Category: Technology News

How Can We Protect Our Construction Company From IT Threats?

Post author By Shane
Post date February 19, 2020

Use These Tips To Protect Your Construction Company From IT Threats

8 Steps Every Construction Company Should Take To Protect Their Data

Now that your construction business is more connected through the Internet, you must get serious about cybersecurity. Hackers are targeting construction companies. They’re stealing project plans and blueprints, banking and financial data, clients and employees’ confidential information, and proprietary assets. What should you do to protect your construction company from cyber threats? Read on and we’ll tell you.

How Can Hackers Steal Our Data?

These are just a few of the ways that your construction company’s data could be breached:

Phishing and spear phishing scams
Unlocked and misplaced employee laptops and mobile devices
Unauthorized access to company networks
Breached data and websites
Insider cyber theft or employees accidentally posting confidential information
Access to data shared with third parties

Here’s are two real-world examples for you:

1. Turner Construction was hacked when an employee sent confidential employee tax data to a fake email account. They were fooled by a spear-phishing scam where the hacker pretended to be a trustworthy source. Everyone who worked for Turner was affected (and they are one of the largest construction firms with offices in 24 states around the country).

2. Whiting-Turner Contracting has 31 offices in 18 states. They were hit with a data breach and fraudulent tax filings were being made in their name. The company that prepared their tax forms detected the theft on their system. It’s suspected that information about employees who received health insurance through Whiting-Turner was also compromised.

So, as you can see, construction business aren’t immune to cyber attacks. Even the biggest contractors can be breached.

How Can We Protect Our Construction Company From Data Breaches?

There’s no way to totally prevent your IT network and data from being hacked. But you can put a proactive plan in place to protect your IT assets. Here are 8 steps that you should take:

1. Designate A Cybersecurity Chief On Your Staff. Appoint a staff member to be your point of contact to lay down the law about secure IT best practices. They should also be the liaison with your outsourced or in-house IT team. They must understand and help to enforce the regulations and security policies that you want your employees to comply with.

2. Have Your IT Service Company Establish a Layered Defense. You can no longer rely on just one or two security mechanisms. Cyber threats are too sophisticated today, If your antivirus or anti-spam solutions fail, you’ll have nothing left to protect your data. Your IT provider can do the following:

Segment your networks with firewalls, Network segmentation categorizes IT assets and data, and restricts access to them.
Use measures to detect IT compromises. They should be using solutions like Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs), Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPSs), along with a managed anti-virus/malware solution to help you detect IT security events in their early stages.
Secure remote access with a VPN. A Virtual Private Network encrypts data channels so your users can securely access your IT infrastructure via the Internet.
Secure and encrypt your wireless connections. Your company Wi-Fi must be separate from your guest Wi-Fi or public networks. Your construction company’s internal wireless must also be protected with WPA2 encryption.
Implement Mobile Device Management. This will wipe data from a device if it’s lost or stolen.

3. Develop a Backup & Disaster Recovery Plan With Your IT Provider. You must have a backup copy of your data if it’s stolen or accidentally deleted. Develop a policy that specifies what information is backed up, how often it’s backed up, where it’s stored and who has access to the backups. Back up to both an external drive in your office and a remote, secure, online data center that your IT service company provides. Do this daily. Your IT provider can set backups to occur automatically. And make sure your backup systems are encrypted. Your IT provider must also test your backups regularly for recoverability. This is fundamental to your security and your ability to restore your data if it’s locked down with ransomware, or if it’s lost.

4. Regularly Train Your Users on IT Security. Your IT company can provide Security Awareness Training for your employees. As you saw with the Turner Construction case, your staff can have a significant impact on your cybersecurity – either they know enough to keep your IT assets secure, or they don’t. If not, they present a serious threat to your IT security.

Security Awareness Training will help your employees know how to recognize phishing and spear-phishing emails and avoid them. They’ll learn how to handle security incidents when they occur. If your workers are informed about what to watch for, how to block IT theft attempts, and where they can turn for help, this alone is worth the investment.

And, make sure that they are trained often. People must be reminded often about cyber threats. Plus, there are always new threats, so it’s essential to stay up-to-date. Ongoing training and testing reduce the instance of human error that increases your IT security risks.

5. Keep Your Systems and Software Current. Software developers are diligent about releasing patches for new security threats. Make sure you install them as soon as they’re released. If you don’t, your IT system will be vulnerable. If possible, set your systems to update automatically. Auto-updates will prevent you from missing critical updates. This is one of the most effective things you can do. It prevents security gaps and will limit system vulnerabilities that hackers find and exploit. Outdated software and operating systems that don’t immediately receive security patches leave you exposed.

