Restoring Data Has Run an Advanced Hard Drive and Data Recovery Techniques

Restoring Data incorporation, is a company that deals with computer forensics and restoring data on external storage devices such as computer hard disks, memory cards and other USB drives. After it sent its top professionals on a seminar to discuss ways of recovering data from a completely spoilt hard disk, the professionals did so and came up with a powerful tool that has revolutionized the philadelphia IT company since then. The seminar focused on advanced RAID data recovery techniques that led to the tool being developed. The tool, called Drobo recovery tool, has taken the world by storm and has seen the company grow.

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How Drobo works

The tool has many disks stored in up to 12 bays. The disks differ in size and range between 1 TB to 40 TB. Drobo combines this disks into RAID and then utilizes a complex code known as BeyondRAID to restore data from external storage devices. The code also allows one to expand storage capacity of the storage device by taking the sub section of disks in the storage element and putting bigger ones in their place. The device also allows one to connect a storage device directly to it or through a network so that it can trouble shoot and resolve the disk’s problem remotely.

In case one puts a disk that is still functioning and Drobo fails to troubleshoot it by bringing up an error message, one should go on and format the disk. Drobo may sometimes tend to fail and one is advised to have multiple clones of the disks since some processes that run in the background may temper with the data that was in the original device.

The major drawback that this system bears is that it is highly reliant on BeyondRAID that should the configuration ever fail, then the whole system comes down and repairing it gets difficult. When the system is also physically degraded, then it becomes a problem for the technicians as repairing the system can only be done through its hardware and not by connecting it to a PC. The speed with which the equipment also recovers data is way slow, and some files that are not superficial may be difficult to recover.

Its benefits are however outstanding as it can be used for forensic purposes, majorly to solve mysterious crimes. The equipment also is fast in getting an image copy of a disk, which can now be used by a third party, and not necessarily Drobo itself, to retrieve the information from the image. The tool also is compatible with most BeyongRaid configurations and perfectly works with them.

The company, through its specialists, managed to develop BeyondRAID from scratch, with the sole purpose of improving the capabilities of the company to recover data. Their research bore fruits which has seen many multinational companies from diverse countries seek to partner with the company just to get to use the advanced equipment. The company has managed to stay at the forefront in providing its customers with the technologies needed by them to recover their data.

More than 50 IT support providers to debut their products and services at Interop Las Vegas 2016

Interop is a conference of IT professionals, technology moguls and genius innovators to share their love and passion for technology. 5 days of activities, seminars and endless networking opportunities; 5 days of being all about technology, only technology and nothing else. The tech industry will never look so alive any other day of the year.

Although they hold Interop in other places in the world like India, New York and Tokyo yearly, this year, the Las Vegas location is the only one confirmed so far. It is set to take place on May 2-6 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center and it has been confirmed that more than 50 IT support services provider who have recently announced their newest products and services will be joining the conference and their new products and services will be specially featured there as well. Below are the few of them:

IT support

10gtek (Booth 666) – they will be releasing their new 100G QSFP28 DAC/AOC/Transceiver and its OEM/ODM service, with fast delivery

DreamzTech (Booth 1027) – they will be announcing their new Physical Web Application Management System Integrated with Eddystone Beacons.

LiquidPlanner (Booth 604) – they will be releasing their new project management software that will sure help IT project managers everywhere. The software have project dashboards that shows project data, the component that helps the project manager assign a specific task to multiple people and numerous elements that will make team collaborations easier and more organized.

SimbirSoft (Booth 1019) – they figured out a new and simpler but high class way of software product quality insurance process and custom mobile development, big data, web services and cloud solutions.

Opengear (Booth 1044) – they will announce the new improvements to their Resilience Gateway that features smart out-of-band management and automatic failover to high-speed 4G LTE or 3G cellular connections when primary connections fail.

Uila (Booth 353) – will be releasing their new infrastructure monitoring product that features a multi-virtual machine monitor support. It also minimizes the time of troubleshooting time.

Keeper Security, Inc. (Booth 454) – with their reputation as one of the best among the best when it comes to digital vault security, they are now taking it to a higher level by releasing Duo Security that includes two-factor authentication for business customers. It will also help the company oversee the login attempts from whoever, wherever and from whatever device.

