Patriot Tech Services Inc. Blog

Software-based phone systems are an increasingly popular trend in the workplace. Businesses have found that traditional phone systems, while helpful under certain situations, are somewhat antiquated compared to Voice over Internet Protocol. VoIP is exceptionally potent for saving money on unnecessary costs and improving efficiency. However, the question remains: is VoIP right for your business?

Wireless Internet signals, referred to most commonly as Wi-Fi, are commonplace in every office. Even organizations that don’t often need access to the Internet, like restaurants and coffee shops, have wireless connections available for customers to use. However, just because you can connect to free Wi-Fi, doesn’t necessarily mean that you should.

Regardless of what type of organization you run, there is always a need for a word processor, spreadsheet software, and email solution. You might already take advantage of Microsoft Office, but do you take advantage of the subscription service (Office 365), or do you purchase the software licenses outright?

Hardware refreshes are often a time of great turmoil for businesses, particularly because of the cost of new servers and the time it takes to migrate data from one location to another. Thankfully, with the advent of virtualized servers, businesses have a viable alternative to the outright purchase of expensive, new hardware solutions. Instead, a virtual server that’s hosted in the cloud offers not only a more immediate reprieve, but can also significantly reduce costs for your organization in the long run.

For many workers, driving to and from the office is a way of life. In view of this, many have commuted for so long that they can’t imagine life without this daily drive. Despite commuting being the norm, employers and employees alike will gain substantial benefits by ditching the practice altogether. Today’s technology puts this goal within reach.

If we told you that automated teller machines, or ATMs, were susceptible to hacking attacks, would you believe us? You should; there are a plethora of ways for hackers to infiltrate and steal money from ATMs, with the latest being so dangerous that even the Secret Service has issued warnings about it.

Though it’s still a somewhat new concept, payment via mobile device is gaining in popularity. The latest smartphones make it easier than ever to pay bills or send money whenever needed. Yet, this also presents an interesting conundrum. What’s the best way to make mobile payments, and how can they be processed with minimal chance of being compromised?

The more you use your device, the more often you begrudgingly reach for your charger for its afternoon plug-in session. If you’re like any normal mobile device user, this might be an everyday occurrence, but the average business owner might be limited by the scope of their mobile battery’s lifespan. Enter: Android Doze, a feature that could improve your battery life.

More organizations are revamping their traditional IT infrastructure to favor new technology that allows for greater mobility. Not to be outdone, even major government departments are making this move, like the U.S. Department of Education.

Stress is one of those things that you can’t escape, no matter how hard you try, and it can takes a toll on your workday. Despite this, there are (surprisingly) some redeeming factors to stress to be considered.

Instant messaging is commonplace in today’s society. It used to be primarily for social interaction, but its success was so overwhelming that business professionals have implemented it into their daily communications. Although, despite the advantages that instant messaging can provide, you still have to jump through some hoops in order to bypass what it’s become; an immense annoyance.

Does the U.S. Constitution allow the American government to access the electronic devices of its citizens? According to FBI Director James Comey’s statements at Symantec’s Annual Government Symposium, it certainly does.

Virtual reality is quickly becoming a smash hit with many industries, but one of the most incredible and unexplainable phenomenons has to do with VR’s use in the medical sector. While it’s been thought that VR can be used to help paraplegic patients to walk again using brain-controlled robotic limbs, recent innovations have shown that this has the ability to go above and beyond its expectations.

Not all Internet search tools are created equal. For example, sometimes you may use a website’s search feature, only to discover that it doesn’t provide the quality of results you’re used to getting from a major search engine like Google Search. When finding yourself in such a predicament, you’ve got a few options to help narrow down your search.

If you happened to plug your Kindle into your computer and get a blue screen of death, you aren’t alone. Many Kindle users have discovered that the Anniversary update to Windows 10 has caused an issue when attempting to use USB to charge the device or transfer books. It would seem that, within moments of connecting the Kindle to a Windows 10 device, the device will lock up and display the dreaded Blue Screen of Death before rebooting.

So, you’re convinced that cloud computing is the new way to go for your company. That’s great, and it’s an easy choice to make, seeing as the cloud affords organizations benefits such as increased productivity, improved collaboration, anytime/anywhere access, and much more. Now that you’ve decided to go with the cloud, what’s your next move as far as making this a reality?

Smartphones have become an inseparable part of the workplace, to the point where they’re almost necessary in order to maintain efficiency. Yet, sometimes it can feel like a hassle to switch to another device, even if it’s for something as mundane as making a phone call. Did you know that it’s super simple to add a second phone number to your smartphone?

Every security professional’s worst nightmare consists of the National Security Agency (NSA) being hacked. While there’s no proof that the NSA itself has been hacked, there is some evidence to suggest that some of the exploits used by the agency are up for grabs on the black market. What this means is that a lucky group of hackers could potentially get their hands on some very dangerous tools.

Disasters are an unfortunate part of doing business in a technology-heavy workplace environment. You need to expect the worst, but it’s often difficult to predict what types of disasters your organization will have to endure. There are a few universal disasters that you’ll encounter, regardless of where in the world your business operates.

We think that it’s safe to say that nobody enjoys their inbox receiving incredulous amounts of emails on a regular basis. Yet, the business owner must maintain their inbox every day, and if a message doesn’t strike them as important, they’ll probably either ignore it or delete it completely. Here’s how you can prevent this from happening.