Replace all outdated software before the developers end support. For example, Microsoft announced they are stopping mainstream support for Windows 7. All support for Windows 7 will end on January 14, 2020. This means that you won’t get bug fixes or security updates from Microsoft. Over time, the security and reliability of Windows 7 will make your computers vulnerable:

Your computers could be infected by malware;
Your antivirus won’t be updated;
Your online banking transaction protection may expire; and
Your financial data could be exposed to theft.

6. Enforce Access Policies on Mobile Devices and Restrict Access to Data. With BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) use, mobile devices like smartphones, tablets and laptops present significant security challenges. They’re exposed to external threats, infections, and hackers; and when they’re connected to your network, can compromise your IT security.

Establish security policies for the use of mobile devices on your network. They should be password-protected so only authorized users can use them. Instruct your employees to only use devices that belong to them and have been protected by your security policies. Ask your IT provider about Mobile Device Management that will wipe data from a device if it’s lost or stolen.

Also, know who has access to your data, and enforce a “need-to-know” policy. Restrict access to data to only those who need it to do their jobs. Employ Role-Based Access Controls With Secure Logins: Limiting your employees’ authorization with role-based access controls prevents network intrusions and suspicious activities. Define user permissions based on the access needed for their particular job. For example, your receptionist might not need access to your construction company’s financial data.

7. Enforce Strict Password Policies. Weak passwords are one of your weakest links. Have your users create long passwords (more than 12 characters) that are complex. And never use the same passwords for different purposes. If one gets cracked, then a hacker can use it to access information in other places.

It’s easy for hackers to crack passwords that contain only letters and numbers. Be sure to add special characters. And don’t use words in your passwords – only letters, numbers and symbols that don’t mean anything. Think of a phrase that you can remember and use the first letters in words. Consider using a $ instead of an S or a 1 instead of an L, or including a & #@or %. Also, consider using a password manager like Last Pass or Dashlane, where you can create and store strong passwords for your different accounts.

8. Protect Your Construction Company with Cybersecurity Insurance. Because cybercriminals are relentless and their sophisticated threats are constantly evolving, construction companies are purchasing cybersecurity insurance. Contact your insurance agent to learn more about this and how it will protect you.

And, make sure that your third-party vendors’ IT systems are protected as well. Remember what happened with Whiting-Turners’ tax preparation company. Make sure they are also implementing these 8 steps to protect them from IT threats.

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3 Ways Updated Technology Helps Boost Your Business Efficiency

Post author By Shane
Post date November 2, 2019

Ways Updated Technology Helps Boost Your Business Efficiency

Are you ready to supercharge your business efforts? Technology can either be a hindrance — or the best strategic tool in your kit for enhanced revenue generation.

Technology Services In Dallas, TX

Businesses are simply becoming more complex, and with that complexity comes a level of systems awareness that users are not always comfortable with. Business users may not be the most tech-savvy bunch, but they still need to know enough to do their jobs. If your teams are being slowed down by inefficient and slow networks and business applications, it doesn’t take long for them to become frustrated — and potentially take that frustration out on your customers or each other. Maintaining a high level of technical readiness while still making your infrastructure seamless and easy to use is a fine balancing act and one that requires the dedication of a range of IT support personnel. Here are three big benefits associated with updating your technology to improve the revenue potential of your business.

1. Faster Networks = Greater Productivity

The cost of IT downtime continues to skyrockets, with some experts claiming upwards of $5,600 per hour, with some estimates going as high as $10,000 per hour. This astronomical sum is not one that can be tolerated for any period of time, and IT teams generally jump into high gear when there’s a full outage. However, do you consider the incremental periods of time that are also sapping productivity from your teams? A network that is 50% slower than it should be could be just as damaging — and a lot more difficult to diagnose and resolve.

2. Improved Communications Tools

Today’s businesses are run from a range of locations instead of being a bit more centralized. That means your staff members could be calling into an important meeting from their dining room table — or the ball field while their child is hitting a home run. These everyday scenarios only work when you have access to advanced communication tools that allow you to have exceptional and secure access to business systems and information on the go.

3. Reduced Frustration and Focus on the Future

When your technology teams are not being called to resolve “slow networks” or lost passwords on a regular basis, they are more likely to focus on the future and on creating the innovation that your business needs to be successful. Having a dedicated external help desk team and convenient access to technical support allows your business users to self-serve in many instances, freeing up your IT team for future research and helping your business stay competitive.

If you’re tired of dealing with slow networks, inefficient help desk procedures and vendors who seem more like adversaries than partners, you are going to love working with the wizards at Data Magic! We believe in making your infrastructure and communications platforms work like magic, so you don’t have to think about them at all. Ready to see how you can boost revenue and improve your customer satisfaction with swiftly-moving systems? Contact the professionals at Data Magic Computer Services today at (469) 635-5500 or fill out our quick online form to request your free initial consultation.

