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Author: NTELogic

  • NTELogic Founder Named to NSBA Leadership Council

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


    May 6, 2021

    Contact:
    (209) 322-1639
    info@ntelogic.com

    Local Business Owner Matt Kiolbassa Named to NSBA Leadership Council

    Photo of Matt Kiolbassa, Founder and CTO of NTELogicOakdale, California – Matt Kiolbassa, Founder and Chief Technology Officer of NTELogic was recently named to the National Small Business Association (NSBA) Leadership Council. NSBA is the nation’s oldest small-business advocacy organization and operates on a staunchly nonpartisan basis. Kiolbassa, a recognized leader in the small-business community, joins the NSBA Leadership Council alongside other small-business advocates from across the country as they work to promote the interests of small business to policymakers in Washington, D.C.

    “As a small-business owner, I see daily the importance of being involved and active when it comes to laws and regulation,” stated Kiolbassa. “Joining NSBA’s Leadership Council will enable me to take our collective small-business message to the people that need to hear it most: Congress.”

    Matt Kiolbassa has over 30 years of experience in all areas of Information Technology. As the Founder and Chief Technology Officer of NTELogic, he has a keen focus on technology uses and solutions that empower workers while driving success and profitability in the small office and small business sectors. Matt also served in public safety for over 40 years.

    Kiolbassa joined the NSBA Leadership Council as part of his efforts to tackle the many critical issues facing small business, including tax reform, regulatory restraint, health care costs and how the Affordable Care Act will impact small business. The NSBA Leadership Council is focused on providing valuable networking between small-business advocates from across the country while ensuring small business a seat at the table as Congress and regulators take up key small-business proposals.

    “I am proud to have Matt Kiolbassa as part of our Leadership Council,” stated NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. “He came to us highly recommended, and I look forward to our coordinated efforts for years to come.”

    To learn more about NTELogic, please visit https://www.ntelogic.com/company/

    For more on the NSBA Leadership Council, please visit www.nsba.biz

    NTELogic is a Managed IT Services Provider that serves the small office and small to mid-sized business sector across California’s Central Valley and beyond by providing the essential IT services businesses rely on to thrive.

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  • New Backup Service for Microsoft 365 protects vulnerable data

    Many businesses that rely on Microsoft 365 email and services don’t realize that Microsoft service agreements protect their access to services, but not the data- emails, files, project work, that they generate and store using Microsoft 365 that is critical to their business. In fact, Microsoft recommends businesses use third-party services to regularly backup that content and data.

    Now NTELogic Backup for Microsoft 365 makes it simple to protect all of your Microsoft 365 data, including Exchange, OneDrive, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and more, in minutes so your organization is protected from accidental or malicious deletions, data corruption, malware, or Ransomware attacks on files and data and so you can restore missing content without missing a beat.

    Backup for Microsoft 365 can be turned on in seconds with up to 6 daily backups, with no data limits or overages, using a full cloud to cloud backup, so there is no impact on your business or any requirements for additional hardware or software.

    This new service is available with Microsoft 365 from NTELogic.

  • What Will Work Look Like in 2021?

    2021 is here, and with it comes the hope of normalcy. As we’ve all learned, normal was a relative term, so now, we’re all saying the new normal. In the new year, there are many possibilities about what the workplace will look like, or if there will even be traditional workplaces anymore.

    What 2020 taught the business world is that you have to be resourceful, creative, and agile to survive. SMBs in many industries are still thriving because of this. That success comes in part from their ability to make remote work simple, easy, secure, and collaborative. Executives learned that it is feasible for employees to be at home and still do their jobs well. Some may be doing it even better. The next era could very well be the work from wherever age.

    Remote Work Doesn’t Mean Company Culture Fades Away

    Some of the most successful companies in the world are well-known for their cultures. Culture has become synonymous with the brand itself. Google, Southwest, Costco, and many lesser-known businesses crafted cultures that empower employees and support them.

    In a time when company culture isn’t stuck between two walls, it has to permeate virtually. The new normal of 2021 will be about businesses adapting and finding ways to provide their workforce with the right environment, even if they go to work every day in their home office.

