Category: Business Tech

Information Technology IT Trends in 2021

Information Technology IT Trends in 2021

 

What are the new IT Trends in 2021?

 

We’ve been so deep in this pandemic that some of us have forgotten what life was like before it. Remember we used to get together for lunch, go to a ball game, celebrate holidays together, and not wear masks! 2021 will begin with more of the same of 2020 but will shift towards “normal”.

When is anyone’s guess? But what will happen with technology? It can be argued that without technology, the economy and education would have taken even a bigger hit than it did in 2020. Platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Hangouts allowed us to work in a virtual world. Companies like Protected Harbor’s clients who were smart enough to set up a virtual desktop make the move to “Work From Home” seamlessly.
So when the work moves back to normal, what will technology look like? What trends will continue from 2020? What new trends will emerge?

Trend 1: Drug development revolution with advanced Covid-19 testing and vaccine development

 

Operation Warp Speed changed the way that drugs are developed, tested and trialed. Assuming the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines prove to be safe (and we feel strongly they will), the speed in which vaccines are brought to market will increase dramatically. Both Pfizer and Moderna developed mRNA vaccines, the first in human history! We expect more innovations throughout 2021.

Also, COVID self-tests kits are being developed all over the world. We expect this trend to continue and perhaps move to self-test kits for other diseases.

Trend 2: Continued expansion of remote working and video conferencing

This area was already gaining lots of traction going into 2020 and grew exponentially during the pandemic.

This area has seen rapid growth during the pandemic, and it will likely continue growing in 2021.  Many of our clients have realized they are just as productive with a remote work force as they were before.  Some of them have permanently moved to a “work from home” environment.

Zoom, which grew from a startup in 2011 to going public in 2019, became a household name during the pandemic. Other existing large corporate tools such as Cisco’s Webex, Microsoft’s TeamsGoogle HangoutsGoToMeeting, and Verizon’s BlueJeans are also providing state-of-the-art videoconferencing systems, facilitating remote work across the globe.

Many new ventures are emerging in the remote working sector. Startups BluescapeEloopsFigmaSlab, and Tandem have all provided visual collaboration platforms enabling teams to create and share content, interact, track projects, train employees, run virtual team-building activities, and more.

These tools also help distributed teams keep track of shared learning and documentation. Users can create a virtual office that replicates working together in person by letting colleagues communicate and collaborate with one another easily.

remote working from home

Trend 3: Contactless delivery and shipping remain as the new normal

Due to the pandemic, the US has seen a 20% increase in customers who prefer contactless delivery.  Companies who have led in this space are DoorDash, Postmates, Instacard, Grubhub and Uber Eats.  These companies will continue to flourish in 2021.  Trend # 10 (autonomous driving) may be combined with contactless delivery to offer a truly futuristic way of delivering goods and foods.

Information Technology IT Trends

Trend 4: Telehealth and telemedicine flourish

Telehealth visits have surged by 50 percent compared with pre-pandemic levels. IHS Technology predicted that 70 million Americans would use telehealth by 2020. Since then, Forrester Research predicted the number of U.S. virtual care visits will reach almost a billion early in 2021.

Teladoc Health, Amwell, Livongo Health, One Medical, and Humana are some of the public companies offering telehealth services to meet their current needs.

Startups are not far behind. Startups like MDLive, MeMD, iCliniq, K Health, 98point6, Sense.ly, and Eden Health have also contributed toward meeting the growing needs in 2020 and will continue offering creative solutions in 2021. Beyond telehealth, in 2021 we can expect to see health care advancements in biotech and A.I., as well as machine learning opportunities (example: Suki AI) to support diagnosis, admin work, and robotic health care.

In many ways, patients prefer Telehealth and virtual doctor’s appointments. There’s no more waiting forever in the waiting room, and the doctor simply video calls you when he’s ready.
As Telehealth grows in 2021, tech companies will need to ensure they are HIPAA compliant, and that videos are kept private, and free from hackers.

Telehealth and telemedicine flourish

Trend 5: Online education and e-learning as part of the educational system

Covid-19 fast-tracked the e-learning and online education industry. During this pandemic, 190 countries have enforced nationwide school closures at some point, affecting almost 1.6 billion people globally.

There is a major opportunity with schools, colleges, and even coaching centers conducting classes via videoconferencing. Many institutions have actually been recommended to pursue a portion of their curriculum online even after everything returns to normal.

The challenge in 2020 was the availability of high-speed internet, especially in low-income neighborhoods.  As the economy recovers in 2021, we expect more and more households will have this access.

Over time, we expect internet access to be considered just as critical as food, water and electricity.

