As businesses continue the shift to remote and hybrid work, we are beginning to see the beneficial effects this change is having on organizations. Remote and hybrid work arrangements enhance culture, aid in recruiting the best talent, and give people a better life balance. Work - from - home (WFH) options also aid in retention; many businesses are finding that top talent will consider a different workplace should a remote option not be available.

All businesses desire to improve efficiency and productivity. Whether through people, processes, or new products, the ultimate goal is to find new ways to solve old problems. It is also important for organizations to have these capabilities so their competition does not take over the market. However, innovating is not easy. To increase your organization’s ability to innovate, focus on the following fundamental things.

Competing and winning in business requires an organization to have specific attributes. Here are seven ways technology increases your chances to win

Lifecycle planning is becoming a high priority for organizations as reliance on technology increases in every aspect of running a business. In the past, companies treated technology assets like most other hardware: use it until it wore out and then replace it. However, this caused downtime, frustration, and an unpredictable budget.

The key to success for any organization is its people. But top performers and dependable, solid workers don’t want to work for an organization that doesn’t have good technology in place to help them be successful. Outdated workstations, poor - performing environments, the inability to provide flexibility, inadequate security — these are signs of complacency.

It is very common for an organization to find itself in a position with more to replace or upgrade in its IT environment than the organization can afford to spend. At JMARK, we describe this as having IT debt. Much like with a credit card, when spending builds up to a certain level, there must be a reconciliation.

In the world of managed service providers (MSPs), some companies choose to operate with no agreement. If you choose to engage in this type of arrangement, I want to make sure you understand the risks so that you know what to expect from your relationship with that vendor.

Security in the workplace has become a global headline. I’m sure you have heard about the attack on Costa Rica, Uber, multiple healthcare providers, Twitter, Marriott and many others. These types of attacks are going to continue into the foreseeable future, and we have to create a culture of security with a new and heightened level of awareness and scrutiny within our organizations. These attacks are hitting schools, community colleges, universities, businesses of all sizes and types. I’ve had many business owners say to me something like, “Surely I’m small enough that they won’t care amount me?” However, that is simply not true. They are hitting 10 user networks, 2 user networks, global powerhouse organizations, and everyone in between. Everyone is a target. So, how do we build a culture of security?

Certainly, in the right circumstances, a cloud service may improve your IT environment. However, just as easily, cloud services can make it much more challenging. The purpose of this article is to provide some clarity about when you should and should not consider cloud services.