6 Benefits of Cloud Services

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There are many benefits of cloud services — namely, that they can help your team work more effectively and efficiently while providing a necessary edge in a competitive industry.

While there are several different types of cloud services — some that you may be very familiar with such as Google Cloud or Amazon Web Services — there are many business options that can improve your team’s workflows, productivity, and cost-savings while also helping your operations become more streamlined and adaptive.

What is the Cloud?

If you’ve been on the internet this century, you’ve likely heard of the cloud in some way. After all, anyone with a modern smartphone is very adept at backing up their photos and contacts to the cloud for fear of losing them.

But what is the cloud, exactly? Is it just a virtual holding space for our cat pictures and emergency phone numbers? Well, yes… and no! A cloud is a connected network of computers or servers that can be accessed by users via the internet. So while it can be your personal Cat Picture Holding Zone, it’s so much more than that.

Cloud servers are software and services that you don’t have to host yourself. When needed, you can access them from anywhere that you have an internet connection, saving you valuable memory space.

There are many different clouds, not just one massive space for all to use. Some can be made secure and accessed only by specific authorized users, like those within your company. There are networks and servers all over the world that create their very own clouds. They work for different organizations, educational institutions, government agencies, companies, and more to maintain their data storage and sharing.

The Benefits of Cloud Services

So, a secure, virtual space to hold company data — that sounds pretty good, right? But what exactly are the benefits of cloud services? Why should you be using the cloud? Do cloud services really benefit businesses? Well, you ask some good questions — and here are the answers!

  • Data storage and backup – Cloud storage not only securely stores your important files in a way that is organized, easy to access, and protected but also offers the added conveniences of being flexible, scalable, and collaborative.
  • Host servers and applications – With servers, you can securely store all of your data, applications, and information under the shared resources of the cloud, such as memory and processor cycles, which frees up space on your hardware and protects your files.
  • Content sharing – Sharing documents across different locations and people is complicated, but the cloud makes it simple. Just upload any file and share it instantly and securely with your team!
  • Project management – Because of the collaboration available with the cloud and the ample storage options, managing projects is much simpler and more accessible to all members of your team — a virtual one-stop-shop for all the documents needed in each project!
  • Analytics – Using cloud-based analytics provides faster results, instant reports, and greater amounts of data. It also offers more access to said results through its collaborative nature, which streamlines your processes and reduces operational costs.
  • Automation – Cloud automation services serve as automatic workflows and processes that streamline your company’s operations, reducing the manual efforts and freeing up your team’s time for more important endeavors.

Are You Ready to Switch?

In today’s world, at least some part of your business is virtual — even if you are still a small startup. And one of the largest mistakes that you can make with IT services is using an unsecured cloud server — or worse, no server at all to protect your data and applications. Do yourself, and your company, a favor — plan ahead for the future of your business and switch to cloud services today. Contact Net3 IT now and we’ll show you just how much you and your business can benefit from cloud services!

Net3 IT Company Knoxville: 2019 Year in Review

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We’re closing out yet another busy, wonderful year here at Net3 IT and we’d just like to say: Thank you for letting us be your favorite IT Company in Knoxville! We’ve certainly had a full year, and we’re sure you have too, but we’d be nothing without you!

What made this year so special, you ask? Well, let’s take a look back at all the incredible advancements in technology, updates to applications and policies, and company changes your IT company Knoxville has been through!

Our Move

That’s right — 2019’s the year of our big move to a more centrally-located space just off Cedar Bluff. In addition to the centralized location of the new space, which continues to reduce travel expenses and speed up business processes, our new office is larger which makes it much easier to spread out, avoid distractions and background noise, and provide you better, more focused customer service.

Goodbye Windows 7

It’s officially the end of Windows 7 as 2019 is the very last year Microsoft will support the software. In just a few short weeks — on January 14, 2020, to be exact — Microsoft will stop all support and security updates of Windows 7, making it a risky platform for businesses to continue to use. Because of this, any companies continuing to operate it could become targets for malware and viruses.

