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Outdated technology causes issues for future situations

Outdated System Creating Issues For Those Filing For Unemployment

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Outdated Systems

As the temporary shutdown forces millions of people out of a job, millions of Floridians struggle to file for unemployment due to the Florida Reemployment Assistance Program’s outdated website.

These website crashes leave many Floridians confused and desperate to find work. The system used by the Florida Economic Opportunity is called CONNECT. The CONNECT system runs on a software that dates back to 2013. Some of the system framework used to build the application seems to date back to the time of Governor Rick Scott.

Connect Keeps Crashing

The CONNECT system doesn’t seem to have been designed with an end date in mind. In other words, there was no plan put in place to replace or update it.

This results in slow and unstable connection to the site when users open the program from a P.C. using Windows 7 or newer.

The Cloud is Constantly Connected

To avoid the hassles of running complex software and storing and processing large chucks of data, businesses and government agencies outsource these processes to cloud service providers like Amazon Web Services or Nerds Support. That way, applications and programs are scalable and operate more efficiently.

The CONNECT system was developed before the time of cloud computing was as popular as well known. Governor Ron Desantis himself has acknowledged a flaw with the website.

“The website would be down more than half the time, it would take seven second just to connect through,” he said. ” It may have been okay in 1996, not in 2020.”

Old Browsers Beat Beyond Belief

Considering Windows 7 itself has recently reached the end of life period, you can image how problematic it is for people trying to use the current system.

This is why so many people in Florida struggle to file for unemployment.

This, however, is not an isolated incident.

Labor Department Lagging Log ins

New York’s State Department of Labor also experienced a flood of traffic to their website as people try to apply for unemployment as well.

The governor of New York got various tech companies to work on the infrastructure of the website. Furthermore, it increased server capacity and assigned 700 staff members to an unemployment insurance hotline.

Filing Formula Fixes Freeze

The State Department of Labor also asks to reduce the surge of traffic by scheduling when citizens file. For example, people with last names A- F apply on Monday, last names G-N apply on Tuesday, and last names O-Z apply Wednesday.

In Florida IT experts admit the existing website hasn’t been developed beyond earlier browsers. In order to navigate through the existing site, users would have to use an older, or outdated browser that functions better with the site.

Wednesday, April 8, Florida did provide a second website that was easier to use on smartphones and tablets. This helped ease the influx of traffic but many of the findings from the Office of Florida Auditors have not been addressed.

Word To the Wise From the Web

This should be cautionary tale for businesses with outdated IT or unaudited systems. This period of remote working should be an opportunity to review your IT network and infrastructure and ensure everything from security to data and filing systems are updated.

Even outsourcing some of these tasks to a cloud provider can dramatically increase the productivity and efficiency of your business.

If you’d like more information on cloud, cyber security, remote work or managed services visit our blog or contact us at 305-551-2009.

 

Technology IT Industry Round Up

Top 5 Tech Trends Businesses Should Watch Out For

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Companies are beginning to rely more on technology to meet their objectives. As a matter of fact, IT jobs are projected to grow 12 percent over the next decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is probably due to the growing use of cloud technology, data storage and security as the world becomes more technology-centric.

For this reason, it’s important to take a peek behind the curtain every once in a while and try to understand the topics being discussed or what’s happening in the industry. Whether you’re a business owner, a tech enthusiast or just curious, staying informed about what’s here and what’s coming can be an advantage.

With that in mind, here are five technology trends and topics to keep an eye on in 2020.

1. Blockchain Technology

Blockchain is a digital ledger, a series of records that store data in chronological order units called “blocks” in a sequence or “chain”. Furthermore, once that data is stored it cannot be changed or altered. Information can be added but not changed. That is because any changes to a block would alter its connection to the previous one in the chain. This is due to the way block chain encrypts data. The information in a block becomes a sequence of symbols called hashes and every input creates a unique hash output. In blockchain, even changing the case of the first letter in a sentence alters the output.

