Solar Energy Can Be a Boon to Businesses
When running a business, keeping the lights on is expensive – and we literally mean keeping the lights on. Power is a costly thing, and with more and more business operations relying on electronic devices, there’s an increased expenditure for power. In order to keep your business up and running, you may consider going in a different direction for energy – perhaps up?
Cloud Storage Offers Benefits to Small Businesses
With businesses dealing with and storing more data, cloud storage platforms have begun to be extremely important for the modern small business. It took a while for small business decision makers to implement cloud storage solutions for their businesses, which is largely to blame on the stigma of insecurity the cloud had. Today, however, cloud platforms are used for all types of utility. Today, we’ll go into the types of cloud storage, and their benefits to a small business.
Cloud Storage Offers Benefits to Small Businesses
With businesses dealing with and storing more data, cloud storage platforms have begun to be extremely important for the modern small business. It took a while for small business decision makers to implement cloud storage solutions for their businesses, which is largely to blame on the stigma of insecurity the cloud had. Today, however, cloud platforms are used for all types of utility. Today, we’ll go into the types of cloud storage, and their benefits to a small business.
Small Businesses Need Comprehensive Communications
Does your business suffer from chronic miscommunication? Chances are that your business is not the only one. Small businesses often lack the ability to invest in solutions designed to cut down on communication problems in the workplace. To help your company’s workforce improve communication and collaboration, we’re going to discuss some of the many ways that you can implement technology to eliminate miscommunication in the workplace.
Here are some of the most important tips that we can offer, in no particular order.
Implement an Intranet
For those who might not be tech-savvy, one of the most difficult parts of communication comes from not knowing how to properly navigate around your own network. This could mean finding specific files, or moving about your organization’s cloud-based file storage system. An intranet can help not just these employees, but all of them, by providing a central hub where any critical assets that your business depends on can be seen at a moment’s notice. This clears up any confusion regarding where your employees need to go to access links to software or important information.
Take Advantage of Communication Solutions
If your organization has yet to implement a unified communications solution, it’s in your best interest to do so as soon as possible. A unified communications solution includes an email solution that’s used across your entire business’ infrastructure, a phone system that provides each of your employees with an extension where they can easily be reached (this is often a Voice over IP solution), and an instant messaging or video chat system that can be used to get in touch with employees who might not be in the immediate area. Basically, you want to provide your employees with ample opportunities to reach out to others in your business for assistance with any projects.
Make Important Information Easily Accessible
Have you ever browsed the Internet for information about a particular solution, only to find a whole lot of nothing? In most cases, the services that your organization uses will have detailed online documentation and frequently asked questions that will help you figure out what you need to know; yet, your internal processes may not have these questions or documentation as transparent. You can implement your very own knowledge center that can be located in an intranet, allowing your employees to find any vital information that they need.
Does your business need to implement more powerful communication solutions? If so, Catalyst Technology Group can help. To learn more, reach out to us at (317) 705-0333.
Software as a Service Is Helping Small Businesses
What kind of software does your business use to keep operations moving forward? Depending on what industry you are in, you might find it increasingly painstaking to procure and manage the software titles your organization uses, particularly if yours is a small business that has limited capital to invest in its software. Nowadays, however, the acquisition of software doesn’t have to be troublesome, as software as a service (SaaS) is providing organizations with limited resources access to software it normally could not afford.
SaaS is a cloud computing strategy that makes available the mission-critical software your organization needs for an affordable monthly fee. If you use the traditional method of software procurement, you’ll be purchasing your software by the license, meaning that the more users who need access to a particular software, the more it will cost you. While this concept doesn’t really change with SaaS, the long-term ramifications of these titles can be mitigated.
Instead of utilizing a traditional method of acquiring software solutions, organizations that leverage SaaS options are gaining access to dynamic software that is hosted, managed, and maintained by the provider–significantly reducing the overall cost and transferring the larger capital outlay to a more manageable operational cost. To take advantage of this software, all you have to do is pay for access to the software, and it’s delivered over your Internet connection.
Some benefits your organization will see by using software as a service, include:
Lower Costs
Your business spends a pretty penny on software; and, it is probably more than you even know. On top of a software license, you traditionally also have to pay for the resources you need to host, monitor, and maintain infrastructure. These costs add up quickly, but by utilizing a software as a service model, you can get all the software your users need, per user, with one monthly payment.
Up-to-Date Editions
Typically, your Software as a Service applications will be accessed through an online environment. These cloud-based solutions are, more often than not, completely up-to-date, meaning that you’ll be using the most recent version of this software; and, as mentioned above, none of this maintenance is your responsibility.
Flexibility
If yours is like many modern organizations, you have trouble keeping within the confines of your technology budgets. Software as a Service allows an organization to do more with less. By the end of 2017, over 94% of small businesses will be utilizing SaaS in one form or another. One of the most cited reasons for this is the overall flexibility SaaS provides. Not only does SaaS improve your organization’s financial flexibility, it brings with it dynamic scalability and anytime accessibility. Many SaaS platforms are available from anyplace there is an Internet connection, on a whole myriad of different types of devices. To scale your software deployment, it is as simple as adding new users to your service plan. All you have to do is reach out to the service provider and make the required arrangements.
Does your business want to take full advantage of software deployment in the cloud? To learn more about software as a service and how to stretch your organization’s technology budget to see the fastest and largest return on your technology investments, call us today at (317) 705-0333.
2-in-1 Mobile Devices Give Businesses the Best of Both Worlds
As computing and business have become more intertwined, it has become more important for software solutions and other business-essential tools to be ready at a moment’s notice. This tendency has contributed to the rise of mobile solutions, although there is still a need for the power a desktop provides. That’s why we are big fans of convertible ultrabooks, or 2-in-1 devices.
These versatile solutions offer the best parts of both mobile and desktop computing experiences, and are right for the business user.
Consolidation and Cost Savings
Perhaps most important to many business users is the potential cost savings that a convertible laptop brings with it. Since it serves as both a laptop and a tablet, you can avoid shelling over additional funds to supply your workforce with both solutions. Plus, since it can serve as a desktop workstation when it has been docked, a single device could foreseeably fulfill every computing need your employees have.
Functionality
Windows 10 was specifically designed to work with 2-in-1 devices. This is why the transition from laptop to tablet is comparatively seamless, and running multiple applications is equally simple. It also should be said that these devices have the power to do anything that a typical laptop can handle.
This does mean that most 2-in-1s won’t meet the standards that serious graphic designers, video editors, or similar occupations will demand of them, but there are even a few options that will fit the bill for this level of use. Some 2-in-1s will include a built-in stylus for exactly this purpose.
In addition to the abilities that the devices themselves boast, they also permit the user to interact with them in the way that the user prefers–namely, whether to use a mouse or the touchscreen. This is especially important, considering the prevalence of touchscreen-based devices in everyday life. This functionality in a 2-in-1 solution means that habits from the rest of life are more easily translated over to work computing, boosting productivity and enhancing efficiency.
Flexibility
This benefit is a pretty straightforward one: a 2-in-1 device can adapt to serve pretty much any purpose you could have in the office environment. Whether you need a laptop to type at or a quick video screen to showcase a presentation, these devices can do it all, and then some.
If you agree with us and think that 2-in-1 devices may just be the best choice for your business, give us a call at (317) 705-0333.