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Are You Backing Up Your Data Correctly?

Post author By Shane
Post date May 13, 2019

By now, all business owners should be aware of how important it is to perform regular data backups. Your vital documents could be destroyed in any number of ways. This is even a good idea for most individuals. We all have important emails, docs and photos that we would hate losing.

Has This Ever Happened To You?

You’re one of those cautious people who does make regular backups of your hard drive and phone. Then one day, your phone falls into the ocean while on vacation. Or your laptop is stolen at the airport. Now what?

You buy a new phone or laptop then sit down to install all your old files. But guess what happens? Your external hard drive has become damaged. Your thumb drive keeps giving you an error message. All that data and you can’t gain access to it! Regardless of how scary and unsettling this is for individuals, now imagine you’re a business owner and this same scenario unfolds.

Your IT department makes their backups daily. Then one day, an employee opens an email that contains a malware virus. All your data is destroyed within moments. You rush to the IT department, confident that everything can be restored within a few days. But when the IT guy tries to reinstall your database, something goes wrong. The backup won’t work! When an individual loses all their data, it can be heartbreaking. But when a business owner loses all their data, it can end in bankruptcy.

In addition, you not only need a backup of the data, but you will also need a way to virtualize the backup image locally quickly and off-site in the event of a disaster especially when it comes to critical data like a server or special user. These are complex issues that business owners often leave to their IT department, but you can’t always be certain they’re doing everything by the book.

Are You Asking The Hard Questions?

It’s so important to test your data backups. If you do care about all those documents and photos, then check to make sure that your backups will work if you need them. For the business owner, this couldn’t be more important. And you can’t just assume that your IT department is doing this regularly. Making sure they’re doing their jobs is essential. Even the best-laid plans sometimes fail. There should always be a contingency plan in place.

When it comes to business, that means backing up your data several times per day. And it should be backed up onsite and offsite. But those backups must be viable. Will they work in the time of need? Make sure by making it company policy to not only perform the backups, but test them as well. This is something that all IT professionals should know and do without being told.

It would be great if everyone did their job every day the way they were supposed to. But if you’ve owned a business for very long, you know that this isn’t realistic. As the company owner, it’s your job to double check these important tasks.

Why You Need Reliable Data Backups

Just turn on the news and you’ll see why data backups are so important. These are some of the most recent and the worst:

In November of 2018, Marriott and Starwood properties lost 500 million records to hackers. They lost the personal information of half a billion customers. If you’ve ever stayed at a hotel, then you know the type of information that you must give them. They want your driver’s license number, your car’s license plate number, your home address, where you work—the list goes on. If you’ve ever stayed at a Marriott, then there’s a good chance all your personal information is for sale right now on the Dark Web.
In September of 2018, Facebook lost 50 million records of Facebook users. They would not acknowledge precisely what was stolen but finally admitted that hackers did have access to anything posted at Facebook for 50 million of its users. You’ve got photos, personal info, and no telling what else on Facebook. Could hackers have pics of your family and friends?
In August 2018, T-Mobile lost the data for 2 million of its users. They confirmed that the data did not include billing information but it did include account info, names, addresses, email addresses—no telling what else.

With startling data breaches like this occurring each year, we should all be more proactive about our data backups. We must make them regularly and we must test them to make sure they will work if need be. There’s just no other way to get your laptop or phone data restored in case of emergency. And for a business owner, the stakes are high. It’s not just photos and letters from friends and family; it’s your livelihood.

Are Backups Easier With The Cloud?

If you own a business, make it standard operating policy to test these backups each day. If you work with a good managed IT service, then that’s their job. They know how important this is and most will be performing and testing backups regularly. It’s still a topic you should address with them. If you’re using the cloud to back up your data, then this can be a safe and reliable way to make sure that your database will be there when you need it.

Do You Need Some Professional Guidance?

Your managed IT provider can manage, monitor and maintain a cloud-based Infrastructure more manageable. They will often see issues and resolve them before they cause trouble. This means fewer interruptions to your business operations and less downtime. Using a centralized cloud-based location means less time going back and forth with your managers to acquire and verify the information. There are lots of great reasons to choose the cloud and dependable data backups are just one of them.

Talk to your IT department or your managed services provider to get more information about this critical topic.

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Microsoft Ending Support For Windows 7 (What You Need To Know)

Post author By Shane
Post date April 10, 2019

Windows 7 Support In Dallas/Fort Worth

Still Using Windows 7?

Is your company still using the Windows 7 operating system? This stalwart, reliable OS has been a popular solution for many businesses looking for stability and functionality.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. As of January 14, 2020, Microsoft will cease providing updates and security patches for Windows 7. That gives your business a brief window in which to change to a new operating system.

What Does the Windows 7 End of Life Mean?