    Enhancing the Work from Wherever Model

    Many companies were unprepared for a full-scale remote employee base. Telecommuting certainly was part of the story before the pandemic, but it was an outlier, not the rule. When they needed to quickly move people home to keep them safe while still maintaining productivity, many businesses made hasty decisions.

    When urgency is a factor in decision-making, it’s easier to make a misstep. If you need something quick, you can’t practice proper due diligence. So, you stick with what you know, like using Google Drive as a file share system or using free video conferencing tools without thinking through the limitations.

    Leaders now have a moment to pause and reflect on how they can improve technology tools and move to an integrated platform that they control. Companies will be rethinking their remote work strategy in terms of tools and structure.

    There are many options for what their new model will look like. You could reopen your office once it’s safe and the vaccine is widely available but still provide people the flexibility to work from home. Or you could move forward with a remote-first model.

    If moving forward with remote-first, companies also have the ability to expand their talent pool. Another potential consequence is that companies can retain employees who want to move outside of urban areas where the cost of living keeps them from homeownership or financial security. There has been no dramatic migration in the U.S. during the pandemic, but it has made people rethink their priorities. Keeping a job they like and moving to a more affordable community is a win-win for employees and employers.

    Businesses That Adapted Will Keep Doing So

    There has been no shortage of innovation in 2020 from businesses of all sizes. The ability to pivot is critical in surviving any kind of disruption to society and the economy. Some of the most important shifts aren’t going to make the headlines, but they show that SMBs, which are the lifeblood of the U.S. economy, aren’t afraid of change or taking a leap.

    These adaptations are happening in every facet of the company. These businesses recognized both needs and opportunities. Most were able to do this with a remote workforce. They were still able to serve their customers by transitioning to a remote contact center, hosting virtual events in lieu of in-person ones, and leveraging technology to stay connected.

    Virtual Hiring and Onboarding

    Another part of the 2021 new normal will be hiring and onboarding virtually. As the economy continues to rebound, hiring will pick up. Candidates can expect their interviews to be via video call. Once hired, they’ll likely do all their onboarding virtually as well. There will certainly be concerns about a new hire acclimating if they aren’t in an office. However, motivated workers will take it in stride.

    To ensure this rolls out well in 2021 and beyond, businesses should define their new onboarding process and work to improve it. Much of this comes down to company culture, which will play a role in how well these new workers perform. Additionally, they’ll need simple technology that allows them to communicate and collaborate easily. It shouldn’t take days to get people up to speed on your stack. If it does, that’s a disconnect to rethink.

    Looking Forward: One Thing Is Certain

    The business world is doing a lot of looking ahead right now. It’s extremely hard to have any assurances about 2021. The only certainty is that work from anywhere will be a permanent part of the new normal.

  • Exchange Email Environment Top Tips for Security

    Exchange email is an essential tool for any business. By leveraging the cloud, organizations no longer have to house email servers on-premises, lowering costs and improving accessibility. While many Exchange environments offer the same features and functionality, they don’t all have the same security.

    If you’re considering a switch to Exchange or updating your current environment, consider these top tips for the most secure solution.

    The State of Email Security

    Email is essential to business communications. It’s also a vehicle for infiltrating networks via phishing techniques. According to the 2020 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, 25 percent of data breaches involved phishing.

    The pandemic has also been a flame to the fire for phishing. From February to May of this year, phishing attacks have risen over 600 percent in some areas.

    Phishing isn’t the only cause for concern. Many workers send sensitive data via email without encryption or security protocols, making it easy for hackers to intercept.

    You know these risks are real and have the potential to devastate your business. There are legal and brand reputation consequences for failing to protect against them. While there are threats internally and externally to your email security, there are also best practices to take to minimize risk.

    Tips for Secure Email Exchange

    Protect your email communication by implementing and maintaining these best practices.

    Choose an Exchange Partner with Credentials

    Any cybersecurity expert will vouch for the fact that cloud Exchange email is much safer than on-premises solutions. You likely don’t have the resources to build a robust security infrastructure, but the right Exchange partner can.

