Protect your company with security solutions from Microsoft

Every company needs to have an updated security strategy—we're looking at you, small businesses. In a digital landscape that's constantly evolving, now's the time to adopt a cloud-based security solution to defend customer data against cyberattacks. Want to secure your customers' sensitive data? Contact us to learn more.

View: Protect your company with security solutions from Microsoft

Small and Mid-Size Businesses Need to Focus on Cybersecurity

Contrary to popular opinion, small and mid-size businesses are at a greater risk for a cybersecurity attack than large corporations. But because many SMBs assume they're not at risk, they rarely invest in security measures that could save their businesses. Read this article for more on the real impact of a data breach on SMBs and what you can do to protect your business.

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Why SMBs should be running their business in the cloud

Despite the proven increases in profits and security that come with moving to the cloud, many small businesses remain hesitant. This article outlines concerns many business owners have when considering the switch, and highlights many specific benefits available to cloud users, making the cloud less mysterious and more accessible than ever.

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Machine Learning Is Helping To Stop Security Breaches With Threat Analytics

Machine learning is enabling threat analytics to deliver greater precision regarding the risk context of privileged users' behavior, creating notifications of risky activity in real time, while also being able to actively respond to incidents by cutting off sessions, adding additional monitoring, or flagging for forensic follow-up.

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Average Cost of an SMB Data Breach

This graphic highlights research showing the average cost of a data breach for an SMB is $120K.

Is Your Computer Being Held Hostage? What to Do.

Ransomware attacks happen more than you think. Back up data; keep security up to date and take on those hackers! These are just a few of the tips you'll get when you read this blog by security, privacy and identify theft expert, Robert Siciliano. Advanced threat protection is important, too.

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Five Benefits And Three Challenges Technology Can Bring To Global Companies

By now, you know that technology brings numerous advances in communication for your teams, but are you familiar with the most specific benefits teamwork technology has to offer? This article asserts that communication technology translates to faster communication, enhanced efficiency, and profit boosts for your employees, all essential components to connecting your teams and resources. Check out this article to learn more.

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Small Business Security Breaches

58% of all security breaches in 2018 took place at small businesses.

Business owners guide E-book

This E-book outlines common problems that start to occur for small businesses as they outgrow their current systems and what business owners should keep in mind when looking for potential solutions.

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Security and password protection

"They got someone's password, and sent an email to our CFO, who sent the $40,000 wire transfer."

Quiz: How Secure Are You

Take this 10-question quiz to find out if your company is safe and secure or at risk to become a cybercrime victim.

View: Quiz: How Secure Are You

Customer Story: Clifton Coffee | Connect and Collaborate

Clifton Coffee Roasters (CCR) was the first specialty coffee roaster to adopt the Teamwork solutions from Microsoft platform, which means they're breaking new ground in communications methods for their industry. As the company expands, they depend on Teamwork solutions from Microsoft to manage their growth, drive innovation, and help their employees connect in the most meaningful and productive ways possible. Want to increase productivity and drive innovation in your business? Check out this video to see how CCR lead the way in communications innovation in their industry, and then contact us to learn more.

IT Detects Security Threats First. It's Worth Considering Why.

It's been a long road, but Security and IT teams are making great progress in terms of collaboration, according to a new Dark Reading survey of IT and cybersecurity professionals. Dark Reading tracks progress year-to-year and reported an impressive positive movement in terms of how teams view each other, but still saw room for improvement around disparate tools (leading to silos of data) and inadequate visibility in the cloud. Read this blog on key findings from the survey and for a better understanding of why Security and IT collaboration is so important.

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Managing Remote Employees? Spot This Problem and Improve Productivity

While this article focuses on creating successful business relationships among teams that work remotely, at its core it's about how to drive meaningful communication among team members. Building and maintaining good relationships is the backbone of any successful company. When employees feel comfortable while engaging in constructive discourse and have personal rapport conducive to exchanging ideas and working toward a common goal, workplace productivity and profit feel the impact. Want to encourage your teams to do their best work? Check out this article for more on how you can help your customers foster better communication in their teams.

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Seven Signs Your Business Should Move To A New CRM System

"Good CRMs will not make you drool in admiration or write a pretty sonnet, but the bad ones will drive you and your employees crazy." CRM systems are a necessary component of being proactive in managing your business. These seven signs are a great way to assess whether your CRM solution is not just meeting expectations but empowering your organization to focus on putting the customer first. Contact us to learn how you can create connected interactions and improve efficiency for your customers and employees.

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Climatec powered by Microsoft

Since 1975, Climatec has been a leading provider of energy solutions and building technologies. As the company grew, it found it needed a single, all-encompassing solution to connect multiple offices, adapt easily to business processes and support employees out in the field. Climatec chose a Microsoft solution for field service to help it organize and automate business processes while also equipping employees with the data they need to deliver exceptional customer service. Bringing in the right technology to enable employees creates better customer experiences. Let us help you drive intelligent optimization and empower your organization.

Is your company secure?

Microsoft 365 and the intelligent cloud can help you protect, detect and respond to today's modern security landscape. As a fully integrated, end-to-end solution, Microsoft 365 helps you address new risks and opportunities and drive digital transformation to empower everyone from the executive office to first-line workers. Contact us to get started today!

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Customer Story: Clifton Coffee | Work From Anywhere

Clifton Coffee Roasters always had far-reaching ambitions. They needed to maximize efficiency in their company and create a better way for employees to communicate, no matter where they were individually located. With Teamwork solutions from Microsoft, their employees could work from virtually anywhere, on any device. With features like video conferencing and instant messaging, Microsoft Teamwork solutions help employees work more effectively. And with employees empowered to work remotely, Clifton Coffee Roasters created the digital office of its dreams.