Zoom (Booth 931) – Zoom will be releasing Zoom Rooms for PC, 3-screen and touch. Much like LiquidPlanner’s new product, Zoom Rooms aims to help team collaborations go smoothly with components like video conferencing, screen sharing and interactive whiteboard.

Effective Tips on How to Improve your Marketing Strategy and MSP Sales

The Managed Service Providing Industry is saturated and as a MSP, you would need a solid marketing strategy in order to make sales. What this entails is having a lucid vision of the marketing you hope to provide with your services and considering the best skills that you should acquire. You would also need to figure out the best ways to win the trust of your customers. However, this is not as easy as it sounds. Most MSP marketing agents have the needed technical skills that can improve productivity.

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However, in order to increase sales, they would need more than IT skills. They would need training in marketing and a strong understanding of sales and sales process. Making sales is important for, not just MSPs, every business, and to do so, marketing strategies have to be developed. This is why we have highlighted effective ways in which MSP companies can use in order to improve their marketing techniques and generally increase sales.

Focus On the Adding Value to Your Customers

MSPs generally focus on the most effective ways to reach customers. However, what should be a priority is thinking of ways to add more value to clients’ engagements. MSPs are sort of ambiguous because they can be used for a variety of tasks which includes assisting in desk duties, cloud computing, consulting services; the list is long. It would be best if MSPs decide what aspect they can be very good at. This way, they would be able to know which customers are best suited for them. This would not only help them to be more efficient, but would also up their sales as their efforts are more tailored to specific customers who are sure to be loyal.

Separate Sales and Services

It is important, as an MSP, to build a Sales Operation. This is because when sales and service operation are combined, the MSP has a lot of awkward situations and it is not easy to find the root causes of issues. Moreover, clients perceive the MSP as inadequate to handle their demanding task. MSPs that join their sales and service operation appear small. The consequence is the difficulty in transforming a lead into a customer. The basic idea here is to separate service team from sales team because this would improve the skills of each team.

Create a marketing Plan

Marketing Plans are not an important element for MSPs but for all business in general. MSPs should attempt to create awareness that would advertise their services in all possible avenues. This would consist of the following:

· Create Awareness: Make use of the following for efficient results :Press releases, Social media, White papers, Videos, Events, Webinars, Community organizations, Join social organizations.
· Generate Demand: Appointment setting, Email marketing, direct mail marketing, White paper & case study downloads, Website visitor tracking, SEO and marketing.
· Create Promotions and Incentives.

It can be difficult to implement a proper marketing strategy and improving sales processes in MSPs because technical skills are perceived to be the most important things to consider. MSPs generally just go about looking for customers vaguely. However to truly have engaged customers, Managed Service Providers must develop marketing plans and truly get involved in marketing processes. The steps listed above, if implemented properly would not only improve your sales but would also increase productivity.

Edmonton Data Recovery Companies Discover Trojans Sucking Banks of $4 Million

The IBM, which works hand in hand with Edmonton data recovery companies to monitor and resolve any data related mishaps, have stumbled on this year’s most creative way of doping banks of money. The little trojans that have been sucking money out of 24 banks across Canada and the US have been recorded to take more than four million dollars in the short number of days they were in execution. The use of malware to siphon money illegally from banks is not a new concept; more than enough times there has been successful operations of this nature and they leave holes in bank’s money silos. They all get caught however, and the trend seems to overlap into the story of this version of trojans, the GozNym.

data recovery

We are still in the first quarter, but GozNym has attacked as many establishments as other malware of its nature would in a period of two years. The X-Force division of IBM’s cyber security research and solution department attributes the fast success of the trojan to its development. Apparently the developers behind the stealthy trojan that has been giving Edmonton data recovery experts a run for their money is an infusion of previous successful trojans’, the Gozi and the Nymaim. That they created is not looking too pretty, the results speak volumes.

The extent of the Trojan’s damage has not been limited to the American side of the world, a reputable source revealed that the Europeans banking sector was also in hot soup and so is the Asian market. Just like the trojan’s cousin, the ransomware, there is no discrimination when it comes to the targets. For the first time on the radar of trojans targeting banks, they are eying electronic transaction platforms and credit unions. This means, just like with the situation where ransomware gets everyone under threat, everyone is in trouble again. In the Asian and European target sphere the primary targets have been recognized as banks that have american ties or origins.