The inability to change information is what makes it so secure and appealing to a variety of industries. As a result, companies like Samsung, Microsoft, Amazon and IBM are have already begun investing in block chain technology. So much so that blockchain-related jobs are the second fastest growing category of jobs according to Techcrunch.

2. Cyber Security

Cybersecurity risks are a problem for every organization in every industry. In order to remain competitive and accomplish their business initiatives, business owners and leaders have had to modernize their IT infrastructure. However, the digitization of things has increased the risks of cyber threats.

For evidence of that you just have to look at the most recent cyber-attack on a local government or institution. Schools, police stations and even hospitals have all fallen victim to a cyberattack that freezes their systems and extorts them for money. Not to mention the all of the private organizations that are attacked regularly and don’t make the news.

By 2020 100% of large enterprises will have to report on cybersecurity and technology risk at least annually according to Gartner. This is not a surprising statistic when you consider all the places that depend on digital technologies to function properly. This is becoming a hot button issue only now that cyberattacks and breaches are impacting entire communities but the threat has been there for a long time.

As these threats become more pervasive CIO’s and business owners will have to take the step to secure themselves accordingly.  Unfortunately as of now, industry leaders only invest in cyber security once they’ve experienced a breach themselves.

We wrote a blog on cyber security lessons a business should consider to grow in today’s digital era that you can read here.

3. Internet of Things (IoT)

Everything from cars to refrigerators to vacuum cleaners are being designed to connect to WiFi and therefore, the internet. The internet of things is not a fad but a transition to a more seamless system of exchanging data.

We aren’t just talking about consumers, businesses are also expected to benefit from IoT as well. IoT can create safer working conditions, faster data acquisition and as a result more efficient decision making. Gartner also forecasts that the IoT market in the enterprise and automotive fields will grow to 5.8 billion in 2020, which is a 21 percent increase from 2019. To put this into perspective,90 percent of all automobiles will be connected to the internet by 2020.

Moreover, the economic impact of IoT technology could range from $4 to $11 Trillion per year by 2025. The benefits are wide ranging because the technologies are. Devices like smart sensors could improve how logistics companies track and deploy products flowing through their supply chain, for example.

4. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the most interesting tech developments in recent years. Companies are exploring AI technology to improve business operations and customer experience. Developments in AI has led to things like machine learning, where computers software is programmed to adapt and adjust by analyzing data. Amazon and Netflix use machine learning to make suggestions on what to watch next or what products to buy. For those working in the financial services industry, this technology could help eliminate compliance risks.

AI technology will continue to grow and develop in the coming years and its generally associated with automation. A report by McKinsey Global Institute says that 73 million U.S. jobs will be lost to automation. Fortunately, AI technology will create demand for experts to develop and operate this new technology. Jobs in AI engineering, AI Development, and Data science should become more lucrative.

As AI becomes more commonplace, AI-as-a-service will emerge. It will function in the same way other as-a-service because it will be distributed through cloud computing. AIaaS will be for those businesses that cannot or do not want to develop their own AI software.

5. 5G Networks

The next generation internet connectivity for mobile devices will become the norm in the future. Increased bandwidth will increase internet speed and facilitate communication between smart devices. Businesses should consider how this will impact their industry. Leaders across the communications industry estimate that by there will be 3.5 billion cellular IoT connections.

This will ultimately create more flexible networks that provide truly end to end systems that apply to not only networking but data storage and more. It will also improve your companies infrastructure and strengthen it against cyber threats like crypto jacking. This is all under the presumption that your existing IT infrastructure is reliable and capable of managing your network.

If you would like to stay updated on the latest news on cybersecurity, emerging technology, cloud computing and more follow Nerds Support on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube or check out our blog for more in depth articles.

 

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Why Co-Managed Solutions Benefit Financial Services

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To read and learn more about financial cloud solutions, cybersecurity, compliance and more visit our website.

What is Co-Management?