Want To Be A Remote Worker? Get These Digital Skills

How can digital skills enable your employees to work remotely? With the right communication tools and apps geared toward facilitating better teamwork, the benefits of working remotely can include increased productivity and reduced downtime, not to mention hitting that sweet spot in work-life balance. Does your team need help navigating communication tools and apps? Contact us to learn how we can help you create a connected digital workspace.

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Transform Endpoint Management and Security with Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 unified endpoint management (UEM) is the most secure, flexible approach to managing Windows 10 and other mobile devices in your modern workplace. Combining the strengths of Microsoft Intune and System Center Configuration Manager, it is the simplest way to cloud-connect your existing management infrastructure and reduce overall complexity, empowering end user productivity and enhancing device security. Contact us to learn how you can keep your data and employees' mobile devices secure with Microsoft 365.

It's Time to Manage Your Wi-Fi with a Mobile App

This blog outlines the needs and benefits of being able to manage small business Wi-Fi through the Aruba Instant On mobile application.

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Raising the Bar with End-to-End Security

With Microsoft, security can be simple once again. Microsoft 365 provides an intelligent security hub that works seamlessly across platforms, going far beyond Microsoft to Linux, Mac and others -- so you can manage mission-critical workloads with existing tools at your fingertips. Contact us to learn how Microsoft 365 helps keep your organization secure and productive.

Lackluster Teamwork? Tips For Boosting Performance

How can you improve teamwork for your team? And what does successful teamwork look like for employees across different generations? Research shows that regular constructive feedback is key to making employees feel that their contributions are valued, especially among younger workers. This in turn translates to increased motivation among all employees and a reinforcement of the team's core values. Check out this article for more on how to help engage your employees and facilitate better teamwork.

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Bill Gates Says These Tech Innovations Will Change the World

The quality of life for many people today is much better than it was 20 years ago. Bill Gates is bullish on tech that focuses on improving happiness and living conditions around the world. He believes that focusing on improved well-being in the next 20 years can fight back disease and other world problems.

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Gen Z Brings a Whole New Dynamic to the Workforce

With the oldest of Gen Z now 23, they're entering the workforce at a rapid rate. This generation expects a lot from their employers--especially when it comes to tech. To attract the best talent, you'll need to position your company as a tech-based company. Even if your business is analog by nature, the tools you use for collaboration and communication shouldn't be.

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Always On Wi-Fi That Your Small Business Deserves

This blog introduces Aruba Instant On with a focus on the benefits to small businesses and the challenges they face.

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Day in the life: IT project manager

As an IT project manager, you need a place to create and make decisions with your team. With the right platform, there's no limit to what you can achieve. Using a collaboration solution like Teams brings everything together in a shared workspace where you can chat, meet, share files, and work with business apps. Interested in learning more about the benefits of using Teams? Contact us today to find out some of the unique benefits it has over other platforms.

View: Day in the life: IT project manager

Customer Story: Clifton Coffee

Clifton Coffee Roasters (CCR) is a popular coffee company that profited from the recent boom in café culture. As Clifton Coffee Roasters' business grew, so did the company leaders' ambitions. They credit digital business and communication tools from Microsoft with helping them to grow and scale their business. Now, they provide additional services like technical support and delivery service to coffee shops across the UK. Check out this video to see how Clifton Coffee Roasters upgraded their teamwork strategy to grow their business.

Quantifying the value of collaboration with Microsoft Teams

Employees save four hours each week with improved collaboration and information sharing, according to Forrester's Total Economic Impact™ Of Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams puts everything organizations need into one place. Everything from chats, meetings, calling, and Office 365 apps are brought together to make faster, more informed decisions in a single, intelligent hub. With Teams, every type of worker can be empowered to contribute their voice and take shared accountability for business outcomes. Read this blog to learn more and contact us at AZ Datacom, LLC to get started today.

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How CIOs can promote diversity and inclusion

If you want a high performing team, it's in your best interest to have a diverse workforce. According to a McKinsey report, diversity in the workplace is directly tied to financial outperformance. But do you have the modern workplace you need to facilitate inclusion? Make sure you have the right digital tools to promote diversity. Talk to a professional at AZ Datacom, LLC, to learn more about the modern workplace solutions that will help your diverse workforce achieve more.

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73% of all teams will have remote workers in the next decade

This article presents findings from an Upwork study on the future of remote work. Remote work is increasing at a steady rate and will have a major effect on how business is done and what technology is used in the future.

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Enhance Security with Windows and Office

According to the World Trade Report, it takes hackers 4 minutes to get into servers through email attacks. And that it takes an average of 286 days to detect a security breach and an additional 80 days to repair the damage. Enhance your security and go modern with Windows 10 and Office 365. Check out this infographic for more industry trends and see how you can protect your company against external threats and leaks with Windows 10 and Office 365 security and compliance tools built into your devices. Don't let hackers access your data. Contact us at AZ Datacom, LLC to #GetModern today!

View: Enhance Security with Windows and Office

Containers 101

Containers allow you to run multiple applications on the same operating system kernel, unlock ultimate productivity, and provide a standardized environment for development, QA, and production teams. At AZ Datacom, LLC, we want you to have the freedom and productive environment your developers need to achieve more. Contact us today to learn how we can modernize your workplace IT infrastructure with tools like Azure.

