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Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

internet slow

As one of Toronto’s leading Managed IT Services and IT Support Services provider, we have noticed many companies asking “Why is my internet slow?”

 

Well many thing can affect a company’s internet connection and speed however we narrowed down to some simple ways to combat a slow Internet connection at your business.

 

So why is your business internet slow?

 

  • Interference

Wireless is a great tool by allowing mobility without the limitation of wires however there are many items that may cause                     interference to the wireless signal. Some very good examples of items that may cause signal weakness include wireless radio               near power sources, microwave, cordless phone, security alarm, and other wireless devices which use the 2.4GHz band.

When you experience weak or drop offs on wireless, the best solution is to reposition the wireless router or the electronics                   causing the issue therefore reducing interference.  Another options is to place your router higher up therefore increasing                     the broadcast range.

 

  • Bandwidth Usage

Many times, companies share their wireless security key with employees.  Many times without any knowledge from                                 employees or the company, employees are using applications that are hogging the bandwidth.  It is extremely important                       that companies are aware of these applications.  Many applications take up resources especially video conferencing and                       streaming abilities.  Torrent and gaming apps can also be responsible. It is best to make sure that these apps are not installed               on your company computers.

Two of the biggest bandwidth hogs are YouTube and now Facebook thanks to the automatic videos playing.  Many                                    companies are now blocking services like YouTube, Facebook, and other services not for business use.  Some companies                      are putting community systems in lunch rooms that are available for free browsing or limiting the use of such services.

 

  • Upgrade

This is nothing new, but as everyone knows, technology changes constantly.  We do not recommend that you change                              hardware every time something new comes out however certain technologies should be retired after a certain amount of                      time.  If your wireless networking equipment is old then it probably needs an upgrade.

There are many options when upgrading a wireless network such as new routers, access points, amplifiers, repeaters and                      many more options when upgrading the network.

 

Companies these days rely on technology.  Some internet will not only slow down your business, it will also reduce employee productivity.  We can help your business find ways to improve the Internet connection for maximized productivity and uptime.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

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Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

How to Increase IT Security

The Internet has provided many benefits and conveniences over the years.  It has changed how business has been done and created incredible new industries however it also presented a number of security risks that must be considered.

 

Hackers, worms, spyware, viruses, phishing, malware, CryptoLocker and many more against your IT security.

 

Internet threats can vary from annoying to disastrous.  Below you will find a list of how to increase your IT security within your business.

 

Email Spam and phishing scams are email gateways to various security threats.

  • To reduce these threats, you can set your spam filter on high.  Do not reply to suspicious, unsolicited emails asking them for secure or sensitive information.  Also do not click on links that seem fake or suspicious.  Ensure your system automatically scans all PDFs and other email attachments for viruses, spyware, and malware.

 

Internet threats are vast however here are some basic level considerations.

  • Install a firewall to deny unauthorized access to your business wired and wireless networks.  Also encrypt the Wi-Fi network including the use of a password.  Security experts also recommend you turn off broadcasting or ‘hide’ your Wi-Fi network so its name will not pop up in the list of available wireless networks.

 

Mobile devices can get lost, stolen or hacked, so be sure to use passwords and encryption to secure them.

  • Consider using a mobile device management system that can remotely track, monitor, lock and wipe your devices.  Also your business should enforce a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy.

 

Storage devices can spread viruses and malware from one PC, tablet or laptop to another.

  • Setting your computers to automatically do a security scan on any disc or peripheral they come into contact with will greatly decrease the chances of having internet threats bring down your network.  Also, all organizations should use cloud computing to be back up off-site.

 

Outdated software and older versions of software programs are not secure.

  • Consider updating your programs or moving to cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings which are automatically updated online.  Make sure your PCs and laptops are set to automatically install operating system updates and security patches when they’re released.

 

People, the biggest risk to your network

  • No matter how much technology is used to secure IT, human behaviour is the ultimate security measure. You should create and enforce a BYOD policy and educate your staff about IT security threats and best practices. Use strong passwords and change them regularly.  Do not allow the downloading of unauthorized applications to company computers.  Also enforce no working on company data outside the office on unsecured Wi-Fi networks or visiting unauthorized websites or social media sites at the office.  This will offer you the opportunity to discuss best practices to remain secure.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

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Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

Why Should I Replace Server That is Out-of-Warranty?

