The Bay Area IT Experts

Keep in mind that these are all only suggestions, and should all be run by your IT resource for approval before you try to tweak anything.

Remote into Your Home Desktop

While we can help you where solutions that allow your team to access their workstations from home are involved, you and your users may find yourself needing the opposite connectivity at times. There are many apps that, when installed on both devices, allow you to turn your Android device into a terminal tied to your home system.

Turn it into a Video Conferencing Hub

With a few older devices, you can easily create a video communications network to collaborate with others in the office, or even others across the world. A stand, a power source, and a Wi-Fi connection are all you need, and you’ll have a reliable means of reaching out via video.

Make it a Decorative Feature for Your Desk

Real productivity isn’t possible in a completely sterile environment, so why not jazz up your workspace with a photograph. Find out if the cloud service of your choice has a slideshow function (as Google Photos does) and let your phone rotate out your photos. Alternatively, there are webcam apps that can deliver a livestream of some remote location directly to your desk, if you prefer.

If you’d like something with some more functionality, you could always set up your old smartphone to be a desk clock or calendar to give yourself a quick-access reference point for these needs.

Turn it into a Security Camera

If there’s something special you want to keep an eye on while you’re at the office (or again, vice versa), you can also set up your mobile device to act as an impromptu security camera. Various applications are available that will allow you to stream a live feed from your mobile device to a web browser, keeping you in-the-know of everything that is happening while you’re away. This isn’t really a replacement for physical security for your business, but it’s a great way to keep tabs on your dog at home.

Of course, if your mobile device is ready for retirement, you should at least dispose of it responsibly and properly. Reach out to our team to learn more about recycling your electronics securely, and for any other IT-related questions, at (415) 295-4898.

Well, here we are...A disaster has struck millions of businesses from around the world in the form of Coronavirus. While having a dedicated backup system probably is the last of your worries at the moment, you may be surprised to learn just how important comprehensive backup strategies can be in times where you lose access to your physical infrastructure. 

Today’s redundancy best practices dictate that you keep at least one copy of your data in an offsite data center to ensure that you have access to it if something happens to your servers. We recommend skipping all of the consumer-grade backup solutions out there, and using a device called a BDR (short for backup and disaster recovery). In times like this, your BDR can be used as a temporary server, ensuring that you and your team have access to the data they need while they are being forced to work remotely.

This year’s World Backup Day may come at an inopportune time, but regardless of what is going on in the world the following practices remain important:

• The 3-2-1 Backup Method - The 3-2-1 method means that you keep at least three copies of your data. Two of these copies can be stored on central infrastructure, but one is kept in an offsite data center or other cloud storage facility.
• Backup Your Backup - You will want to check and double-check all backups to ensure they were successful. There are several reasons why a backup would fail, so you can’t just assume they are working as intended. Check them and then check them again. Your diligence will pay off when you need the data. 
• Protect Your Backup - You will want to put password protection on all devices that contain data. Today, many of these systems come with options for multi-factor authentication, which ensures that you get an extra layer of protection. You will also want to ensure that your storage is covered by an up-to-date virus and malware protection.

If you would like to talk to one of our IT experts about your data storage or building a backup and disaster recovery strategy that will work to ensure that your data is always protected, call us today at (415) 295-4898.

As the virus has spread across the world, markets everywhere have felt its impact. Distribution patterns have been disrupted due to assorted blocks on travel. Additionally, the meetings and conferences that this industry typically sees have been cut off. Naturally, this has led to these banks rolling out their backup strategies, the pits that are typically filled with traders abandoned… but more on that in a moment.

How Has Coronavirus Encouraged Disaster Recovery Awareness?

Getting right down to brass tacks, it is clear that COVID-19 is a disaster, albeit one that you may not have considered a “business disaster” at first. However, anything that interrupts a business’ processes is considered a disaster… and it is safe to say that COVID-19 has done just that. So how do you prepare a business for a pandemic?

Actually, it isn’t all that different than what your routine business continuity processes should consist of, specifically, the fact that--in case of a disaster--you need to be sure that your business has the mobility it will need to survive.

Coronavirus’ hallmark is the social distance that is recommended to be kept between people to prevent the spread. Therefore, it makes sense that people would want to keep as far of a distance from each other as possible.

The solutions for remote work, software-as-a-service delivery, and cloud-based disaster recovery prove very valuable both when you want to give your users the capability to work from their home, as well as when your office is the location of a disaster event.

So, in order to protect your employees from the spread of coronavirus, you only need to be protecting your business from other disasters as well. Sounds like a win-win.

For assistance in implementing the technology needed to maintain your operations through any disaster, reach out to the professionals at 415 IT by calling (415) 295-4898.