View: Containers 101

Helping Small Businesses Protect Their Greatest Asset--Their Data

Knowing your customer data is secure can free you up to do what you do best--and put your focus on customers and employees. That's where the right tools and tech come in. Support for Windows 7 and Office 2010 is ending, and it's critical to ensure you not only have the most productive experience, but also the most secure. Work from anywhere, whenever, on a protected modern device. Read the blog and learn more about three small businesses that use Windows 10 and Office 365 to help grow their businesses and remain secure.

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Introducing Aruba Instant On

This video breaks down the main benefits of Aruba Instant On for small businesses. Everyone from retailers to startups can benefit from this fast, simple to use Wi-Fi.

Why a modern IT infrastructure is the cornerstone of data-driven enterprises

A solid IT platform is paramount for data-driven businesses. IT infrastructure, the foundation upon which datasets run, is key to the most basic and even the most sophisticated analytics capabilities. In this article, you'll read how updating networks, analytics tools, and data management resources, can prepare enterprises for the future of IT. At AZ Datacom, LLC, your future is important to us. That's why we want to help you adopt the best solutions on the market. Contact us today to learn more.

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Integrate your business applications to achieve maximum impact with these 4 benefits

The effectiveness of business applications is less about strength in numbers and more about strength in togetherness. This article explores how app integration and greater communication can help businesses reach their full potential in everything from customer interactions to agility in the marketplace.

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Encouraging and enabling collaboration in modern workplace

Is your IT department the gatekeeper or the enabler of collaboration? All too often, IT falls into the trap of giving permission to use productivity tools instead of finding out what employees need to work together better, then facilitating those capabilities. In this article, the author poses the important question: "Are we the gatekeeper to employees collaborating or are we enablers and champions?" and discusses the benefits of moving IT to an enabler-focused mentality.

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Top 5 benefits of moving to the cloud now

Migrating your IT infrastructure to the cloud has a ton of benefits. Whether you're looking to improve security and become GDPR compliant, cut your total cost of ownership by 10.25%, or promote teamwork and innovation by integrating AI capabilities, the cloud provides a solution to your IT problems.

View: Top 5 benefits of moving to the cloud now

Improve Productivity with Windows and Office

Employees spend 50% more time collaborating with other employees. Yet many are still not working to their full potential because of disorganized collaboration, file sharing and decision-making processes. With Windows 10 and Office 365, you can collaborate in real time and leverage the intelligence of the cloud with the latest from Windows 10 and Office 365. Check out this infographic for a quick view of industry trends, pain points, proof points and more on how going modern with Microsoft improves productivity. To learn more, contact AZ Datacom, LLC.

View: Improve Productivity with Windows and Office

Microsoft Will Soon End Support for Windows 7. Now What?

End of support is fast approaching for Windows 7 and Office 2010. Is sticking with Windows 7 worth the risk? How much will it cost? What does this mean for your company? Check out this article to explore these questions. Contact AZ Datacom, LLC to #GetModern. #SMB

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Customer Story: Think Up Consulting | Most Productive

Think Up Consulting is a business built on collaboration. Its 39 team members--known as Thinkers--spread their time across as many as 11 projects each. Seamless communication is a must for creating customized solutions for every Think Up customer. With Microsoft Teams, Thinkers can easily access the tools they need from the platform. The company creates new channels for each project, so Thinkers can keep project-specific conversations and files organized and accessible. Since adopting Office 365, the company has quickly shifted much of its communications to Teams. Through Windows 10 and Office 365, Think Up has streamlined communications across the organization, improving productivity. To learn more, contact us at AZ Datacom, LLC to #GetModern.

Cloud Migration Concerns Persist for Provider Organizations

This article explores the caution and hesitation in the healthcare industry to shift data and infrastructure off-premises. In a recent survey of hospital CIOs, close to 40% don't see a clear business value in migrating. Yet overhead accounts for 50% of hospital costs--costs that could be reduced through cloud migration. Chances are you could also benefit from lower overhead costs. At AZ Datacom, LLC, we have trained professionals with years of experience helping businesses just like yours. Contact us today to learn more.
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How collaboration can work for business

Whether you are a small-business owner or the CEO of a global enterprise, fostering a community of collaboration within your organization is important. Empowering employees through collaboration gives them the permission they need to go forth and do great things for the company. But collaboration doesn't come without the right tools. At AZ Datacom, LLC, we want you to have the tools to foster the teamwork you need. Contact us today to learn more.
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4 Proven Ways To Accelerate Your Growth From Startup To Thriving SMB

More than 446 million records were exposed in over 1,200 data breaches within the SMB space in 2018. How secure is your business? Check out this article for four tips to accelerate business growth and remain secure. Contact us today and we can help.
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Customer Story: Think Up Consulting

Think Up Consulting is a young, fast-growing agency based in Greenville, South Carolina. The agency specializes in brand strategy, change management and strategic consulting to help global brands make deep, lasting connections with customers. For Think Up, the ability to ensure seamless communication and reliable security while maximizing productivity are musts. To support these priorities, the company chose Office 365 to streamline internal processes and dramatically reduce the number of emails employees send. A forward-thinking company, Think Up continues to explore and adapt new technology to help increase employee efficiency and better meet its customer's needs. Az Datacom, LLC can help you do the same. Contact @AzDatacom to learn more.

Customer Story: Dell

For Dell, having a mobile workforce was essential. That meant they needed a cloud solution that would allow them to gain access from anywhere and collaborate with ease. With the right solution, Dell is positioned for the future evolution of their industry. Is your company ready to take on the future? At AZ Datacom, LLC, we can help you integrate the modern desktop solutions you need to ensure a great digital experience for your employees. Contact us today to learn more.

