How important is to have an online backup and business continuity plan for your small business

March 1, 2014
by jguerra

Online backup and business continuity plan for your small business in San Antonio, Boerne and New Braunfels

Would your small business manage to make it through a flood, fire or natural emergency as it stands today? A dependable online backup and business continuity plan guarantees your organization will persevere even through a major disaster.

ONIT Technology Solutions allows you and your company to breathe better with computer data online backup, computer system hard disk backup and full hardware and system recovery solutions for businesses in and around San Antonio, Boerne and New Braunfels.

We have an exclusive method to business continuity, constantly placing your business requirements first, determining the Recovery Point and Recovery Time Objectives and creating solutions needs around your particular goals.

Most of our business competitors merely implement technology for technology’s sake, however we implement technological innovation to support your main goals, being sure you never invest in IT you don’t want or need. Our custom-made business continuity and online backup plans also provide us the ability to back up computer data in controlled environments, therefore, regardless of what the size or shape of your company, we can protect it.

IT Outsourcing, Why More Companies Are Shifting Everyday

IT Outsourcing. Why More Companies Are Shifting Everyday

If a heavy IT department is a drain on your company, IT outsourcing services can help free up cash and assets for what’s essential .

Operating an IT department can cost a business considerable time and funds. In fact, a lot of organization managers joke that their IT department is the largest division in their organization, and they don’t actually sell IT!

The difficulty: IT department bloat

IT divisions frequently work as tiny empires within a company. IT personnel can make unilateral choices on the gear, computer software and services to get, the ideal technology to use, and how to maintain training current. Business owners without technological background can find it demanding to challenge the choices and expenses, which can result in a spiralling IT spending budget and ever-growing payroll. And financial officers are very well conscious of the difficulties of managing a team when they don’t have a definite knowledge of what their functions are.

These kind of troubles could cause significant friction within a business. As stated in numerous entrepreneurial publications, the terms that small business leaders most typically link to IT departments include: ‘complex’, ‘costly’, ‘always very late’ and ‘out of touch with reality’. Far worse, a lot of companies will never obtain complete value from their internal IT personnel. Almost all IT departments are going to have idle periods of time, and devote precious staff-time on the repetitive, day to day grind of elementary IT support or simply, their personnel just don’t possess the appropriate abilities. So when there are significant security or difficulties, outside specialists must be engaged to come across a remedy. Do any of these complications seem familiar? If so, your small business might benefit from a general change in the approach the IT department is organized.

The answer: IT Outsourcing services

By outsourcing IT services, your organization could immediately reduce capital spending (for instance, on brand new equipment or computer software) and staff expenses, instead investing in solutions only in case you need them. An IT department can after that be consolidated down to 1 or 2 vital employees – based on the size of the company – supported by outside professionals with appropriate and updated expertise whenever the need arises.

Outside IT providers might supply the basic ‘helpdesk’ assistance that so frequently uses up the precious time of in-house staff, freeing up these essential personnel to focus on tactically central projects. For small or medium sized businesses, IT outsourcing services can also deliver having access to a larger variety of abilities and skills than a sole technician may offer. No one staff member could be proficient in handling all of the technologies – and provide you with network and website development skills too. But one single agreement with an IT managed services company may well deliver all of that.

There are absolutely no financial surprises either. As opposed to inconstant and unanticipated expenses, IT spending can easily be limited to a single, expected payment – an enormous relief for the owners of small and medium sized companies. And this expense is linked with a Service Level Agreement to guarantee the business’ requirements are met.

A 2011 evaluation by CompTIA, included businesses relying upon outside IT professional solutions for at least some of their IT. Close to half of them asserted that doing this had permitted them to cut expenditures by a quarter or more. 14% said they experienced a cut in annual IT expenses by over fifty percent. What’s more, 60% were so pleased that they prepared to obtain IT outsourcing services further by 2014. Network management, maintenance and help desk, databases assistance and applications help, were among the solutions that organizations intend to shift to outside providers.

Seize control now – contact us today and start controlling your cash and ultimately your company.

Data Backup Services

February 12, 2014
by jguerra

We Have 3 Gifts Reserved For You This Valentine’s Day To Show You How Much We LOVE Your Business!

Finally, Valentine’s Day gifts that won’t make you fat or give you cavities! During the entire month of February, we’re having a special event for all of our clients (new and old) to show them a little love and appreciation.

