Data Net Blog

Much of our blog content discusses the technology used by businesses as a part of their operations, but technology is extremely valuable for several other parts of running a business, including managing relationships with existing and potential customers. The technology of marketing can be remarkably effective for getting the word out about your goods and services, and you will want to ensure your IT is up to the task of managing it.

Technology brings a lot of benefits, but it can also cause problems. Small and mid-sized businesses that rely on technology will have to confront these challenges to get the most out of their IT. Let’s take a look at three of the most common technology problems that SMBs face. 

A lot of businesses need a Point of Sale system in order to effectively do business and the technology has been progressing right along with new features and it has left some businesses struggling to compete. After all, for all businesses, the customer experience is a huge consideration. This week, we thought we would take a look at four variables that businesses should consider when determining whether or not it is time to replace their POS system.

Thanks to our role as a managed service provider, a lot of our time is spent working with the technology commonly found in today’s workplaces. A prime example: the laptop workstation. This has given us a perspective of what laptop qualities are best for business use that you might find helpful as you’re looking to add additional devices to your inventory.

Bandwidth is something that a lot of people have a baseline level of understanding of, but not much else. Today, we wanted to address some of the most frequently asked questions that business owners have about their bandwidth, specifically network bandwidth, and what it means for running your company and business technology most effectively.

The Internet of Things, or IoT for short, showcases just how much a little bit of Internet connectivity can do to help make certain devices much more interesting and useful, but at the same time, it also has brought about a considerable security concern. How are you preventing these devices from ravaging your network security, and what can you do to stop it from putting your company at risk?

TV shows and movies captivate people of all ages, walks of life, and socio-economic backgrounds. They can put viewers in places in time and situations that they could only dream about. Like many things in our society, there are varying roles that technology plays in the entertainment industry. Let’s take a look at the role technology plays in the creation of the entertainment that we enjoy every day.

Information technology has made incredible strides over a relatively short period of time with many different technologies being innovative and used for a vast variety of purposes. One section of technology that has been growing fast is the Internet of Things. This is because more devices are fueling more applications in our society. In this week’s blog, we take a look at how the Internet of Things has started to grow up and what it means for businesses in the future.

The business world has seen major shifts in supply chain management as more and more people buy and sell goods over the Internet. While it’s just another ecosystem for retail outfits, other companies that need to source resources from different types of companies from all over the planet have found that global shortages and capital constraints brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have changed the way they have to do business. 

We like to look at the new smartphones that hit the market each and every year, but this year presents an interesting change. The past several years have seen a marked decrease in innovation, and there are fewer companies producing smartphones than before. The reason for this is unclear, and it could be due to any number of factors, including market dynamics, supply chain shortages, or the costs associated with manufacturing. However, it has had profound impacts on major names in the industry, including Amazon, LG, and HTC, as well as Microsoft, Sony, and Nokia.

From its very beginnings, technology’s purpose has been to advance and supplement our capabilities. Today, there are examples of tech fulfilling that role in everything from agriculture to manufacturing and everything in between. The advancement of 3D-printing is just one of the many, many ways that this trend of technology simplifying our basic needs has recently shown its value. Let’s discuss how the development of 3D-printed food could benefit the human race in various ways.

The Federal Trade Commission has developed their Safeguards Rule for one purpose: To set up a guideline on how to interact, store, and use customer information. The FTC enacted the Rule in 2003, but it was heavily amended in 2021 to ensure that it keeps up with the technology used by businesses today. It outlines the policies and procedures that all covered companies need to enact.

Have you ever left your laptop open on a table or a desk and return to see that your cat is draped across the keyboard? It may seem like a cute anecdote, but the truth is that while having pets enhances our lives, they can be a problem for your technology. In fact, some studies put the repair/replace bill of pet-induced technology problems at around $3 billion annually. In this week’s blog, we discuss how to protect your computer from your four-legged friends. 

Software matters. What your employees use can impact your firm and your customers. Pay attention. Make rules.

There are a huge number of apps available on the various app stores—3.5 million and 1.6 million on the Google Play store and Apple’s App Store, respectively—and, while most of them are sufficiently secure to use, many of them aren’t. It can be hard to tell the difference between the two at times, so it is important that you and your team are protecting your business however you can. Let’s discuss the topic of security, as it pertains to mobile app stores, and why the issues have transcended security.

Technology has done some incredible things, especially in the past couple of decades, so it’s wild to imagine that someday, innovative new tools like ChatGPT will no longer be as cutting-edge as they might seem today. The reason is simple: most technologies today were once world-shattering and innovative, but with time they have become normalized.

Wearable technology is all over the place in your office, whether you realize it or not. Consider how many of your employees wear smartwatches or health trackers. All of these devices tend to enrich the lives of those who use them, but they can quickly become network security risks if you aren’t prepared to handle them on your company network. Let’s go over what you need to consider to protect your business from wearable technology.

Make no mistake, you want your business to grow. There is no better sign that you are resonating with customers and providing the value you set out to deliver. Unfortunately, for a lot of companies, they simply aren’t prepared when their product or service takes off and it ends up ruining what could be a very good thing. Today, we’ll take a look at three actions you can take to keep your business humming along when it sees extraordinary growth. 

The sales process is an integral part of every business. How to get your products and services in front of prospective customers is the big mystery that every business has to solve. Technology can really help improve your business’ sales process. Today, we will look at a couple of technologies that work wonders to help your sales team be more effective. 

One thing that will always be useful in business and in life is the ability to think critically. You might find that it’s even more helpful when considering decisions related to your IT infrastructure, too. Let’s go over how you can foster these skills within yourself and your employees.