A hunch may have a place in sports, detective work, or fortune telling, but for businesses, relying on gut-instinct can lead to disastrous outcomes. That’s why enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), and business intelligence (BI) applications are gaining ground as organizations strive to make more data-driven management decisions. It’s also best to leave hunches and guesswork out of any IT implementations. Deploying ERP, CRM, and BI solutions is a bit more nuanced than purchasing a product, plugging it in, and watching all your data magically fall into place. In fact, before you even begin shopping for a solution, you need to consider whether your current infrastructure can support any of these systems. Hardware requirements Regardless of where your applications are hosted, having a solid hardware foundation on which to run the software is imperative. Take for instance Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Even though it’s delivered in the cloud, considerable computing power is still required to use the system. At the very least, endpoints must have a 1.5 GHz dual core processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 1024x768 screen resolution. Even if your current infrastructure meets the bare minimum to maintain this web application, running it alongside ERP and BI systems may be problematic. For all these systems to work in unison, your organization will need to have more than 4GB of RAM and higher processing power. Stick with ill-fitting hardware and you limit your business to slow data collection, ineffective workflows, and system crashes. But with a well-designed physical infrastructure, you get the opposite: reduced future infrastructure management costs, and maximum benefits from ERP, CRM and BI. Of course, robust hardware is only as good as the power that supports it. Here, it’s also just as significant -- if not more so -- to conduct thorough power assessments and install uninterruptible power sources to minimize unplanned outages. Network infrastructure Cloud-hosted ERP, CRM, and BI can be taxing on a company’s Internet connection. And, in a world where split-second business decisions can make or break a business, organizations can’t afford to be slowed down by poor performance networks. Assess your company’s bandwidth usage and ask yourself: Is my network capacity suitable for multiple cloud-based applications? If the answer is no -- and it probably is if you’re planning on running cloud-based ERP, CRM, and BI simultaneously -- you will need to increase your network’s Internet bandwidth and restrict access to bandwidth-hungry websites. As a general rule, giving 100 kbps per user is sufficient for cloud-based services. Doing so will dislodge network bottlenecks and increase upload and download speeds, which is incredibly important for tracking up-to-the-minute financial data in ERP systems. Security Another vital component you need to consider before deploying cloud-based applications is your system’s security. Starting with a strong network security infrastructure puts you in good stead to deploy cloud-based applications without the risk of dormant malware or spyware ruining your ERP, CRM, and BI experience. By combining antivirus software, firewalls, web filtering, and the latest security patches, you can keep sensitive customer data from being compromised beginning on day one, saving you from costly lawsuits and reputational damage down the line. Even if an application is hosted in the cloud, you can’t sidestep infrastructure considerations. Purchasing a solution without considering the integration path can cost your business thousands in operational bottlenecks, upgrade costs, re-implementation costs, and time. So why don’t you do yourself a favor and minimize these problems with a thorough infrastructure plan? We promise it’ll pay off. Working as your safety net, the team at Multi IT & Telephony Solutions can assess your current infrastructure and advise how to best meet the technical requirements of cloud-based business solutions. Whether it’s hardware, software or anything else in between, contact us today to make sure all your technology implementations go off without a hitch. Call us on 011 435 0450 for Johannesburg and 021 879 1950 for Cape Town.

