The Datamax Thinking Blog

Many SMBs fail to recognize the copier for what it is today — just another device on the network, as susceptible to cyber attack as an email inbox or web browser.

"If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it."

I see this old, tired adage at play frequently when I visit offices and learn more about their printing environment. Whether it’s due to low volumes, reluctance to incur new costs, or just flat-out comfort factor, many businesses run their decade-plus-old copiers into the ground, much like one would an older vehicle that’s been paid for.

Moving forward, as a business, what resources do you need to successfully traverse the cloudy, undetermined skies surrounding COVID-19?

There’s an old Texas saying … “there is nothing between Amarillo and the North Pole but a barbed wire fence.” Another? “If you don’t like the weather in Texas, just wait a minute.”

With built-in hybrid technology, uniFLOW now combines on-premise facilities and cloud resources, to allow organizations to blend a solution that satisfies a particular technology landscape.

A hybrid model poses many potential advantages to an end user, with an ability to mix and match elements according to customized needs.

As businesses navigate the rough seas of the ongoing pandemic, one thing’s for certain: Cybercriminals have gone phishing. Organizations must take the necessary precautions and remain vigilantly aware to avoid getting reeled in to these attacks.

Phishing attacks are nothing new. Neither is the propensity to attack during a time of crisis. Online scams like phishing, malware, and the various forms of social engineering become increasingly more effective when individuals are vulnerable, desperate, or just looking for answers.

Global concern over COVID-19 is the perfect bait.

Is your organization prepared to embrace Gen Z's sixth sense (technology)? Is your technology infrastructure set up to accommodate how they communicate? How they collaborate? And how they prefer to conduct business every day? 

Each generation is defined by their own personal beliefs, public attitudes and work preferences, with the inevitable grievances and misunderstandings between the generational cohorts.

OK Boomer. OK Millennial.

Have you met Generation Z?

As business owners anticipate the degree of normalcy after COVID-19 disrupted the workplace in March, the findings of another revolutionary experiment are coming to light ... employees suddenly and unexpectedly working from home.

Innovation can often come to light under unforeseen circumstances.

Isaac Newton, ironically, stumbled onto the field of optics while self-isolating at home, amid a plague (sound familiar?).

23 percent of all IT help desk calls are printer-related, according to the International Data Corporation.

Recovery after a marathon is a must.

The time spent stretching, eating well, but refraining from intense workouts will actually speed up your rate of recovery to ensure future training doesn’t suffer. In the short term, it can be difficult. In the long term, it saves you time and training productivity.

When huddled with your laptop into the kitchen nook, or spread across the couch, the comfort of your home should never soften your cybersecurity awareness. Don't let the tidal wave come crashing down on you and your business. 

If you’ve joined the Work From Home tidal wave in the last month (16 million of you, according to Slack), your home is now an extension of your office.

Communication solutions such as video conferencing go a long way in bridging that collaborative gap between office and home. But they must be used strategically.

The Remote Reality: It's one that all organizations are coming to terms with in recent weeks. As the impact surrounding COVID-19 continues to set in, IT personnel are scrambling to set up "work from home" scenarios. Business executives are left with a variety of tough decisions about this suddenly scattered workforce. And employees?

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.