LSeven Solutions Blog

Even if artificial intelligence is still a long ways off, people always try to emulate it and push it toward greater heights. One of the best, most recent examples, is how an artificially intelligent program co-wrote a short novel (or novella) that almost won the Hoshi Shinichi Award. If it won the award, it would have been groundbreaking, but the fact that it came so close to doing so begs the question: how long will it be before computers can emulate human creativity?

Data storage is such an important part of today’s business environment, but when was the last time you took the time to consider technologies that came before? Technology that exists today couldn’t possibly have existed 50, or even 20 years ago. How have the leaps and bounds made in the tech industry affected the status of data storage, and what does this trend mean for small and medium-sized businesses?

One of the best ways businesses are providing employees with the means to be more productive with their workstations is by issuing them multiple displays. There are various advantages and disadvantages to using multiple displays that you should be aware of.

A network is arguably one of the most important assets that your business has. It keeps your team connected to crucial information and mission-critical applications. This is perhaps why it’s so irritating when your network acts up. You should be on the lookout for even the slightest problem with your network, as even a small change could be a sign of bad things yet to come.

When you call tech support, you’re probably going to get the same response every single time: “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” There’s a reason that this happens so often, and it’s because restarting your computer is a great, low-tech way to resolve some basic issues with your system. However, it’s still good to be cautious about more serious issues that a reboot won't fix. We’ll walk you through what a reboot does, and it can be effective at fixing minor issues with your PC.

By design, Microsoft’s operating systems aren’t built to last forever. Due to the fact that technology is always changing, new operating systems with better security and improved capabilities are routinely needed. Microsoft gets users to transition from an older OS to a newer one by ending support for the older one. This begs the question, how long until Microsoft pulls the plug on your OS?

Robotics are making leaps and bounds in all sorts of different industries. Robots aid doctors with surgery, work in manufacturing plants, and perform countless other functions. Now, we can add “pizza delivery” to this list, thanks to a somewhat bizarre and extremely welcome innovation by the Domino’s pizza chain.

Your business requires specific data to keep operations moving on a daily basis. However, for all of the data that you use, there’s information that you have stored away that never sees the light of day. This “dark data,” could be putting your business at risk, especially if auditing your current data storage usage isn’t a top priority. If you don’t keep track of your dark data, you could be facing much larger problems than unnecessary storage costs.

Any business that deals with online technology needs to be aware of the dangers that come with the territory. Hackers are more common nowadays than ever before, and organizations that don’t take a proactive approach to keeping threats out of their systems will have to suffer the consequences. Unfortunately, some organizations won’t be aware that they’ve been hacked until it’s far too late.

Every time that you purchase a new piece of business technology, you’re faced with a choice: go with a product that’s been around for awhile, and thus, is cheaper, or pay a little extra for the latest solution. We like to encourage business owners to go with the latest tech because it saves them money in the long run - an IT concept known as “future proofing.”

Happy April Fool’s Day! It’s a time to celebrate pranks, practical jokes, and laughter. Therefore, we thought we’d mix it up a bit and seek out technology advice from the funniest and the furriest CEO we know, Old Spice’s wolf-dog hybrid, Mr. Wolfdog!

March 31st is World Backup Day, and it’s the perfect time to evaluate the redundancy and reliability of your data.

Google Contacts is a useful tool that allows you to share your contacts with other users. In fact, it’s a great tool in general for any professional who is always on the move, and has to have access to a set of work contacts through an Android device. Today, we’ll help you import and export your Google Contacts to a different Google or Outlook account.

There comes a time when your business needs to upgrade its technology. Holding out for as long as possible might seem beneficial for your wallet, but in the end, it’s much more cost-effective to replace outdated and inefficient technology before it winds up becoming a liability. In many cases, businesses might not even realize how much their outdated technology is hurting their bottom line. How can you know with certainty that it’s time to upgrade your technology?

Businesses need to take this question seriously, as the slightest hiccup can cost your business significantly. Old equipment can have a direct impact on your company’s operations. An employee might be suffering with issues or a slow, unresponsive computer each and every day, limiting their potential. There’s always the possibility that the hardware can fail unexpectedly, but there’s also the risk of replacing perfectly fine technology that might still have some use left. For your mission-critical technology systems, it’s best to have the expert opinion of IT professionals to fall back on. Consulting technicians is a small expense compared to the immense costs associated with wasting money on faulty or unnecessary IT solutions, and the result is an infrastructure that’s designed specifically for your business’s needs and budget.