How Do We Design Workplaces For Maximum Productivity

In the digital age, we need to start focusing on employees as the drivers of growth by helping them be more productive. Design a workplace strategy that supports and enables efficient, happier, and healthier employees with a mobile, modern desktop. At AZ Datacom, LLC, we can help. With years of experience helping businesses handle the tech they need, we can help you ensure your employees are at their peak performance with new solutions. Contact us to find out how we can help.
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The Data Center Isn't Dying, But It Is Changing

There's no doubt that the nature of IT infrastructure is changing. According to some, it could spell the end of datacenters as we know them. Likely, that won't happen for many years. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't plan for the future. At AZ Datacom, LLC, we can help you plan, implement, and optimize your cloud-based IT infrastructure for whatever the future may hold. Contact us today to set up a meeting.
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Customer story: GEA Group

GEA is one of the largest suppliers of process technology for the food industry in the world. They employ 18,000 people in over 60 countries. When you're that large, managing and keeping IT infrastructure under control can be tough. That's why they migrated their complete SAP infrastructure and all ERP solutions to the Microsoft cloud. And they did it without major business impact. If you're also looking to migrate your IT infrastructure, our team at AZ Datacom, LLC can help. Contact us to get started.

Breaches happen. Learn how to protect your organization.

Check out this infographic to learn the three most commonly used inroads into your system and how best to secure your data from each strategy.
View: Breaches happen. Learn how to protect your organization.

Customer story: Renault Sport Formula One

To help their team accelerate operations, the team at Renault Sport uses advanced IT solutions. Their operations are complex with a lot of moving parts. Being able to control and optimize every process means faster turnaround times and better results. That's the advantage they need to win. The IT solutions they use aren't reserved for racing. The team at AZ Datacom, LLC is here to help. We are IT pros who focus on helping firms to adopt the best tech. Contact us for more information.

Is Cloud Hosting the Best IT Solution for Your Business?

Whether it's being able to access a rich ecosystem of supportive apps or having immediate knowledge of your finances, the cloud can offer a wealth of benefits. At AZ Datacom, LLC, it's important to us that our customers have the support they need as they upgrade their IT infrastructure. With our customer support focus, we will provide your company with the resources and knowledge of our industry experts so you can achieve more with your transition.

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Customer story: Lay Bare

The team at Lay Bare transformed their entire IT ecosystem to help implement time-saving processes and manage their branch operations. It makes their franchisees feel more at ease doing business and allows them to operate more efficiently. You can do the same, but don't go it alone. Get the help you need from a trusted team of professionals at AZ Datacom, LLC. We have years of experience helping businesses just like yours accelerate their IT transformation. Contact us today to learn more.

Why SMEs Should Embrace The Flexi-Time Movement

There's no question, greater flexibility makes happier employees and promotes productivity. Allowing employees to work when they are most efficient means maximizing their efforts while boosting morale. But getting the modern desktop solutions your employees need to work productively requires a transition. At AZ Datacom, LLC, we have years of experience helping businesses transition to a modern desktop solution that meets their exact needs. It's one way you can reduce the uncertainty of a big change. Contact us to learn more.

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Customer story: Team Rubicon

Hurricane Harvey was the most devastating natural disaster to ever hit Houston, Texas. With thousands displaced and homes ruined, Team Rubicon stepped in to render aid and help rebuild the afflicted city and its population. With so many volunteers, Team Rubicon needed a way to track and manage their dispersed network of workers. They adopted Dynamics 365 to help optimize operations and give their volunteers a great experience. You can leverage these same tools, but don't do it alone. Contact AZ Datacom, LLC today to find out how we can help your organization integrate the IT tools you need to succeed.

Intelligent security for the modern workplace

Microsoft 365 E5 security covers a broad range of functions that work together to produce an easy-to-implement, effective, and cohesive system that is backed by continuous learning through ever expanding data.

View: Intelligent security for the modern workplace

Don't let Cloud security fall through the cracks

This article explores the shared responsibility between cloud and app vendors and enterprises when it comes to the security of an enterprise's cloud information. Who is responsible for what, and what can you do to ensure your name is kept out of the headlines?
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Customer Story: Puma and Office 365

Puma, the international sports brand, is modernizing its workplace with a suite of tools that their employees are already familiar with--Microsoft 365. While it seems like a no brainer, the process to change your entire IT infrastructure can be complicated. That's why AZ Datacom, LLC is here to help. We have the resources, experience, and knowledge needed to help you with your cloud integration. Contact us to find out how.

How to fight back if you've been hacked

There is more than one stage in a cyberattack. Utilize this resource to learn how to protect yourself at each level and how to identify if you have been hacked.

View: How to fight back if you've been hacked

Mapping Data Protection Strategies For The New Year

Even when Lewis and Clark set out to find the Northwest Passage, they had to keep business continuity and disaster recovery top of mind. Like those explorers, business owners and IT teams must put plans in place to mitigate unforeseen dangers and risks, while protecting data.

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The millennial arrival and the evolution of the modern workplace

The modern workplace is characterized by cloud-based collaboration tools, untethered workspaces, and more and more, by millennials. In fact, millennials will make up 75% of the workforce by 2030. This article explores how businesses continue to evolve in step with a workforce that prioritizes work-life integration and expects access, flexibility, and technology that will not only contribute to personal growth but enable them to change the world.