When Microsoft ends its support of Windows 7, it means the cessation of all support, paid and unpaid, for the operating system. At present, the company is offering “extended support,” meaning paid support only. It no longer offers complimentary support that may have been included in software license or licensing programs. Until January 2020, it will continue to provide security updates but no new design or feature improvements.

Can I Use Windows 7 After Microsoft Ends Support?

You can certainly continue to use Windows 7 after Microsoft stops its support. However, you do so at considerable risk. One of the most important parts of managing your operating system is to ensure that it is protected from viruses, malware and other nasty infections that can derail your technology. Hackers know that Windows 7 is ending and will be looking to exploit the lack of updates and attack computer systems at businesses still using the OS.

What Other Impacts Are There to Stopping Support?

When Microsoft stops supporting an operating system, it’s a signal to other software developers and hardware companies to stop providing upgrades and updates to their products on the Windows 7 OS, too. While that support may linger beyond the January 2020 date, it’s likely to end at some point.

In addition, newer hardware components and peripherals are likely to stop working on your computers and devices still using Windows 7. This may create serious compatibility issues with other programs or tools you and your employees need to keep doing business as usual.

How Prevalent Is the Use of Windows 7?

Despite facing its demise, Windows 7 continues to be among the most popular operating systems. As of February 2019, Windows held an 87.4 percent share of the OS market. In 2018, Windows 10 eclipsed Windows 7 as the most popular OS worldwide, with 39.2 percent compared to 36.9 percent. In an attempt to speed along adoption of Windows 10, Microsoft had given away the newer OS for free in recent years, though that program has now expired. In one of the company’s most recent Windows 7 releases, Microsoft has included a reminder encouraging people to switch.

How Can I Address the Windows 7 End of Life?

The best thing companies can do is to plan to upgrade to Windows 10 well before January 2020. Microsoft has made this process easy, with little to no disruption to files. The user interface is very similar between Windows 10 and Windows 7, ensuring there will be minimal operational challenges for your employees.

Who To Contact For Windows 7 Support in Dallas and Fort Worth

The optimal way to approach a Windows upgrade is to work with your IT partner. At Data Magic Computer Services, we help companies migrate to the new operating system and provide ongoing training and support to assist users. To learn more about how Data Magic can support your Windows 7 migration, contact us today.

Technology News

With So Many ERPs To Choose From – Which One Is Right For Construction Business In Dallas – Fort Worth? 5 Comparisons

Post author By Shane
Post date April 4, 2019

Any construction business that wants to compete in today’s technology-driven environment needs up-to-date software solutions. And Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software is one of them. It integrates your company’s departments and disparate work processes into a single system so you can manage your core operations with a single solution.

Identifying the best ERP system for your organization is integral to your success. But it can be difficult to decide which ERP program to choose. To help we’ve highlighted 5 of the ERP applications our clients in Dallas-Fort Worth find helpful.

1. NetSuite ERP is a scalable cloud solution that mid-sized construction businesses and enterprises rely on. It’s a leader in the industry due to its financial management capabilities and business intelligence which helps you make well-informed data-driven decisions.

NetSuite ERP manages all your logistics while reducing the total cost of ownership. It will help you increase the accuracy of procure-to-pay processes and optimize the value of your workforce with integrated human capital management features.

If you need order management, NetSuite’s platform helps to accelerate order-to-cash processes with sales and fulfillment operations tied to pricing. Is has best-in-class production management features that provide complete visibility into your production workflows so can get products to market efficiently and on time.

NetSuite ERP includes solutions for:

Front- and back-office processes
Financial management
Revenue management
Fixed assets
Order management
Billing and inventory management

2. Infor M3 ERP is a comprehensive solution designed for businesses that make, move, or maintain products. It is designed for medium-to-large businesses.

Infor M3 and Infor M3 Cloud both offer multi-functional capabilities that are combined with highly productive new technologies to support mobility and team collaboration. Its flexible deployment options and implementation accelerators yield a low total cost of ownership and a short time-to-value.

Infor M3 utilizes the Infor OS technology platform, which enables M3 to address your business needs beyond a traditional ERP system.

Features include:

Global financial visibility
Game-changing analytics
Agile supply chains
Fast, secure deployment
A service-centric business model
Consumer-grade user experience
Web-based homepages
Social business
Mobile access
Integration and workflow
Document management
Business intelligence
Flexible deployment

3. SYSPRO ERP is a fully integrated on-premise and cloud-based business software for the planning and management of all areas of your construction company. It’s built to deliver industry-specific functionality and can be adapted to your unique business requirements. It comes with 50 self-developed modules.

With 40 years’ of experience, SYSPRO is able to provide built-for-industry frameworks designed to help you benefit from best practices, especially in highly-regulated industries, while minimizing the cost, time, and disruption involved in ERP implementation.