For example, L7 Solutions can provide quality consultation that can help your organization make educated decisions about utilizing cloud computing. By now, we’re sure that you’ve heard about the leaps and bounds made by cloud computing technology. By allowing companies to access important data anytime and anywhere, and equipping employees with powerful collaboration tools, the cloud is paving the way for innovations in communication, data access, and so much more. However, knowing about the cloud and knowing how to upgrade to the cloud are two completely different matters.

There are several different ways to take advantage of cloud computing with your business model. You can invest heavily in it by migrating all of your data to the cloud, or you can replace your hosted legacy software with cloud-based applications. Another great use of the cloud is equipping your in-house network with cloud computing hardware that helps you achieve greater mobility, while retaining control over your data. When implementing a new cloud solution, it can help to first assess your current computing needs.

Here are just a few things that our IT technicians look for when determining if an organization needs to upgrade their technology.

• Hardware quality: If your workplace is always having to deal with run-down, faulty computer equipment, then you want to upgrade your technology before it can cause any further damage. In this particular case, it would be most beneficial to upgrade to the cloud due to the lower price of stripped-down thin clients. By connecting thin clients to the cloud, they can be just as effective as a fully loaded workstation. On a related note, it’s important to consider a machine’s peripherals, like upgrading to USB 3.1.
• Operating systems: Some organizations tend to cling to their favorite operating system long after its manufacturer pulls the plug on it. Two classic examples of this are Windows XP and Windows Server 2000. Without the necessary patches and security updates, outdated operating systems can quickly become both a liability and a risk. If you’re still using outdated software, then you’re in prime condition for a technology refresh. If you want to make updating your desktops as easy as possible, the cloud can be a great tool for remote monitoring and maintenance.
• Legacy applications: The latest version of an application can provide a significant benefit, but only if you make sure that you won’t break your infrastructure by making an upgrade. It’s important that you look into what is required of your legacy application before making a hardware change or a shift to the cloud. As explained by InformationWeek: “Application upgrades that run locally on PC hardware also influence whether or not you should upgrade PC hardware for your end-users. If an application upgrade requires a significant boost in memory, processing, or graphics power, it may be the primary factor in deciding to upgrade.”

The answer for how you should approach the cloud and tech upgrades is clear: call L7 Solutions at (954) 573-1300.

There are some workdays where distractions are abound and you can’t even remember what you’re supposed to be doing. In trying times like these, you need all the help you can get, just to stay focused and on task. Here are four simple adjustments to your work routine that have been proven to do wonders to increase productivity.

Ransomware has been spreading like wildfire over the past few years, but up until very recently, Mac users were spared from this troubling development. Now, security researchers at Palo Alto Networks have discovered what they believe to be the first instance of completed ransomware on an Apple device. As this threat is “in the wild,” Mac users should be wary of it and see it as a potential threat.

As more data systems develop the need for structured data storage, the development of fast and secure solutions have become essential to the viability of storing and retrieving data. Scientists have been looking at the field of optoelectronics to develop constructs where an enormous amount of data can be stored for exorbitant amounts of time.

Voice-related technology is hardly news for Google. Android smartphones have had voice capabilities for a long time now. Google Now, the function's official name, can be used for Internet searches, setting alarms, adding calendar entries, activating entertainment like movies and music, calling or texting friends, and countless other functions. Now, however, you can literally write entire documents by using your voice in Google Docs.

When it comes to technology, upgrading is part of the package. Despite this being a well-established fact, some business owners will delay upgrading for as long as possible, while others will upgrade as soon as the latest product is released. What’s behind a company’s motivation to upgrade or not? We can better understand this by looking at a study on why businesses upgrade their operating systems.

Small and medium-sized businesses continue to have problems shoring up their cyber security. Even with the latest solutions, like antivirus and firewalls, they still need to be wary of impending attacks. New threats are created on a daily basis, all of which want to infiltrate your network and cause harm to your business. In fact, 27.3 percent of all malware in the world was created in 2015 alone. Will we ever escape from the clutches of malware?