Video conferencing, or net conferencing as it is sometimes called, is an outgrowth of a number of different technologies, made possible by the availability of high-bandwidth, low-latency connections. Essentially, this is the same technology that makes streaming movies or playing video games across the internet possible.

Most of us are either optimists or we can’t seem to think beyond today. Being optimistic is actually a great trait to have, except when you run a business. Not thinking beyond today may be the coping mechanism that works for you, but it’s a bad idea habit for business owners to get into.

Investment in new technology is always an iffy proposition for many small businesses. The first and perhaps biggest reason is the cost. Many small businesses do not have the capital investment necessary to make a long term commitment. A second reason is that any new technology should present immediate advantages in productivity or sales that are reflected in the bottom line.

Keeping our data safe and secure is a very serious matter, but there are a few things that can be done to keep precious information safe from external invasions as well as an unforeseen, internal malfunction.

1. Use some sort of a reactive software protection like anti-malware, which is just a basic requirement for all initial protection on every computer.

It’s not as though it’s a secret. More and more, companies are embracing the advantages of the cloud, both for data storage and for certain processing functions. There’s a good reason for that. Companies that do so are milking ever more efficiency out of their operations, and that helps add to the bottom line.

The biggest drawback to a non-cloud, in-house backup system is the cost. Sure, it’s a time-tested, relatively reliable solution, but it’s also quite expensive, both in terms of the initial capital outlay and the overhead needed to maintain and later scale the system.

For decades, Windows users have endured Microsoft’s attempts at developing an operating system they could depend on for more than a few sales cycles. From Windows XP, the parade has gone through Vista, Windows 7, the not-so-popular Windows 8, and having skipped over Windows 9 are preparing to release Windows 10. The approach Microsoft is taking is to try to get everyone under the Windows 10 umbrella so it can focus more on its mobile strategy rather than continue to support a variety of Windows flavors.

If you have yet to notice, the world of electronic payments continues to expand and has caught on with major players such as Apple Computer and eBay. eBay has decided to split from its long time corporate partner PayPal, while ApplePay is the latest entrant into the electronic payment industry.

The heartbeat of every business is its customers. Can a small to medium-sized business get value out of a customer relationship management (CRM) software package?

CRM
Customer Relationship Management, in its most basic form, is software employed by a business to manage its customer information.

Email has become essential to the business world. Just as the two-way radio became essential for police forces after an initial skeptical period, email has become a cornerstone of business communication. Whether you provide your email in-house or contract it out to a third party, there are things you must have in your email system to make it viable.