How the malicious files are getting into their target systems makes the range of attacks wider, using simple file attachments and links found hidden on financial institutions’ websites, they have been able to launch over 70% active campaigns. The net is spread wide, and given the trojan has taken on the same flame speed that is similar to ransomware, chances are all continents will be covered by end of the first financial half and more campaigns taking more money that we would like to discuss.

Edmonton data recovery companies have warned that since data is all the attackers need in order to infiltrate user’s accounts and made a dent in the treasury’s figures. When this happens to the most perfect situation for the hackers, millions of money and thousands of user’s information leak out of the banks. Advice from experts recommends taking some nodes on the network off the internet, they are not only entry points, but exit opportunities for attackers to take advantage of.

Fleet Tracking Systems: What Features To Look For?

fleet tracking systems

GPS fleet tracking systems can do many things to your business. Rather than employing a manager to just sit in the vehicle’s passenger seat and keep an eye on the drivers and vehicles while on the road, you can keep track of your fleet from wherever you are through a GPS powered fleet-tracking software. With a GPS fleet tracking system, your businesses can determine whether the vehicles are properly operated and whether they are at their optimum condition or not. The drivers, also, are being monitored for safety purposes.

Similar to other GPS software, GPS fleet tracking systems locates vehicles, establish routes, and provide directions to any assigned destination. However, additional features allow the system to better assist your fleet with tracking vehicle conditions, which includes monitoring mileage and fuel consumption as well as identifying equipment and maintenance issues. All these are essential in reducing your operational cost.

How to Use a GPS fleet tracking system

A GPS fleet-tracking software operates through the fragment of GPS hardware that is installed inside the vehicle. The software uses the global positioning systems through satellites to keep track of drivers and vehicles in real time. The system enables users to access real-time alerts and updates using the data that are sent straight to the software operator from the vehicle.

Selecting GPS fleet-tracking software

When it comes to selecting a system that is fit for your business, you have to make sure first that it includes certain features that you need.

Almost all fleet management systems offer different standard features without any extra cost. They normally include:

Dashboards with trending on-key measurement
Fuel card integration
Reliable customer support
Navigation and communication option:

Other major features you need to look for:

User friendly— Technologies can be very complicated, especially software, it is important to select one with a simple dashboard that doesn’t require technical skills or much of a learning curve to use. Many vendors provide in-person or virtual demos, so try one first before making a commitment.

Alert systems— Notifications via text and email when something isn’t right with vehicles and drivers. Moreover, it is best to select a provider that will enable you to set alerts for certain occurrences like when the driver is engaging in unsafe driving conducts or has gone off the route.

Mobile capability—Not all available GPS fleet-tracking software have a mobile Web version or can be accessed through mobile apps. If you want easy access to the software anytime and anywhere, choose one that is cloud-based or that it has an app available for your specific device.

Good signal— It is essential for a GPS software to have a strong signal, otherwise it’s no good. Make sure that the vendor you select will continue the connectivity even outside the city, or remote places including parking garages and tunnels.

Customer support— Choose a provider that enables you talk to a real person in real-time whenever you need assistance whether it be live chat or phone. There are other types of help available including email support, help-desk ticket systems, documentation, as well as how-to videos.

Integration with third party. This feature can save you tons of time through automatic syncing of your data into payroll, accounting, time attendance, along with other associated software.

Although it is important that the software you choose fits into your allocated budget, you should not select your fleet tracking systems based only on the price.

IT Project Management: Three General Categories oF Best Practices

IT project management

Having an intensive comprehension of best practices in the field is imperative in order to have successful IT project management. IT projects are famously hard to continue especially on budget and schedule. If you are in charge of planning IT projects, you should make the best use of all tools at your disposal. IT projects management best practices can put projects on the way to achievement and success. Indeed, the Standish Group stated on their CHAOS Summary 2009 report that under 33% of IT projects were considered successful.

IT Project Management best practices

Basically, IT project management is divided into three general categories: organizational, team and individual. These designations determines at what level the process will advantage the organization, and can help keep every part of the undertaking encircled in the best possible connection.

Organizational Best Practices

Such Initiatives relating to scalability of practices, continuous improvement, corporate policies and governance and knowledge management fall under organizational best practices category. These all effect an organization straightforwardly at the corporate level, thus they should be deciphered and assessed within that context. Otherwise IT project management will not work with the existing structure or corporate framework, prompting potential inconveniences later on.

