders. It’s important to find out if your company can identify compromised credentials and block phishing emails.
Business email compromise is sometimes an advanced form of credential theft, with attackers posing as known senders. Attackers also insert themselves into email conversations from internal or external sources. They can then modify key data, such as bank routing information. Some companies have lost millions this way. To protect your company, offer user training to show employees how to avoid suspicious emails.
Dropping bots and malware: people still attach documents, such as invoices and shipping notices, to emails. Does your company have controls around email to identify and block malware attachments, disguised as legitimate documents?

Will Ransomware Attacks Continue?

Ransomware incidents account for a third of attacks that have the biggest impact. Ransomware causes considerable disruption from financial losses to systems unavailability. Recovery usually takes 5-10 days, with many weeks of validation and cleanup to follow.

For network admins, ransomware attacks often occur after hours or on weekends. Along with upgrades and patching, you should expect to spend more hours testing solutions that arise, such as firewall updates and advanced security protocols.

What Old Tricks Will Be Targeted at Cloud Environments?

Despite the lightning-fast pace of technology, it seems like old enemies will continue showing up where they’re least wanted. Brute force logins, PowerShell and RDP attacks and credential stuffing are not yet things of the past.

However, the battlefield may well move to the cloud, as more businesses migrate to off-premise data storage and application support. To prepare for this new wave of cyberattacks, ensure that your security team or managed service provider has visibility and control over your SaaS, IaaS and PaaS systems.

With the new year looming, now may be a good time to invite in cybersecurity specialists, who can evaluate your system and recommend ways to improve your network’s security and performance.

October 22, 2019

Fitbit Amplifies Healthcare by Offering Fitness and Coaching Platform

Fitbit, a leader in health and technology, has recently introduced a new digital product to help individuals reach their goals faster with a more manageable approach.

Fitbit Care is a combination of the company’s popular fitness tracking devices with a new health coaching platform that addresses everything from wellness and prevention to chronic conditions and complex care management. Designed to promote wellness and improve disease management and prevention with tailored health and wellness services for a more personalized application. This exciting new enterprise attained through the acquisition of Twine Health, a small Boston-based software startup, will continue to support the fitness tracking Fitbit is known for while also addressing services like medication adherence, smoking cessation and managing chronic conditions.

Fitbit Care will be offered via the company’s business-to-business unit, Fitbit Health Solutions. Following in the footsteps of Apple and Amazon as they move into the healthcare system the health coaching platform was designed for integration into organizations with healthcare professionals on staff or businesses that include health plans, workforce health providers, and health systems. The Fitbit Care approach focuses on key tenets of behavioral psychology and learning science as the core principles of the application. By putting people at the center of their own health journey it offers personalized care with more sustainable behavior changes with offers better long-term results. at the core of the experience. Users enrolled in the care plans also have access to health coaches, who will offer personalized fitness and exercise plans along with other wellness advice. The coaching sessions are offered through remote communication and face-to-face meetings. Individuals who are enrolled in the health coaching component of Fitbit will have access to the new Fitbit Plus app, which allows users to track metrics including blood glucose, blood pressure, and medication adherence, both from Fitbit and other third-party connected devices. The social component of connecting through groups also encourages healthy behavior as users keep each other accountable, motivated and encouraged as they exercise together in social groups. This enables an entire team to participate in the health coaching experience.

According to the Fitbit Care website clients have seen dramatic increases in coach panel size, often upwards of 300% in some cases. The main goal is for users to have the ability to connect with their doctors through the Fitbit Care platform. This new premium fitness coaching feature will allow doctors to have the ability to check on a user’s daily metrics and stay up-to-date on the effectiveness of the treatment for specific issues. Essentially, Fitbit wants to be the one place everyone connects over health and supporting patients beyond the walls of the doctor’s office is a big step in this direction by providing accountability, support, guidance and resources that remove some of the most difficult barriers in healthcare outcomes.