Posts

Posted on

IT Health Directly Linked to Long-Term Business Success

Technological challenges can be hefty in terms of cost and business impact. Information Technology (IT) concerns can affect security, continuity, and overall productivity despite the overall company size. Businesses must consider IT an essential aspect of their overall health.

Especially in today’s age, where the United States government is warning businesses to prepare themselves against hackers amid spyware, ransomware, viruses, etc., it is crucial to ensure companies have strong IT resources for use. IT challenges can impact business success and should be considered an indispensable part of their sustainability. 

Downtime
Network downtime costs American businesses roughly $26.5 billion in lost revenue, with small- to medium-sized companies losing an average of $42,000 per hour. Some studies estimate that lost revenue was closer to $5,600 per minute. The average business downtime is roughly 87 hours a year in total. 

Equipment
Aging equipment and unpatched devices are especially susceptible to crashes, cyberattacks, and much more. Hackers focus on finding value (financial information) rather than targeting specific corporations.  

Education
Teaching employees about cybersecurity and their role in establishing a safe, secure IT environment is crucial for success. If employees are serious about private information and securely use technology, the chances of breaches are drastically minimized. 

Proactivity
Ideally, rather than being proactive, businesses should focus on continuity planning, which ensures critical business functions are prepared to recover from potential down time. Roughly 40- to 60 percent of businesses that were unprepared for disasters never reopen. 

Solutions
To form a solid IT plan, focus on resources available. If your team is unable to handle the load in-house, outsource the networking, anti-virus, troubleshooting, password management, server setup, backups, etc., with a reliable vendor such as Creative Programs and Systems!

Creative Programs and Systems (CPS) provides IT services for small and large businesses in all industries. We specialize in boosting productivity, streamlining business practices, and much more. Contact us today to set up a consultation with our IT specialists. 

Founded in 1994, Creative Programs and Systems provides professional results for all computer needs. We design, create, and code an array of custom software programs and websites; offer top-notch digital marketing services including enhanced Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and paid advertising; repair and provide support for computers of both residential and professional nature; build custom systems and servers, and offer secure data backups. Need assistance or want to learn more? Call us at 810-224-5252 or e-mail info@cpsmi.com.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

Posted on

Five Strategies for Boosting Product Awareness

Connecting with customers is key whether you own or operate an e-commerce or brick-and-mortar storefront. Getting your name out and announcing a new product can be challenging without a proper following. While gaining traction may be tricky, it isn’t impossible. Read on to learn some essential strategies for boosting your business and building product awareness. 

E-Mail Marketing
Newsletters are a great way to announce product changes, specials, and more. Your most loyal customers will likely be interested in hearing up-to-date news. Plus, it’s an easy and inexpensive way to stay relevant and top-of-mind with clients. 

Giveaways and Prizes
Generating buzz around new or best-selling products can really flourish by launching giveaways. Not only do prizes keep repeat customers engaged, but they are also a great way for new clients to swallow your hook, so to speak. 

Professional Media
Great photos or videos can make or break a product. With captivating visuals, brand awareness can gain traction. To showcase your items, choose high-resolution, bright, non-distracting photos or videos that clearly give you an idea of what you are offering.  

Story Time
Many customers genuinely want to connect with their favorite brands, and stories are one of the best ways to humanize your business. Leveling with clients in a real way ensures you pique their interest and keep them coming back for more.

Partnerships and Collaborations
When social media users are already loyal to one product, they tend to follow the parent company. When the business teams up with other like-minded companies, consumers trust that connection, which creates an immense – and swift – amount of engagement. 

Are you looking to boost your business? Contact the digital marketing experts at Creative Programs and Systems today.

Founded in 1994, Creative Programs and Systems provides professional results for all computer needs. We design, create, and code an array of custom software programs and websites; offer top-notch digital marketing services including enhanced Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and paid advertising; repair and provide support for computers of both residential and professional nature; build custom systems and servers, and offer secure data backups. Need assistance or want to learn more? Call us at 810-224-5252 or e-mail info@cpsmi.com.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

Posted on

Google Introduces Experimental AI-Powered Bard 

Google recently opened access to Bard, an experimental generative AI to bring experiences to individuals, companies, and neighborhoods. Google touts Bard as a way to improve productivity, satisfy curiosity, and bring ideas to the forefront. Bard can help people reach goals, explain quantum physics, or summarize articles. 