    To gauge the safety of a provider, look for one that meets established auditing standards, such as PCI (payment card industry) and SOC 2 Type II. Achieving these standards is a clear message that the provider has security and data breach protocols in place.

    Ensure Physical Security of Your Email Servers

    Exchange email lives in the cloud, but there are still physical servers at data centers. That means there is still a level of physical security. When comparing providers, ask about the facility’s security.

    Do they have camera surveillance? Secure access policies? Security guards?

    Use Email Encryption

    You can significantly reduce the risk of email data leaks with encryption. Email encryption delivers specific defenses, with outbound email content filtering and scanning of the content and attachments. The technology uses Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), S/MIME, and X.509 certificates to verify confidentiality, user authentication, and message integrity.

    This functionality is a requirement for certain compliance mandates, like HIPAA. However, it can be a useful tool for any industry, regulated or not. With Exchange, you can configure your policies around encryption to cover your specific needs.

    Protect Mobile Devices

    One of the most important benefits of Exchange email is its mobility. Your team can check email from any device, and many are probably using smartphones. When comparing different providers, be sure to ask if security features extend to mobile. Don’t assume that they do.

    With smartphone protection, you’ll also have peace of mind about lost or stolen devices. You can remote wipe them if necessary to protect confidential or private data.

    Arm Your Email System with the Right Defenses

    In the world of rising cybersecurity risk, your email system needs proactive defenses. You’ll find them with a multi-layered approach. Those defenses may include:

    • Anti-spam filtering: Removing spam can mitigate risks and improve bandwidth. You can control these settings and create white and black lists.
    • Continuous updates: Exchange should be auto-updating to fix any weaknesses from previous versions.
    • Malware protection: Stop malware from ever hitting the inbox.
    • Safe link features: This functionality prevents users from accessing known phishing sites.
    • Tier-1 antivirus: This security principle is universal, but not all protections are the same. Seek out solutions with proactive scanning and frequent virus definition updates.

    Document Email Practices and Educate Users

    Having a robust environment and proactive protections is essential to Exchange security, but so are your users. Your organization should document the policies around sending emails, especially if the information is confidential or protected.

    Employees can often be the “weak” link in security. They can also be the last line of defense. To empower them, you’ll need to educate them. Practice this as part of your culture, so they know what to look for and how to handle certain scenarios.

    NTELogic Exchange Email Goes Beyond Secure

    Our Exchange email platform delivers an abundance of security features. The platform encompasses all the best practices and more. Additionally, it offers flexibility and can boost productivity. 

  • Unified Communications for Small Business: 6 Features to Seek Out

    Communication and collaboration are critical to any business. Enabling your employees to do both of these effectively requires the right tools. Unified communications provide small businesses with everything they need. If you are considering switching to a new platform, it’s important to define what features matter most to you. Let’s take a look at the top ones you should seek out.

    The Small Business Communication and Collaboration Challenge

    Small businesses typically pursue strategies based on efficiency and productivity. They know they need to operate lean to find success. These businesses often have distributed teams, even more so now with the transition to remote work. Because teams are not in a central space and cannot interact with partners and clients in person, the demand for communication and collaboration tools is skyrocketing.

    The problem that many small businesses face is using multiple platforms for chat, video conferencing, and file sharing. If tools are in silos, teams may be as well. With the rise of cloud-based unified communications, small businesses can now afford integrated solutions that enhance communication and collaboration.

    Choosing Unified Communications for Small Business: Must-Have Features

    Your small business should consider unified communications to resolve the use of disparate systems, save money, and improve workflows. When comparing offerings, there are some must-have features you should include.

    Ability to Scale

    Every business has growth aspirations. As you add team members, you’ll need to consider how your technology can scale. It should be easy and straightforward. Unified communications platforms provide you with this control. Ideally, you want to be able to add users in a few clicks. Be sure to inquire about this when comparing providers.