1. A FREE Gift and Goodie Bag. Call us for anything during the month of February – a repair, an upgrade or even a quote on a project – and we’ll give you a free Valentine’s Day Gift and Goodie Bag chock-full of useful, interesting and fun gifts. Yes, we are keeping the contents secret, but it is of value!

2. A FREE Network Audit ($497 Value). Are you worried about viruses, spyware and hackers? Are you curious about whether or not your business could be moved to the cloud? Are you uncertain about how safe your data is? Would you like to know for sure if your backups are really working?

Then contact us during the month of February and we’ll give you a FREE Network Audit ($497 value) to conduct a thorough investigation into your computer network to look for early warning signs of data loss, extensive downtime, viruses, hacker attacks and other hidden threats to the safety of your data.

3. A FREE Month of Data Back-up ($597 Value). Sign up for our data backup service during the month of February and your first month is FREE! Everyone knows that you need to back up your data – but did you know it’s critical to have an off-site backup in case of fire, flood, theft or hardware failures? Don’t lose everything! Sign up for our data backup services and you’ll sleep a little easier at night knowing your data is safe.

Contact us today to claim one or more
of your FREE gifts! Phone: 210-273-4524

Areas Covered

We provide a wide range of complete computer IT support, network and data backup services and IT consulting to businesses throughout San Antonio, Schertz, Seguin, Boerne, Canyon Lake, Stone Oak, Universal City, Pleasanton, Castle Hills, Leon Valley, Converse, Shavano Park, Cibolo, Olmos Park, Live Oak, Timberwood Park, New Braunfels and throughout Southern Texas.

Local experts who can help and visit your business on-site: IT Consulting San Antonio, Stone Oak IT Consulting, Leon Valley Network Services, San Antonio Data Backup Service and Disaster Recovery, Stone Oak Information Technology Consulting and San Antonio Anti-Virus and Security.

Identity Theft

Free eBook: “What Every Business Owner MUST Know
To Protect Against Online Identity Theft”

All it takes is one innocent security slip by you or one of your employees to instantly give online criminals the information they need to access your network and steal your identity. In no time at all, they can gain enough information to max out your credit cards, wipe out your bank accounts, and completely obliterate your business and personal credit. They can even use your identity to commit further crimes such as forgery, stealing from other businesses, or online scams. This nightmare can take months – sometimes years – to clean up and can destroy your credit and good name.

That’s why for a limited time we’re giving away FREE copies of our eBook, “What Every Business Owner MUST Know To Protect Against Online Identity Theft”. identity-theft-san-antonio

You’ll learn:

– The 3 most effective tricks online identity thieves use to gain access to your business and personal information – and how to avoid them.

– Sneaky e-mails you should delete IMMEDIATELY upon receiving them (you’ll want to share this list with your friends, family and staff).

– One super-easy, sure-fire way to make your computer network impervious to online identity thieves.

– How to protect yourself against NEW scams being spread through social media sites like Facebook or Twitter.

– How to keep your employees from accidentally giving away passwords and other “keys to the kingdom” to Internet criminals.

– To download your free copy, click here.

Optimize Your Computer

January 20, 2014
by jguerra

A Warning to Time-Pressured Entrepreneurs – Optimize Your Computer

Up to 17 Hours of Your Time is Wasted on This

As a busy business owner or office manager, nothing is more frustrating than being made to wait; especially when that waiting seems unnecessary. And when it comes to waiting for your computer to start up, most business owners are all too familiar with the frustration of impatiently watching as their computer goes through the slow and agonizing process of getting ready for you to actually use it.

Most Microsoft Windows computers take between 3-4 minutes to completely rev up, not including opening any programs outside of the start-up menu. Multiply that time over a year, and you’ve got yourself 17 hours of staring at the screen, drumming your fingers on the desk and trying to figure out how to be productive while your computer boots up.

Want To Cut Down On Time-Wasting?

Here are some tips on how you can optimize your computer’s start-up process so you can get right to business:

1) Remove auto-loading software. If you’ve got any programs that start up when you power your computer on, you are significantly adding to the time it takes for your computer to be ready

2) Let the computer hibernate. When possible, leave your computer on and simple put it in hibernate mode. This tells the computer to start up again in the state where you left it last. Plus it has the added benefit of using very little electricity – about the same amount a computer uses when plugged in but shut off. for use. Take these programs off the start menu or, if you don’t use them, simply delete them off the machine.

3) Consider switching to a thin client. Thin clients are “dumb” computers that connect to a server which houses all the software, programs, and even processing power. Because nothing is loaded up onto these thin client machines, they can be ready to go in as little as 5 seconds after pressing the power button. Thin clients do require your network to be set up a certain way though, so be sure to check that before you install one.