Research Large Language Models (LLMs) can learn from a wide range of data to output information. Bard, an LLM, uses Google as a database to predict responses to questions. Creativity is factored in to make it less predictable and stale. LLMs are known to give momentum to human efficiency, imagination, and curiosity. 

Bard will offer several options of responses at first to get a good feel for the user’s starting point. It helps the user to discover more relevant search results based on their query. 

Bard’s rival is a Microsoft-backed OpenAI called ChatGPT, which one study has found to “Outperform physicians in high-quality, empathetic answers to patient questions.” 

ChatGPT has even been studied for use in neurosurgery, based on medical and surgical implementation, clinical decision-making, and administrative assistance. 

Though Google’s Bard is a fresh addition to the LLM realm, some privacy concerns have caused countries such as Italy to ban the app, subsequently lifting the ban later. Apprehension for LLMs is rooted in their ability to create fake news articles or untrue social media posts. 

Bard is savvy in various genres, from music to organic chemistry, and beyond. The usefulness of LLMs is practically endless. Used properly, Bard is a valuable means to gain knowledge and understanding for humans across the planet. 

________________

Founded in 1994, Creative Programs and Systems provides professional results for all computer needs. We design, create, and code an array of custom software programs and websites; offer top-notch digital marketing services including enhanced Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and paid advertising; repair and provide support for computers of both residential and professional nature; build custom systems and servers, and offer secure data backups. Need assistance or want to learn more? Call us at 810-224-5252 or e-mail info@cpsmi.com.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

Posted on

Transformative Tech Trends

Another year has begun, which means there are inevitably new technological trends slated to release throughout time. This year, tech is trending at an exponential pace. Keep an eye on the developments below and watch them grow throughout 2023. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI is everywhere, and it will advance even more in 2023. Between software, services, chips, and more, AI will be present in operational efficiencies, adaptive processes, higher performance, and stronger security. The implementation of AI has skyrocketed during the pandemic, especially since they aid in adaptivity and resilience. AI is only expected to grow throughout 2023, embracing effortless drag-and-drop interfaces, meaning no code will be necessary. In the early days of computers, users needed to understand DOS to interact with the machine, but now, everyone uses computers without understanding the technical jargon and background programming. Similarly, AI will soon become more user-friendly and functional without coding knowledge. 

Quantum Computing
Remember these words: quantum computing. They might seem inconspicuous today, but this technology which uses subatomic particles to form novel processing pathways and information storage is the future of computing. Even the best processors today cannot compete with quantum computers’ ability to solve complex problems swiftly. With government and industry investments poised for growth, hardware and software looks to be progressing upward. 

Cybersecurity
A huge aspect of technology in 2023 will be establishing trust between applications and end-users. Various ways exist to establish secure access depending on the program or instance. This year, a shift in managing trust will enable security mechanisms to function properly. With trust comes a huge responsibility of protecting vital information, so safety must be heightened to accommodate.  

Broadband
High-speed wireless broadband is adapting at lightning speed, with the ability to power augmented reality, whole-home video distribution, telemedicine, gaming, and more. Wi-fi 6E and 7 will use the 6 GHz band, complementing the emerging global 10G. 

Clouds
Cloud infrastructure is already a large part of today’s technology, but in 2023 it is expected to expand even more. Industries such as banking, healthcare, and manufacturing are shifting toward a responsive platform backed by precise options for their specific industry. With an even greater level of adaptability, functionality, and innovation, cloud-based data is edging its way to the top for many businesses. 

______________

Founded in 1994, Creative Programs and Systems provides professional results for all computer needs. We design, create, and code an array of custom software programs and websites; offer top-notch digital marketing services including enhanced Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and paid advertising; repair and provide support for computers of both residential and professional nature; build custom systems and servers, and offer secure data backups. Need assistance or want to learn more? Call us at 810-224-5252 or e-mail info@cpsmi.com.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

Posted on

Landmark Lawsuit Could Force Google to Divest Ads

A lawsuit filed by the United States Justice Department targets Alphabet’s Google and its monopoly in the advertising space. If the case succeeds, rivals of Google Ads, such as Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon could find an advantage. However, advertisers would have an uncertain future in this scenario.

