best practices

As you may already know, Microsoft will end support for Windows 7 on January 14, 2020. Depending on which survey you read, there are currently still about as many Windows 7 systems deployed in business as there are Windows 10. (Studies that show Windows 10 ahead by a wide margin typically include home-user systems.) Business software conditions often lag the leading edge due to stability and cost concerns. Fortunately, both Microsoft and Foreground, a Microsoft Partner, have your back.

I.T. Is Not Part of Accounting

in business operations

February 5, 2019

History of IT Departments It is no secret that computers crunch numbers. So, it was natural that one of the first fields in which they were widely used was accounting. Computers probably have saved billions in dollars over the years by making accountants’ lives easier. It was therefore natural, for many years in business, to consider the computer department, or in modern parlance, the IT department, part of Accounting. We’re here to tell you that it is time to ditch this archaic concept, and your business may depend on it.

Setup Employees to Work from Home

in business operations

December 5, 2018

Setup Employees to Work from Home or Remotely As winter sets in across West Michigan, some businesses in our area, especially lake shore communities of Muskegon, Grand Haven and Holland, seek advice on allowing their employees to work from home. As a pretty nice perk, this not only removes the need for employees to slip-n-slide on ice covered roads, but can also attract a younger workforce accustomed to location flexibility.

WiFi Network Installation

in technical

November 27, 2018

WiFi Network Installation One might think that WiFi network installation is a solved topic. Unfortunately, that’s not necessarily the case. This is probably because the term “WiFi” covers a huge range of products, implementation methods, and several interconnected standards. Most of the time when we are brought in to handle a WiFi network install, it is because someone grabbed off the self hardware from a local retailer and plugged it in without any kind of plan in mind.

How to Create an IT Budget

in business operations

November 21, 2018

How to Create an IT Budget As the end of the year approaches, budgeting is often on the minds of business people. Developing an effective IT budget isn’t easy considering how dynamic businesses must be. What if plans change mid-year? What if there’s an acquisition? How do you make your budget look good if you want to be acquired? There are many issues to consider, and in the fast paced world of IT, making a year long plan takes careful consideration.

The Best Backup

in business operations

May 24, 2018

Whether it be ransomware, a natural disaster, user error or simple hardware failure, backups are an absolute must in today’s IT world. Yet, a surprising number of companies wrongly think that something like mirrored drives are enough, or someone remembering to plug in a USB drive each day will save the day. Nope. When we set out to design a backup system that was resilient to all forms of failure, some said that there was no such thing as a perfect backup.

'The Cloud' for Small Businesses

in business operations

May 26, 2017

Small and medium business owners often ask us about “the cloud”. Usually their questions revolve around how cloud services might fit into their business. Of course, we in the IT world have a sayings: there is no cloud, just other people’s computer. Let me explain. In its most basic sense, “the cloud” refers to a set of IT services - servers, networking, firewalls, etc. - that reside in a data center somewhere.

MSP vs IT Consultant

in consulting

May 25, 2017

Sometimes we get the question “what’s the difference between a managed services provider and a consultant?” The answer is somewhat difficult, because the borders between the two blur. An MSP that follows the “norm” will offer a certain set of IT services in the form of a product. They install remote management and monitoring software (RMM), some form of antivirus, perhaps a backup solution, and other packages. Most times, they purchase these from a software company that specializes in offerings to MSP’s, and resell them at a markup for a monthly fee.

Windows 7 End-of-Support & Licensing Options

I.T. Is Not Part of Accounting

Setup Employees to Work from Home

WiFi Network Installation

How to Create an IT Budget

The Best Backup

'The Cloud' for Small Businesses

MSP vs IT Consultant

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