By now, nearly everyone has heard of Google Fiber and those in the know want to know when it’s going to be available near you. If you’re one of the few who hasn’t yet heard however, Google Fiber is an internet provider service (ISP) that uses fiber optic technology rather than the traditional telephone cable based facilities.

How it work?

Fiber optics send light down thin strands of glass, transmitting data instead of electrical signals through cables. All of Google Fiber’s cabling runs through aggregators known as Google Fiber Huts, or hubs placed in metropolitan areas that use existing utility poles to run their cables instead. Read more

Many SMBs in West Loop are turning to an emailing hosting service to improve their companies. Email hosting services offer a premium email service on dedicated email platforms largely aimed at SMBs.

A provider will manage your domain name and any email authentication strategy you want in place. Having your own domain name and premium email system will make your company look a lot larger than it actually is, and help you compete with the big boys.

More benefits include:

Low cost

The setup costs are low, especially if you compare them with the costs of using a local exchange server. You can choose a plan that is right for your business that includes all support you need with no hardware costs – which can cripple SMBs. the monthly support package covers each user, making sure each employee has exactly what they need. Read more

A large and expensive part of starting a business in Chicago is setting up your company IT infrastructure, and finding the time to manage it effectively. If you’re finding this a struggle, then a Managed Service Provider (MSP) might be just what you need.

An MSP is an online system operated by a third party that manages all your IT needs for a low monthly cost and has many benefits for a newly growing business.

Cost Effective

If your cash flow isn’t great – and even if it is – saving money is crucial to new businesses. Using an MSP can substantially cut down on startup costs both with hardware and software. Using the MSP servers means you don’t have to supply your own at great expense and if you combine this with a BYOD policy, your hardware costs will be very low indeed. An MSP provides state of the art software apps as part of their package.  Ultimately this helps you to manage your money effectively and makes budgeting for growth easier. Read more

Cyber-attacks and sophisticated phishing raids can have immediate adverse effects on your network.  They can slow it down, steal sensitive data and make your device unusable. The downtime this can cause can have a devastating effect on your reputation, customer satisfaction and profit margins.

How effective is your company firewall? Having a highly powerful firewall is the basis of your security measures.  Firewalls are able to filter both inbound and outbound traffic, control access to host apps and track unauthorized attempts at access to your company network.  Some can even filter spam and malware. An out of date firewall may not be able to do any of these things. Read more

Google Fiber is Google’s TV and broadband service that is rapidly spreading throughout the country. Fiber TV includes DVR, apps and voice search, and features which Google claims will change the way we think about watching TV forever. The broadband service with 1000 Mbps download and upload speeds is 100 times faster than the internet available to most people today.

So what do you need to know about Fiber?

ISPs will have to react.

Google is offering a service which is extremely competitive in the service provider market, which means other ISPs will have to match it or get left behind. Comcast’s premium internet offers up to 50Mbps and uploads up to 10Mbps with no TV attached, and that’s for $100 per month. Google offers speedier internet and TV for $130. Read more

Every company, big or small, will has its share of meetings. Whether it’s for a new project, going over quarterly reports, addressing infrastructure issues, or so on, meetings try to focus on particular points of interest to assure company direction is absolute.  This becomes challenging however, when some employees can’t physically make the meeting for whatever reason. Maybe the entire employee body needs to be addressed and scheduling won’t allow for it. Well, in comes a useful feature of the modern age: video conferences. Read more

So you’ve decided to outsource some aspects of your IT systems to a third party. Or, maybe you’re outsourcing the whole unit. Likely it’s a decision to help cut infrastructure costs and improve productivity in certain areas. It’s a technique employed by many businesses looking to make the most of modern advancements such as cloud computing and a solid one overall. However, outsourcing or using third party IT support providers does come with a few risks.

It’s important to look for specific conditions and characteristics in third parties, whether you’re in Chicago or on the far side of the world. An absence of quality in areas can have serious ramifications, so be wise when choosing support providers. Read more

Storms can wreak havoc on businesses, causing thousands and even millions of dollars’ worth of damage. Hurricanes, fires, floods, wind storms, and tornadoes can all destroy important business assets including merchandise, building structure, and computer hardware such as company computers and backup servers.

• Building structure: To prevent building structure damage, there are several factors that should be considered.

• Building level: If the level the building is currently at or close to the ground, go higher if possible. For instance, if you have a two or three story building, keep all computers and hardware with sensitive data on the higher floors. This will help protect against a massive flooding incident. Read more