Top 5 Benefits of IT Consulting

As businesses move their operations online, the important of quality IT consulting services has become essential to operating companies of all sizes. Many times, companies, especially small scaled business, cannot manage full time, in-house IT department and must rely on an external team that specializes in IT affairs from time to time.

It’s often too costly and resource intensive for companies to devout an entire division of their company to managing their IT services. Therefore, it is crucial, to beat competitive forces within the market and avail top-notch IT services for uninterrupted growth of your business, it is important to hire a trustworthy team of IT consulting professionals.

Below we have highlighted the top five reasons for hiring IT consultants to service your company’s IT needs.

Provides Money Savings:

When companies hire IT consultant they are often able to save money on overhead costs as well as taxes. IT experts can also help you save money and time that can be utilized in other aspects of growth within the business. It is important to plan for IT services within your business to ensure that you are getting the right support to solve all your technical issues while providing insight to help with the growth of their company.

Expert Guidance:

Hiring an IT consulting company for your business means making a connection with a team of experts that can understand common business problem, requirements, and solutions. People working in the IT field can help you to benefit from the latest technologies and most effective strategies. It is the best way to avoid threats within the technology industry and move ahead with the trends to ensure the utmost growth for your business.

Boost Business Productivity:

The latest IT technologies can help you to find ways to improve business productivity. An experienced IT consulting team will help you to use innovative strategies to improve collaboration, communication, and knowledge sharing abilities so that employees can take innovative decisions. The connectivity between employer, employee, and client can be improved via email communications, mobile platforms, broadband connectivity, central databases and advanced file servers.

Focusing on Core Business Developments:

When non-IT professionals are inundated with IT problems on the premises, it causes a waste of time and resources. Instead, these professionals need to focus on their core area of interest so that they can ensure more growth opportunities with their creative ideas not IT issues that they have no idea how to handle. When you have an external dedicated team for handling all IT issues, your internal staff can find more time to work for revenue generation process and it can naturally bring more benefits to your business.

Reduce Downtime:

No one can tolerate downtime for business but when a typical IT issue is not solved on time, it can make your business unavailable to your clients and they will find it annoying. It is important to make efforts to maximize uptime of your business and one way to do this is to hire professional IT consulting services. They provide 24×7 IT support services so that your business can always stay ahead in the competition.

Learn more about Creative Programs and Systems, CPS, and the IT solutions they provide including IT consulting, computer consulting, network consulting, networking, server installation, IT disaster recovery, computer repair, virus removal, malware removal, computer tune ups, data backup systems, computer troubleshooting, structured cabling, low voltage wiring, website design, graphic design, logo design, website hosting, search engine placement, iphone app programming, android app programming, and custom programming at www.cpsmi.com/computerconsulting. To contact one of our IT experts call 810.224.5252 today or via email at info@cpsmi.com.

March 25, 2019

Mistakes That Decrease the Longevity of Your Laptop

Purchasing a laptop isn’t a small investment and can be quite expensive if you need to repair or replace it. It is important that a laptop is kept in top shape to increases its longevity and effectiveness. Here are some tips on what to avoid in order to keep your laptop running efficiently for as long as possible.

Don’t Take the Term Laptop Too Literally

Nope, unlike the name states a laptop should never be set on top of your lap. The truth is that by putting a laptop on your lap you actually decrease the lifespan of your machine. A laptops processor, which is the brain of the PC, gets hot! The vent to release the heat is likely to be located on the bottom of the laptop where ventilation is scarce. This vent if covered by pants or blankets the laptop overheats. Another side effect of putting a laptop on your lap is that dust begins to settle. Even when this dust is then removed using canned air it is not really removed, it is just shuffled internally which can hurt the processor and internal workings of the laptop as well.

Don’t Forget to Shut Your Laptop Off Occasionally

It is so easy to simply close the laptop lid at the end of the night without shutting it down however this isn’t always what is best for the health of the laptop. Many of us fall into this trap because the next morning when we want to use it, the computer boots up within seconds. By shutting down your laptop on a regular basis, it allows the PC to install the fixes that need to run in order to update the software vulnerabilities. Laptops, like desktops, do not apply the fixes unless the computer is restarted. For the best results we recommend shutting your laptop down at least once a week (or more).

Don’t Overlook the Importance of a Surge Protector

Using a surge protector should be quite obvious however, so many people forget to use one when using their laptops. It is common to hear that you should unplug electronics during storms. If your laptop is plugged in and lighting hits and the computer is not plugged into a surge protector, you will likely fry your laptop.

Don’t Disregard the Importance of Installing an Antivirus

This too should go without saying, an antivirus is critical for the protection of your laptop. Antivirus protection is essential for both laptops and desktops as it keeps the bugs from getting into your systems. Which let’s be clear, happens all the time when you are surfing the internet. Malware and virus’s make your computer run hot and can “break” your laptop. Antivirus should be installed and regularly updated to keep your system safe.

Creative Programs and Systems, CPS, is an all-inclusive IT solutions company offering a variety of services including: managed IT services, IT consulting, residential computer services, custom programming, website design, iphone & android app development, and more. More information can be found at https://cpsmi.com.

November 21, 2018

Basic Elements Used In Networking: What You Should Know

The term networking is used a lot in both IT and business a lot. Creating a successful IT network is crucial to the growth of a business. When people within an organization are able to share and merge information in real time an increase in efficiency naturally occurs. IT networking is a concept that many of us are familiar with but unsure of what it takes to create. A network is a system where computers, phones, peripherals, and even IT devices are connected. Some basic essential needed to create a manage this system include routers, switches, and wireless access points. These units connect the devices on your network and allow them to communicate with one another as well as outside networks such as the internet.

The Foundation: Switches

A network switch is the backbone of many networks within companies large and small. It acts very much like a controller and connect devices such as computers, printers, and servers to the network within a location. A switch creates a link of communication on your network, allowing devices to work with one another and outside networks, thus creating a system in which resources can be shared. When information is shared, in real time, across sources and available resources are shared businesses save time and money while increasing productivity.

There are two types of switches that IT professionals can install within your networking system: managed and unmanaged.

Managed Switches: A managed switch allows techs the ability to configure it for the needs of the network. Monitoring and adjustments can be made locally or remotely. This gives companies a greater control over the network’s traffic and accessibility.

Unmanaged Switches: An unmanaged switch is one that works right from the box however cannot be configured. This type of switch is most often not used in commercial IT but instead home networking equipment.

The Dispatcher: Routers

A router is used to join the devices on the network together. A router is also used to connect computers to the internet. Using a router in networking allows one single internet connection to be shared amongst users. Paying for individual internet connections for each computer within a company would be a huge expense without a beneficial increase in function performed.

As a dispatcher, a router examines the data that is sent across the network and pick a proper route for the data to voyage through the network to its final destination. A router is used to connect your business to the outside world while protecting the data from threats and deciding a priority over systems in the network.

There are a few types of routers to choose from including:

Routers with firewalls
Virtual private networks (VPN)
Internet Protocol (IP) communications system

Routers make basic networking functions possible while making networking easier and more secure.

Accessibility: Access Points

Access points are added to network to allow for connection without cables. This makes the process of bringing new equipment online simpler and allows for flexibility to mobile employees. An access point works in a similar fashion as an amplifier for the network. Routers provide bandwidth and the access point extends the bandwidth amongst many devices that are able to access the network from a near and far.

An access point is more than just a unit that extends the Wi-Fi signal. A network access point allows useful information about all of the devices on the network and provide proactivity security while serving other practical functions.