Here are 6 statistics you need to know.

Flexibility, scalability, mobility – the benefits of moving to a cloud-first network go on and on. If you’ve even been considering a cloud-first strategy, you’re probably already aware of at least some of these advantages. But these six key findings revealed in the RightScale 2016 State of the Cloud Report* may surprise you.

1. Security concerns are decreasing.

In past RightScale reports, security has always been the top concern among respondents. However, from 2014 to 2016, security concerns for Enterprise central IT teams, who typically have the most responsibility for security, declined from 47 percent to 37 percent. Is seems as cloud providers and best practices mature, security concerns will continue to decline.

2. Top cloud challenge cited is lack of resources/expertise.

Nearly 32 percent of respondents indicated lack of resources/expertise as their No. 1 cloud challenge, an increase from 27 percent last year. As companies continue to place higher demand on the cloud, the need for technical expertise has grown.

3. Cloud cost management is a significant challenge.

Cloud cost management as a challenge has steadily increased each year from 18 percent in 2013 to 26 percent in 2016. From reducing or eliminating data centers to utilizing flexible capacity, companies have significant opportunities for savings if they know what actions to take.

4. Cloud adoption is on the rise.

This year’s survey findings revealed that private cloud adoption increased from 63 percent to 77 percent, and hybrid cloud adoption increased from 58 percent to 71 percent since 2015. More enterprise workloads are also moving to the cloud – mainly the private cloud – from 22 percent to 31 percent since last year. Overall, 95 percent of respondents are using cloud, up from 93 percent last year.

5. Cloud users see increase in speed.

The survey findings show the two benefits that had the largest increase were faster access to infrastructure, which grew from 57 to 62 percent, and faster time-to market, which grew from 48 to 52 percent. 

6. Cloud initiatives differ based on company size.

The study showed that 2016 cloud priorities differed among Enterprises and SMBs. Enterprises, who generally have a larger number of applications, are more focused on moving more of those workloads to the cloud (57 percent). Small and Medium-sized Business (SMBs) indicated optimizing existing cloud use to achieve cost savings (43 percent) as their No.1 initiative.

Whether you’ve just starting to think about moving some applications to the cloud, have a robust cloud-first strategy in place, or you’re somewhere in-between – we can help. From cost savings to workplace efficiency, our experienced team of technical engineers will help you fully take advantage of all the benefits a cloud-first network can offer. 

* Source: RightScale 2016 State of the Cloud Report reveals results from a survey of 1,060 technical professionals across a broad cross-section of organizations about their adoption of cloud computing.

The DataVizion team would like to extend a sincere “thank you” to all of our customers, partners, family and friends who took time out of their busy schedules to come and help us celebrate our 15th anniversary.

Since we first started back in 2001, DataVizion has grown to become a top provider of managed IT services in the Midwest and beyond. In the past five years alone, we’ve experienced 30% year-over-year revenue growth and quadrupled our staff.

With that kind of growth, we’ve been moving quickly for so many years and our anniversary party provided a great reason to slow down for a moment and enjoy some food and a beer with you all.

Again, thank you to everyone who was able to stop by- we always appreciate your business and your support!

Click here to view the winners of the raffle.

School districts, government agencies and utility companies are just some of the businesses making the headlines as the latest victims of ransomware, a malware that encrypts your files and limits or eliminates access. Victims are then forced to pay a ransom to regain access.

The inability to access important data and the loss of confidential or proprietary information can have a crippling effect on companies. But it’s not just businesses that are being targeted – home computers are also at risk. The loss of personal information, family photos, video and other information can be devastating.

What to look for:

Email attachments containing malware are often the culprit, but not always. Your computer could become infected simply by clicking on a compromised website, often being lured there by a phishing attempt.

How to protect yourself:

• Keep regular backups of your data, because without a backup, there is nothing to recover if your files become encrypted.
• Do not open suspect email attachments, even if you know the sender. Email accounts can get spoofed and attachments will look odd with references to attached resumes, tracking numbers, payroll information, photos, etc.
• Ensure your anti-virus software is enabled and up-to-date.
• Only download software from official sites you know and trust.
• Use the same precautions on your mobile phone as you would on your computer when using the Internet.

How to protect your company network:

• Raise awareness of ransomware and safe practices to protect the organization’s data.
• Provide corporate training for employees to help identify potential phishing attempts.
• Back up data and verify the integrity of your backups regularly.
• Patch operating system, software and firmware on digital devices.
• Ensure antivirus and anti-malware solutions are set to automatically update and conduct regular scans.
• Set access controls and network share permissions appropriately.
• Implement controls or software restriction policies to prevent programs from executing from common ransomware locations.