Online education and e-learning as part of the educational system

Trend 6: Increased development of 5G infrastructure, new applications, and utilities

There is no doubt that demand for higher-speed internet and a shift toward well-connected homes, smart cities, and autonomous mobility have pushed the advancement of 5G-6G internet technology. In 2021, we will see new infrastructure and utility or application development updates both from the large corporations and startups.

Many telcos are on track to deliver 5G, with Australia having rolled it out before Covid-19. Verizon announced a huge expansion of its 5G network in October 2020, which will reach more than 200 million people. In China, 5G deployment has been happening rapidly. There are more than 380 operators currently investing in 5G. More than 35 countries have already launched commercial 5G services.

Startups like Movandi are working to help 5G transfer data at greater distances; startups including Novalume help municipalities manage their public lighting network and smart-city data through sensors. Nido Robotics is using drones to explore the seafloor.

Through 5G networks, these drones help navigate better and use IoT to help communicate with devices on board. Startups like Seadronix from South Korea use 5G to help power autonomous ships. The 5G networks enable devices to work together in real-time and help enable vessels to travel unmanned.

The development of 5G and 6G technology will drive smart-city projects globally and will support the autonomous mobility sector in 2021.

Trend 7: A.I., robotics, internet of things, and industrial automation grow rapidly

In 2021, we expect to see huge demand and rapid growth of artificial intelligence (A.I.) and industrial automation technology. As manufacturing and supply chains are returning to full operation, manpower shortages will become a serious issue. Automation, with the help of A.I., robotics, and the internet of things, will be a key alternative solution to operate manufacturing.

Some of the top technology-providing companies enabling industry automation with A.I. and robotics integration include:

UBTech Robotics (China), CloudMinds (U.S.), Bright Machines (U.S.), Roobo (China), Vicarious (U.S.), Preferred Networks (Japan), Fetch Robotics (U.S.), Covariant (U.S.), Locus Robotics (U.S.), Built Robotics (U.S.), Kindred Systems (Canada), and XYZ Robotics (China).

Also, as we discuss in Trend # 10 (autonomous driving), AI has played, and will continue to play, a key role in autonomous driving, as cars “learn” how humans react to certain road conditions.

Trend 8: Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies usage rises

Augmented reality and virtual reality have grown significantly in 2020. These immersive technologies are now part of everyday life, from entertainment to business. The arrival of Covid-19 has prompted this technology adoption as businesses turned to the remote work model, with communication and collaboration extending over to AR and VR.

The immersive technologies from AR and VR innovations enable an incredible source of transformation across all sectors. AR avatars, AR indoor navigation, remote assistance, integration of A.I. with AR and VR, mobility AR, AR cloud, virtual sports events, eye tracking, and facial expression recognition will see major traction in 2021. Adoption of AR and VR will accelerate with the growth of the 5G network and expanding internet bandwidth.

Companies like MicrosoftConsagousQuytechRealWorld OneChetuGramercy TechScantaIndiaNICGroove Jones, etc. will play a significant role in shaping our world in the near future, not only because of AR’s and VR’s various applications but also as the flag carrier of all virtualized technologies.

Trend 9: Continued growth in micromobility

While the micro-mobility market had seen a natural slowdown at the beginning of the Covid-19 spread, this sector has already recovered to the pre-Covid growth level. E-bikes and e-scooters’ usage is soaring since they are viewed as convenient transportation alternatives that also meet social distancing norms. Compared to the pre-Covid days, the micro-mobility market is expected to grow by 9 percent for private micro-mobility and by 12 percent for shared micro-mobility.

There are hundreds of miles of new bike lanes created in anticipation. Milan, Brussels, Seattle, Montreal, New York, and San Francisco have each introduced 20-plus miles of dedicated cycle paths. The U.K. government announced that diesel and petrol-fueled car sales will be banned after 2030, which has also driven interest in micro-mobility as one of the alternative options.

Startups are leading the innovation in micro-mobility. Bird, Lime, Dott, Skip, Tier, and Voi are key startups leading the global micro-mobility industry.

China has already seen several micro-mobility startups reach unicorn status, including Ofo, Mobike, and Hellobike.

 

Trend 10: Ongoing autonomous driving innovation

We will see major progress in autonomous driving technology during 2021.  Tesla has clearly led the way.  Tesla’s Autopilot not only offers lane centering and automatic lane changes, but, from this year, can also recognize speed signs and detect green lights.