    Support for Business Continuity

    Business continuity is vital for any organization. Natural disasters or other disruptions can put your company at risk if communication systems aren’t available. Unified communications helps support business continuity. The system can ring all endpoints for every call. If no one answers, you can route calls to a number of your choosing, including mobile or an automated attendant.

    Cloud-Based Phones

    Unified communications frees your staff to answer and receive calls from anywhere via VoIP (voice over IP). Employees can take calls from their desktop computer or mobile phone. You’ll experience the same call quality, no matter where you are. Cloud-based phone systems also streamline management from a single web-based portal. You’ll enjoy all the features of any standard business phone, including voicemail to email, hold and park, transferring calls, and call recording.

    Call Analytics

    Measuring the performance of sales and customer support is possible with call analytics. You can track the usage of your teams through reporting. These reports help you analyze the efficiency of your teams and the quality of the engagement with customers. If phone calls are a medium for your sales and support teams, this is a feature you absolutely need.

    Video Conferencing That’s Secure and Easy to Deploy

    Video conferencing has never been more necessary in the business world. It offers your team the ability to connect when in-person meetings aren’t feasible meaningfully. While many unified communications platforms include video conferencing, they aren’t all the same. It’s especially important to determine the security of the system to ensure privacy and compliance.

    It should also be easy to deploy. It shouldn’t require your team to sit through hours of training or download lots of applications. A browser-based solution means users can start meetings with a click and work from any device.

    File Backup and Collaboration from Anywhere

    Having a secure, accessible repository for documents is paramount to simplifying collaboration. Your team members can work together on a document, even editing at the same time. This functionality eliminates the need to email back and forth with multiple versions of a document. Unified communications allows you to achieve the next level of collaboration, and users can have access from anywhere.

    Security is also a factor with a file repository. Advanced security technology should keep files safe. Backup of those files automatically also means you can recover them quickly in the case of a ransomware attack or other data loss incident.

    Enable Better Communication and Collaboration with Unified Communications

    Unified communications is a smart, reliable toolkit for any small business. Your team will have all the resources it needs to communicate and collaborate, all on one platform. As you search for the right solution, keep in mind these must-have features.

    Elevate by NTELogic offers all of these and so much more. 

  • 6 Realistic Time Management Tips for Remote Workers

    You’re working on your monthly sales target report when your youngest barges into your bedroom, screaming her lungs out because the brother just took her toy. Now you have to pause working and solve the sibling rivalry. Or, you’re busy working on that urgent report, you hear your favorite song playing, so you put your laptop down and run to the living room to listen to it.

    These scenarios describe what working from home is like for most people. If you relate to either, you’re in good company. Managing your time during remote work is hard, so here are some tips.

    1. Create a New Routine

    If you began working remotely in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, then your routine before probably involved getting up early, grabbing some coffee, and commuting to work. Now that your life revolves around remote work, the line between work and personal life has become thin or nonexistent.

    When working remotely, you need to find a balance between work and private time to manage your time. The only way to do this is giving yourself a routine again. Routines create order and bring healthy stability to an unstructured day.

     So, wake up at the same time you used to, take a shower, dress up, grab some coffee, and then immerse yourself in your work. If you cannot stick to the same routine every day, try the famed A/B schedule, which involves switching up your schedule either day to day or week to week. It will help break the monotony while keeping you focused.

    2. Track Your Time Spending

    Start tracking your time to determine how long it takes you to complete daily productivity tasks and create the right schedule. For instance, if your work involves calling clients and writing reports, track how long each task takes. This will help you identify the tasks you enjoy doing, those that take longer, and those you find boring. 

    With such info at hand, you can prioritize tasks you find boring when you’re most productive, then complete your day with those you enjoy so you don’t procrastinate. Tracking time also helps you determine how much time to allocate each duty, so you push yourself to complete it before the hour or two you need is over. 

    3. Take Scheduled Breaks 

    Time management during remote work is critical, but remember you’re only human, and you need breaks. You cannot be a productive part of your team if you work yourself to burnout. So, while creating your schedule, make sure you schedule breaks. Have a mini-break every hour, and then create longer one or two hour breaks during the day. 