Components include financials, sales, customer relationship management (CRM), inventory, operations, and supply chain management.

Features:

It’s customizable and focuses on solving complex business challenges with a simple approach.
It’s adaptable. As your business grows and your processes and practices change, so does your SYSPRO solution.
Work when and where you want with SYSPRO Cloud ERP.
It provides a simplified deployment In global partnership with Microsoft Azure and offers a simple way to transition to, configure and maintain.

4. Oracle’s PeopleSoft® Enterprise supports functions such as human resources, finance, IT, procurement, marketing, services, and sales across all industries.

PeopleSoft is an ERP solution that integrates human capital management (HCM), financial management, supplier relationship management, enterprise services automation, supply chain management, and campus solutions modules, and can be deployed either on-premise or in the Cloud. PeopleSoft Enterprise has eight main modules with a total of 3,539 features:

Financials
Human Resources
Manufacturing
Inventory Management
Purchasing Management
Quality Management
Sales Management
Product Technology

5. SAP ERP has all the capabilities of supply chain management, product lifecycle management, human capital management, financial management, and customer relationship management solutions in a package that’s suitable for small or mid-sized companies. It can be deployed as Software-as-a-Service or on-premise as a hybrid model. You can customize it to suit your construction company’s unique requirements.

SAP ERP is:

Smart & Adaptable: Leverage intelligent ERP with built-in machine learning, predictive analytics, optimized processes, and automatic updates.
Fast & Affordable: Tap into SAP’s world-class cloud infrastructure to run lean and flexible business processes. Get up and running quickly for a low monthly cost.
Secure & Reliable: You’ll be covered from system security to compliance. Your data will be hosted on world-class servers with global teams dedicated to its safety.

These are just five ERP solutions that can help you improve the way your construction business operates. Contact Data Magic Computer Services in Coppell, Texas to learn more.

Tags constructionbytes

Blog Technology News

Why Consider SAP For Construction?

Post author By Shane
Post date February 28, 2019

Construction companies in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas that want to compete in today’s technology-driven environment need up-to-date software solutions. But, it’s often perplexing trying to decide which programs to choose. That’s when you need an IT Consultant who can ensure you ask the right questions and find answers for them. To help you with your decisions we like to highlight some of the applications our clients in the construction industry find helpful. SAP for Construction is one of them.

SAP For Construction Will Help You Control Businesses Processes

SAP is an end-to-end platform that will drive strategic business outcomes across all areas of your business. It helps engineering, construction, and operations (EC&O) firms manage projects, avoid risk, and stay competitive. With SAP you can enable the entire construction lifecycle from start to finish.

SAP solutions can be deployed quickly and flexible in the Cloud to support your business processes.

They include the following:

Pre-Construction Solutions help you manage projects, avoid risk and remain competitive. A 5D construction solution integrates directly with your procurement, estimating, and budgeting systems to boost efficiency. Your team can estimate and develop forecasts to stay on budget with bill-of-material quantities imported from engineering designs.

SAP software optimizes pre-construction activities as well as sales and bid management processes. Other benefits include:

Increased business development efficiency.
More predictable outcomes.
Optimized pre-fabrication management processes.
Higher win rates.
Tighter collaboration with partners.

Project Delivery Solutions maximize productivity and profitability with coordinated, integrated systems and processes for operational excellence in project delivery. You can keep projects on track and within budget while proactively managing material, labor, equipment, and tools.

You’ll also have comprehensive, real-time visibility across your projects so you can optimize resources such as labor, materials, and equipment. This helps you flexibly manage scope, optimize project cash flow, and mitigate operations and financial risk.

Asset Management Solutions improve profitability by maximizing utilization of equipment and facilities. Monitor performance and optimize utilization levels across your construction business. Take advantage of solutions for preventive maintenance to manage assets proactively and minimize unplanned downtime.

Your field staff can use visual work instructions with 3D models on mobile devices.

Human Resources Solutions Increase employee and customer satisfaction and improve business performance by providing a choice in the delivery of HR processes and services. AP SuccessFactors® solutions help you digitally transform HR, enabling you to excel at finding, developing, and caring for your people to drive sustainable business success. SAP SuccessFactors solutions are designed to simplify HR processes and engage every employee, enabling them to feel supported, trained, and motivated to achieve their goals.

Finance Solutions allow your people and companies to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to outperform expectations. New innovative technologies and financial management solutions from SAP deliver greater value by enabling better business insight to maintain financial excellence. You can handle large volumes of granular data and perform in-memory analysis.

Procurement Solutions optimize procurement using preapproved subcontractors and gain real-time visibility over your supply pipeline. Sourcing and procurement software from SAP help streamline organization, and drive compliance and control while cutting costs and risks.