Honda recently announced that it will mass-produce autonomous vehicles, which under certain conditions will not require any driver intervention.  Ford is also joining the race, anticipating an autonomous driving cars ridesharing service launch in 2021. The company could also make such vehicles available to certain buyers as early as 2026. Other automakers, including Mercedes-Benz, are also trying to integrate some degree of autonomous driving technology in their new models from 2021. GM intends to roll out its hands-free-driving Super Cruise feature to 22 vehicles by 2023.

The fierce market competition is also accelerating self-driving technology growth in other companies, including Uber, Lyft and Waymo. Billions of dollars have been spent in acquiring startups in this domain: GM acquired Cruise for $1 billion; Uber acquired Otto for $680 million; Ford acquired Argo AI for $1 billion; and Intel acquired Mobileye for $15.3 billion.

Looking ahead

Technology development in 2021 will be somewhat of a continuation of 2020, but the influence of Covid-19 will evolve during the year. Many of our new behaviors will become part of the new normal in 2021, helping drive major technological and business innovations.

Protected Harbor continues to monitor these new technologies and look to bring them to their clients if and when there is a business need.  For more information on Protected Harbor, please visit Protected Harbor

Protected Harbor’s New PBX Phone System

Protected Harbor’s New PBX Phone System

 

Protected Harbor’s New PBX Phone System

 

Protected Harbor is proud to introduce a state of the art phone system 3CX.  It is available to all our current clients and anyone in the market looking to upgrade their current set up.  Protected Harbor partnered with 3CX, and provides system configuration and support.

The benefits of this new phone system are plentiful, starting with the end-user being in complete control.  This PBX can be installed on-premise and virtualized on a Linux or Windows platform.   It is easily set up via iOS and Android apps for remote work via QR code.  Staff can easily be added, and voicemail can be set up in minutes.  The user management is simple and easy which will save countless hours of work.

The biggest benefit perhaps, of our system is that it has a softphone so you can make and receive business calls from your PC, tablet or smartphone.  There is no need to be tied to a hard physical phone in your office.  It’s perfect for businesses that have employees working from home during COVID-19.

Moreover, many of the phone features that other vendors classify as add-ons, such as video conferencing, iOS and Android mobile apps or call center features, are included with Protected Harbor’s PBX. So, there are no hidden costs for the features you need.

Switching to this configuration makes complete sense when you compare pricing to that of other PBX vendors such as 8×8 and Avaya. Our system provides a complete unified communications solution that is easy to manage, flexible and affordable. Whether you are a small business or a large enterprise, you can save thousands and avoid all the hassle of purchasing additional extensions and add-ons as your business grows.

Think less about maintaining your PBX, and more about your business – call or email us today to find out more about Protected Harbor’s new phone system! www.protectedharbor.com

WHY IS 99.99% UPTIME IMPORTANT?

WHY IS 99.99% UPTIME IMPORTANT

 

WHY IS 99.99% UPTIME IMPORTANT?

 

Today, businesses of all sizes have grown more reliant on their technology and no business, no matter the size wants to see their systems or site offerings offline – even for a few minutes.  This is why uptime has become vital.  For many companies, uptime is not a preference, it’s a necessity.

Uptime is important because the cost and consequences of downtime can cripple a business, however, no business in any industry can guarantee absolute perfection. Even with tremendous precautions and redundancies in place, systems can fail.  Natural disasters or other mitigating factors out of our control that may require a quick re-boot can’t always be predicted or prevented.

In order to evade debilitating periods of downtime, businesses must employ the most current technologies, designed with uptime in mind, or utilize a managed service provider well versed in the latest technology and long term solutions.

It is no secret that businesses look for 99.99% uptime.  If this percentage seems unrealistic, the additional decimals make a huge difference. The reality is that .1% of downtime is an unacceptable percentage for most companies.  When businesses encounter downtime, they cannot provide services to their customers.  Customers have short memories and as a result, may be tempted to take their dollars elsewhere if they cannot get what they want in a timely manner.

Not only is losing customers disastrous, but productivity can suffer as well.  This is never a good combination.  The average cost of downtime across businesses of all sizes and all industries is around $5,600 per minute.

When a customer selects a company, they need to trust that they are working with a professional and capable organization. Not being able to access a company’s website or employees telling customers they cannot help them at the moment they called does not ensure shopper confidence. This damage can be irreversible to a business’s reputation.

Given that the consequences of downtime are so costly, it’s easy to understand why achieving near-perfect uptime is so important. In order to completely avoid all of the costs and consequences associated with downtime, businesses need to be aiming for uptime of at least 99.99%. While these consequences may seem a bit disheartening, the good news is that there are ways to avoid them. Get connected to our data center and solve your issue.