Hello Windows 10

But don’t worry, there’s a new software in town that will take care of all your needs and replace Windows 7 easily — Windows 10! Officially launched in 2018, Microsoft spent this year updating their newest software to run smoothly and securely as an efficient replacement for the beloved Windows 7 it’s left behind. In order to get access to all the features and capabilities, Microsoft does recommend using Windows 10 on a new device since some older models may be difficult to transition, however, if you are unable to upgrade your older computers they can still be updated to Windows 10 with just a little bit of planning.

Our New Services

Phishing is on the rise, and more and more workstations are becoming vulnerable to virus infections. In an effort to continually protect our clients from bad actors, we now include Malware protection in our standards Managed Workstation service. While no single tool can provide complete protection against a determined intruder, we aim to provide as many layers of protection as possible as a managed services provider to comply with industry best practices.

Similarly, we understand that even though managements generally require their employees to store company data on secure servers and/or cloud locations with regular backup protocols, the practice of storing files locally on laptops and desktops is inevitable and happens frequently. As a result, we’ve now added a Workstation Backup service to our service offerings.

AI’s Big Boom

You’ve probably already realized just how much artificial intelligence (AI) has grown throughout the year with the upgrades to Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri systems, but it’s also been hard at work getting a foothold on companies. Forbes reports that companies using AI “grew from 4% to 14%” and that conversational AI remains at the top of many corporate agendas.

Okay, but what does that mean for your small local business? As consumers become more accustomed to asking their preferred AI for help finding products and services, each company has to target that conversational AI in order to make progress with it. In other words, don’t forget that part of your audience is now an ever-learning AI!

Privacy Protection

Updates to technology aren’t the only new advances we saw in 2019 — the laws that govern our tech have also seen some upgrades! In the wake of Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that went into effect in May of 2018, some U.S. states have also been updating their privacy protection acts. Namely, California’s Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) was signed into law and is set to take effect on January 1, 2020. After the sophisticated cyberattacks on Yahoo and Equifax, California is determined to protect it’s citizens’ rights through this new law by requiring that consumers get the option to opt-out of having their information recorded and to know exactly what said information is used for should it be collected.

Like we said — it’s been a busy year! But it’s not quite over yet. We still have a few weeks to continue working hard for you, and you’d better believe we will be. As your trust IT company in Knoxville, we thrive on making sure that our customers have the best experience and are always kept up-to-date on the many changes within the IT industry. Are you looking for help deciphering some of the IT updates of 2019? Or just looking for some more help with your VoIP or Managed IT Services? Give us a call! We’re always here to make your IT needs run as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

Effective Backup Solutions for Your Business

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In the complex, ever-changing world of IT, effective backup solutions are the foundation of any successful business. It may not be fun or exciting to think about and plan for a disaster and the loss of company data — in fact, it’s a rather scary scenario for most. But for any business to thrive, it’s vital to plan for any situation that may occur, and that means having a strategy in place in the event of data loss.

Because customer and company data is at the heart of your business’s success, you know that any downtime in retrieving those records — or worse, permanent loss to them — is detrimental. An unforeseen, and unplanned for, disaster, such as a fire, employee error, cyberattack, or power outage, can set your business back months or years.

Oftentimes, especially when it comes to our IT planning, we become complacent when things are working smoothly, and choose not to think about the “what if” scenarios that could cause harm to our systems, processes, or data. But data losses happen, often. And leaving your network, data, and infrastructure vulnerable could bring irreparable damage to your company.

Instead of waiting for a data loss to rob you of precious time and valuable records, plan ahead with effective backup solutions and a thorough disaster recovery plan to protect your business.

Why You Need Backup Solutions

Natural disasters are not uncommon, and they don’t usually give you warning beforehand. Similarly, a bad actor isn’t going to call your business and tell you when they plan to attack. You need to be prepared for any situation in order to prevent your business from suffering profit-crushing downtime.

