Blog, Solutions•
on August 11th, 2011•
“System Down” due to a power outage is a classic example of a scenario that any IT solutions and products provider would choose to emphasize the benefits of an Exchange server. And yet, most often people would reluctantly agree, thinking that the probability of a power outage of a great magnitude is as low as that of a massive earthquake right where they live! But disasters happen, be they infrastructural or not. What can be done to avoid or minimize the effects of a “System Down” situation, assuming it is real? The case below is real and happened a day ago.
One of the servers that processes emails is located in Dallas, Texas, and a large and very recent power outage caused a system failure. Would the tropical storm that we heard of from the news be responsible for this? No doubt, but what difference does it make? The outage impacted about half of the infrastructure at the facility including some with redundant power (A+B feeds) and two PDUs. The power outage issue was successfully resolved later in the day, however the hardware on reboot failed and a bare metal recovery was required, which took another 15 hours of emergency response. Although it seemed forever, in less than 24 hours, all systems were back up again. Nevertheless, judging by the number of calls we received, it is interesting to see how dependent we all are on email and web commerce and how alone we feel without them .
In conclusion, we won’t say “We told you so”, but keep in mind that with the exchange server in place all emails sent to you are filtered by Electric Mail for Virus and Spam, and are held and forwarded to the exchange server. If the Electric Mail server fails, all data is transferred to another center within minutes, shortage that would go un-noticed.
Should you need more information regarding our services and how this solution can benefit your company, please click on Contact tab at your earliest convenience, but no later than too late.
Blog, Solutions•
on August 2nd, 2011•
Emails are the main hackers’ tool in targeted attacks against companies . Most of us use our mobile devices to read or write corporate emails. We also go ahead and post the corporate email addresses in different social networks. When travelling, we most likely use public Wi-Fi, which sometimes is not encrypted. And on top of this, the same password is used everywhere: server, Twitter, email, LinkedIn. But users should realize that by doing these things their mobile devices can become entry points for targeted cyber attacks. Here are a few tips that help protect sensitive information against hacking:
- do not open attachments of weird emails, especially in Word, Excel, PDF
- use a VPN to access the internet while traveling
- use a secure browser to access the internet
- use Windows 7 (64 bits) and keep it updated
- set up different and complex passwords, whenever prompted
- use complex phone pins and do not store critical data
For more info, visit our Services page or contact us.
Solutions•
on October 30th, 2010•
- Implements industry standard security to protect your user information and corporate data.
- Centralization of data enhances your ability to backup your network information and securely manage your data.
- Internal e-mail server with full collaboration suite allows your employees to work smarter with shared calendars and tasks.
- Access to your e-mails or calendar from anywhere in the world with an easy web interface.
Microsoft Small Business Server or SBS for short, is a full business network solution built into one server. This is a great solution for small businesses that are looking at taking that next step from a peer-to-peer computer network to client-server based network environment. It gives you all the major tools to build a full network, streamline your processes and centralize your data.
SBS INCLUDES
- Active Directory
- Microsoft Exchange Server
- Sharepoint collaboration
- Network security and monitoring services
- Email Web Access with OWA
- Centralization of data
- Scalability and Functionality
Microsoft Small Business Server is a fantastic product which allows small businesses to affordably implement a full network, email and collaboration suite. Give us a call and let us help you understand the benefits and advantages to running in a client/server based environment with Microsoft Small Business Server.
Solutions•
on October 29th, 2010•
- Secure access to all your IT and communications assets.
- Flexible schedules can help to improve employee morale.
- Increase productivity by streamlining communications and reducing travel time by allowing home office work.
- Retain skill sets by allowing those with physical ailments, family issues or commuting problems work from home or satellite offices.
The world has grown in to a global economy and we regularly find ourselves traveling to do business or having to work from home. With our technologies you can safely communicate with your business network over the internet from anywhere in the world.
Satellite Offices
There are several ways in which you can link multiple sites together, dedicated lines from your Internet Service Provider can provide a high reliability line with secure communications, but can cost quite a bit. But VPN tunnels and modern Edge equipment can securely link up multiple sites with minimal new hardware and little configuration time.
Working from Home
Many people tend to think that access to your business network is the extent of being a “teleworker”, but the scope is far greater. With modern phone systems you can literally take your work office phone home and answer it just the same as if you were at your office desk!
