Small- and medium-sized businesses don’t have the time to maintain IT infrastructure, let alone assess whether it’s still driving value for the company. However, if you want to ensure everything runs smoothly, it’s important to be proactive and conduct technology business reviews when you can. What is a technology business review? A technology business review reveals the strengths and weaknesses of your company’s IT framework. It’s often performed by a third-party IT consultant who will give an objective assessment of your technology and provide recommendations to help meet your goals. If done properly, technology business reviews allow you to: Save money Every review starts with a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether a solution you’ve implemented is worth the continued investment. If there are technologies costing you a fortune in management and maintenance fees, consultants will advise you to cut them from your budget. The best ones will even recommend cost-effective alternatives so you can do more with less. Increase productivity System-wide reviews of your IT infrastructure show you what processes are hindering operations and propose solutions that let you work faster and smarter. For example, if employees are mainly sharing files via email, consultants might suggest cloud collaboration platforms like Office 365 or G Suite that store data in a centralized location for seamless file sharing. Enhance security and compliance Technology business reviewers also uncover security risks within your business. Consultants scan for missed patches, poorly configured networks, and other software vulnerabilities that make it easy for cybercriminals to hack your systems. They’ll then compile their findings to create a more robust defense strategy, usually one that involves implementing advanced solutions like intrusion prevention systems, file access restrictions, and patch management software. If you operate a business that’s subjected to data regulations like HIPAA or PCI-DSS, consultants will also pinpoint IT practices and solutions that are noncompliant and customize a strategy that ensures the privacy, integrity, and availability of your data. Implement technologies that fit Considering that new technologies are released at a breakneck pace, it’s important you pick the ones that make sense for your operation, its goals, and the bottom line. Technology business reviews keep you up to date on the latest technology trends and gauge the impact of implementing them, so you can make informed decisions. Whether your goal is to increase profits, productivity, security, or all of the above, technology business reviews can put you on the right track. Our seasoned IT consultants can conduct these reviews for you and develop a strategy that gives you an edge over the competition. Just give Multi IT a call on 011 435 0450.

Do you spend hours obsessing about the inner workings of DNS-layer security, intrusion prevention systems, and data encryption? If you’re not a managed IT services provider (MSP), you probably don’t. Instead, you’re probably looking for a business partner to manage those nitty-gritty details for you. However, there’s one thing you really ought to know: What exactly are “proactive cybersecurity” measures? Understand the threats you’re facing Before any small- or medium-sized business (SMB) can work toward preventing cyberattacks, everyone involved needs to know exactly what they’re up against. Whether you’re working with in-house IT staff or an MSP, you should review what types of attacks are most common in your industry. Ideally, your team would do this a few times a year. Reevaluate what it is you’re protecting Now that you have a list of the biggest threats to your organization, you need to take stock of how each one threatens the various cogs of your network. Map out every company device that connects to the internet, what services are currently protecting those devices, and what type of data they have access to (regulated, mission-critical, low-importance, etc.). Create a baseline of protection By reviewing current trends in the cybersecurity field and auditing your current technology framework, you can begin to get a clearer picture of how you want to prioritize your preventative measures versus your reactive measures. Before you can start improving your cybersecurity approach, you need to know where your baseline is. Devise a handful of real-life scenarios and simulate them on your network. Network penetration testing from trustworthy IT professionals will help pinpoint weak spots in your current framework. Finalize a plan All these pieces will complete the puzzle of what your new strategy needs to be. With an experienced technology consultant on board for the entire process, you can easily synthesize the results of your simulation into a multi-pronged approach to proactive security: Security awareness seminars that coach all internal stakeholders – train everyone from the receptionist to the CEO about effective security practices such as password management, proper mobile device usage, and spam awareness Front-line defenses like intrusion prevention systems and hardware firewalls – scrutinize everything trying to sneak its way in through the borders of your network Routine checkups for software updates, licenses, and patches – minimize the chance of leaving a backdoor to your network open Web-filtering services – blacklist dangerous and inappropriate sites for anyone on your network Updated antivirus software – protect your data and systems against the latest and most menacing malware As soon as you focus on preventing downtime events instead of reacting to them, your IT infrastructure will increase your productivity and efficiency to levels you’ve never dreamed of. Start enhancing your cybersecurity by giving Multi IT a call on 011 435 0450 for a demonstration.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of vehicles, appliances, and devices embedded with actuators, connectivity, software, electronics, and sensors that allow users to connect and swap data. The business world is steadily changing with the implementation of IoT in the following methods. Improved logistics With IoT sensors, supply chain management and order fulfillment processes improve markedly to meet customer demand. For example, sensors on delivery containers and trucks in transit give managers real-time status updates, allowing them to track their items and ensure they reach the right location at the right time. Streamlined inventory Automation opportunities for businesses that need to manage and replenish their stock are presented with this technology. When data recorded from IoT devices are tied to your enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, you can accurately monitor your inventory, analyze purchase and consumption rates of a particular product, and automatically reorder items when sensors detect that supply is running low. This minimizes out-of-stock incidents and prevents excess stock build-up. Fast payment Given how most payments are done electronically via point-of-sale systems or the internet, IoT has the potential to revolutionize the way businesses process transactions. For example, ApplePay not only allows users to purchase goods and services using the usual smartphone applications, but through state-of-the-art wearable technology as well. Soon, IoT devices might even allow restaurants and retailers to register or charge their customers the moment they walk through the door. Market insight Businesses that can make sense of IoT-collected data will gain a competitive edge. Marketers, for example, can gather valuable insight into how their products are used and which demographic is utilizing them the most. This information can then inform future marketing efforts and give businesses more focused direction on how to improve their products and services for their customers. Although businesses will certainly face many challenges in implementing the Internet of Things, those who overcome them will reap all the benefits of this burgeoning technology. Want to know if an IoT deployment is right for your business? Contact Multi IT on 011 435 0450 and speak with our certified IT consultants today.