Businesses are growing and becoming more competitive. Many companies have heavy demand on their network server(s) and this is one of the biggest reasons why so many types of server are available.

 

So why maintain a server with active warranty instead of Out-of-Warranty?

From the day of purchase, servers are always on.  Think about, a production server that is 6 years old has been continuously running for 2190 days or 52,560 hours.

365 iT SOLUTIONS standard policy is to sell servers with minimum 5 years onsite warranty.

Use of a server after its manufacturer’s warranty has expired is the greatest danger to business continuity.

A server is the heart of the network and if it is not operational your entire network and business will be down.

 

Why you need to replace an out-of-warranty server?

Once the manufacturer’s warranty expires, there are no more obligations on the manufacturer’s side.  Used parts become the only source if they cannot be sourced from the manufacturer and now you are relying on used parts from unknown environments and you are at the mercy of the location of the part.  If your servers use specific parts custom to that model and the part cannot be found, the server cannot simply be repaired.

Security is another major concern when operating a server that is no longer covered under warranty.  New server operating systems are released with numerous security improvements.  In some cases, there are two newer versions of the server operating system than your outdated server is operating.

There is also the issue of compatibility.  Most software packages only support the latest operating system and the previous one. This means that the software you depend on might not even be able to be upgraded or supported any longer. Issues can arise with trying to add newer computers and printers to your server.  This means that future software needs as well as current needs could be affected.

The life-cycle of a server should be no greater than the manufacturer’s warranty.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

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Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

Organizations go back to Microsoft after trying out Google

Microsoft has a big revenue stream when it comes to Enterprises.  It is where they have a significant presence in productivity software as well as desktop operating systems.  Google has been actively cutting into Microsoft’s share of the market at the enterprise level.  Recently, Microsoft has reported that many clients who have switched to Google are switching back Microsoft.

 

In the last eighteen months, over 785 organizations who tried out Google’s suite of services have now come back to Microsoft. It goes without saying that switching between Google and Microsoft is not a trivial process as the expense incurred – both financially and in terms of lost productivity – can be considerable. So, for a company to switch back from Google, they must have been quite unhappy with the services to make the transition again, in what is likely a small time window.

 

Google has it much easier than Microsoft in terms of support for legacy software as they are a cloud-only service provider which allows them to push out new features faster. Microsoft’s mix of on-site and cloud products makes the support cycles for their services generally longer which is one reason why corporations like Microsoft services. Additionally, it is this mix of product offerings that makes Microsoft’s portfolio of applications incredibly strong.

 

While 785 may not seem like a high number, remember, these are enterprise customers and each company can be composed of hundreds, if not thousands, of employees.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

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Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

Microsoft Launching Three New Microsoft 365 Versions for SMBs

Microsoft has announced it will be launching three new versions of Microsoft 365.  The new Microsoft 365 plans are tailored for small- and medium-sized business (SMB) companies.

The new Microsoft 365 SMB portfolio is aimed at businesses with between one and 250 employees.

The new packages launching will include the following packages:

  • Microsoft 365 Business: Full Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Publisher—and 1TB of OneDrive for Business cloud storage.
  •  Microsoft 365 Business Essentials: Core cloud services for businesses—business-class email and calendaring, Office Online, online meetings, IM, videoconferencing, cloud storage and file-sharing.
  • Microsoft 365 Business Premium: Includes both the Microsoft 365 Business and Business Essentials plans.

 

Microsoft intends to phase out its current Microsoft 365 offerings including Small Business, Small Business Premium and Midsize Business.  There will be no changes to the current Enterprise class plans.

The new Microsoft 365 Business plan will be priced at $8.25 per month per user while the Business Essentials module, which now supports Yammer and Active Directory, is listed at $5 per month per user and the seat limit has been bumped up to 300. The Business Premium version will be priced at $12.50 per user per month.

Microsoft isn’t pressing existing customers to upgrade to the new plans immediately when they’re available. Instead, the vendor has elected to offer some of the features and pricing of the new plans to existing Microsoft 365 SMB customers beginning Oct. 1 by upping the seat cap limits for existing Small Business and Small Business Premium customers to 300 from 25 and lowering pricing for Midsize Business customers to $12.50 per user per month. Existing customers will get the new prices the next time they renew, starting Aug. 1.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

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Microsoft to end mainstream support for Windows 7 in January

As of January 13, 2015, Microsoft is pulling the plug on mainstream support for Windows 7 users.  Users who are running the four-year-old operating system will no longer receive new features or service packs from the technology giant.