The Justice Department demanded in the complaint that Google divest its Ad Manager, a suite of tools that allows websites to distribute ads and find customers based on their interests, gender, location, and more.

Apple has been swiftly increasing its emerging advertising sector, endorsing its privacy features, and could be a budding contender if Google Ads loses its stronghold. Since Apple’s data is compiled through phone ownership, its Safari web browser, and the dispersal of applications through its app store, it will have the ability to swiftly diversify its focus into the ad realm.

If the lawsuit filed by the Justice Department succeeds, advertisers and publishers will both experience more leverage with multiple options and an entirely new roster of players. With that comes more competition, as the space will open up to many others.

Google’s advertising competitors are constantly developing new products for publishers (news websites) and advertisers buying those ads. If Google is forced to divest, competitors such as Microsoft’s Xandr will have an edge, as they will continue to work with both sides.

The gains will also come financially for publishers, as they will have more options, inevitably driving down the overall cost in the sector. As more competition emerges, Google Ads will predictably become less effective.

This is not the first time the government has filed lawsuits against dominant companies in an effort to break up monopolies. In 1974, a lawsuit broke up AT&T, which resulted in many advancements and innovations in the telephone industry. In 1998, the Justice Department filed a suit against Microsoft aimed at reining in the company by prohibiting them from extending its dominant operating system to the internet browser. Ironically, the Justice Department and Microsoft settlement paved the way for other internet innovators such as Google.

_______________________________

Founded in 1994, Creative Programs and Systems provides professional results for all computer needs. We design, create, and code an array of custom software programs and websites; offer top-notch digital marketing services including enhanced Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and paid advertising; repair and provide support for computers of both residential and professional nature; build custom systems and servers, and offer secure data backups. Need assistance or want to learn more? Call us at 810-224-5252 or e-mail info@cpsmi.com.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

Posted on

Web Browsers Spellcheck Can Unveil Passwords

Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are two Internet browsers that use extended spellcheck features to transmit form data, including Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and passwords to their parent companies. 

While this feature is intended to assist the browser user, it does raise privacy concerns and calls the efficacy of password protection to question.  

“Spell-jacking” is the term used to describe the process of a browser sending PII from spellcheck to Google, Microsoft, and the like. Transmitted PII form data can include Social Security Numbers, Social Insurance Numbers, personal names, addresses, e-mails, dates of birth, contact information, bank information, and so much more. 

Josh Summit, co-founder and CTO of JavaScript security firm otto-js, unearthed this issue while testing script behaviors for his company. When Google Chrome Enhanced Spellcheck or Microsoft Edge Editor is enabled, nearly everything you type in form fields is instantaneously transmitted to Google and Microsoft. Clicking on “show password” can spell-jack your data. 

Summit stated, “Some of the largest websites in the world have exposure to sending Google and Microsoft sensitive user PII, including username, e-mail, and passwords, when users are logging in or filling out forms. An even more significant concern for companies is the exposure this presents to the company’s enterprise credentials to internal assets like databases and cloud infrastructure.” 

Though the transmission of form fields is securely sent through HTTPS, what happens to the user data after it reaches Google’s server, for example, is not exactly clear. Some companies have mitigated the issue by adding ‘spellcheck=false’ to all input fields; however, this could cause problems for users who can no longer use the spellcheck feature. 

Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge users can turn off spellcheck (or remove Edge’s Editor add-on) until the companies revise their code to exclude passwords and other PII from sensitive fields. 

Do you need assistance with adding or removing spellcheck from your browser? Has your data already been compromised? Contact the computer experts at CPS today – we can assist!  

Founded in 1994, Creative Programs and Systems provides professional results for all computer needs. We design, create, and code an array of custom software programs and websites; offer top-notch digital marketing services including enhanced Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and paid advertising; repair and provide support for computers of both residential and professional nature; build custom systems and servers, and offer secure data backups. Need assistance or want to learn more? Call us at 810-224-5252 or e-mail info@cpsmi.com.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/

Posted on

What’s the Big Deal Regarding ‘Zero-Day’?