DataVizion provides a VizionVault Cloud Backup Service. This service provides daily backups of your files, which can be restored to safe versions if files have been encrypted. We also provide managed cloud-based antivirus, and robust firewall solutions for threat prevention. Questions or want to learn more? Give us a call.

Wireless mobility – what used to be a convenient feature – is now an expectation that’s changing the way we live and work. From restaurants and airplanes to college campuses and sporting events, today’s 24/7 connected world expects anytime, anywhere mobile access.

To increase their competitive advantage, businesses of all sizes need a reliable and secure wireless network infrastructure. Here are five must-have components:

1. Future proofing

All signs point to a steep upward trend in wireless usage. Your network needs to be scalable enough to allow for proper coverage and density requirements as needed. And trust us – you’ll need it.

2. Indoor and Outdoor Coverage

Business doesn’t stop at the door and neither should your wireless network coverage. Even if you don’t start with it, make sure to leave open the possibility of adding outdoor coverage from the same platform.

3. Centralized Management

Regardless of how many access points you have, you’ll need a way to effectively manage updates and configuration changes from one central location.

 4. Access Management

Help solve wireless security concerns with access management systems such as Aruba ClearPass, which allows you to assign a role to the wireless device based on how it’s authenticated.

5. Mobile Device Management (MDM)

With a network full of mobile devices each running their own applications and programs, you need a MDM system to monitor and manage access.

We’ve designed and installed wireless network systems for companies of all sizes across the U.S. So whether you’re starting fresh or your wireless network needs an upgrade, we can help.

For our clients, who already have a lot of on their plate, it can be overwhelming to keep pace with emerging trends in the Information Technology world. Don't worry. We’ve got you covered.

At DataVizion, we stay on top of the latest IT offerings from our partners to provide a level of service unachievable by many of our competitors. Here are just some of the recent certifications achieved.

David Andersen, Project Engineer, and Ken Cousino, Field Services Engineer, recently passed the Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer (PCNSE6) exam. From design and installation to configuration and troubleshooting, David and Ken possess a deep understanding of Palo Alto Networks technologies and can implement the best solutions to fit your needs.

DataVizion has been an Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, platinum partner since 2014, differentiating ourselves from our peers with the highest level of engineering and commitment to Aruba products.

Ethan Shold, Engineer, became our newest member of the DataVizion team to pass the Aruba Certified Mobility Professional (ACMP) exam. And Mat Lehn, Engineer, passed the Aruba Certified ClearPass Expert (ACCX) exam. We’re now more ready than ever to provide the expert support for any Aruba solution you decide to implement.

So whether you’re looking to increase mobility or implement an entirely new network infrastructure, we have the skills and expertise to help make it happen.

DataVizion team attends Atmosphere 2016 in Las Vegas.

Our DataVizion team is back from an action-packed week in Las Vegas where we attended Atmosphere 2016. Hosted by Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, it’s the largest mobility conference on earth and brings together networking experts from across the globe.

A special thank you to our clients: Boys Town, Immanuel, Kiewit Corporation, Lincoln Public Schools, The Buckle, UniGroup and University of Nebraska at Kearney for joining us.

We heard from top-performing industry professionals, attended breakout sessions and technology demonstrations on a variety of topics including creating a digital workplace, securing the #GenMobile experience with adaptive trust, boosting mobile engagement and making the most of agile data centers.

While we were blown away with all of the new features and third party integration with Aruba products, one of our favorites was Aruba Clarity. Many of our clients face increasing connectivity demands. This newly introduced network management tool enables us to better anticipate and resolve connectivity problems– before they happen. Amazing right?

We also had the opportunity to hear from Meg Whitman, president and CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, who spoke about the success of HPE’s acquisition of Aruba last year. Everyone was incredibly proud of the progress that has been made in the past year and excited for the continued growth that lies ahead.

Conferences like Atmosphere 2016 definitely showcase how Information Technology, the ideas surrounding new technologies and the things we can do with them are constantly evolving. But, we love this stuff and are excited to be on the forefront of implementing these ever-advancing solutions.

If you are curious to know more about Aruba Clarity or the other state-of-the-art products showcased at Atmosphere 2016 and how they can benefit your company, give us a call.

