Using a VPN Can Benefit Your Company

The need for a secure working environment online has pushed many entrepreneurs and companies to invest in safer ways to run business processes. Among other data security measures, virtual private networks (VPNs) make it possible for one to have a safe/encrypted connection thus protecting your data from hackers and unauthorized access.

Running your business behind a VPN, therefore, reduces the risk of exposing sensitive company data, and ensures customers/clients are protected from malicious individuals. VPNs also make it possible for employees to securely work remotely from across the world without putting business processes at risk. Outlined below are some of the ways companies and businesses can benefit from using a virtual private network.

Secure Remote Access
With a virtual private network, companies can hire qualified employees from across the globe and enable them to work remotely without ever having to step in the office. As mentioned earlier, the VPN service provides a secure tunnel where employees can collaborate on projects and even have discussions with minimal risk of data leak. Thanks to the secure remote access, businesses can outsource tasks to companies and freelancers, which cuts down operation and running costs significantly.

Security from Data Breaches
Data safety is the single most important issue for many businesses. VPNs provide an extra layer of security by masking IP addresses when downloading, encrypting all connections and enhancing online privacy. These online security measures play a vital role in not only securing outbound and inbound connections but also safeguard sensitive company data.

Businesses that run a VPN service are considerably safer from hackers and data breaches compared to those that don’t. As long as your business data is secure, you can be assured of smooth running of processes without worrying about your competition gaining access to sensitive data.

Online Freedom
The ability to keep a company’s IP address anonymous is one of the key features and selling points for VPNs. IP address anonymity frees your business from restrictions put up by governments and ISPs. Some of the best VPNs in the market make it possible for you to access sites and files from anyone online, with or without geographical restrictions.

Online freedom means ISPs and search engines cannot keep track of your activities. It also makes it possible to work from countries with a bad reputation for phishing and cyber-attacks.

Improved System Performance
Virtual private networks make it possible for users/employees to access company data much faster when compared to using a public portal. With data directed via an encrypted tunnel, an employee can access business data from anywhere in the world at nearly the same speeds as everyone in the office.

This ability is particularly important for employees that need to download or upload huge volumes of data/records remotely. Many companies attest to recording higher data transmission speeds when on a VPN, a factor that improves both system performance and productivity.

Reduced Running Costs
Setting up a VPN service is relatively easy and affordable. In addition to this, the VPN doesn’t strain your systems, but rather allows snappier access to information and data while utilizing minimal resources. The service enables and allows employees to work from home or while vacationing, which again reduces running costs for the business significantly.

Most of the time, you also do not need additional hardware for the VPN. They support high definition calls and conferences too, which helps cut down on communication costs.

There are several key things to keep in mind when choosing a VPN. Once you have picked one, setting it up will not only be beneficial for your business processes but also ensures your client’s safety. By ensuring transactions are handled on a securely encrypted platform, customers will gain confidence and trust with the company.

The Advantages of Using Google Apps for Work

We live in a technological age where most people could not imagine a time when they did not have all of their information at their fingertips. Between our mobile phones, working in the cloud and available applications, it seems as if we are constantly connected. This constant connectivity has been a convenience for some. For others, issues have existed.

Minimizing problems in our lives and simplifying, especially where business is concerned, can help you to get more done and to limit your stress. That is why many people choose to use Google Apps on their mobile devices or at the office. Here are four different advantages of doing so.

Synchronization
One of the many problems that people face when using a variety of apps is that they don’t always play well with each other. Google Apps, on the other hand, synchronize flawlessly with each other and will often work with other business tools as well, both online and offline. Many other applications use Google as a login or work directly with Google data, so problems are kept to a minimum.

Backups
Have you ever lost a lot of data because a backup failed? This setback is a relatively common problem, and it has caused many people to distrust working in the cloud. Google Apps for work, on the other hand, was designed to operate in the cloud and your information is continuously backed up. This feature can reduce a lot of headaches and sometimes, can save your neck. You can also find many excellent third party backup solutions.

Customized
Although you can work with Google Apps for business directly “out-of-the-box,” it is also possible to customize many of the features that they offer. This flexibility has helped many people to make the app exactly what they need to get their job done. Although you may be able to get by with using default settings, don’t be afraid to dig in and play with the customization options a bit.

Easy
The main Google Apps used for business reasons are incredibly easy to understand and use on a day-to-day basis. In fact, they are always updated for that very purpose. You can use them on your own or train your team to work along with you in the application. If you need additional instruction, Lynda has many excellent Google Apps training courses. Check them out at https://www.lynda.com/.

These are just a few of the many different advantages to using Google Apps for business. The more you use them, the more you will find that they benefit you, your productivity and your business.

The Benefits of a Cloud Service

The term cloud services is very, very broad and can also be used to describe professional services. Cloud computing has a ton of desirable benefits and for both the business and the end user. The benefits include the fact that it is self-provisioning. This means that the end user can spin computer resources to help them deal with almost any type of workload. This scaling can be done on-demand and means that IT administrators don’t have to worry about managing the resources they have physically, because it is all done over the cloud, or online.

Elasticity
Elasticity means that companies can both scale up and down their computing needs as they please. They can do this as their demands increase and decrease. This ability also eliminates the need for any local infrastructure. You have the option to pay for computer resources at a granular level, and this gives users the chance to pay only for the resources and the workloads that they use and nothing more.

Lastly, there is workload resilience. Cloud services often implement redundant services. These help you have a flexible storage system that carries on keeping the workload running. This feature can even help your migration flexibility.

Cloud Computing
Cloud computing services can be private, or they can be a hybrid. When you have a private cloud computing service, you will find that it is delivered from a business data center directly to internal users. The model that you have with cloud computing can give you all of the convenience of a cloud, and it can also do this while preserving the management and even the control/security.

When you take a look at a hybrid cloud, you’ll find that this is the combination of a public cloud with the added on-site benefits of a standard cloud. This combination can give you some level of automation between the two, and you can run critical missions without having to worry about sensitive applications.

So as you can see, there are plenty of things that you need to think about when you have a cloud system. It really can benefit you in more ways than one, and you would be surprised at how easy it is for you to set up. It is a great way for you to make sure that you are doing everything you can to get the best result out of the system you already have. Of course, if you need any advice about your existing or future cloud needs, simply get in touch with us today to find out more.