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    The Smiths sung about this back in the 80's. The title made me think more about companies and their technology. I run into companies that want to keep old servers, run legacy software, or delay upgrades because of fear or cost. These businesses do not see that their competitors are increasing their revenue, gaining…

I ran the Portland marathon last weekend. While out there for 3 and 34 minutes, I had a time to think about business. This was the first marathon (out of 6) where I did not run into a wall and beg for an end. Why? I planned to keep things slow and steady for the…

When meeting firms, one question I always ask is what their budget is for technology. Many answers are a set number, or shrugs at not actually knowing how much a business spends. There are companies that show me a chart of the amount spent that rivals most theme park rides. Certain months it is zero,…

  Through the years of consulting, I have seen almost every kind of IT setup imaginable. I've seen machines in locked closets. There are servers in racks in nicely air conditioned rooms. Some servers I have witnessed were literally in a men's restroom. When it comes to security, many clients are locked down. They are…

Between WannaCry Ransomware encrypting thousands of businesses and British Airways going offline in the past few weeks, it seems like the Internet Highway fell into a sinkhole. Are companies large and small stuck in a reality of having their businesses go dark, losing thousands to millions of dollars?   The answer is a simple 'no'. There…

I meet with potential clients on a weekly basis. Some are interested in our technology, others in services and pricing, and a third dealt with a significant outage. However, when it comes to actually making a change, it is difficult for those businesses to pull the trigger to make a switch. Even when systems go…

With Mother's Day approaching, we can use vital bits of wisdom from our moms to protect us from harm on the Internet:     "Never Talk to Strangers" Get an email from an unknown person wanting you to do something or click on a link? Follow dear Mom's advice and delete that email! Same thing…

An e-commerce site exposed customer's names, addresses, email accounts, credit card information, AND passwords for over six months. When this was discovered back in November, it took up until this week to secure the information. Our businesses rely on our customers. They trust us with the services we provide. They also trust us to keep…

I was at a Channel Partner's conference this week in Las Vegas. I attend this and other technology related events each year. Looking at the latest and greatest allows me to make sure my clients stay current. The age of IT services replacing old servers with new ones and relying on old technology is over.…

  I have visited many companies in my 25 years in IT. Some were open space with dogs roaming the offices. Others required you to announce your name before they allowed you inside.  One place required a thumb print and retina scan before you could access their servers. Physical security for your servers is essential.…