Fortunately, through strategic planning and disaster recovery processes, you can keep your business and workforce up and running without losing momentum through carefully implemented solutions you and your IT provider agree upon.

And, if you are worried that you don’t have the time or manpower to implement backup solutions, system checks, and recovery plans on your own, a managed services provider (MSP) can step in and stabilize your IT infrastructure and expand your company’s capabilities, freeing up your own time for more lucrative endeavors.

Additionally, one of the many features included with managed IT services is that your MSP will manage your backup monitoring and administration. This is important because even if you already have a backup strategy in place, it may not be running as it should, it could go down unnoticeably without warning, or it could be inadequate.

Effective Methods for Backing Up Your Data

Generally, there are three kinds of backup solutions small-to-medium-sized businesses turn to when looking to protect their data:

  1. Onsite or local backups
  2. Cloud storage and solutions
  3. A hybrid of both cloud storage and local hard drives

Onsite hard drives and local servers have traditionally been the industry norm for backup solutions. In fact, in the not-too-distance past, companies relied on tape for all their backup and storage solutions. These days, however, we have much more efficient, reliable methods, such as hard drives. With a hard drive, you can backup loads of data in a short amount of time and keep it safely with you, ready for use whenever you need it. Unfortunately, considering that natural disasters strike without warning and a flood or fire could destroy that hard drive in seconds, an onsite solution alone may not be enough to protect your company.

Similarly, while cloud storage is effective and useful for email archiving and file storage, organization, and sharing, it is not a comprehensive solution to data breaches and disasters because Software as a Service (SaaS) providers could go down or be breached themselves, can lock companies out through malfunctions, malicious attacks, or human errors, or do not possess backup and restore functionalities at base levels.

Because of the gaps within each of these solutions alone, a hybrid of the two is the most effective method for truly ensuring the safety of your information. By backing up your data both to a cloud option and to a local server or hard drive, you will be able to access your information and recover your data even if one or the other should be attacked or destroyed.

With a hybrid method, you are also creating redundancy or additional copy of your information. Think of it like making two copies of your mortgage agreement, one for yourself and one for your bank. If your copy is destroyed, the bank still has the information safely stored with them and you can retrieve it again. Storing your company data in multiple places, such as on two separate hard drives plus on a cloud service, you will always be able to retrieve it in the event something happens to one of your solutions.

Backup Solutions and Disaster Recovery

In order to ensure that your business runs as smoothly as possible, you need plans in place for any possible disaster, and that includes a plan for recovering your data in the event of a loss. Once you do have an effective backup solution in place, you’ll need to work with your IT team on a recovery process so that the data is retrieved in a timely manner by a trained professional. After all, you certainly wouldn’t want to suffer a data breach only to find that you aren’t sure how to access your backup solutions!

In this instance, an MSP could be vital to the quick recovery of your company because your provider would manage the recovery process for you, taking the burden off your shoulders and freeing up your team for other important matters.

Your data is the lifeblood of your company. Keep it safe with effective backup solutions and a disaster recovery process that you can trust. And if you need help implementing a new solution or learning your backup options, contact us! We’re here to help you prepare for a disaster and keep your downtime to a minimum should one occur.

Why Net3 IT Stands Out from Other Knoxville IT Companies

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Technology is the equalizer that places small businesses on the same playing field as their larger counterparts — and Knoxville IT companies are the reason small, local businesses have a global reach.

Integrated, high-powered solutions allow businesses to reach markets previously lost to them. In today’s landscape, having the right IT strategy and support can help a small business stand out against competition of any size.

That’s why we’re proud to be one of the Knoxville IT companies small and medium businesses often turn to for IT services and strategies. At Net3 IT, we thrive on helping businesses grow and stand out from the competition through expert consultation and strategic IT planning.

And why do these companies keep coming back to us, you ask?

Because We Are Experienced

Ever since our launch in 2012, we specialize in offering industry knowledge and expert IT advice to businesses right here in our community to help them stand out. We know exactly what it takes to run a business — and what a difference technology makes to one.

