Computerware Blog

Cloud computing is taking the business world by storm. Despite this, not every organization has made the switch. While every company that hasn’t yet migrated to the cloud has their reasons, one big reason often tops the list: the perceived lack of cost savings. Thanks to a new study, this perception is now proven to be inaccurate.

Data loss: it’s not a fun term for any business to hear. However, when one considers all of the ramifications that data loss can have upon a business, it swiftly transitions from “not fun” to “alarming.” Have you taken the time to think about what losing your business’ data would really mean for your company?

Data storage has long been a major pain point for technology development, but a rather large (or small) breakthrough has resulted in data being stored on a single atom. The development comes from researchers at IBM, and it could have a potentially nuclear impact on the way that data storage functions.

Businesses rely on analytics more every day, with one of the primary reasons being that they’re exceptionally helpful for developing artificially intelligent technology systems that can aid in their missions. One of the qualities of a good AI program is machine learning, which is the ability of a system to look at information to identify and learn from trends. In fact, this practical aspect of AI is one of the reasons why it’s becoming popular in the business setting.

Big data continues to be a big topic for businesses, as organizations stand to gain much from analyzing data and identifying trends. This can help you understand how your business will function in the future, but there are two topics of concern that you need to consider before using the data: how exactly do you want to use the data, and will the data that you’ve collected help you in achieving that goal?

Unfortunately, stories of major data breaches are the norm in today’s news cycle. However, what often gets left out of the story is how the hacker profits from the stolen data. In the case of a recent major hack in Russia of more than one billion credentials, what the hacker did with all of this data has us scratching our heads.

Cyber security is an imperative part of managing an organization’s data, and if it’s not handled properly, hackers could find a way to access it or steal it for themselves. The information that’s most important to hackers is typically customer information and internal data, like company policies or employee personal information. Of these two, which do you think most businesses prioritize in?

One of the most important technologies for any business is their data backup solution. Most companies cannot survive without their data. Is your data protected in the event of a disaster? How is your organization approaching this critical IT operation?

Data systems are always looking to improve the way that data is stored. The efficiency of your data storage systems is a crucial part of managing your data infrastructure, and there’s a constant search for ways to improve the way that it’s done. Scientists are now turning to the field of optoelectronics to develop new ways to store incredible amounts of data, for enormous amounts of time.

Businesses utilize a ton of data in order to keep operations running smoothly, but what happens to data that’s unused? Are they files that are potentially sensitive in nature? If your dark data isn’t being stored securely, it could be at risk of data compromisation, or worse. Therefore, it becomes critical to address your business’s dark data issue before it becomes an even bigger problem.

When was the last time you honestly thought about your data backup and disaster recovery solution? You might only be taking a minimalist approach due to a limited budget. It’s not that you don’t think powerful data backup and recovery solutions are valuable. If anything, you might feel that your business isn’t a big enough target to be considered by hackers. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter how big the target; hackers are hungry for whatever they can get, including your data.

This month saw one of the largest recorded data breaches ever, when healthcare-provider Anthem experienced a hack causing data belonging to more than 80 million of its patients to be exposed. This includes sensitive information like Social Security numbers, dates of birth, email addresses, and more. How can you protect yourself from a hack like this?

Do you get some of your best ideas somewhere other than at your desk? Ever get a brilliant game-changing idea while walking the dog, driving home from work, when out at a restaurant, or even in the shower? If you do, then you’ve experienced the frustration of forgetting your life-changing idea before you get a chance to write it down.

A thorough data backup is important for your business continuity plan, and so is a fast and efficient disaster recovery solution. What's that? Aren't those the same thing? Unfortunately, the two concepts are far from the same thing, but many business owners are still under the impression that their data backup is also a disaster recovery solution.

Does your business know how much of its data is valuable and used? According to IDG Research Services, not much of it is really used for anything. Only about 28 percent has any real value to it. This means that the majority of your stored and maintained data is going unused and taking up space and resources. This information is called "dark data."

Data centers are truly modern marvels. These warehouses full of servers are responsible for harboring most of the Internet, and these facilities are popping up all over the place. As great as data centers are, according to a new study by the National Resources Defense Council, the increasing demand for data doesn't bode well for the environment.

A modern-day computer's Central Processing Unit is capable of managing billions of processes per second. The computer cannot function properly without a healthy CPU. However, sometimes it can be difficult to diagnose whether the CPU is the problem or not. Common problems that can be associated with leaking or bulging motherboard capacitors, faulty power supplies, or failing video cards are sometimes misdiagnosed as CPU issues. Let's discuss some of these symptoms and how the CPU plays into them.

It's been fifteen years since the Y2K incident had the world embroiled in panic. It was said that at the turn of the century, on New Year's Eve, all computers in the world would reset their dates to 1900 rather than 2000, as the way data was stored would only allow for two-decimal digits. Therefore, 1970 would be stored as "70". Many programs weren't able to recognize the difference between 1900 and 2000, and some would try to represent the year 2000 as 19100, which could have led to complete failure of data and incorrect results, as well as the collapse of a crucial technological infrastructure. Obviously, none of this happened, and New Year's Eve passed without the collapse of human society as we know it, but do you know why it didn't happen?

Have you ever thought about how much your data is worth? If you ask a company to put a price tag on their data, they probably won't be able to. After all, how can you put a price on something so valuable? You'll find that something as irreplaceable as your information is simply priceless. However, it doesn't have to be.

You've heard it said that data is your business's most valuable asset. This is because it's virtually impossible to keep an operation going without it. Therefore, it's vital to have a data backup solution for your organization. There are different levels of data backup; you will want to pick one that's right for your business.