Analytics Solutions help ensure trusted data discovery by combining on-premise and cloud data without moving or replicating data. SAP BusinessObjects™ solutions provide a comprehensive set of modern analytics capabilities, on-premise and in the Cloud, that work together to analyze data wherever it resides. These solutions help you better understand your business.

Application Platform and Infrastructure Solutions help ensure common standards, robust interoperability, and flexible extensibility. Access a solid set of underlying technology platforms and related infrastructure services such as integration, collaboration, and interface management. To help ensure common standards, robust interoperability, and flexible extensibility, you’ll have a solid set of underlying technology platforms and related infrastructure services for application integration, collaboration, interface management, and more.

Database and Data Management Solutions instantly adapt business processes with live data. Rapidly innovate without constraints by developing intelligent business applications built on a unified data platform. SAP solutions offer an innovative approach to simpler, more efficient data management for your construction business. These solutions turn Big Data into real-time information, enabling you to quickly capitalize on new opportunities, modernize IT landscapes to satisfy new demands, and increase performance at a lower total cost of ownership.

IT Management Solutions align IT spending with business priorities, drive efficiency, increase responsiveness, and ensure business continuity with a new generation of technology from SAP. With SAP solutions and supported best practices, you can align your IT departments with business goals by transforming IT into a strategic business partner. You can respond faster to changing business needs and control IT costs. These solutions allow you to optimize efficiency for services and projects, reduce risk, and avoid business disruptions.

Security Solutions manage business continuity and minimize cost and risk. They enable you to safeguard your valuable information assets and help ensure the highest levels of protection across your operations.

You’ll:

Have support with compliance and reporting with comprehensive user administration and workflow controls.
Reduce risk and cost with analytics and capabilities to detect vulnerabilities in custom code.
Improve corporate security with real-time enterprise threat-detection functions.
Have business-driven, compliant, corporation-wide IT security.

IoT Business and Technology Services provide full microservices for machine learning, analytics, Big Data connectivity, security, and user experience. You’ll benefit from IoT applications without the need to manage data storage. SAP supports technology development and data models, connects, manages, and secures device data to feed business systems with IoT-edge devices and gateways.

IoT Business Services from SAP offer capabilities for IoT applications without the need to manage underlying data storage. Create enhanced virtual representations of products, services, or processes by combining sensor, business, and contextual data. Enable a rapid application framework that links “things” with business context services.
IoT Technology Services support the full lifecycle of Internet of Things (IoT) applications, including a development environment, a data model, and microservices available from SAP. Support identity management, geospatial, predictive, and device management technology. Services include data ingestion and management from sensors and databases with real-time and batch support.

SAP is just one of many IT solutions that can help you improve the way your construction company in Dallas or Fort Worth operates. Contact Data Magic Computer Services, and we’ll tell you about others.

If you liked this article, check out others in our Blog.

Tags constructionbytes

Blog Cyber Security Blog Technology News

Why Do We Need A Single Sign-On Solution?

Post author By Shane
Post date January 25, 2019

Regardless of how well you train your employees, sophisticated social engineering attacks can rob them of their identity and rob you of your data. To mitigate this risk, security-conscious organizations are increasingly putting identity and access management services like Single Sign-On (SSO) solutions at the center of their security strategy.

SSO not only strengthens your authentication management but your overall security. And it improves your employees’ sign-on experience by eliminating the need for password management when they access multiple applications.

How Does Single Sign-On Work?

Data Magic’s Single Sign-On Solution lets you and your staff authenticate just once rather than having to do so over and over again. You won’t need to separately sign on to applications and systems because once you sign on The Solution handles the rest.

This was once only cost-effective for larger enterprises. Now it’s affordably available to small and mid-sized businesses like yours.

How Will SSO Benefit Us?

It Protects Your Login Credentials: Along with ease of use, our Single Sign-On Solution can dramatically improve security across your entire organization. You can protect your users’ credentials, and prevent theft and account takeovers with centralized identity and access management.
Ease Of Management: Our SSO Solution allows for easy provisioning and de-provisioning of users, groups, and permissions policies. You’ll have greater visibility into users’ access to applications, services, and data. It provides the transparency you need to ensure only authorized employees are accessing your digital information.
It Reduces Your Attack Surface: Better management equals improved security. You can eliminate blind spots by knowing who has access to what. With our centrally managed and automated SSO Solution you’ll know when bad actors are trying to access your IT environment.
Improved Response Times: You’ll benefit from real-time visibility into authentication events that are tied to other security management tools. Our SSO Solution will take immediate action to challenge account takeover attacks as they occur individually or in multiples across your IT environment.

Will Your SSO Solution Work With The Applications We Use?

