Kicking off the three-year countdown to end extended user support, Microsoft is bringing an end to the Windows 7 era -- and for good reason. Because it’s so outdated, security patches are no longer able to keep it safe. Without a solid operating system, not only will users work at sluggish speeds, but they’ll also be susceptible to numerous cyber threats that could ruin their business.

When talking about IT within the healthcare industry, it’s pretty difficult for conversations to stray too far from HIPAA compliance. And as the number of audits and penalties continue to increase, those conversations only become more prevalent. As small- and medium-sized businesses review their policies at the beginning of a new year, let’s cover some of the most fundamental HIPAA considerations, right here.

Failure to understand your customers’ needs and wants could result in ill-informed marketing strategies. And when your company can’t satisfy their demands, they’ll likely turn to your competitors instead. To prevent this, deploying a customer relationship management (CRM) system can make a world of difference.

“The first...of the new year,” is often a coveted title -- but not always. With a reputation as a hardware provider whose devices outshine its competitors in the field of cybersecurity, Apple certainly isn’t happy that “The first Apple malware of the new year,” was awarded so early on.

With Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy and a growing mobile workforce, business owners are looking for an agentless way to manage iOS devices, one that would be convenient and secure for both admins and employees. Thanks to G Suite’s latest feature, Basic Mobile Management, everyone can now work in peace.

One of the core principles of virtualized technology is the ability to quarantine cyber security threats easily. For the most part, vendors have been winning this security tug-of-war with hackers, but that may change with the resurrection of a long-dormant piece of malware that targets virtualized desktops.

Calendar sharing is one of those mundane yet vital components of effective scheduling. The task of sharing one’s calendar hasn't always been easy, and many wonder why. Microsoft has recently improved upon its calendar sharing features in Office 365 for all users, and here are some of the reasons you should accept the latest advancement with open arms:

Simplicity
Users’ first impression of the new model is that it’s much simpler.

Voice-powered AI systems are enjoying a resurgence. With improved bandwidth, both on desktops and on mobile devices, software vendors can easily relay complex voice commands to the cloud to be analyzed by more powerful computing software. Everyone has seen Siri do it on Apple phones, but how many realize that Android has its own AI, Google Now? If you’ve got an Android phone, pick it up and give a few of our favorite voice commands a whirl!

Before you can start playing with Google’s AI, you need to turn on the service.

Windows 10 had a rough year. It’s been flooded with numerous complaints from users claiming that they were "tricked" into upgrading Windows 7 and uncontrollable OS updates. The new year is a time for new things, and that’s exactly what Microsoft is planning to do in 2017. It’s been speculated that Microsoft plans on addressing certain issues, but there are still many that are left unattended to.

Over the previous months, you’ve probably heard about new and disruptive trends like virtual assistants, smartphones, and automation technologies. Some of these IT solutions may even be placed on top of your business priority list. However, with floods, fires, and power outages just around the corner, disaster recovery and business continuity plans should always have a place on your annual budget.