“Zero-day” is becoming a more popular term to describe recently discovered security vulnerabilities exposed by hackers and used to infiltrate computer systems. The phrase literally means the developer has zero days to fix the issue caused by hackers. 

Zero-day threats are unprecedented virus attacks that exploit either a new variant of malware or previously unknown software (zero-day vulnerability). Since these malware viruses are unique, they are impossible to detect by typical signature-matching tactics. Zero-day is sometimes written as 0-day, and the term is often associated with the words: vulnerability, exploit, and attack. Keep reading to learn the difference between the three. 

Zero-Day Vulnerability
Hackers unearth these software vulnerabilities before vendors can be made aware of them; therefore, no patch or fix exists, making them more likely to infiltrate systems.

Zero-Day Exploits
This term refers to the hacking method used to attack systems with a previously unknown vulnerability. 

Zero-Day Attack
The actual term describes the execution of a zero-day exploit to cause damage or steal data from an unprotected system. 

Hackers can exploit security vulnerabilities found in software, called exploit code, and ultimately wreak havoc before developers can remedy the situation. When anti-virus companies release “patch” updates, they are essentially covering a hole that was previously discovered by hackers. Unfortunately, this process can take months, as these security vulnerabilities are not immediately distinguished. 

Signature matching is a specific strategy used to identify malware by analyzing samples of destructed data to create a signature file and then distributing an update for anti-virus software to identify the specific signature. Zero-day threats can sneak past these signature matching tactics, ultimately affecting many victims. 

Zero-day attacks are immensely dangerous and typically aimed at operating systems, web browsers, office applications, open-source components, hardwired firmware, Internet of Things (IoT), and more. Potential victims include those who use a browser or operating system, intellectual data property owners, run hardware, firmware, and the IoT through large businesses, organizations, government agencies, etc. 

Cyber threats are continually infecting thousands of computers with zero-day threats. To protect your network, applications, and data, contact the experts at CPS. Our engineers can engage an advanced threat prevention system that can test untrusted files, links, and e-mails before they get to you.

Founded in 1994, Creative Programs and Systems provides professional results for all computer needs. We design, create, and code an array of custom software programs and websites; offer top-notch digital marketing services including enhanced Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and paid advertising; repair and provide support for computers of both residential and professional nature; build custom systems and servers, and offer secure data backups. Need assistance or want to learn more? Call us at 810-224-5252 or e-mail info@cpsmi.com.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

Posted on

Falling Computer Chip Prices

Recently, there was a massive price drop in computer chips. A common question is how these large drops will affect businesses in the surrounding industry. It’s been a bad decade for computer chip makers. That’s not to say there have been no gains – Intel’s profits have steadily climbed during the decade, and AMD has made some money in recent years. But the industry, as a whole, is facing lower prices–leading to a big earnings miss for industry leaders, and slower growth.

What Does It Mean When the Price Falls?

The falling price of computer chips is a sign of the cycle in capital-intensive businesses, as they look to make up for losses by cutting costs and laying off employees. The price of computer chips fell more than 70% over the past decade, and this is happening for a reason.

Continued price drops of computer chips indicate that we are entering a cycle where capital-intensive businesses are becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. This is because technology is changing so quickly, and new players are constantly coming up with new ways to do things better and cheaper.

It is not just computer chips that are showing this trend; it is also happening in other industries, like cars and airplanes, which are seeing similar price drops as they become more automated.

The falling price of the computer chip means that companies in which “capital intensive” processes are important will see their profits decline. That’s bad news for investors.

Why Is the Price Falling and What It Means?

  • The cost of producing chips has dropped steadily, so manufacturers are able to lower their prices without taking a hit on their profits. This means that consumers have more money in their pockets, which they can put toward other purchases. It also means that companies who need to buy new computers are facing lower prices than they would have otherwise.
  • There is more competition in the industry, which means manufacturers are more competitive with each other. In addition, there is more innovation happening in design and production techniques.
  • Lastly, the advancement of technology.

Founded in 1994, Creative Programs and Systems provides professional results for all computer needs. We design, create, and code an array of custom software programs and websites; offer top-notch digital marketing services including enhanced Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and paid advertising; repair and provide support for computers of both residential and professional nature; build custom systems and servers, and offer secure data backups. Need assistance or want to learn more? Call us at 810-224-5252 or e-mail info@cpsmi.com.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/

Posted on

Google and Oracle Forced to Close due to Heatwave

Technology giants Google and Oracle suffered major power outages after massive heatwaves hit much of the United Kingdom, forcing cooling systems at London data centers to shut down. 