We can establish Single Sign-On across your entire IT environment. It will integrate seamlessly with the applications you use. And it can be used with over 5,000 cloud applications, as well as your legacy IT infrastructure and devices.

How Can We Learn More About Data Magic’s SSO Solution?

We’ll make it easy for you. Just contact the team at Data Magic in Coppell, Texas, and we’ll be happy to provide a complimentary demonstration.

Blog Technology News

When Other Dallas IT Companies Fail You…Data Magic Helps

Post author By Shane
Post date January 10, 2019

Data Magic is a Dallas IT company with some serious chops behind their work. They are located in the “Big D” (Dallas-Fort-Worth area) and have a team behind their work that is top-notch.

Their primary goal is to be a fully functioning and complete IT solution for all of their clients. Their motto is when “other Dallas IT companies fail you, Data Magic helps. And it’s true. They recently had a live chat event that showcased precisely what their technology firm is all about.

Let’s look deeper into what Dallas Magic Computer Services does and what topics were discussed during the live chat. As a total one-stop IT solution for your most pressing technology needs, Dallas Magic aims to be the one you call for all your IT emergencies and basic day-to-day operation.

Dallas IT Companies and Windows Servers

When you are having trouble with your Windows Server, contacting a business technology expert from Data Magic is going to have you on the road to being able to access your mainframe once again.

When you are locked out of an older server system, especially something like Windows 2008, you are naturally going to feel very frustrated. It’s not worth it to get bogged down in the IT minutia of it all.

Let us help. That’s what we do. In a pinch or anytime you are struggling with IT issues at your company, the experts at Data Magic will have the time, patience and knowledge to see you through all of your IT woes. They created this company because they love technology and making it work for just about anyone.

Password Trust and Protection With Data Magic

Another problem that many companies face in the Dallas area is password trust and protection. You can never be too safe in this area when you are talking about protecting your business assets. Let Data Magic come up with a password safety plan that will keep all your data safe and protected. In this world of shaky cybersecurity, it pays to have a computer service company on your side that looks out for your best interests.

Local Services Data Magic Offers in Dallas

Being local to the Dallas area lets Data Magic come directly to your company’s door to help you out with IT issues in person. Sometimes it just helps to have someone there to explain and guide your employees through more significant IT problems and issues.

Some of the services this computer company can offer you are remote support, if you aren’t in the DFW area, managed IT support, cybersecurity, IT consulting, maintain equipment, and ultimately increases productivity for your brand or firm.

Years of Targeted Experience

They come from a background of individuals with years of experience in the complex IT field and business operation. At the core, they are a family run and owned company with the technical expertise and business management experience to solve your most significant technical problems with ease and skill.

It doesn’t matter the issue, small to IT chaos, Data Magic will find the answer to the problem and offer you benefits you never even knew existed. Pretty cool, right? You are going to love having the right Dallas IT company by your side.

An Extra Tip in Selecting Dallas IT Companies

Trust is vital in looking to hire an IT tech company that can help you with a litany of issues. Don’t let technology baffle you or your employees anymore. Once you bring in the technology specialists with one of the best Dallas IT companies in the area, you are going to be in competent hands.

At The End of the Day Data Magic is Truly the Best

Above all when you find that perfect IT company, you’re probably going to want to stick with them for a long time. Data Magic truly knows what they are doing and the best part is they can solve any IT problem with ease.

Plus, they can explain how to use your tech to your advantage. They won’t let you walk away intimidated or unsure like some other IT companies have a habit of doing to their clients. IT issues don’t have to be so dire. When you have the best IT professionals to guide you through problems and even basic operational strategy, you’ll find that your employees will be able to perform at their best.

Data Magic staff specialists will take time to make sure you, as a business owner, and all of your staff understand how to solve and operate a variety of sophisticated technology.

Let Data Magic help make your IT worries so much easier to deal with. They are the only partner you need for guidance and support with a team of experts who are ready to be at your service.

Contact them today at DataMagic@DataMagicInc.com or you can chat with one of their helpful technology specialists online at their website…www.datamagicinc.com. Or you can go the old fashioned way and pick up the phone to call them at 469-635-5500. The support team is ready and able to help answer any IT questions you might have.

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Questions To Ask When Interviewing IT Companies In Dallas

Post author By Shane
Post date December 19, 2018

Sure, you know what interview questions to ask potential employees at your Dallas company. You may even know the perfect questions to ask new clients or other companies who provide outsourced services like accounting, payroll processing, or event management.

But what about information technology — IT. How are you when it comes to IT companies in Dallas and what they should be able to do for your business? Do you know the right questions to ask?

For starters, before we get into the key questions to pose to potential IT providers, be grateful you’ve made it this far. A lot of Dallas companies slog away, doing their own IT in-house for years — and they reap what they sow: Slow systems, buggy software, weak security, and other serious problems.