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Customer story: Special Olympics

The Special Olympics, a global nonprofit that celebrates differences and promotes acceptance, inclusion, and healthy competition, is using technology to achieve more. The organization uses the Microsoft Cloud to track and access data for nearly 5 million athletes in 170 countries. Cloud technology has freed up innumerable hours that have been reinvested to empower athletes and change the world.

5 Reasons your organization should move to the cloud

With the proliferation of cloud technology, it's now easier than ever to migrate to a cloud services platform. With Microsoft cloud services, you can increase security, flexibility, communication, and business intelligence, and gain a host of tools you'll need to create a modern digital workplace. Contact AZ Datacom, LLC today to find out how we can help you with the transition.

View: 5 Reasons your organization should move to the cloud

Customer story: Maersk

You can't do everything on your own. Having a team of professionals with in-depth experience can revolutionize your business. Since integrating with Microsoft Services, Maersk, a logistics company and global container shipping leader, has dramatically reduced their time to market and improved their performance and reduced their operational risk. 

5 key areas to focus on while integrating cloud-based strategies

As moving to the cloud becomes less a matter of "if" and more a matter of "when" for most companies, the follow-up question is how best to go about doing so. This article identifies several key goals or opportunities companies will want to focus on as they enter into this process.

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SMB security: infographic

This infographic outlines common security breach scenarios caused by human error and the ways in which Microsoft 365 is addressing these problems through built-in security protocols.

View: SMB security: infographic

Customer story: Jumeirah Hotels

Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts--owners of some of the world's most luxurious hotels--has a reputation for delivering world-class hospitality. In their tradition of excellence, the company compiles data through its customer loyalty program to customize and deliver personalized messaging. This has resulted in nearly 50% customer engagement and a 10% increase of year-over-year revenue.

10 Things To Consider When It Comes To Disaster Recovery

Just as you would stock your home with supplies before a hurricane, it's necessary to prepare your IT infrastructure and operations before a proverbial storm hits. With Azure, you can use a litany of products and services to help recover and in many cases prevent disasters from rocking your organization.

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Be A Prepper: The Keys To A Digital Disaster Recovery Plan For Business Leaders

This article, written by a small business owner, is relevant to business leaders of every type. It highlights the importance of a disaster recovery plan and underscores the value of diligence and consistency when implementing one.

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What is Cloud Migration and Why is it Important

Why cloud? The digital revolution has empowered customers with more choices, requiring businesses to exchange outdated practices with modern solutions in a competitive landscape. In response, growth and adoption of cloud services are increasing across industries and businesses. This article explores six advantages of choosing the cloud.

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Customer story: Toronto Zoo

Moving from pen and paper to a culture of cloud-based technology, the Toronto Zoo has revolutionized the way employees work. Using Office 365, they have improved internal processes and data sharing with partners around the world.

Microsoft Dynamics for Customer Service

How do you keep track of your customers? Microsoft Dynamics 365 is the next generation of intelligent business applications that enable your organization to grow, evolve, and transform. These applications unify CRM and ERP capabilities with purpose-built applications that work seamlessly together to help manage specific business functions.

View: Microsoft Dynamics for Customer Service

How The Compliance Function Is Evolving In 2018 -- Five Key Findings

As the rate of game-changing technological shifts continue to increase across multiple industries, compliance functions will need to reevaluate how they go about examining risk and implementing risk-management protocols. What should compliance functions be doing now to proactively adapt to this changing environment? And what can you do to help them along this journey?

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Security - common mistakes

This graphic identifies common security weaknesses that make small businesses easy targets for cybercriminals and provides insight on how best to address them.

View: Security - common mistakes

Customer story: Providence St. Joseph Health

Providence St. Joseph Health is moving beyond the typical call center to provide more personalized experiences for patients. Liaisons from its Patient & Provider Engagement Center are solving industry-wide challenges--creating more personalized patient experiences, better addressing patient needs, and helping patients access the right care with the right providers.

Why Cloud (By Default) Gives You Security You Couldn't Afford Otherwise

Regardless of your industry, security should be a top concern. That's what makes moving to the cloud so attractive for IT pros. The increased mobility, flexibility, and ability to go serverless all have their place but the default security upgrade you receive by moving to the cloud is undeniably one of the greatest benefits. Microsoft and AZ Datacom, LLC can help you find the solution that's right for your organization. Contact us today to find out more.

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Layered Approach: Security Is about More than Antivirus

If only online security issues could be solved with sorcery: a magic wand, some incantations, and poof! Troubles disappear.

  Sadly, magic only works in books and movies. Out here in the real world, the bad guys always have the advantage, and you need more than wizardry to keep them off your network.

  Criminals that ply their trade in cyberspace are mostly driven by economics. They might be after the banking credentials for your small business so they can drain funds from online accounts. If your business is connected to sensitive industries, the bad guys might be foreign agents intent on stealing secrets. Or maybe they're in the ransomware business, hoping to encrypt one of your PCs so they can demand a ransom to unlock it.

  If you think antivirus software is going to stop all those threats, think again. Even the most successful antivirus program is only about 90% effective under the best of circumstances.

  Yes, your business needs antivirus software, but a well-rounded IT security strategy includes multiple additional layers, each working in concert with the others.

Here are four crucial ingredients that must be included in that mix:

1. A Comprehensive Update Strategy

       Every year, security companies review the data they collect from virus-infected PCs, and, every year, the results prove the same depressing truth: most drive-by infections are the result of an exploit that targets a flaw in the operating system or a piece of installed software. And the overwhelming majority of infections were only possible because the owner of the infected PC had failed to install patches released months or years before.