 

Recently Microsoft ended extended support for Windows XP.  It left users without any technical support or security updates therefore leaving the 12-year-old operating system are left vulnerable to viruses and malware that could put their information at risk.

 

But Windows 7 isn’t following Windows XP footsteps.  The end of mainstream support means that the operating system will no longer be eligible for new features from Microsoft; however, Windows 7 users will still receive critical security patches through the extended support program.

 

Extended support will be offered for Windows 7 until January 2020.

 

The downside for Windows 7 users is that new programs and features may not be compatible with their machine.

 

Windows 7 has remained fairly popular since its release – as many as 50 per cent of the world’s PCs are running the operating system, by some estimates.

 

Some of this is due to the poor reception of Windows 8, the company’s latest operating system.

 

Retail sales of Windows 7 Professional, Home Basic, Home Premium and Ultimate will end on October 31, 2014.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

 

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1,000 Anti-spam Law Violations Reported by Canadians

In less than a week, CRTC has received more than 1,000 complaints regarding Canada’s new anti-spam law.  Hundreds of reports are being reported daily at fightspam.gc.ca  and investigators are already at work looking into whether companies have violated the new law.

 

There have been a number of complaints and the numbers continue to climb.  Canadians are seeing the importance of the legislation and they are reporting spam.

 

The federal legislation requires that businesses get written or oral consent before they send emails or other digital messages.  Companies must clearly identify themselves in each message and allow consumers to unsubscribe.  Businesses that violate the law could face financial penalties of up to $10 million per violation, while individuals could be fined up to $1 million per infraction.

 

CRTC cautions that the law will reduce the amount of spam Canadians receive but it will not eliminate all spam.  Consumers who wish to report unwanted spam emails can forward messages to spam@fightspam.gc.ca or fill out an online form to register a complaint.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

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Behind 365 iT SOLUTIONS with Razmig Sagharian

We would like to thank FS Local for their recent article on Razmig Sagharian, President and founder of 365 iT SOLUTIONS.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

FS Local is a Canadian business directory, blog and social media Internet Web marketing company offering expert strategies & solutions for small business.

Please check out the article on 365 iT SOLUTIONS by clicking the link below:

365 IT Solutions – Behind the Business with Razmig Sagharian

Thank you FS Local!

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

 

 

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Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

Why Should You Encrypt Emails?

In today’s fast paced business environment, many users have done the following situation.  While in a rush, you accidentally send a email to the wrong recipient only to realize that you accidentally pulled the wrong address from your contact list.  Many users do not understand the complications behind this however this is a very serious matter especially when you send confidential data.

 

Recently, a Goldman Sachs contractor was apparently testing changes to the bank’s internal processes when the email was sent. The company has not identified what data was in the message, but Goldman Sachs quickly contacted Google and asked that the message be deleted.

 

Instead of deleting the message from the Gmail account, Google instead blocked access to the message. They also confirmed that the message had yet to actually been read, but they refuse to actually delete the email without a court order, a process that Goldman Sachs is currently undergoing.

 

This is a prime example of the importance of email encryption.  Businesses need to protect confidential data before sending it out in email.  Even if the message was sent to the proper recipient, email is a non-encrypted protocol, meaning anyone on the Internet can theoretically read anything that’s sent out.  The surprising issue here is that a big bank is sending out emails with confidential data and taking advantage of encryption.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

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Industry Insights IT Security IT Solutions Managed IT Services

Microsoft adds robust encryption support to Outlook.com and OneDrive

Microsoft is making big changes in security by encrypting inbound and outbound emails as well as your data transfers with OneDrive.

In regards to emails, Microsoft is now using Transport Layer Security for inbound and outbound emails which means that when your email is traveling from server to server, it is now encrypted. This is not limited to internal Microsoft servers – any email provider that supports this feature will now be able to send and receive encrypted emails from Outlook.com.

With OneDrive, Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS) encryption is supported so that means that when you are transferring data between OneDrive and your local client, it is now more secure and makes it much harder for attackers to decrypt connections between your client and Microsoft.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com