Protected Harbor helps businesses across the US address their current IT needs by building custom, cost-effective solutions.  Our unique technology experts evaluate current systems, determine the needs then design cost-effective solutions. On average, we are able to save clients up to 30% on IT costs while increasing their security, productivity and durability.  We work with many internal IT departments, freeing them up to concentrate on daily workloads while we do the heavy lifting.  www.protectedharbor.com

Keep Your Business Running – Prepare for The Worst

Keep Your Business Running – Prepare for The Worst

Since the face of how we do business has changed because of COVID-19, businesses should think about (and hopefully prepare for) cyberattacks and security breaches. Having a disaster recovery plan in place to restore critical information is a good place to start.  However, in these times this is simply not enough.

This is why it’s important to have a 360 business continuity plan ready.

Here are some devastating facts from Bureau of Labor, PC Mag, Gartner, Unitrends and TechRadar:

  • Every year, 20% of businesses experience system loss from events such as fires, floods, outages, etc. These types of occurrences not only result in loss of data, but they displace employees and shatter operations
  • 60% of companies that lose their data will shut down within 6 months
  • Only 35% of Small Businesses have a comprehensive disaster recovery plan in place, according to Gartner
  • The cost of losing critical applications has been estimated by experts at more than $5,000 per minute
  • Network downtime costs 80% of small and medium businesses at least $20,000 per hour

If these facts are not enough to ensure a business continuity plan is in place, then you are rolling the dice in a game you will not win.  It is not a matter IF something will happen its WHEN.

A business continuity plan creates a means of keeping your business operational during a crisis. In addition, the plan should include protocols for your devices, communication channels, office setup – including employees, and more.

If you’re currently experiencing unexplained system slow-downs, unexplained outages and trying to maintain normal computer functions, then your system needs definite attention, and you probably don’t have a continuity plan in place. It’s not too late to start, but understand it’s going to take some time and effort but the end result will be invaluable.

This is where Protected Harbor can help. We deliver end to end IT solutions ranging from custom designed systems, data center management, disaster recovery, ransomware protection, cloud services and more.  On average, we save clients up to 30% on IT costs while increasing their productivity, durability and sustainability.  Let our unique technology experts evaluate your current systems and design cost-effective, secure options.

With us, you can be sure your systems will run during a crisis.  Contact us today to find out more.  www.protectedharbor.com

Disadvantages of AWS, Azure, and Other Big Brand Hosting

Disadvantages of AWS, Azure, and Other Big Brand Hosting

When it comes to hosting for a business, you don’t want to use just anyone. There are many critical factors to consider including security, stability, uptime, scalability, and more. Because of this, many businesses gravitate towards big, established brands for hosting and management such as Amazon’s AWS or Microsoft’s Azure.

Companies like these can likely provide well beyond your technical needs. That’s not to say they’re all the exact same. Azure caters to Microsoft products, allowing large companies to move their Windows-based infrastructure online more easily. Meanwhile, AWS boasts their general flexibility and universal capabilities.

Each brand has its unique strengths. When it comes to weaknesses, however, there are some overlapping issues that basically any large-scale hosting company deals with.

Overwhelming Options

Right from the start, many businesses are overwhelmed with the variety of packages and services offered by large hosting companies. AWS, for example, greets you with an entire library of services and products to choose from. Simply trying to find basic website hosting proves to be difficult and confusing.

Unclear Pricing Structures

Equally confusing are the pricing structures. Many companies try to sign you up on free trials or temporary discount pricing, only for you to discover the true inflated price months down the road.

These companies also tend to work off a pay-per-use model. In other words, the more data you process and store, the more your hosting costs. While it sounds nice in theory, as you only pay for what you use, it can make it very difficult to predict your monthly costs as prices fluctuate.

It also leaves you severely exposed to DDoS attacks.

DDoS attacks infect a large number of devices with malware and then use them to unleash a coordinated flood of traffic on an unsuspecting network. In addition to slowing down and (likely) crashing your systems, it results in a massage spike of data use.

The average size of a DDoS attack is 2.5 gigabits per second. If you’re being charged per data used, you’ll be left with a very large hosting bill following a DDoS attack.

Advanced Knowledge

Once you’ve figured out what your business needs, the real difficultly begins. Within any given service, there are countless add-ons, tools, settings, and more. While this provides a lot of flexibility and customization, it requires a lot of work and understanding. The deeper your needs go, the deeper your understanding needs to be.

Each platform is different, which means you either need to hire someone who is experienced on a particular platform, or you’ll need to invest in training a current employee. The question is, do you want someone learning a new platform as they’re managing your IT needs?

Support Problems

Platforms like AWS and Azure do offer their own technical support, should you require it. In fact, they often provide a certain amount of free support when you sign up. However, those hours can quickly be eaten up during the onboarding. After that, you’ll pay for support.