4) Take off any “trial-ware”. Some computers come with software already loaded on them, like photo software or other utility programs. These programs, most of which don’t even show up in the list of available software you can remove, are called “trial-ware” because they came with the machine. Typically, they run processes in the background while you boot up.

– Test your firewall, anti-virus and spyware protection
– Check your backups
– Review your acceptable use policy
– Check your online security settings
– Look for ways to improve overall network efficiency and health

“ONIT Tecnology Solutions has really been amazing. Over the past year, we have literally added 5 hours per week to our productivity thanks to your recommendations about our computers and network. It’s so great to know that we have a trusted advisor we can count on to help us navigate these things.”

What is Cloud Computing? The Nebulous Truth About Cloud Computing

Just a little over 1 year ago, my aunt Edna called to ask if I considered she needed to relocate the family computer into the cloud.

It’s very hard to blame her for the misconception. In the end, the entire technology sector appropriates the expression for virtually any and all sorts of internet activity. “Cloud” is now a shortcut motto that we’ve all regarded as a “complicated technical stuff made simple that you’ll comprehend eventually when you’re more mature.” Well… today is that day. We’ll find out exactly what the cloud really is, in addition to review some small background and look at a number of its features. Let’s begin with exactly how it got here:

How the Cloud Originated

As you may may remember, during the mid to late nineties, online technology organizations were virtually springing up over-night in what grew to become known as “the dot-com bubble.” In order to keep their services working, these businesses needed to buy a lot of computer hardware -everyone was wanting to be the next Amazon. This, however, was no affordable strategy. To account for erratic spikes in visitor website traffic, a great deal of that equipment sat idling for the majority of of the time. It was the same as purchasing an automobile for a two-day business trip and then leaving behind that car at the airport terminal because you may need to take a flight back in half a year.

The commercial practice of virtualization transformed that. In general, virtualization is the concept of using one computer and sectioning parts of it to simulate many scaled-down computers. Though the concept of virtualization has been around since the sixties, it took a number of improvements in technological innovation and the obvious need of a less expensive way out of advance virtualization to the level of financial viability.

With virtualization on their side businesses didn’t have to purchase and maintain massive mainframe computers to manage the web traffic. They could subscribe to a service that would afford all of them as much or as little computing resources as they required and just charge them for what was really used. Therefore came into existence The Cloud. In a nutshell, a Cloud computer is any kind of pool of computer resources that can be instantly partitioned and customized to suit the needs of a particular user.

http://onlinebusiness.volusion.com/articles/what-is-cloud-computing/

Windows XP Expiration Notice

December 30, 2013
by jguerra

Windows XP Expiration

An URGENT Security Warning
For Businesses Running
Windows XP Or Office 2003

If your organization is currently running either Windows XP or Office 2003 on one or more computers in your office, you need to know about a dangerous security threat to your organization that must be addressed within the next 3 months. Please take a moment to read this important announcement.

As your local Microsoft Registered Partner, we are aggressively reaching out to all businesses within the San Antonio area that use Windows XP and Office 2003 to alert you of this serious security risk to your organization and inform you about what you need to do now to protect your company.

XP And Office 2003 Changes Must Be Made By April 8, 2014

Microsoft has officially announced that it will retire support on the XP operating system and Office 2003 software suite on April 8, 2014. That means any computer with these software programs installed will be completely exposed to serious hacker attacks aimed at taking control of your network, stealing data, crashing your system and inflicting a host of other business-crippling problems you do NOT want to have to deal with.

This is such a serious threat that all companies housing financial and medical information are being required by law to upgrade any and all computer systems running XP or Office 2003 because firewalls and anti-virus software will NOT be sufficient to completely protect them (or you).

Windows XP Expiration IS NOT A SCAM!

Unless you don’t care about cyber criminals running rampant in your company’s server, you MUST upgrade any equipment running these programs.

FREE Microsoft Risk Assessment And Migration Plan Shows You The Easiest, Most Budget-Friendly Way To Upgrade

At no cost, we’ll come to your office and conduct our proprietary 17-Point Risk Assessment — a process that’s taken us over 3 years to perfect — to not only determine what specific computers will be affected by this announcement, but also to assess other security, backup and efficiency factors that could be costing you in productivity and hard dollars. We will also put together a customized Migration Plan for your office.