    The moral for your company is simple: keep every PC up to date. That includes the operating system, applications like Microsoft Office, and commonly installed software add-ons such as Adobe Flash and Oracle Java. And make sure to check the update status of every PC regularly, either manually or with the help of centralized management software.

2. Robust Email Filters

    What does email have to do with security? A lot, as it turns out.

Email attachments are among the most popular vectors for spreading malware, usually in the form of misleading executable files (Trojan horses) and booby-trapped documents in PDF and other common formats. The best way to protect your network is to have your email provider or gateway detect suspicious packages and remove them before they can get to your users' mailboxes.

3. Standard (Not Administrative) User Accounts

   Even if someone in your organization is tricked into running malware that your antivirus software doesn't block, you can limit the damage. The most important change to make is simple: set up standard user accounts, and reserve administrator accounts for those times when you really need to change something. If malware can take over a user account with administrative privileges, it can wreak havoc on crucial system functions. Don't let that happen.

4. Know Your Network

   Even in the best-run business, it's possible that a virus or other malicious software will slip past your defenses. In fact, you should assume that's a possibility and review network logs regularly to detect strange behavior. Is someone from outside your network making inbound connections at odd times? Are files being transferred outside your network? This type of activity can be an early warning sign of a network compromise, and the best way to find out about it is before you get a call from your bank or the FBI.

Contact us to help identify the right tools for your organization.

To find out more, contact Az Datacom today. 

(623) 688-TECH

5 Tips to Ensure You Survive a Stolen Laptop

"We're missing a laptop!"   These words are not something you want to hear, but the chances are, it's going to happen at some point. Unfortunately, data on the majority of SMB laptops is not encrypted, so what exactly does it mean for your company if this happens?

   It means that if the bad guys pull the hard drive from the missing laptop and plug it into a running system, then chances are they can access to your data. A simple user ID and password are not going to be adequate protection.

   Are the thieves going to bother even looking at the stolen laptop? Many years ago, the hardware itself would fetch a decent amount on auction sites as "previously owned." With the professionalization of cyber crime, oftentimes, the data from a professional firm is worth more than the hardware itself.

   Cyber criminals are very aware of the value of purloined data and a lost laptop can quickly turn into a serious incident. For example, the theft of personal information may lead to an extortion demand or blackmail attempt. Furthermore, a fine from a regulatory or governing body is frequently being applied to organizations that take a cavalier attitude towards laptop security.

In 2013, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in the UK fined Glasgow City Council £150,000 for the loss of two unencrypted laptops, one of which contained personal details on more than 20,000 people.

In 2014, two entities paid the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) $1,975,220 collectively to resolve potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules.

Stolen or lost laptops have become one of the most common business security incidents, according to the 2014 Data Breach Investigation Report by Verizon, and depending on the regulations governing your business, the penalties and costs could be significant. These penalties and costs continue to grow as the individuals' privacy, which was violated, may seek additional restitution.

These major enforcement actions in the US and UK underscore the significant risk to the security of personal or medical information posed by laptop computers and other mobile devices.

Here are five precautions you can take to ensure you limit the damage of a stolen device:

1. Utilize Tools Such as Full Disk Encryption

   With the introduction of Windows 8.1 Bitlocker, Microsoft's disk encryption solution is bundled in the operating system (Windows 7 Ultimate had it as well). It takes some work to roll it out to an organization, but since it is included, your organization could find itself in a difficult legal position if a data breach occurs. There are also a plethora of third-party add-on solutions.

2. Physical Security

   The traveling or unattended laptop is one of the more risky situations any mobile device can find itself in. In public places or even hotel rooms, the corporate laptop or tablet should be, at best, secured in a safe and, at worst, stored out of site. In the office, a security tether should be used, especially if overall access control to the facility is weak or the organization is large.

3. Data Segmentation

   If storing all your data on a USB stick seems like a solution, think again. Your laptop may have an email client installed on it, and if those sensitive documents or information has been attached, the bad guys may get at those files. If you only utilize web mail and your documents are on an encrypted USB stick, this may be a useful technique to survive a lost or stolen device.

4. Disposal

   It may sound like something out of Mission Impossible, but the physical destruction of a device that falls into the wrong hands is best, but drive wipe with secure erase software should be your minimum. Always keep in mind that the data lives on the hard drive inside the device. If you plan on backing up user files or archiving the contents of the old device, first make sure that it's secure as well.

5. Avoid Logos

   Advertising whom you work for may not be the best idea if you are in a high-risk situation, like the world's largest hacker convention. Not the best time to bust out your NSA stickered Panasonic Toughbook.

Conclusion

   Ultimately, you need to remember that the security of your mobile device(s) is your responsibility. Folks' stolen property is returned by strangers, or found using technology, all the time. Unfortunately, if it's out of your control, the contents may be copied or malware may have been implanted — be careful.

To find out more, contact Az Datacom today. 

(623) 688-TECH

Customer story: TransBlue

Flexibility and mobility are important for any businesses operating in today's digital age. Especially for small businesses. Without a robust IT department, TransBlue took on the challenge of modernizing their workplace with Microsoft 365. With tools like Skype and Teams, they can collaborate from afar saving them time and resources. AZ Datacom, LLC wants to help you modernize your workplace. Contact us today for more information on how we can help.

Customer Story: Marshall Public Schools

Marshall Public Schools are preparing their students for life after graduation using Windows 10 in S Mode. Students are able to gain valuable technological skills without requiring the school district to sacrifice security.