Your coworkers or customers can still simply dial your extension to get instantly connected to your phone. Between your telephone and computer you can essentially perform all your job functions just as if you were sitting at your desk in the office and from all external appearances, you would be communicating from the office.
Flexible working environments help to improve employee morale and can be a cost effective solution for sales reps and mobile staff members.
Solutions•
on October 14th, 2010•
We all purchase antivirus software for one basic purpose, Security. It gives us piece of mind that our computers, servers and networks won’t get infected with viruses, malware or spyware. Hundreds of new viruses are released each day and keeping ahead of them is a constant challenge, with the correct antivirus software you can protect your computers and networks and ensure the success of your critical infrastructure.
How do you make sure that all of your computers are up to date and virus free? It’s a hard thing to do, and going around daily to each machine is a laborious and expensive option.
Most business antivirus suites come with a management interface that can be installed on your server, which monitors and manages all the computers on your network. Managing your antivirus solutions with a centralized software gives your that up to date snap shot of what is going on, and lets you allocate your IT dollars to more productive things.
Solutions•
on September 16th, 2010•
- Synchronized e-mail, calendar and contacts with Microsoft Exchange Server.
- No more forwarding e-mails to a third party e-mail address, or having to delete multiple copies of e-mails.
- Reduce communications costs and streamline corporate communications.
- Manage and deploy uniform applications and ensure corporate policy compliance.
Business communications and Blackberry Mobile Technology are an integral part of business communications and contact management. With that said, the cell phone bills of most businesses are one of their highest monthly costs. Reducing the cost of doing business and increasing productivity helps your business work smarter and allows you the freedom to allocate those free funds to important projects, expansion, or to increase your bottom line.
The biggest advantage is having a fully integrated mobile device in to your business e-mail network. Simply put that means that your Blackberry and your E-Mail Server with its Global Address Book (GAL), Contacts, Calendar, and E-Mails are constantly in sync.
When you need information, it’s at your finger tips. When you edit the information on either your computer desktop or Blackberry it is reflected almost instantly on both devices, no more syncing with a desktop application, no more duplicate contacts or e-mails, no having to delete e-mails from both devices.
Solutions•
on September 16th, 2010•
The SonicPoint N Series Access Points are great for providing large scale wireless network deployments. They are designed with exceptional wireless performance in mind without giving up the security we all desire.
All SonicPoint devices have removal antennas which can be upgraded to stronger db gain antennas should the need arise for a wider coverage area.
Managing a large number of wireless access points can be difficult, but with SonicPoint you can integrate the management through an integrated web interface within one of the Sonicwall Router products, such as the TZ series of routers.
SonicPoints allow your guests to roam between access points securely, without having to manually change access points; the hand-shake is seamless.
The Integrated Wireless Guest services makes managing wireless for guest and visitors easy.
- Sonicwall solutions all provide the highest level of security for your organization, often exceeding industry standards!
- SonicPoints are compatible with all of the most common wireless standards, but also other international standards.
- Power over Ethernet allows easy deployment without the need for power receptacles.
The WGS or Wireless Guest Services integration allows you to easily provide wireless guest internet access through the automatic generation of guest accounts without compromising the integrity of your network.
As with all Sonicwall products, they are designed with security and data safety in mind and are production level devices that will provide a high level of user satisfaction.
Solutions•
on May 25th, 2010•
Consulting
Matrix can provide a full consultation and review of your business practices to assist you in determining the best IT solutions for your company. We can implement accounting software, provide internet solutions such as web design, e-commerce, email and hosting, and provide IT outsourcing and work flow strategies for your business.
Outsourcing
Matrix can provide full-service computer network staff to manage your networks on a fixed contract basis, which may eliminate your need for internal IT personnel. Having Matrix as your partner puts our 15 years of experience at the disposal of your company, and provides possibilities likely not available from company staff members.
Solutions•
on May 25th, 2010•
Experts in both hardware and software, Matrix Group provides services on and off site in repairing networks and pc’s, installation and set up of software and peripherals.
All levels of the services we provide are backed up by latest technology products, accompanied by warranty and full support. What that means is less frustration and scratching heads from your part when it comes to ordering the right product and what-next questions. We’ve got you covered!
Solutions•
on May 25th, 2010•
telephony systems