Sign Up Here

Areas Covered

We provide a wide range of complete computer IT support, network services, IT consulting and Windows XP expiration help to businesses throughout San Antonio, Schertz, Seguin, Boerne, Canyon Lake, Stone Oak, Universal City, Pleasanton, Castle Hills, Leon Valley, Converse, Shavano Park, Cibolo, Olmos Park, Live Oak, Timberwood Park, New Braunfels and throughout Southern Texas.

Local experts who can help and visit your business on-site: IT Support San Antonio, Stone Oak IT Consulting, Leon Valley Network Services, San Antonio Backup and Disaster Recovery, Stone Oak Information Technology Consulting and San Antonio Anti-Virus and Security.

What Is Cloud Computing And Why Should You Care?

December 16, 2013
by jguerra

Cloud Computing San Antonio

There’s a good chance that MOST of the software applications you use every day are now SaaS applications, or “software as a service.” In other words, you don’t have to install them on your server or PC – you simply access it as a pay-as-you-go model for only the licenses, space and features you use. This gives you the ability to access highly sophisticated software and functionality at a fraction of the cost – or even for free – and without long-term commitments.

For example, Google is a massive, free cloud application – the power required to search billions of web sites and content in seconds and deliver the relevant results to your screen far exceeds the capacity of your PC. Facebook is another free cloud application that allows you to post pictures, play games, and connect with your friends in real time without having to install those applications on your computer. Of course, there are also the applications such as Salesforce, Constant Contact, SurveyMonkey, etc., that you pay to use.

With the recent introduction of cloud-based office applications like Office 365, Google Apps and thousands of other SaaS applications, it’s becoming unnecessary for some businesses to purchase and maintain an onsite server. Now companies can host one or more of their applications, data, e-mail and other functions “in the cloud.” That simply means it’s stored offsite in a highly secure, high-availability “utility” company that has far more power and resources than you could ever logically have onsite as a small business. And with devices getting cheaper and Internet connectivity exploding, cloud computing is suddenly a very smart, viable option for small business owners.

What Are The Benefits Of Cloud Computing?

Eliminates the need for expensive server upgrades and allows you to use cheaper devices (PCs, etc.) to get the same work done.
Frees you to access applications from any device and any location. All you need is an Internet connection.
Built-in disaster recovery and business continuity.
Only pay for what you need and use (utility pricing).

Is Cloud Computing Right For You?

While there are a ton of benefits to cloud computing, it’s NOT right for every company. Some applications don’t play well in the cloud. You need commercial-grade Internet connectivity, and some functions, like working with big graphics files, are better kept local or the slowness will make you crazy. However, in almost every case, parts of your computer network (functions) can easily be put in the cloud to save you money and give you better service. So before you donate your server and sign up for Google Apps or Office 365, it’s important you talk to someone who can honestly assess your unique situation and tell you the pros and cons of making the switch to cloud computing.

Sign up for a Free Cloud Readiness Assessment to see if your company can benefit from this technology that is revolutionizing the business world.

Backup Solutions – Special Alert For San Antonio Business Owners

December 1, 2013
by jguerra

Backing Up Your Server Alone May Still Lead To Data Loss

Most business owners know that it is important for their servers to be backed up. But what about your computers (desktops, laptops, Macs)? Though it’s true that quite a bit of your data is stored on your servers and backed up on your network, your computer itself (your icons, your background, all of your settings, your local files, music and pictures you have stored, and all of your software applications) is most likely NOT being backed up.

If your computer were to crash, get a virus, or simply die, all of that information could be lost. The company data that you’ve saved to your server would still be there IF you are saving everything to your server (a big if for many people), but everything else would be gone. You would have to recreate that computer by reloading all of the software and settings. And if you’ve ever had this happen to you, you know that it can take a significant amount of time to do. What a pain!

So, How Do You Solve This Problem? Backup Solutions.

Simple. You use an imaging software on your computer that automatically takes periodic images of the machine and sends them offsite or to your server for safe keeping. Imaging software takes a “picture” or “snapshot” of your computer so it records it exactly as it is with all of the software, settings and local files you have on it. This way, with backup solutions, if your computer ever crashes, there is no need to re-load everything onto it and reconfigure the computer. Simply restore your last “image” from before the crash and your computer can be back to its old self again. This is a huge time saver and can be a life saver when something goes wrong.

Protect Your Desktops And Laptops with Backup Solutions!

Sign-up for a 30-day FREE trial (a $397 value) of our Managed Desktop Backup Solutions and see for yourself how simple it can be to keep your computer data and files safe and sound. You may be amazed the peace of mind that you find when you are completely backed up!

