The Datamax Thinking Blog

When supporting a remote workforce, understand that security controls shift. Therefore, firewalls, DNS, and IDS/IPS could be ineffective when employees head home.

As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread, many businesses are assessing how they can prioritize their employee safety and still maintain regular business operations.

While the series of events surrounding COVID-19 may leave business owners seemingly with their hands tied, there are proactive steps that can alleviate concerns, ensure healthy practices, and sustain productivity for the days and weeks ahead.

As our nation and our world continues to deal with the coronavirus and its impact, small businesses find themselves on the front lines of this outbreak.

How organizations accommodate and — more importantly, manage — this workforce trend moving forward is an important discussion to have with their trusted technology partner.

The topic of a remote workforce has become a hot one this week as news of the coronavirus pandemic continues to evolve.

While the impact of the virus is yet to be determined, the COVID-19 outbreak serves as one poignant example of the need for agility, flexibility and cohesion in the way organizations communicate (via voice or data) and conduct business.

What happens when working remotely ceases to be a luxury … and starts to become a necessity?

With the series of events unfolding surrounding the Coronavirus, employers are making operational adjustments to comply with a quickly-evolving public narrative — one that may soon include a work-from-home strategy.  Given these circumstances, how do businesses maintain effective communication with customers? With their team? How do they preserve standard business operations if employees aren't at the office? 

Workplaces perform at their best when operations are efficient, and all business-critical files are easily accessible (to the appropriate people) and fully secured.

Our hallway closet was in shambles.

Embracing the out-of-sight, out-of-mind methodology, the space had become mostly avoided all together, serving more as a receptacle for any miscellaneous item that desperately needed a home. Books. A mismatch of clothes. Retired running shoes. Old laptops. Mementos from the early 90s. The collection of junk stacked up on one another, dangled from shelves or absorbed dust on the closet floor. 

To maintain both their livelihood and their credibility, SMBs must be aware of, and must be prepared for, this persistent, potentially disastrous cybersecurity threat.

Anyone who thought the Ransomware storm that hovered over businesses for years had passed, should take a look at the radar. The forecast calls for more severe weather.

Do their values reflect a commitment to maximizing your return on technology investment? Is their communication – and their approach – crystal clear?

Pardon the inevitable pun. But does your technology partner have a 2020 vision, at least for your business? Does their vision match your's?

In other words, can they:

• Speak to the true challenges of your industry and your specific organization?
• Identify opportunities for creating more efficient business processes, and make relevant technology recommendations that are relevant to YOU?  
• Maintain accountability with proven results?

This is not a sophisticated scam. However, it is an effective and profitable one and it happens to an increasing number of companies across America each year around tax time.

Tax season is here. Are you safe? That seems like an odd question to ask; nevertheless, with the increasing sophistication of cybercriminals it must be considered and answered.

Here's to continued thought leadership, collaboration and relevant content we can provide to help you maximize your return on technology investment.

The header on our Datamax Thinking Blog Page spells out our commitment to our readers: “Educating, collaborating, and sparking ideas for maximizing the technology that matters.”

In 2019, we added another dimension with “You Ask, We Answer.” We understand that today, readers often need swift, concise answers to specific technology questions they’re facing, which is the focus of this new blog initiative.

Essentially, Section 179 of the IRS tax code allows businesses to deduct the full purchase price of qualifying equipment and/or software purchased or financed during the tax year. That means that if you buy (or lease) a piece of qualifying equipment, you can deduct the FULL PURCHASE PRICE from your gross income.

It’s the end of the year. Businesses are busily reviewing their bottom line and – perhaps – scanning every corner of their organization for any sort of competitive boost as 2020 looms around the corner.

Small business owners or managers may not be aware of an incentive that could forge a huge technology and productivity boost in their immediate future: Section 179 Deduction of the IRS Tax Code.