Now that you’re on the path to sourcing Dallas computer support from a local IT company, you’re headed for smoother internal systems, a better web presence, stronger security, improved lead generation, and happier clients and customers (even more satisfied employees, for that matter).

It’s all down to finding the right IT service provider for you.

As you interview potential candidates in the Dallas area, we recommend asking the following essential questions:

Confused With All The IT Consulting Companies in Dallas?

Post author By Shane
Post date December 17, 2018

The Dallas IT support industry has witnessed incredible growth over the past few years. This is attested to by the emergence of reputable IT consulting companies in Dallas such as Data Magic. Most IT companies offer services that are somewhat similar because they serve related niches of the market. The multitude of IT firms in Dallas can make it difficult for you to choose one that understands your needs and can meet them.

IT Consulting in Dallas

The benefits of outsourcing managed IT services shouldn’t be understated. Nevertheless, it is wrong to leave your data and IT systems in the hands just any managed services provider that you meet. This highlights the significance of establishing the benefits that you will get from a service provider before you sign on the dotted line. Here’s what you should do before signing that IT support contract.

Find Out About Services that Are Included in the IT Support Contract

Managed IT services providers generally offer bundled services, which can also be individually sourced. Therefore, you should have an idea about the kind of services that fall within each bundle, and the ones that are not covered by your contract. Besides, find out about services that are not part of the IT support contract, and any additional costs that you will incur if these services are extended to you.

Ask About Companies’ Specialty

The managed IT support industry is diversified, with each company specializing in specific areas. Before you embark on the search for IT consulting companies in Dallas to partner with, you must first identify what your IT needs are. This will give you an idea about the company that is appropriate for you.
Ask a company about the kind of services that they offer and gauge whether it is the right fit for you. Specialization is essential in IT consulting and therefore, you should avoid companies that claim to provide everything since they may not have the expertise to address your specific IT needs.

Establish The Response Times of IT Consulting Companies in Dallas

When looking for IT support companies to partner with, you should inquire about their response times once you face a crisis. This will help you know how long it will take for them to resolve your IT issues.

Companies’ response times generally depend on the level of IT support that you are paying for. Faster response time means that the IT company you are considering will swing into action and try solving your problem as soon as it arises.

Ask About the Flexibility and Scalability of their Support

No IT consulting company in Dallas can claim that it is perfectly sized for all businesses. Therefore, you should ask about the size of managed IT companies under consideration to establish whether they have the workforce and infrastructure to meet your firm’s IT needs. If your business has diverse and complex IT needs, a small IT company will not be the right fit for you since it may lack the resources required to support your firm’s needs.

You want to work with an IT consulting company that you can build a long-term partnership with. Therefore, you should inquire about the scalability and flexibility of the support services that will be extended to you. You should also establish whether a company can modify its services to meet the ever-changing IT needs of your business.

Find Out About Their Remote Monitoring Capability

A good IT consulting company should have the capability of extending support services to you 24/7. You don’t expect technicians to hang around your premises waiting for a crisis to arise. In this regard, an IT support services provider should have a network operations station for offering round-the-clock support. This is a guarantee that should your IT system face any problem; swift action will be taken to remedy the situation.

You also need to inquire whether IT firms under consideration offer preventive maintenance rather than waiting for problems to arise before swinging into action. Preventive maintenance may entail keeping your systems updated to avoid disruptions caused by security attacks. IT consulting firms that offer preventive maintenance should be given first consideration.

Establish How IT Consulting Companies in Dallas Will Store Your Data

Data firms the backbone of your company’s operations. Therefore, it is essential that you establish how a managed services provider will take care of your data. Find out whether the company will host the data in its data center or on the cloud. It is also advisable to inquire about measures that will be put in place to prevent data from getting compromised.

Which Data Backup and Recovery Measures are in Place?

You should find out about the data backup and recovery measures of different managed services providers. A suitable managed service provider will have a clear plan for backing up your data and recovering it if it gets compromised. The infallibility of the data backup and recovery strategy that a company puts in place will go a long way in helping you recover swiftly in case you are affected by a breach.

It is challenging to select an IT services company that can meet the needs of your business. Asking the right questions to managed IT services providers will help you determine their suitability to handle your IT needs. It will similarly eliminate the confusion that often arises when choosing IT consulting companies in Dallas.

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Top Questions to Ask Potential IT Companies in Dallas

Find Out About Services that Are Included in the IT Support Contract

Ask About Companies’ Specialty

Establish The Response Times of IT Consulting Companies in Dallas

Ask About the Flexibility and Scalability of their Support

Find Out About Their Remote Monitoring Capability

Establish How IT Consulting Companies in Dallas Will Store Your Data

Which Data Backup and Recovery Measures are in Place?