There are many ways in which a project leader can implement IT project management best practices. For example, in terms of scalability, the size of a project must be taken into consideration. Generally, a large project will require bigger number of resources than the small one; if support is balanced accordingly, this will challenge the project manager to do too much with too little. Likewise, it is important to have the numbers scaled down from small project to large one, or overhead may become the main issue. A project leader has numerous ways to execute IT project management best practices. For instance, in terms of versatility, size of the project must be taken into consideration.

In successful organization has knowledge management as another important aspect of IT project management. It’s imperative to keep a centralized and systematic body of knowledge in which team members can access and contribute. The project manager must ensure that the whole group is mindful of pitfalls and problems experienced on past projects so they can be avoided in new projects.

Team Best Practices

When it comes to a team level, IT project management best practices incorporates recognizing what each individual brings to the team, clearly communicating and defining the focus and goals of the project, and properly documenting and planning all processes. To effectively establish the scope, timeline and budget, the project manager must ask the right questions at the outset and all team members must understand these guidelines. They should be vigilant to speak out if there are any factors that can impact the cost, schedule or scope of the project to avoid unnecessary problems. To ensure the smooth process ongoing and open communication is highly needed and IT project manager must set up a framework for controlling and evaluating risk factors throughout project course and maintain a record of problems, resolutions, progress and accomplishments.

Individual Best Practices

In this aspect every individual contributor must give their commitment to following best practices for IT project management works effectively. Every member is required to share and communicate their knowledge and ideas to the entire team, otherwise organizational goals will not be met. Individual best practice provides a huge impact on IT project management effectiveness, which is why all team members must understand and do their deliverables and responsibilities accordingly.

March Networks Offers Powerful Financial Security Solution Packages

These days, larger companies with more assets to protect cannot be satisfied with merely having a security system in place. Their video surveillance, access control and intrusion detection setup must be top rate. Many companies, including banks which require a high level of security, have entrusted their security to March Networks. This is one company which offers specialized security solution packages for commercial industrial, financial, retail, bus & passenger rail, airports / seaports, education, critical infrastructure and government applications. Among March Networks products, their financial solutions packages stand out.

What makes March Network’s Financial Solutions Superior?

March Network’s Financial Solutions package is loaded with powerful features that not only keeps the business secure, but also helps improve efficiency. They have a complete video surveillance solution which is more than just a collection of video cameras and recording equipment, it also has advanced features which help reduce losses due to fraud and enable video based business intelligence.

There is a wide selection of video camera and recording equipment of different resolutions and features. Their cameras and recording equipment are able to capture video in full high definition HD. There are also options to use digital onsite video recorders, network video recorders, and cloud-based video footage storage. There are video management software which features advanced searches, remote access, and centralized control.

Searchlight for banking is a really powerful software which showcases the financial security expertise of March Network. This software combines video surveillance, analytics, and ATM/teller information to ferret out suspicious activities which maybe the beginnings of fraud. The software detects cash harvesting, ATM skimming, and suspicious withdrawal patterns. This online article on security-today.com discusses the advantages of video analytics and insight.

The software provides instantaneous alerts to anything suspicious such as loitering, while also allowing speedy searches across your organization. This allows you to conduct speedier and less costly investigations. And once you thwart a few fraud attempts, it will act as a powerful deterrent which will ultimately significantly decrease losses.

Then you also get the benefit of video-based business intelligence. Video footages hide a lot of information which this software effectively mines for your use. You can count people in queues, determine speed of service and check on room occupancy rates. Based on the information provided you can then make procedural and / or staffing level adjustments to cope with any shortcomings you discover. You can also check on how many people check out your promotional displays to gauge how effective they are, so you can adjust placements and content for improved effectiveness.

Through your video surveillance footages you can find out data on ATM usage – are some being used more that other units, how much time do people spend per transaction, which displays attract more attention, and how many people use information kiosks. The insights you gather can be used to improve customer service to increase customer satisfaction.

If the hundreds of banks and credit unions which have entrusted their security to March Network’s Financial Solutions provides an indication of its performance, perhaps you need to give it a try.

Touch Screen Frames – Demystifying IR Touch Frames

touch screen frames

Many who people still have ordinary monitor screens want to move up to ones which use touch technology but are held back by cost considerations. For these people, buying new monitors may not be the answer; they can just buy relatively inexpensive touch screen frames. Purchasing and installing touch screen frames breathe new life into old monitors, giving them the multi-touch capability of completely new and modern ones at affordable prices.