Is Your IT Guy Holding You Prisoner?

November 18, 2013
by jguerra

Is Your IT Guy Holding You Prisoner? – IT Services

Here’s a question you’ve probably never thought about: If your IT guy went away, would you know where all the passwords, data, software licenses and disks, key codes, and other important information were stored? Do you know how to log into your server? Do you know the passwords to all your employee’s workstations? Do you know where your offsite data is stored and how to access it? Is your network documented so that another IT services person could come in and pickup where they left off? If not, your IT guy is holding you prisoner.

If he’s doing a good job, you might not mind too much; however, you should STILL have him or her document your network in case they didn’t show up one day for work. And if you AREN’T really happy with their work and aren’t sure if they are doing a good job, that’s all the more you should have this done.

Occasionally I’ve run across potential new clients who aren’t really happy with their IT services guy’s work, but stay with them out of fear. As one business owner to another, this is NEVER a good reason to stay with your current provider.

If you can’t trust the person with the most access and power over your computer network – the core of your business – you need to find someone you CAN trust. A truly professional person or provider would NEVER hold their client hostage or do any harm in handing over the “keys to the kingdom” to another company. And any good IT services firm should be able to walk you through the transition to prevent that person from doing any damage.

How To Know If Your IT Guy Is Doing A Good Job

Another reason business owners stay with their current IT person is simply because they don’t know what good IT service really IS, and therefore lowered their expectations. Over and over again I’m absolutely HORRIFIED by the incompetence and irresponsibility I discover when I audit most business networks. In 98% of the computer networks I review, I find faulty or non-existent backups, security loopholes, shoddy reporting, and flawed systems that simply cost more to maintain and don’t align with the operations of the business.

Plus, not a week goes by where we don’t get a ‘911 crisis call’ from a business owner with a major technical disaster that COULD have been prevented. Why do so many businesses pay for substandard computer support? Simply because they don’t know how to truly verify that their network IS secure and end up having to take someone at their word.

[box] Here’s a quick quiz to know if your IT guy IS doing a good job. If your technician does not score a “yes” on every point, you could be paying for substandard support:

YES/NO Do they answer their phones “live” and respond to support issues in one hour or less?

YES/NO Are they remotely monitoring your network 24-7-365 to keep critical security settings, virus definitions, and security patches up to date?

YES/NO Do they INSIST on monitoring an offsite as well as an onsite backup, or are they letting you rely on outdated tape backups?

YES/NO Do they INSIST on doing periodic test restores of your backups to make sure the data is not corrupt and could be restored in the event of a disaster?

YES/NO Have they provided you with written, network documentation detailing what software licenses you have, critical network passwords, and hardware information, or are they the only person with the “keys to the kingdom?”

YES/NO Do they consistently (and proactively) offer new ways to improve your network’s performance, or do they wait until you have a problem to make recommendations?

YES/NO Do they provide detailed invoices that clearly explain what you are paying for?

YES/NO Do they explain what they are doing and answer your questions in terms that you can understand (not geek-speak)?

YES/NO Do they complete projects on time and on budget, or does every project end up taking longer and costing more than you expected?

YES/NO Do they offer any guarantees on their services?

YES/NO Do they have other technicians on staff who are familiar with your network in case your regular technician goes on vacation or gets sick?

YES/NO Do their technicians maintain current vendor certifications and participate in ongoing training, or do you feel as though they are learning on your dime?

YES/NO Do they take calls from other clients while working on your network (and on your dime)?

YES/NO Do you have to manage their progress on projects, or do they provide frequent updates, status reports, and follow-up calls and e-mails?

YES/NO Do they offer flat-rate or fixed-fee project quotes, or do they give themselves a wide open playing field with “time and materials?”

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If Your Current IT Services Guy Failed This Test, Sign Up For A FREE Network Health Check To Make Things “Right”

If you’re NOT happy with your IT services person and have a sneaking suspicion that they aren’t doing the best job possible, then call us in at 210-263-3810 for a second opinion. At no cost or obligation to you, we’ll come to your office and conduct a network health check to look for problems with your backup, security, speed, and any other problems that could lead to data loss, downtime, and high repair fees.

[button link=”https://123onit.com/it-consulting-san-antonio-free-computer-stuff/free-network-audit/” type=”icon” icon=”refresh” newwindow=”yes”] Activate Your No-Obligation Problem Prevention Technology Health Check[/button][/box]

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