The Financial services industry might be adopting financial cloud technology, but seldom is a firm ready to abandon their IT department when adopting a service provider. The transition between an in house infrastructure and the cloud requires careful planning. Moreover, adjusting to the cloud for any organization and its employees is also difficult and requires training and readjustments. Those are a few issues co-managed IT solves. Co-management means a cloud provider works with the firms’ existing in-house IT department.

It’s preferable to adopt a flexible and adaptable solution that combines what is familiar with the benefits of a cloud-centered environment. This gives your firm a costumed solution specifically tailored to meet your needs and upgrade at a pragmatic pace. This means not only technical support for financial services, but a team that provides comprehensive solutions at scale for the firm.

How Co-Management Can Help Your Firm Grow

As a smaller firm grows, their IT departments are strained by increased demand. Co- managed solutions allow support and guidance when making strategic decisions about the firm’s network and systems. Conversely, if your firm has a skilled team of IT professionals but lack the resources, time or bandwidth for troubleshooting and smaller IT-related tasks, then co-managed solutions may be right for you.

Small financial services companies without sufficient resources will often task an overburdened member of the IT team to support users, handle contracts, maintain client relationships etc. This solution might be a quick fix but it is unsustainable in the long-term.

Because of this, internal IT departments often struggle. However, co-management provides firms with supplemental resources and outside expertise. Furthermore, there are key benefits to adopting a co-managed IT solution. For example, if you’re financial firm has reached a period of rapid growth and needs to adjust the scale of IT services to support internal growth. Or a company has a reliable, well-established IT staff in-house but need solutions for remote branches in other locations.

Benefits of Co-Managed IT Solutions

• Increased productivity: A co-managed approach supplies IT support around the clock. Even when your in-house staff is unavailable. This can lead to reduced downtime and as a result, increase productivity.
• On- Demand expertise: When your in-house IT team runs into issues that they’re not prepared for, a co-managed service provider is there to provide assistance and back-up.
• Increased Security: With a co-managed model, the service provider accesses and gives access to the latest technology. The partnering IT staff comes in with certifications and experience that are important in creating a security strategy.

In a co-managed IT model, your IT partner identifies and fills gaps in your team availability and skill set while increasing bandwidth. IT solutions for finance are

A co-managed service model is created to support financial services organizations that have IT departments but are looking to increase their efficiency and upscale their work capabilities. And for a financial services company, co-management entails your partner knows IT compliance. Finra compliance among other, is essential to a successful co-managed IT model for a financial firm.

Hopefully, you understand what Co-management entails and what kind of problems it solves. If you’re still confused, we can review.

Co-Management Means Protection & Security

The goal of any co-managed IT team is to increase the abilities of the staff. At the same time, assisting with:
• Hardware
• Data Protection
• Software
• Cloud computing
• Cloud Security
• Multi-factor functionality

With cybercriminals increasing their efforts to infiltrate financial institutions of all types, firms that adopt a proactive protection with a co-management service will be better off. Co-management for financial firms means security and compliance are at the forefront of cyber security.

Companies are can freely choose the types of solutions they prefer to keep in house and which ones to outsource to an outside IT team with co-management services.

The 50 Fastest Growing Tech Companies in South Florida

Nerd Support Top 10 Fastest Growing Companies

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SFBJ 2019 Fastest Growing Companies

 

Nerds Support was named among the top 10 fastest growing companies with a revenue under $25 million by the South Florida Business Journal.

300 people gathered at Jungle Island in Miami to honor South Florida private companies that had the highest revenue growth in the last two years. Usually the ranking would be among the top 50 companies but, this year it was split into two categories: those with revenue over 25 million and those with revenue under.

The ceremony took place at Jungle Island’s Bloom Ballroom. Honorees of the award come from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm beach counties.

With Scott’s 15 years of leadership, Nerds Support comes highly recommended by their clients for its expertise in IT Services and Cloud Solutions. Even though Scott is the CEO, when you hire his team, you also get him as another asset for your company. Essentially, Scott becomes part of your company and you can feel secure in knowing that he’s always watching out for your technology needs and giving all the best and greatest solutions possible.