Data centers hold thousands of computers and are the foundation behind hundreds of online services. Since so many computers are processing, a massive amount of heat is generated; therefore, cooling is absolutely necessary. 

Oracle, a huge American database software and technology company, reported overheating issues by stating, “Following unnecessary high temperatures in the UK south (London) region, two cooler units in the data center experienced a failure when they were required to operate above their design limits. As a result, temperatures in the data center began to climb, which caused some systems to shut down as a protective measure.” 

The heatwave was also detrimental for the Google Cloud data center in London. They reported, “There has been a cooling-related failure in one of our buildings.” To prevent damage, machines were shut down, so only a small number of customers were affected. 

Since the data centers are incredibly valuable to customers, they are constructed with plenty of cooling capacity and back-ups. Typically, these large-scale failures do not take place. However, the unprecedented temperatures were a surprise for many. 

Paul Hone of Redcentric, which operates data centers in London, Reading, and Cambridge, said that data centers are designed to withstand hot weather, but the “heatwave’s temperatures would be at the upper end of design expectations for a lot of data center operators.”

Companies such as Microsoft are putting data centers underwater as an experiment to measure reliability and operation. With future data centers potentially being plunged into the ocean, the chances of heat waves affecting them will be minimal. 

———————————————————————-

Founded in 1994, Creative Programs and Systems provides professional results for all computer needs. We design, create, and code an array of custom software programs and websites; offer top-notch digital marketing services including enhanced Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and paid advertising; repair and provide support for computers of both residential and professional nature; build custom systems and servers, and offer secure data backups. Need assistance or want to learn more? Call us at 810-224-5252 or e-mail info@cpsmi.com.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

Posted on

Clarifying the Worldwide Computer Chip Shortage

Game consoles, graphics cards, processors, and so much more have been hard to come by lately. The consumer technology industry has suffered a shortage of computer chips, which has impacted the entire global supply. The chip drought has resulted in issues through hundreds of markets such as automotive, cryptocurrency, smartphone, vehicle, television, and a multitude of other technological advancements. 

Samsung CEO DJ Koh forecasted “A serious imbalance in supply and demand of chips.” 

Limited supply, combined with huge demand, created the chip shortage of 2021. During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, at-home entertainment boomed. Working from home caused laptop sales to reach their highest in decades. Cryptocurrency started booming, resulting in high demand for a multitude of high-end processors. 

Though gadgets and other technological handhelds have felt the impact first-hand, the automotive industry has been credited with igniting the shortage. In the beginning of the pandemic, automakers ceased orders for processors, anticipating a drop in sales. However, this decision was premature, and vehicle sales rebounded almost immediately. To compensate for the discrepancy, the automotive market attempted to buy back manufacturing, but it was too late. Other sectors were also pushing more production due to high demand. With a maxed-out production capacity, both markets were competing for chip assembly.

Gigantic technology companies such as Microsoft, Sony, Nvida, AMD, Apple, Qualcomm, and more do not actually produce their own processors. TSMC and Samsung build a majority of the world’s cutting-edge semiconductors. Intel is a unicorn in the market, as it manufactures its own processors and has not experienced shortages like its competitors. 

Trying to catch up with production is not as easy as it sounds. Extending production lines can drag on for months, and constructing new facilities can take years, not to mention cost billions of dollars. 

Forecasts show that chip shortages will continue throughout 2022. According to Xiaomi company president Want Xiang said, “The chip supply crunch is still challenging, but the situation will significantly improve in the second quarter, and such supply woes will be fundamentally solved and even revert in the second half of 2022.” 

Founded in 1994, Creative Programs and Systems provides professional results for all computer needs. We design, create, and code an array of custom software programs and websites; offer top-notch digital marketing services including enhanced Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and paid advertising; repair and provide support for computers of both residential and professional nature; build custom systems and servers, and offer secure data backups. Need assistance or want to learn more? Call us at 810-224-5252 or e-mail info@cpsmi.com.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/