Our team consists of people from all walks of the IT life, from technicians to consultants to C-level executives. And those people are the very core of what we do. Which means that when you come to Net3 IT, you get a real person to guide you through the sometimes overwhelming world of information technology. And not just a person, but a person who’s been there.

We have extensive practical and professional backgrounds that allow us to assess your individual IT needs and offer insights into the best strategy and services for your situation and goals. We understand that what matters most is meeting your business goals and getting back a return on your investment. And we advise with those things in mind. Whether you need strategic IT planning or fully managed IT services, there will be a solution tailored to you.

Because We Understand the Industry

Managing your own business is expensive and time-consuming already, but adding in the IT demands of a growing office can quickly spiral out of control. It takes valuable time away from your real goal — running your business.

Not to mention the entire IT industry can be a confusing fog of similar-sounding jargon if you aren’t well-versed in the lingo and procedures.

At Net3 IT, we don’t just know the jargon, we’re fluent in the language of technology for business. And we can interpret it for you, as well as cut through the fog to find the most cost-effective, customized solutions for you. Most importantly, we know how to deliver solutions you’ll understand with results you can see.

Since we know the market so well, we also know how to watch out for new industry changes and developments. Every market can be unpredictable, but we know how to look for the signs and adapt to new trends. We’ll keep an eye on the ever-evolving forces in the IT world so that you can stay focused on remaining competitive in your industry.

And we’ll always be there with strategy and services to ensure you are prepared for whatever comes your way.

Because We Care About You and Your Company

At Net3 IT, we don’t deal in one-size-fits-all packages or try to sell you on services you don’t need. We listen to you and tailor-make a strategic plan that fits your specific needs.

We care about giving you the most beneficial solutions for your situation because we care about you. That’s what it’s all about. We don’t want to force you into a minivan when you really wanted a sedan. We listen to what you want and work with you to achieve it.

I am happy to recommend Net3 IT wholeheartedly. They focus on listening well, fully understanding your needs, and then delivering the resources to meet those needs. They provide exactly what we need in technical services when we need it.
— John Platillero, President/CEO, Event Booking, Knoxville, TN

Caring really is at the core of everything we do. Communication is at the heart of Net3 IT and we believe that it’s vital to our customer service. Our best practices center around staying in constant contact with our team and clients to ensure we’re doing all we can to optimize the IT at your company.

When it comes to Knoxville IT companies, we truly believe that Net3 IT offers the total package. We provide small to medium businesses with the most cost-effective, high-value IT services that offer a competitive edge. If you want to stand out from your competition by partnering with an expert company that cares, contact us to learn more about what we can offer you.

How Net3 IT Stacks Up Against Other Tech Companies in Knoxville, TN

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What do you look for when searching for tech companies in Knoxville, TN? Experience? Expertise? Professionalism? If these are the words that came to mind for you — you’ve come to the right place!

Here at Net3 IT, we understand that when you are searching for a partner to help solve your company’s IT needs, you want to take your time and find the right fit. We understand it, and we encourage it because your IT partner will allow your small or medium business to stand out from your competition and have a global reach.

It’s our mission to help you accomplish just that through industry experience, expert partnership, and skilled professionalism. Your IT strategy and support could mean the difference between your company growing and succeeding or being drowned out by the larger, louder voices out there.

So, how do we stack up against other tech companies in Knoxville, TN? Well, we could tell you — but why do that when our satisfied customers can explain it so much better!

Industry Experience

We have been very pleased with relevant industry expertise, overall professionalism, communication and value Net3IT has provided for our practice. I would certainly recommend them to other practices and businesses that are in need of an extremely solid partner.
— Practice Administrator, Knoxville Institute of Dermatology, Knoxville, TN

We know how important it is for your IT partner to not only walk the walk but also talk the talk — that’s why we ensure that each and every member of our team comes from an impressive background within the tech industry. But we don’t just stop there! We make it a matter of pride to never stop learning.