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The 8 Most-Asked Questions About Cloud Communications – Answered

81% of CIOs believe IT is entering a new era of customer-driven initiatives. Businesses are increasingly embracing cloud communications to craft better customer experiences. Some IT executives, failing to recognize the opportunities cloud solutions can bring to their businesses, are reluctant to adopt this new communications platform. Savvy CIOs view it as a key enabler of a more agile, connected employee and customer experience. They recognize that providing employees with a more aligned communications platform will empower them to deliver a superior experience for customers. As with any new technology, there are several misconceptions and questions to consider.

These 8 most-asked questions will shed some light on how trans-formative cloud communications can be for your business:

1. Is it cost-effective? Cloud is more agile and requires less infrastructure than its on-premises counterpart. You only pay for what you use, allowing most companies to reap the benefits of savings while gaining in highly desirable collaboration, mobility and customer engagement features for employees.

2. Is cloud right for my size business? Not all cloud solutions offer the robust capabilities and reliable platform to work as a successful communications model for companies. We have partnered with Cloud Communications and Contact Center platforms that support 50,000+ global businesses of all sizes, with a cloud solution that can grow with you, easily scaling up or down without compromising features.

3. How reliable is a cloud solution? Again, this depends on the solution you deploy, but cloud solutions are far more reliable than on-site hosted phone systems. Cloud Communications and Contact Center solutions can increase your uptime significantly. Their agreements include a money-backed guarantee of 99.99% uptime. Can your PBX provider offer the same?

4. Will I get global call capabilities? With 15 redundant data centers distributed across the globe, Our Cloud Communications and Contact Center solution offers international local, toll-free and local number transfer services in over 80 countries. Plus, with patented geo-routing algorithm delivers the highest call quality regardless of where the caller is in the world.

5. How accessible is it? If it is a complete cloud communications solution, the solution delivers the full breadth of Unified Communications and contact center capabilities with the flexibility to add capabilities and users as needed. This includes contact centers and calling platforms. With our cloud communications solutions  everything is accessible anytime, anywhere from any device.

6. Can it do what my phone does now? Nobody wants you to give up capabilities. Our cloud communications solution offers you the full breadth of capabilities you depend on today including voice, video, messaging, meetings and customer engagement tools to improve productivity and revenues for your company.

7. Is a cloud solution secure and compliant with government regulations? It should be! Our Cloud Communications and Contact Center solution is backed with industry-leading security and compliance standards and has passed third-party audits for compliance with HIPAA, PCI-DSS, FISMA and other U.S. regulations.

8. How do you pay for cloud? Cloud solutions are often more accessible to businesses of any size because instead of a capital outlay, they can be paid for monthly as an operating expense. Our flexible mix of service packages provide more cost-effective solutions, while also reducing the amount of specialized IT skills and resources required to make the phones work. 

Not all cloud communications solutions are created equal. Our single Cloud Communications and Contact Center solution offers companies ONE platform that aligns and engages on all channels, creating a harmonized platform that empowers employees to deliver exceptional customer experiences. 

Everyone’s talking about cloud solutions. Get the facts first. Contact us to learn more. 

Sync and Share Solutions: No Substitute for Backup

In recent years, enterprise sync and share solutions have become popular mechanisms for protecting endpoint data. Even so, sync solutions do not typically provide the same level of protection as a true backup solution. The reason for this is simple. Although there are undeniably some overlaps in functionality, sync software and backup software were created for completely different purposes.

Backup Software vs. Sync and Share Solutions

    Backup software has one purpose and one purpose only — to allow the organization to get its data back following a data loss event. While enterprise sync software may allow for data recovery in certain situations, data recovery is not the software's primary focus.

Enterprise sync software is designed primarily to make user data available in multiple locations. For example, copies of the user's data might reside on the user's laptop, a network file share, and perhaps the user's tablet. The synchronization engine is designed not only to copy data to each of the designated locations, but also to make sure that each copy of the data remains up-to-date and identical.

    Enterprise synchronization software primarily provides protection against data loss in the event of lost, stolen, or damaged hardware. If, for instance, a user accidentally drops and destroys their laptop, a copy of the user's data remains stored safely on a server. Even so, there are some major shortcomings to this approach.

The Disadvantages of Sync and Share

    One potential disadvantage to using sync software is that the software may not protect everything. Sync software allows a user to choose which data they want to synchronize between devices. It is somewhat common for a user to configure the software incorrectly or to accidentally create and store data in a folder that is not being synchronized. The end result is that some of the user's data may be left unprotected.

    Another disadvantage to using enterprise sync software is that such software may not offer point in time recovery capabilities. Suppose, for instance, that a user were to make an incorrect change to an Excel spreadsheet. That change would immediately be synchronized with the other copies of the data. In other words, unmodified copies of the spreadsheet would be overwritten by the copy containing the error. If the user were to later discover the error, they may not have a way of reverting to a known good copy of the spreadsheet.

    In all fairness, there are some enterprise sync applications that do provide point in time recovery capabilities. Even so, these capabilities may not be as flexible as what would be included in a dedicated backup application. For example, the software may only allow for a few recovery points to be retained or may not support point-in-time recovery for all file types.

Perhaps the biggest potential disadvantage to using enterprise sync software is that such software has been known to cause data loss in certain situations. There are documented instances of synchronization databases becoming corrupted. In most of these incidents, the synchronization process simply stopped working, leaving newly created data unprotected.

In other instances, however, database corruption actually caused good data to be deleted from synchronized folders. This happened because the corrupt database did not contain a record of the data and the software wrongfully concluded that the data must have been deleted from one of the other synchronized copies and, therefore, needed to be removed from the remaining copies.