The award and ranking are the latest among several awards Nerds Support has won for it’s rapid growth in its sector. The award itself doesn’t mean much to Scott and his team, it’s what the award represents beyond the recognition.

Nerds Support’s believes its biggest achievements have been its contribution to the South Florida community. As it grows in profits and size, it gains the resources needed to help even more companies thrive and grow themselves. The goal for Nerds Support has always been to help small businesses and make a greater impact to the community as a result. As Nerds Support works with its partners, they grow and make profits. As that happens, the hope is these companies hire more employees, stimulate the local economy and South Florida improves and changes.

CEO Scott Richman Accepting the Fast 50 Award

This company has never lost a client and it’s never met an issue it couldn’t resolve. This award is a testament to the work ethic and tenacity Scott has put into building up Nerds Support into an enterprise that will make a difference in South Florida.

The belief in community and the growth of small business exists because of Scott’s background. He started with a passion for computers and a vision for what they could do. Spending many long nights devoting himself to  the company that exists today, he understands the challenges, pressures and demands small businesses have on a daily basis.

The award means Nerd Support’s services are valued and it’s doing the job it has always intended on doing: helping businesses grow as fast as possible. If you’re interested in reading the full press release, click here.

Found out why Nerd Support is consistently being recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in South Florida for yourself. Visit our website here.

hosted-solutions-miami

Hosted Solutions Makes the Most of Your Miami BusinessMi

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To some people, hosted solutions seems easy enough to comprehend. However, hosted solutions is such a generic term, that most people seem to have a different definition for the term.

Hosted Solutions refers to a plethora of solutions and services that is meant to serve end users in the giant world of the cloud. Thousands of different businesses need different types of applications and hosted solutions helps the cloud figure out which user needs what kind of application.

CPA firms might need a cloud that works with financial applications, while law firms may require a cloud that can hold a large quantity of documents and contracts. In the article below, find out what makes a hosted solutions plan good.

Hosted Solutions Should Provide all the Applications that You need

A great hosted solutions plan should be able to provide all the applications you need from one cloud, which is why Nerds Support is a great IT support Miami team to keep your business running efficiently. Take CPA Firms in Miami, for example. When an accounting firm uses Thomson Reuters’ cloud, they are only able to use Thomson Reuters’ applications. This means that if an accounting firm wishes to utilize Microsoft or Quickbooks, they will have to turn to another cloud in order to use these tools.

With Nerds Support’s Miami Cloud Computing Solutions, Miami CPA Firms would not have to use two separate clouds, but rather one reliable and flexible cloud to make cloud services for CPA Firms look effortless.

Hosted Solutions Should Provide a More Flexible Cloud

Having all of your business applications on one cloud means that your employees do not have to remember as many passwords to access their files, as they would if they were working on two separate clouds. Having one cloud would also make it easy to work remotely. If you own a freight forwarding company, having all of your business applications on one cloud can help any employee that is always on the go. Since employees in freight forwarding companies may be constantly on the road, it can be annoying to have to sign into two different clouds through a phone.

Employees working at home will also have a hassle-free experience, thanks to Nerds Support’s Miami cloud solutions! Nerds Support’s cloud hosting solutions holds almost all business applications, remote workers will save themselves from downloading two clouds to their laptops. The space that they will save will not only make their laptops faster, but make them more productive as well.

Nerds Support Provides Award-Winning Miami Business Hosted Solutions

Nerds Support’s Miami Hosted Solutions helps Freight Forwarders, CPA/Accounting Firms and Law Firms in South Florida. The team works with companies in order to provide the best solutions for their businesses. State-of-the-art technology will protect your businesses, and all the applications you need, from data breaches and hackers. Our highly advanced Miami cloud solutions also assure companies that they will be able to keep all of their business applications on one cloud.

If you would like to learn more about hosted solutions, you can fill out a contact form here or you can call us today at 305-551-2009.