Q2Q Blog
It’s very uncommon to come across a computer that isn’t connected to the internet nowadays, which makes keeping your computer safe on the internet your number one priority – no matter whether you are a home user or a business.
Guest Blog: 3 Simple ways to stand out from the competition
Over the years probably the biggest complaint that most of my clients have is that they “can’t stand out from their competitors”.
I get this, I really do but when you know how, it’s actually not all that hard. So let me share 3 easy ways to stand out in the eyes of the people who matter to you.
Nothing hard or expensive or even time consuming just a change of behaviour really so here goes.
Guest Blog: Successful Business “Drivers” need a Dashboard!
I was sat at a desk today in the heart of Soho in London, chatting with the CEO of a business I am currently doing a Process Improvement project for, and as he offloaded a little about how difficult it was to find out what was really happening with his business, it suddenly it hit me how much I missed the analytics dashboard that I had in my last permanent role, and it got me thinking about what a difference it made to how I ran my Directorate.
Fast forward to later that day, as I was driving home from the station, it got me thinking about when you’re driving a car, how much do you really use the dashboard? Could you drive the car without all those dials and lights? Would it really make THAT much of a difference?
When you think of cyber hacking, big names often spring to mind, the likes of Ashley Madison for example. But it’s not just large organisations that are at risk. In fact, its smaller organisations that will really feel the effects of an attack with unexpected downtime occurring, potential lost sales, disgruntled customers and perhaps even forced closure.
Rokenbok Education is an example recently covered by The New York times. Online criminals had encrypted company files, making them unusable unless a ransom was paid. The company lost thousands of dollars of sales. On top of this they had to reconstruct their entire business systems- taking them four days.
Although it’s not easy to calculate exactly how much this downtime will have actually cost for the small business and the figures are hard to come by, an experience like this can mean that some small companies can never recover.
When do they need to be replaced?
Do I have to buy a new one?
Can I do anything to prevent a full-scale replacement?
When working properly, you would never even know a server was there- however if something does go wrong, servers can bring your business operations to a standstill. They are in most ways, the heartbeat of your business. Here are the three questions your need to be asking about your servers…
Disaster Recovery- your most important Business Plan!
Ever had that feeling where you wish you had done something different…don’t let this happen in your business. You should be thinking about a disaster recovery planning. The recent floods in The North of England are a prime example- some lost power for two-three days, some people lost their entire businesses.
A 2014 survey by the IT Disaster Recovery Preparedness (DRP) Council reveals just how many companies worldwide are at risk: 73 percent of SMEs are failing in terms of disaster readiness. What does this mean? It means that 3 out of 4 companies aren’t prepared to handle emergencies and save their businesses from a worse-case scenario.
We hope this has never happened and will never happen to you, but to help you be a little more prepared here is some basic information on disaster recovery planning.
We have come across a new virus called TeslaCrypt 3.
This is a new variant of the TeslaCrypt 2 and Kryptolocker virus that will encrypt all of a user’s files with an extremely strong encryption. It then renames them to a new file extension such as .mp3.
Following this TeslaCrypt will start on some of the system files and finally hold the user to ransom, asking for a sum of money to have the files unlocked which they charge between £200 - £1000 which doubles after 30 days.
Virtualisation, you've heard the term before, but have no idea what it is…
Let us explain!
You most likely use Virtualisation in some form within your business today- it is one of the most important aspects of the smooth running of IT within businesses. In simple terms, Virtualization is the use of software to allow a piece of hardware to run multiple operating system images at the same time. This enables many businesses to reduce their costs with managing and maintaining an infrastructure, and also means your business remains safe but accessible at all times.
Still not with me? Don’t worry here are some examples…
Keywords
Client Testimonial
"The Q2Q support team are excellent at their jobs - they are incredibly friendly and experts in their fields."
Client Testimonial
"We know our business will remain functional at all times – their support is genuinely 24/7. But this isn’t just because we’ve made an agreement or because they have SLAs to fulfil. A proactive, problem-solving, ‘can do’ approach is part of Q2Q’s DNA."
Client Testimonial
"We find the service to be speedy, friendly, and most importantly, honest."
Client Testimonial
"They always listen to us and provide pragmatic solutions that fit with our business objectives."
Client Testimonial
"Q2Q’s IT audit enabled me to see a snapshot of Dreamr’s tech needs with a simple and jargon free way to fix important issues. For any busy owner, Q2Q is hands down the way forward."
Client Testimonial
"We’re already ahead of the curve in our current 5-year business plan, which means our IT infrastructure should support us long into the future."
Latest News
Reach your IT peak: How do I use my phone securely for work?
Did you know that the average person spends approximately one day every week on their smartphone? That’s the equivalent of 52 days per year – totalling a massive 1,248 hours.
There’s no getting away from the digital revolution, it’s taking place around us all the time and it’s now the norm as to how we go about our daily lives – especially at work.
From emails and documents, to databases and conference calls, technology is at the heart of nearly all corporate communications. And when you need to access content on the move, your phone is usually the go-to device.
But are you syncing your phone and computer correctly?
SME survival guide: What does quality IT support look like?
For SMEs, IT support can be tricky territory to navigate.
At Q2Q, we recognise that not all companies are the same. From the industry they operate in and their staff culture, through to the cyber-support they require, all organisations are completely bespoke.
So, what exactly does quality IT support look like? We’ve put together a few pointers to help SME owners know what traits to look out for…
Recognition of your uniqueness
First and foremost, the main factor which separates a good IT support provider from a great one, is their ability to see what makes you special.
Providers that are mindful of every firm’s distinct characteristics means they won’t categorise or generalise – instead they will give you the attention you deserve.