Conclusion

    Overall, enterprise sync software does not typically provide the same level of data protection as would be provided by a dedicated backup application. Backup applications focus solely on data protection, whereas sync software is often treated more as a convenience feature that makes data accessible from multiple occasions.

To find out more, contact Az Datacom today. 

(623) 688-TECH

Fear of Change in the Age of the Customer

Sometimes, we need to destroy the status quo to create a new model of engagement. Sometimes, the market does that for us and that can be even scarier. Change is always scary and overwhelming, especially when it comes to technology. But it is inevitable.

     If you want to play the game, the siloed, broken communications of yesterday aren’t going to cut it any longer.

      Regardless of what business you’re in, your customer’s experience is your top priority. Customers increasingly prefer human interaction over digital communications channels, positioning your communications systems as a key enabler for delivering superior customer experience. Cloud communications offers your company a unique opportunity to craft the ideal customer experience, creating a competitive advantage few companies have thought to seize upon. With shifting demands and perceptions, it comes down to the company that’s intrepid enough to pull the trigger first.

Here are a few mindsets that help your organization prioritize customer experience:

Every department is a service department

     In today’s highly competitive market, customer loyalty is no longer entrenched as part of our social culture. In fact, 90% of customers today feel that businesses are too slow and unresponsive. 59% of those customers will try your competitor for a better experience, without hesitation. Legacy, premises-based phone systems offer siloed, fractured and inconsistent communications that reinforce breakdowns in employee and customer interactions and slow your ability to provide service. In short, they simply can’t compete with the cloud’s ability to seamlessly integrate communications systems with business applications and processes. The implication is businesses that more quickly adapt to this modern approach to communications will be the clear winner among customers.

Every conversation is an opportunity

     Every conversation customers have with your employees provide an opportunity to deliver superior customer service. 20^th century PBX systems were never designed to support the remote, distributed workforce of the 21^st century. Employees increasingly demand the ability to work flexible schedules from the location of their choosing, across multiple devices. According to a 2015 Citrix and Forrester study in 2015, 85% of employees use a mobile device for work. And yet most traditional PBX systems, with their hardwired infrastructures, can’t easily accommodate needs of this increasingly wireless, mobile workforce.  When employees use tools like personal laptops, mobile devices, Google Hangouts, Skype and Facetime to accomplish this, information leaves company networks to unsecured devices, and collaboration becomes more difficult.   

Failure is not an option

     Current business communications options, like traditional PBX phone systems, have many shortcomings. One of the most significant is the cost and complexity of ensuring your phones are one of the first services restored after any adverse event. While it is possible to develop an effective disaster recovery solution with a premises-based solution, it is not as seamless and cost-effective as a cloud solution. Moving to cloud-based business communications is a painless way to ensure a disaster doesn’t leave your phones down for hours or – worse yet – days.

     New isn’t always better. However, when sweeping technology changes impact the expectations of customers, businesses must keep up. If the only thing holding you back is a fear of change, consider the risks and benefits. What would more accessible employees mean for your business? How could enhanced collaboration improve time to market? What would a 99.99% up-time mean for your profitability? The fact is you must leverage your communications effectively, if you want to remain competitive.

Don’t fear change. Embrace it. Contact Us Today  @ (623) 688-8324 to find out how we can help you leverage better communications for the 21^st century.

Failing to Cut It in Web Security

"Virtually every school in America has some Internet access, thanks, in part, to a federal program known as E-rate, which provides about $2.3 billion annually to connect schools and libraries to the web," Banchero wrote earlier this year.

   There are, of course, pros and cons to making the Internet available in the majority of schools.

   Purely from an educational standpoint, it's hard to make a case that Internet access is a bad thing. Using the web for instructional purposes is a wonderful way to enhance the learning experience and (pardon the pun) connect with today's tech-savvy generation. Learning, no matter your age, should be fun. The Internet and Wi-Fi enabled devices make it possible.

   But there's a disturbing downside to making the web available in most schools: students — many of whom are under age — may be exposed to the darker corners of cyberspace. Some minors may unintentionally access sites and chat rooms glorifying bigotry, pornography and violence, for example. Others intentionally search for such content. 

  To say educators and school officials face a monumental task is an understatement. Parents may have the ability to control their children's web activity at home. But it is virtually impossible to shield them from every danger that exists online, particularly when Internet access is seemingly available everywhere — including schools. Moreover, the number of personal mobile devices students use to access the Internet during the school day makes matters even more challenging.

   According to the Pew Research Center, nearly half (47%) of U.S. 12- to 17-year-olds own smartphones, and 74% say they access the web via mobile devices "at least occasionally." This leads into several serious and sensitive topics.

Take cyberbullying, for example, and consider these statistics from NoBullying.com:

• 68% of teenagers consider cyberbullying a serious problem
• 75% of teens have visited a website that harasses a peer
• 90% of victims will not tell a trusted adult

   Familiar with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA)? It is federal legislation requiring schools to create and enforce a web policy that ensures the safety of their students. This is precisely where a comprehensive IT security platform, complete with web protection, can help you achieve this necessary standard of security.

The solution you choose should enable you to:

• Whitelist specific domains
• Monitor the web around the clock
• Identify web usage by device
• Track bandwidth usage

   The Internet is a powerful tool. But in the wrong hands — whether those of an irresponsible adult or impressionable minor — it can be destructive.

To find out more, contact Az Datacom today. 

(623) 688-TECH