SCW Blog

Let’s talk a little bit about deepfakes. If you aren’t aware of this technology, deepfakes are essentially synthetic media. Typically they come in the form of videos or images that use artificial intelligence (AI) to replace a person’s likeness with another’s. With deepfake technology, people can convince an audience that a person said something they didn’t say. This deliberate digital subterfuge can bring with it a whole lot of problems. This week we will outline a few of them.

Emerging technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are leveling the playing field for small businesses that decide to utilize these technologies. They can be harnessed by small businesses to engage customers, enhance their products and services, and create unforgettable experiences. This week, we'll explore some exciting ways that small businesses can leverage AR and VR to their benefit.

A point of sale system is incredibly valuable to have for any retail or hospitality business venture, and the right solution can give you a dynamic range of features and services that can drive business growth and the customer experience. Today, we want to look at some of the greatest benefits to implementing a powerful POS system.

Collaboration is a major part of any business endeavor, and if you play your cards right, you can use effective collaboration methods to improve your company’s productivity and innovation. At the heart of these improvements is technology; the right tools can streamline collaboration and make your efforts much more efficient and effective.

Modern laptops are great, in principle. Not only do you have a ton of options to get a device that does everything you need, but you get the added benefit of having a portable workstation. That being said, working on a laptop all the time isn’t exactly the most comfortable way to get things done. Fortunately, most modern laptops can easily be used like a desktop PC with just a few components.

Businesses are always trying to get the tools they need to do things in the most efficient manner they can. They are under pressure to do so and therefore can have issues when they decide to implement technology that doesn’t necessarily help them meet their goals. In this week’s blog, we take a look at how having the right view of technology can set up some long-term success for your business. 

Much of our blog content discusses the technology used by businesses as a part of their operations, but technology is extremely valuable for several other parts of running a business, including managing relationships with existing and potential customers. The technology of marketing can be remarkably effective for getting the word out about your goods and services, and you will want to ensure your IT is up to the task of managing it.

A lot of businesses need a Point of Sale system in order to effectively do business and the technology has been progressing right along with new features and it has left some businesses struggling to compete. After all, for all businesses, the customer experience is a huge consideration. This week, we thought we would take a look at four variables that businesses should consider when determining whether or not it is time to replace their POS system.

Thanks to our role as a managed service provider, a lot of our time is spent working with the technology commonly found in today’s workplaces. A prime example: the laptop workstation. This has given us a perspective of what laptop qualities are best for business use that you might find helpful as you’re looking to add additional devices to your inventory.

Bandwidth is something that a lot of people have a baseline level of understanding of, but not much else. Today, we wanted to address some of the most frequently asked questions that business owners have about their bandwidth, specifically network bandwidth, and what it means for running your company and business technology most effectively.

A lot of service providers will provide new accounts with a two-in-one modem and router device to run their Internet through. The question then is: “Is this device going to work for my small business?” Simply put: no. We will tell you why.

When you think of technology, you typically think of computers and routers and all the hardware and services you need to run the software that is at the heart of your business’ operations. Software is crucial to every organization, but do you have too much? Too little? Today, we will unpack these questions and go through a list of what software is absolutely mandatory for business. 

Information technology has made incredible strides over a relatively short period of time with many different technologies being innovative and used for a vast variety of purposes. One section of technology that has been growing fast is the Internet of Things. This is because more devices are fueling more applications in our society. In this week’s blog, we take a look at how the Internet of Things has started to grow up and what it means for businesses in the future.

The business world has seen major shifts in supply chain management as more and more people buy and sell goods over the Internet. While it’s just another ecosystem for retail outfits, other companies that need to source resources from different types of companies from all over the planet have found that global shortages and capital constraints brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have changed the way they have to do business. 

Google is always striving to improve its Workspace platform, the business-driven productivity suite for companies. One new tool that could change the way organizations operate is custom building blocks, which add a whole new layer of depth… for schools and businesses, anyway.

Digital storage has been evolving with the development of reliable and long-lasting devices with extremely fast storage and massive storage capacity. The innovation of the solid state drive (SSD) has changed the outlook of storage somewhat, but large-capacity SSDs can be expensive. The hard disk drive (HDD) is still a cost-effective alternative, but it is a mechanical device, which, over time, will be prone to failure. 

We like to look at the new smartphones that hit the market each and every year, but this year presents an interesting change. The past several years have seen a marked decrease in innovation, and there are fewer companies producing smartphones than before. The reason for this is unclear, and it could be due to any number of factors, including market dynamics, supply chain shortages, or the costs associated with manufacturing. However, it has had profound impacts on major names in the industry, including Amazon, LG, and HTC, as well as Microsoft, Sony, and Nokia.

People are constantly upgrading their technology. I mean, just take a look at how many people upgrade their phone every year even though innovation of the devices has slowed considerably. Alternatively, sometimes users ignore the signs that it is time for an upgrade even when they are crystal clear. This type of mentality will not help you, especially if your technology breaks down. You need to be able to identify when older devices are holding you back and take steps toward replacing them with better, more powerful ones.

Google is rolling out client-side encryption to Gmail and Calendar, which will allow users to create meeting events as well as send and receive emails that have been encrypted before being sent to Google servers. Client-side encryption will be available to organizations with Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Standard, and Education Plus plans. All other types of Google Workspace accounts and personal Gmail accounts will not get client-side encryption.

Wearable technology is all over the place in your office, whether you realize it or not. Consider how many of your employees wear smartwatches or health trackers. All of these devices tend to enrich the lives of those who use them, but they can quickly become network security risks if you aren’t prepared to handle them on your company network. Let’s go over what you need to consider to protect your business from wearable technology.