We’ve all experienced the frustration that comes with a slow-loading website. While 10 years ago, we would have waited patiently as a site loaded with all the urgency of a sloth, today’s internet surfers won’t hesitate to close the tab. Most expect at least a three-second load time, while some won’t settle for wait times over two. So how can you create a faster WordPress website that millennial users won’t close? Here are some ideas to get you started.0 Keep WordPress and plugins up to date While you may already know that updating WordPress and plugins will keep your website secure, you may not know that doing this also increases your site’s speed. So if you want a fast site, install those updates as soon as they become available. Choose a host wisely Your host can make or break your website, so before you select your host, do some research on the various options out there, particularly on their website speed and uptime. Also, while your first impulse may be to choose shared hosting because of its low cost, be aware that it’s also going to be your slowest option in terms of speed because many websites are simultaneously relying on the same server for bandwidth. If it’s not an option for small- or medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to use a dedicated server because of cost restrictions, their best alternative in the middle price and performance range is a virtual private server (VPS). This acts like a dedicated server in terms of functionality, but still technically uses a shared server. Regardless, using a VPS will give you a boost in speed over typical shared hosting. Keep your site lean The leaner your site is, the faster its speed will be. To create a lean site, be mindful of these four aspects: Theme – While the promise of a versatile theme can spark the imagination, actually implementing one can set you back in terms of speed. When a theme has a ton of features, the amount of code to produce those features can bog down your site. To avoid this scenario, test the theme demos to see how long it takes for them to load. If it’s more than a few seconds, look for a lighter theme that loads faster.Design – Similar to theme, design elements have the ability to dramatically slow down the speed of your site. Simple sites are faster, so think carefully about what ads, images, and extras you’re going to use.Plugins – Not all plugins are created equal; some run fast and others slow. To tell one from the other, you can use special plugins that show the impact a plugin has on your site’s load time. Another rule to follow is that fewer plugins equals more speed. So think twice before your next plugin installation spree.Images – Bulky images can also slow down your site. And while many raw images are around 3,000 to 4,000 pixels wide, most featured images are only 600–800 pixels wide. To reduce image weight and gain a faster site, resize them to the exact size they’ll appear on your screen. Mind your plugins You should stick to only the essential plugins to speed up your site. Cache plugins like W3 Total Cache and WP Super Cache can provide more speed by caching every aspect of your site and reducing its download times. Another helpful plugin is Lazy Load. It speeds up your site by loading the elements at the top of the website first, where viewers are looking when they first visit your site. Before installing the Lazy Load plugin, check your Theme Options to see if you already have it. Create redirects sparingly If a page on your site needs to be redirected to another page, it can really slow down your site so it’s best to use them as little as possible. And to ensure you aren’t using any unnecessary links without knowing it, use the Redirect mapper tool or similar alternatives that help you find redirects you don’t need. If you implement some or all of the speed tips above, you’re sure to see a noticeable difference in the speed of your site. Do you need more tips to optimize your website? Do you need help with web or IT matters? Contact Multi IT & Telephony Solutions today on 011 435 0450 for Johannesburg and 021 879 1950 for Cape Town IT Support.

If you think your email is safe from hackers, think again. A lack of sufficient email security measures can result in data theft, unauthorised access to sensitive information, and malware attacks. Here are some tips to secure your email account from unwanted intruders and the many troubles that come with them. Use separate email accounts Most people use a single email account for all their personal needs. As a result, information from websites, newsletters, shopping deals, and messages from work get sent to this one inbox. But what happens when someone breaks into it? There’s a good chance they would be able to gain access to everything else. Having at least two separate email accounts will not only boost your security, but will also increase your productivity. You can have a personal account to communicate with your friends and family, while another is used solely for work-related communications. Set strong passwords Too many email accounts have predictable passwords. You might be surprised to learn that email passwords like “123456,” “qwerty,” and “password” are still the most common around. For the sake of security, set longer passwords (or passphrases) that contain a good mix of upper- and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Make sure these passwords are unique to that account to keep all your other password-protected accounts safe. You should also consider enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA). This creates an extra layer of security by requesting for another method to verify your identity like a fingerprint scan or a temporary activation code sent to your mobile phone. Beware of email scams When you see a link in an email, don’t click on it unless you’ve assessed its authenticity. You never know where those links might lead you. Sometimes they can be safe, but other times they can infect your computer with malware. If you’re expecting a file from your friend or family, then go ahead and open the attachment. It’s always good to know the person sending the file. But be wary of attachments in emails from strangers. Even if the file name looks like a JPEG image, you should never open it. Attached files may seem harmless, but they may actually be a malicious program ready to latch itself onto your computer the moment you click on it. These types of attacks are known as phishing and they can be remarkably clever. For example, cyber criminals may masquerade as high-profile companies like Amazon, Facebook, or the Bank of America to catch their victims off guard. They might even create a sense of urgency by claiming that there’s an issue with your account, and that you should send them information or click on a dangerous link to “confirm” your personal details. Even if there was a genuine issue with your account, these companies would never ask something so suspicious over email. If you get these messages, contact the company directly through a verified website or phone number — not the contact details on the email. Monitor account activity Periodically watch over your account activity. Make sure to limit access privileges to apps if you want to ensure maximum privacy and security. Also, check for any suspicious activities in your logs like unusual devices and IP addresses that have accessed your account. This indicates that hackers may have successfully broken into your account. If this is the case, sign out of all web sessions and change your password as soon as possible. Encrypt emails and update your software Email encryption ensures that any message you send won’t be intercepted and viewed by unauthorised users. Meanwhile, installing the latest updates for your anti-malware, firewalls, and email security software filters potential email scams and fixes any vulnerabilities hackers can exploit. Protecting your email accounts from various threats can be a daunting process, but with the right support, it should be effortless. Talk to Multi IT & Telephony Solutions today for all your cybersecurity needs. Call us on 011 435 0450 for Johannesburg and 021 879 1950 for Cape Town.