    You can even use the Promodoro time management technique. It involves working at 25-minute intervals. Simply choose the task, set a 25-minute timer, work on it until the timer goes off, and then take a 15-30 minute break. 

    Use this free time to take a walk, grab a snack, or take your pet around the block. You’ll come back refreshed and ready to bounce back to the next task. 

    4. Stay in Touch with Your Colleagues

    Humans are social beings. Even though you work remotely, you need to have some social interaction to remain productive. Otherwise, you’ll feel socially isolated. To prevent this from happening, stay in touch with your colleagues who’re also working remotely.

    If you’re the team leader, deploy collaboration tools that allow those on your team to connect easily for both formal and informal discussions. Staying in touch with your remote team not only prevents social isolation but also enables you to stay updated on any unexpected events that may affect your remote-working schedule. 

    5. Avoid Multitasking 

    Multitasking might seem like a good thing, but if you want to achieve effective remote work time management, take one step at a time. Why? It takes your brain about 15 minutes to refocus every time you switch to a different task. 15 minutes is a lot of time gone down the drain and time you could have used to complete a single task efficiently.

    As much as you want to get things done, do one thing at a time. You’ll be more productive because all your focus is on it, and you’ll probably finish it more quickly than when you’re trying to get everything done in one go. 

    6. Use Productivity Apps 

    Productivity apps keep you accountable. You can allocate a timeline for each project, so you meet the deadline, and they even alert you when it’s time for a break and when it’s time to get back to work. In other words, they keep on your toes, so you don’t waste time on unnecessary tasks.

    A Remote Work Success Kit Specially Designed for You

    Unable to manage your time while working from home? Consider using a remote work success kit from NTELogic to improve your time management skills while working from home.

  • 10 Video Conferencing Features You’ll Want

    Your video conferencing platform is one of your company’s most important business communications tools. Forty-one percent of users believe that companies who incorporate video conferencing as a communications channel have more engaged employees, and 89 percent say it helps them feel more connected. But, you want to make sure you have the best video conferencing features in order to get the most out of this essential business tool.

    A feature-rich video conferencing solution can empower your teams to be productive no matter where they are located. It can help your company better connect with clients and other stakeholders. It can also make it easier to collaborate, problem-solve, and hold effective meetings in real time.

    Here is a look at the key features that can help your video users have the best experience possible.

    1. Screen Sharing

    For interactive meetings and webinars, screen sharing is vital. You want to be able to share your entire screen as well as individual apps on your desktop during a meeting. This makes it easier for your video conference participants to follow what the presenter is explaining.

    2. Multiple Webcam Capabilities

    During a video conference, it’s more impactful if you can see the face of the individual who’s doing the talking in order to pick up on those all-important visual cues. If your business has a lot of remote workers or if you regularly hold meetings with employees on-the-go, look for dynamic webcam features. Ideally, your video conferencing solution will support multiple webcams so everyone can be seen – and understood – during the meeting. Intermedia’s video conferencing tool can support up to a dozen webcams at once.

    3. VoIP

    For remote teams, communicating with video should be as easy as connecting by phone or chat is. When your video conferencing tool is a part of a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) package, it is. With video conferencing through VoIP, communicating is absolutely seamless. Users can switch from voice calls to video calls or group meetings by pushing a button. There’s no need to establish a new connection or to pause communication just to change channels or add participants.

    4. Chat Features

    Whether you’re broadcasting to a group of leads with a marketing webinar or holding a meeting with employees, your users will get more out of the experience if they can interact. This is why a robust chat feature is so useful. Look for chat capabilities that allow your video conference users to share messages, including text and emojis, during a meeting or online event.

    5. Remote Control

    For collaborative meetings, this video conferencing feature is something you don’t want to miss. It allows participants to have direct control over your computer’s keyboard and mouse, making it possible to edit and make changes to shared documents in real time.

    6. Unlimited Recording

    You’ll want to be able to record your video meetings and presentations. Most video conferencing platforms make recording easy, but you want to look for a feature that will offer unlimited storage in the cloud, as well as easy sharing capabilities. You should be able to record a meeting or webinar and share it with one click with multiple participants.