Check out YouTube videos from the conference here.

As the need for technology in the workplace continues to rise, so do the attempts of would-be phishers. They’re constantly crafting ways to use fake emails and clever scams to try and gain access to your company’s network or your personal information.

A recent report published by Software Advice, who surveyed employees to explore their awareness of phishing attacks, reveals some startling statistics.

Here are some of the key findings and tips to ensure you and your coworkers don’t fall victim to these scams.

About 39 percent of employees still open emails that they suspect might be fraudulent or contain malware.

Understand the goals of phishing attempts. Fraudulent emails often seek to:

• Infect your computer with spyware that can record your Internet activities or allow hackers access to your computer.
• Obtain and access your personal information such as credit card numbers, passwords and account numbers.

Only 36 percent of employees said they are “very confident” that they could recognize and resist a phishing attack.

Learn to recognize suspicious email. Here are a few tips to start:

• Look for misspellings and bad grammar. Legitimate emails from professional organizations are usually well written.
• Be aware of threats or requests for urgency. Cybercriminals often use threats that your security has been compromised and try to scare you into taking urgent action.
• Don’t click on suspicious links. If you see a link in an email, hover your cursor over it first to reveal the web address. Often it’s a series of cryptic numbers that looks nothing like the company website.

Just 39 percent of employees said they receive ongoing security awareness training or advice at their work more than once per year.

Look for opportunities to learn more about cyber security and share your knowledge.

• Read the news. Sadly, it’s full of stories about phishing scam victims. Share these examples and discuss ways you and your colleagues can avoid similar mistakes.
• If you’re a tech-savvy person, share your knowledge of phishing and network security with those who may not be.

Phishing attempts will continue to evolve. While it’s important to keep up-to-date with the latest in cyber security awareness, it’s also best to have technical controls in place. For more information on how to protect your company’s network or to implement security solutions, give us a call! We’d be happy to help.

From tracking your workout to navigating through rush hour, smartphone technology can do some amazing things. Unfortunately, providing unlimited battery life is not one of them.

So it’s up to software, settings and you to stretch out the limited battery life for as long as possible. Here are some simple tips and tricks you can use:

1. Dim the screen brightness. The display rapidly consumes battery. Most phones include an auto-brightness feature that automatically adjusts the screen's brightness as needed. However, you can save even more power by adjusting to the lowest level yourself.

2. Shorten the screen timeout. This setting controls how long your phone's screen stays lit after receiving input, such as a tap. Save power by setting your timeout to the shortest available time.

3. Turn off Bluetooth when not in use. Bluetooth can do some amazing things, but even if you’re not using it, it’s a huge battery sucker.

4. Avoid extreme temperatures. Smart phones are designed to perform well in a range of temperatures, but exposing them to extremely high or low temperatures can damage battery capacity.

5. Choose location services wisely. Many apps have the ability to monitor your location. You can either disable this feature all together if it’s not needed, or some will allow you to use location services only while using the app.

6. Close Apps that you’re not using. Don't leave apps running in the background if you don’t plan to use them for a while.

7. Turn vibrate off. Your phones vibrate features use much more power than playing a ringtone.

8. Turn off non-essential notifications. Every time an app sends you an alert or other type of notification, it’s consuming energy.

9. Check for mail less often. Unless you need email messages instantly, change your phone settings to only push email every so often.

10. Power Saving Mode. Some phones have a power-saving feature, which a manages the phone's various power-sapping features for you. Doesn’t get any easier than that!

If you’re like most people these days, you rely on your smartphone throughout the day (and night!). Hopefully these power-saving tips will help you get in that much more time between charges.

When DataVizion was founded in 2001, we were purely a professional enterprise services organization. Over the years we continued to expand, and now — in addition to our services — we offer a long (and growing) list of the latest in technology products and wireless solutions.

In the past five years alone, we’ve experienced triple-digit growth. That meant adding several new team members and, while we enjoy each other’s company, we needed more space. In August, we moved our headquarters to a larger location here in Lincoln, Nebraska, and opened up a satellite location in Omaha.

Growth has also meant the need to update our website and tell you about our new offerings. And, because we love what we do and the industry changes so rapidly, we’re introducing this blog where we’ll share the latest in industry news, technology tips and tricks, security updates and new product features.

Please take some time to browse our updated site and check back often to read our blog. We also invite you to stop by our offices any time. We’ll be happy to tell you more about what we do and how we can help you build a better connection for your organization.