Directive Blogs

Technology has come a long way since 2003. It seems like just yesterday that Microsoft dropped support for Windows XP, and in just a few short months, they’ll be dropping support for Windows Server 2003, as well. If your business is one of the many still utilizing this server operating system, you’ll want to make sure that you upgrade away from it before July 14th, 2015. Otherwise, you’ll be running without security patches or updates.

You know that one unlucky employee that seems to have the most problems with their computer? Perhaps they keep getting an error that no one can replicate, or they need a little help setting up a Mail Merge? Due to most managers only knowing of two technical support options, business owners can get stuck in a tough spot with employees like this.

IT support is heavily reliant upon communication between both parties involved. Without both sides being on the same page, IT support miscommunications are far more likely to happen. Sometimes you just can’t help but laugh at poor communication skills, as seen in the 2001 movie Zoolander. But thankfully, these situations don’t arise too often in the non-fictional universe… right?

Your PC's CPU (Central Processing Unit) is one of the many delecate components inside your computer. The CPU essentially does all of the thinking that your PC needs to do, processing instructions from your operating system and all of your programs. That might not seem like a big deal, but most CPUs today handle billions of processes every second. It doesn't store data (that's the hard drive) but if the CPU fails to work properly, you won't be getting much work done.

It takes a special kind of person to give great customer service. If someone can't pick up on social cues, or if they have a low tolerance for repetitive questions, they will end up offending a lot of customers. To assist our clients with their IT problems, we make sure to hire the most helpful customer service representatives that we can find.

If you're like most heavy Internet users, you've got multiple Google accounts and you have to think twice about which Gmail address to give someone. It's not like you set out to have three, or five, or even ten Google accounts. It just kind of happened over time. Can anything be done to streamline your different Google accounts?

This world is dangerous; there are murderers, serial killers, and identity thieves. These dangerous criminals aside, many people ignore the digital world and find solace in thinking that they are untouchable in their online community. Little do they know, some of the most dangerous criminals in the world exist on the other end of a telephone line, sitting in front of a computer: Hackers. One of the easiest ways to shield yourself from these criminals is to keep your antivirus up to date.

We are creatures of habit. We love our routines and live in "comfort zones." Getting anybody to do anything outside of their comfort zone is always challenging. A comfort zone typically applies to social situations, but it can also apply to technology. Don't let an emotional attachment to old technology keep you from taking advantage of new money-making solutions!

The first pitch of another Major League Baseball season is being thrown this afternoon and with 2,427 more games on the docket in the regular season, it won't be the last. One of the greatest feats a player (or a team) can accomplish in baseball is by throwing a perfect game. To do so, a team's pitcher (or pitchers) must complete nine innings without allowing a baserunner.

As the top American collegiate men's and women's basketball teams are poised to take the court to decide national champions in 2014 NCAA tournament, local businesses are in a competition of their own; to turn a profit. There are three ways your business and your favorite team share a similar path to success.

For a modern business that depends on its technology, few things are worse than when a server crashes, causing an entire organization to experience downtime. The only thing worse than downtime is the repair bill that accompanies it. In desperate times like this, is your IT company taking advantage of your misfortune?

For most small business owners, your average week includes several moments where you look at your expense sheet and search for ways to cut costs and improve the profitability, and thus, the sustainability of your company. Around the holidays, when business picks up for everyone, some small businesses run into problems that stunt their net profitability. The inability to spend the money that larger companies can, will often result in handcuffing a business' ability to compete.

If you've never taken advantage of remote support to remedy an IT problem, then you're likely doing IT support the hard way by having a technician physically take care of every issue. While it's always nice to chat with your friendly tech, you may be able to save yourself a whole lot of time and money by taking care of the issue with remote support.

How does it make you feel having to call IT support? If you've never talked with one of our IT technicians, then you may think of the stereotypical scenario of dealing with an incoherent foreigner and dread making the call. We feel IT Support should be quick, easy, and resolve the problem, not test the limits of your patience.

IT support is not without its stereotypes. These stereotypes can make for some great humor, as seen in Jimmy Fallon's Saturday Night Live character, Nick Burns, Your Company's Computer Guy. Behind every Nick Burns stereotype is a truth about poor IT service. Let's take a look at Nick to show you how we are nothing like him.

For small and medium-sized businesses, technology management can be a tricky situation. You want to ensure that your IT doesn't break your budget, but you also want to make using your technology as easy as possible for your end users. Unfortunately, for many employees, your business’s technology conduct and practices could be driving them insane.

The break-fix IT model can be exhausting and unpredictable. When your technology unexpectedly breaks down, you shouldn’t have to grasp at straws just to keep operations running. Thanks to the proactive approach of managed IT services, the break-fix model is on borrowed time. Will your business move on from this antiquated method of managing technology, or will it remain stuck in the past, unable to move forward?

Technology’s incredible growth has brought about a need for technicians who are skilled enough to handle everyday maintenance. As time passes, technology grows more complex, and as such it requires more comprehensive maintenance. Eventually, innovators in the IT industry discovered that their services could be improved by preventing technology problems from happening in the first place. Enter: managed IT services.