One of the most popular technologies used for touch screen frames is infrared (IR). It is popular because it is one of the most affordable technologies and it is even easy to ship. So what are IR touch screen frames, and what makes them work?

IR frames operate by using light to sense the x and y axis location of touches made on a screen. The system uses infrared light, to be more exact. The basic conversion kit contains four edges of the screen which contain infrared emitters and receivers which send out and receive light in a grid pattern. Touches on the screen surface are sensed and measured using the interruption of light beams on particular emitter and receiver pairs. IR frames are available in most sizes that fit commercially available displays from popular manufacturers. While they are relatively cheap, easy to use and maintain, are IR touch screen frames have one small downside: solid objects placed on the screen causes a blind spot.

Because these frames sense touches using light, some can be sensitive to bright environments; a few new models seem to have overcome this by making the images brighter and using high refresh rates. Organizations such as the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) may have more information on the latest features of touch screen frames.

Most often touch screen frames using IR technology are shipped in kits requiring assembly by the user. In most cases, when used in a small to medium sized display, it takes just one person to assemble and install such frames. The frame itself usually comes in four pieces. The ends of each piece contain wire connectors, and each corner is secured by a bolted bracket to keep the sides at right angles with each other. Assembly of the frame is best done on a very flat surface. IR touch screen frames will work without any glass covering on the existing monitor. However, to make bigger displays vandal proof, some sport toughened glass covers.

Once the frame is assembled, the next step is to affix it to the existing monitor. On smaller frames, strips of double-sided tape are used to stick the frames onto the monitor bezel, while ensuring the touch surfaces align with the screen of the existing monitor. A small weight is evenly applied to the frame for 24 hours, and then it is ready. Metal brackets are sometimes used on large frames.

The remaining task is to connect USB (and power cable if there is a separate one) and install the device driver. Most IR touch frames are plug & play, although some may involve simple calibration before use.

If you are still using an ordinary monitor, perhaps it is time you considered switching to touch screen using an IR frame converter kit.

ACD Call Center Means Efficient Call Routing

acd call center system

For call center agents, one of the worst things they can face is an irate client. In some cases there is little they can do to avoid having to deal with angry clients; there is always more of that when they are assigned to handle complaints hotlines. It really takes very special skill and an absolutely calm demeanor to be able to face and sometimes even defuse such situations. Call center industry organizations like the British Columbia Contact Center Association are always on the lookout for those exceptional types of people they can train.

Aside from complaints about products and services, one of the most common causes of client anger is having been made to wait too long to get connected to a person qualified to resolve their issues. Some contact centers try to keep the client busy so they don’t get impatient. They provide music over the line, or offer information about their products or services. Sometimes they use interactive voice response (IVR) systems both to occupy the client and to gather information which would allow faster and more accurate call routing. When there are no operators available, the contact centers offer clients a call back option. But some clients resent IVR systems and view them as a way of dismissing them and their concerns. [Others try and source more effective inbound call center service after they get fed up from low client satisfaction.]

A more effective solution involves the use of software called acd call center; acd being an acronym for automatic call distribution. With automatic call distribution software in place, each call is compared to information in the database to determine whether records for the client already exist. Available information is used to route the call to the call center agent whose skills match the client’s requirements or issue. This is done much faster than any human can, because software makes it possible. For more information on the advantage of using automatic call distribution software, click here.

Having an acd call center system in place gives the contact center the advantage of using algorithms based on client information, the number the client dialed, IVR configurations, whether call center agents are available, the caller’s area code, the skill of the agent, and rules governing the response as defined by their client company to quickly and accurately route calls to the right person; the call center agent and the company he represents come across as very professional. Through the use of this system, there are very few errors, dropped calls or transfers to the wrong department. The system can even monitor calls intentionally or accidentally dropped by a client for a call back.

Automatic call distribution services are usually provided through the cloud so there is uninterrupted real time connectivity to all agents. This enables managers and supervisors to monitor individual and team performance. They can also intervene whenever necessary to limit any errors they may find. Because calls are routed much faster, clients are less likely to become impatient; this makes it just that tiny bit easier for call center agents to resolve issues. That is but one of the benefits of efficient call routing enabled by automatic call distribution software.