Things can get very expensive very quickly.

A better solution is generally to find a third party to help manage and maintain your hosting needs. This can provide more affordable support, but it also adds complexity to your hosting management and expenses.

A Simpler, Yet Powerful Hosting Solution

At Expedient Technology Services, we provide straightforward, yet diverse hosting solutions for businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re a start-up or an enterprise, we have the capabilities to meet your specific needs.

We operate under flat rate costs, so you know exactly what you’ll pay every month. We can even bundle in support hours so that you get professional assistance when you need it. As your company grows, we can easily scale our services with you.

While our initial costs may seem higher, they’re generally cheaper in the long run. Best of all, they’re much less stressful to understand and manage. After all, ETS exists to provide Stress-Free IT. For hosting, computer services, and technical support in Dayton, Ohio, and beyond, contact ETS today.

What Does the Average Company Pay for Downtime?

What Does Downtime Cost the Average Business banner

 

What Does Downtime Cost the Average Business?

 

One bad experience is all it takes to rattle a business owner. Infrastructure matters and when your system or applications crash. It can have an enormous impact on your bottom line not to mention your business operations.  Monetary and data losses from unexpected crashes can even, in some cases cause a company to close its doors permanently.

According to an ITIC study this year, the average amount of a single hour of downtime is $100,000 or more.  Since 2008, ITIC has sent out independent surveys that measure downtime costs. Findings included that a single hour of downtime has risen by 25%-30%.  Here are some staggering results:

  • 98% of organizations say a single hour of downtime costs over $100,000
  • 81% of respondents indicated that 60 minutes of downtime costs their businesses over $300,000
  • 33% of those enterprises reported that one hour of downtime costs their companies between $1-5 million

The only way to mitigate risk is to be proactive by having the right technology in place to monitor, prevent, and when an attack happens (and it’s not IF but WHEN), having the right company on hand to restore, rebuild and restart. Once you understand the real-life costs of downtime it should not be hard to take proactive measures to protect your business.

Protected Harbor has a full team of technical experts and resources to maintain your system’s well-being and ensure business continuity. Contact us today for a full assessment of your applications and infrastructure.  www.protectedharbor.com

TAKING YOUR PRIVACY BACK FROM GOOGLE

TAKING YOUR PRIVACY BACK FROM GOOGLE

 

With every new technology comes benefits and concerns.

Now Google can present coupons for stores you have purchased from while you are driving past them, and tell you what you need to buy in your smart refrigerator, or based on your driving pattern can tell you when you will next visit a location.

As someone who works IT, I do not like my refrigerator telling Google what I am eating and I don’t like Google knowing all the details of my life.

Google does not make it easy to control your data because that is how they earn revenue. Google doesn’t charge for Android, the majority operating system for cell phones because they earn money by monetizing your behavior and selling what you are interested in. Do a Google search for “Cruises from Boston” for example and see what ads appear in Google and are emailed to you.

Google tracks your location, what you search for, your buying habits and most activity on your cell phone.

For example, when I looked up a friend’s location history, I could go back to 2015 and see where they had been and for how long.

It is possible to take control over much of your Google data by visiting; https://myactivity.google.com/more-activity?authuser=1/ . This page presents a menu of data collection items, each one can be adjusted or disabled.

WITH EVERY NEW TECHNOLOGY COMES BENEFITS & CONCERNS
Google tracks your location, what you search for, your buying habits and most activity on your cell phone.

What is a good NPS Score

What is a good NPS score?

 

Net Promoter Score
Protected Harbor Gets World Class Net Promoter Score

A recent survey completed by Protected Harbor clients yielded exceptional results in satisfaction.

The survey calculated Protected Harbor’s Net Promoter Score (NPS), which takes the percentage of promoters (good feedback) and subtracts the percentage of any detractors. Protected Harbor’s final score was 78 which is considered world class.

This is how the NPS classifies the scores. Given the NPS range of -100 to +100, a “positive” score or NPS above 0 is considered “good”, +50 is “Excellent,” and above 70 is considered “world class.”

Each customer was asked to rate the company on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most, on how likely they are to recommend Protected Harbor to a colleague.

The survey also allowed customers to give feedback with their score, and here’s what some of them had to say about Protected Harbor’s IT services and customer service.

Protected Harbor is proud of this accomplishment and the great response and feedback received by customers. Being considered “world class” in customer satisfaction and service is what all businesses wish they could achieve.

Protected Harbor offers businesses and organizations nationwide IT services including ransomware and network security protection, network management, IT service management, 99.99% uptime and cloud computing.