Industry expertise is at the heart of everything we do at Net3 IT. It’s one of the most important pillars of the company’s foundation. And we believe it’s at the core of being able to offer the best IT services for our customers.

The tech industry is constantly evolving and innovating — so we should be, too! That’s why we have made sure to cultivate a team full of industry experts so that you could always have a pool of IT resources right at your fingertips.

At Net3 IT, our industry experience is backed by valued partnerships and fueled by the desire to continue watching, learning, and mastering new industry changes and developments.

We believe that in order to be an “extremely solid partner,” as Knoxville Institute of Dermatology put it, we have to know our industry inside and out so that we can give you the best IT solution for your company’s unique needs.

Expert Partnership

Net3IT has been an excellent partner to us in our business. The response time to any issue, no matter the size is quick and efficient and they make sure the issue is completely resolved before closing it out. I would recommend Net3IT to anyone that needs a knowledgeable, responsive, customer-oriented IT service.
— Beverly Rowland, HR Manager, Bio-Logic Science Instruments, Knoxville, TN

Here at Net3 IT, we don’t believe in simply solving your immediate IT solution and moving on. No, we are so much more than that — we want to be your partner.

We not only offer you the tools to solve your IT issues, we are also here to respond to new challenges, answer questions, and thoroughly support your company as it grows.

We believe in being customer-oriented, not only in name but also in actions. That’s why we meet you with personalized IT solutions and offer managed IT services so that you can focus on running your business while knowing that your IT needs are safe in our expert hands.

Skilled Professionalism

The Net3 IT team is a group of skilled, knowledgeable professionals who have a high level of integrity. Customer service is an area they excel in, which is hard to find nowadays. All of our expectations for how our IT needs are met have been surpassed with their quality of work. We can highly recommend Net3IT to anyone desiring competency combined with care.
— LeAnn Hilemon, West Park Baptist Church, Knoxville, TN

Skill, knowledge, professionalism. These are three words that keep coming up in our client feedback. Why? Because this is Net3 IT’s foundation, these three simple words. We believe in putting customer service first, always. We pride ourselves on our integrity and skill. Without our knowledge and professionalism, we would be nothing.

We aren’t just trying to blow smoke — we simply hold ourselves to a very high standard. At Net3 IT, we want our quality of work to be impeccable. We believe that a company’s foundation begins with integrity and professionalism.

So, what do we have that other Knoxville, TN tech companies may not? Our company mission and values. We strive to “delight” our clients by putting your company’s needs and mission before our own — that’s our most important purpose. And we believe that’s what makes us the group of tried-and-true professionals we are.

What We Bring To The Table

Whether it’s an existing client or a new prospect, we approach every company’s needs individually. We listen to exactly what you are looking for, discuss the business growth you’re aiming to accomplish, and tailor personalized IT and VoIP solutions specifically for you.

With Net3 IT as your experienced, professional IT partner, you’ll be able to implement seamless, scalable solutions that continue meeting your needs for years to come.

Here are some of the IT solutions we can offer your company, in any combination that works best for your company’s needs.

  • Strategic It Planning — Our strategic consulting services are based around the idea of partnership. We listen intently to your business needs and work together to provide solutions.
  • Cloud Solutions — Let us worry about buying, configuring, and running all the latest in virtualization hardware and software – you simply subscribe to the services you need.
  • Implementation Solutions — From custom software and SharePoint development to IT project management and purchasing services, Net3 can provide a host of solutions for meeting your IT needs.
  • VoIP Solutions — Telecommunications has changed and it’s time you took advantage of it. You get a more integrated and convenient work environment backed by powerful VOIP technology.
  • Managed Services — Let Net3 IT take over the day-to-day management of specific servers, IT functions, or complete IT shop so you can focus on your core business.

When you’re looking for tech companies in Knoxville, TN to partner with on your company IT needs, start with the total package of Net3 IT. If you want to stand out from your competition, come see how we stack up against other Knoxville tech companies. Contact us now to partner with an exceptional, skilled partner for your IT needs.