    7. HD Video

    For an even better meeting experience, HD video can make a huge difference. With high-quality video, everyone can clearly see who’s speaking, making it feel like everyone is right there in the same room.

    8. Branding Features

    This is an important feature if you’re creating video content for customers, such as webinars or educational presentations. You’ll want to be able to include your company logo and any other branding. This will make your webinar content professional-looking.

    9. Dynamic Presentation Features

    For complex presentations, you’ll want to have certain features to rely on. Make sure you can upload a variety of file types, including MP4 videos, PPTs, and PDFs. This gives you the flexibility to add rich media to the presentation to keep your participants’ attention. Another advanced video conferencing feature that can empower better presentations is note sharing. You can capture a series of steps or a specific segment of the presentation and send it to participants as notes during the meeting or webinar.

    10. Performance Reports

    Performance metrics are important for evaluating how well received your presentations are, which parts are the most engaging, and how many people are attending your event. Look for a platform with both attendance and chat reports so you can get adequate feedback from your meetings and webinars.

    It’s worth it to ensure you have all the right video conferencing features for your business. Advanced features make it possible to hold dynamic and effective meetings from anywhere in the world, at any time. Explore how Intermedia’s video conferencing tool can empower your business.

  • What Is the Dark Web?

    What Is the Dark Web?

    You hear the term Dark Web frequently, but what is the Dark Web really?

    The Dark Web is World Wide Web content that exists on darknets, overlay networks that use the Internet but require specific software, configurations, or authorization to access. Content on the Dark Web is not indexed by regular search engines. Users of the Dark Web can communicate and conduct business anonymously without divulging identifying information, such as the user’s true identity or location.

    What Data Is On the Dark Web?

    The Dark Web is commonly used by cybercriminals to publish hacking information and hacking tools, lists of Personally Identifying Information (PII), such as names, dates of birth, email addresses and more, financial data, and other stolen data.

    Accessing the Dark Web

    Accessing the dark web requires the use of an anonymizing browser called Tor. The Tor browser routes your web page requests through a series of proxy servers operated by thousands of volunteers around the globe, rendering you and your IP address unidentifiable and untraceable.

    Is the Dark Web Illegal?

    Not everything on the dark web is nefarious or illegal. The Tor network began as an anonymous communications channel, and it still serves a valuable purpose in helping people communicate in environments that are hostile to free speech. People use it in countries where there’s government eavesdropping or where internet access is criminalized.

  • Remote Work Is Here to Stay

    What Lies Ahead for Businesses Tomorrow?

    The new normal has settled in on the business world, at least for now. To accommodate for the current environment and public health emergency, many workers have shifted to work from home mode. This significant change will forever impact the way people work as companies realize that remote work is productive, cost-effective, and efficient. Remote work will begin to be part of operational models. So, what does your organization need to be prepared? The right tools and technology will make all the difference.

    Remote Work Was Already Growing in Popularity

    Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak that caused workers to be at home, remote work was already growing in popularity. In Out Of Office: Remote Work In 2023, one study found the number of full-time remote workers doubled between 2018 and 2021. This data provides clear insight into the fact that companies were already changing their mindset on the work environment and understanding the benefits of offering flexible work schedules.

    Why Working from Home Is Here to Stay

    The new normal has settled in on the business world, at least for now. To accommodate for the current environment and public health emergency, many workers have shifted to work from home mode. This significant change will forever impact the way people work as companies realize that remote work is productive, cost-effective, and efficient. Remote work will begin to be part of operational models. So, what does your organization need to be prepared? The right tools and technology will make all the difference.
    These investments and new perspectives won’t disappear after stay at home bans are relaxed. Even industries with regulations around data collection, storage, and sharing, like healthcare and finance, are learning that remote working environments can be just as secure as those in a corporate office.

    Moving Forward: How Remote Work Doesn’t Change Your Operations or Strategy

    Having most or all your employees working from home doesn’t have to impact your operations or strategy. There will be some adjustments that have to be made, but, for the most part, things stay the same. Additionally, there are significant advantages to having a remote team.

    Work Environments Stay Consistent

    For operations to not be affected, ideally, you want employees to have the same work environment at home as they did in the office. The best way to meet this need is with a UCaaS (unified communications as a service) platform. A unified communications platform has everything you need to support remote workers.
    Employees have the same access at home as they would at the office. It combines all communication tools—phone, video conferencing, instant chat, and email—into one hub. UCaaS lives in the cloud, so your team needs only an internet connection to access it. Of note, when using UCaaS, you should also consider any security or privacy requirements and make sure you select a solution that meets these needs.
    The flexibility your team will have with UCaaS could actually make them more productive as communication becomes streamlined and simplified. It even boosts collaboration between employees because they can communicate more easily and share files as needed. While it’s easy to think that collaboration is enhanced by being in the same room, that’s not always true as there could be barriers to this you’re not even aware of, like conflicting schedules, no areas to meet, or other challenges.

    Sizing Up Your Infrastructure

    How you operate doesn’t need to change when going remote, but you’ll want to evaluate your infrastructure. This assessment comes down to three major components for setting up your team for remote work.

    • Reliability: UCaaS is cloud-based, so it’s much more reliable than legacy phone systems. However, not every UCaaS is the same, so look for very high uptime percentages.
    • Security: If you work in a regulated industry or not, you need to protect your data. Pay attention to how a system encrypts data and if it does so only in transit or at rest, as well.
    • Support: When you partner with a UCaaS provider, it’s important to find one that is responsive. Most providers have 24/7 support, but what’s their service level agreement (SLA)? Make sure it fits your needs.

    The Cost of Remote Work

    Does remote work cost your business more? The simple answer is no. In fact, it can decrease costs. The technology and tools you use in the office transfer to working from home. There are no additional costs associated with making your UCaaS mobile—they are designed to offer this flexibility. With UCaaS, you can have unlimited calls and meetings.

    Workers Adapting

    The final element of the future of remote work is how employees will adapt. If they’ve already been working from home occasionally, they have an idea of what to expect. For those new to this, they may need some tips on how to work remotely effectively. The good thing is that their tools are in the same place, so they don’t have to reinvent how they work.
    Remote work is the present and future for many organizations. Are you prepared? See how NTELogic Elevate delivers an exceptional experience for remote workers.

  • Techronym Tuesday for April 7th

    Bits, Bytes and all the Rest

    Today’s Techronym Tuesday requires doing a little “bit” of math as we explain the small b’s and big B’s of bits, bytes, kilobytes, megabytes and beyond.
    b (Bit) – A bit is a binary digit, the smallest increment of data on a computer. A bit can hold only one of two values: 0 or 1, corresponding to the electrical values of off or on, respectively.
    B (Byte) – Because bits are so small, you rarely work with information one bit at a time. Bits are usually assembled into a group of eight to form a byte. A byte contains enough information to store a single ASCII character, like “h”.
    KB (kilobyte) – A kilobyte (KB) is 1,024 bytes, not one thousand bytes as might be expected, because computers use binary (base two) math, instead of a decimal (base ten) system.
    MB (megabyte) – A Megabyte is 1,024 kilobytes, or 1,048,576 (1024×1024) bytes, not one million bytes. A medium-sized novel contains about 1 MB of information.
    GB (gigabyte) – A Gigabyte is 1,024 MB, or 1,073,741,824 (1024x1024x1024) bytes. This is today’s most common measure of RAM (Random Access Memory), HDD’s (Hard Disk Drives) and SSD’s (solid State Drives).
    TB (terabyte) – A Terabyte is 1,024 MB, or 1,073,741,824 (1024x1024x1024) bytes. 1 TB is about the same amount of information as all of the books in a large library
    PB (petabyte) – A Petabyte is 1,024 TB, or 1,099,511,627,776 (1024x1024x1024x1024) bytes. If written on DVDs, 1PB would create roughly 223,100 DVDs, enough to build a stack about 878 feet tall.
    Is there more beyond the PB? Yes! But that’s enough math for one day!