Modern print technology has made it possible to produce large volumes of high-quality printed material right in the office. Depending on the size of your office, and your organization’s needs, print solutions are available in-house that in the past were only found at professional print facilities. In fact, print technology is so good now, particularly the multifunction printer (MFP), that many commercial print shops use the same machines found in many offices.

So, aside from the availability of professional equipment, why are many businesses now considering bringing production printing capabilities in-house?

Read on to learn more about the factors involved when considering in-house production printing vs. outsourced commercial printing, including:

• Cost savings
• Security
• Control
• Convenience and timing

The construction and property management industry has been experiencing strong growth and expansion, with additional growth anticipated in the coming years — and with growth comes transformation.

There are a handful of technology trends influencing the construction and property management sector that are important for organizations in these fields to be aware of.

By gaining an understanding of the shifts that are taking place, they will be better positioned to recognize which organizational adjustments and operational strategy changes they need to make to prepare for the future and gain a competitive advantage.

In this post, I'll expand on a few notable trends I've noticed or been asked about in my dealings with clients in this field, including:

1. Increased emphasis on collaboration
2. Internet of Things (IoT)
3. Virtual and augmented realities (AR and VR)
4. Telepresence and automated receptionist systems

Partnering with a managed IT services provider (MSP) for a Hybrid IT approach enhances your internal IT department with much-needed support, specialized skills and more — without the expense of adding headcount.

Not every business has the staff within their existing organization that they may need, especially with today's quickly-evolving technology landscape. 

As Gordon Haff states in his article, Why IT Went Hybrid (And Why It Matters), "it's probably impossible to do everything in-house — and it's certainly not economically sensible." 

Haff is right on target, as more and more situations require specialized skills, such as those specific to cybersecurity, physical security, strategic planning or technology upgrade projects. When these situations arise, a company that attempts to solely handle them in-house, on top of their existing workload, can put too much weight on internal IT departments, leaving them less likely to succeed.

Read on to learn how we partner with many of our clients to alleviate these stresses, because your team deserves the resources and support necessary to succeed.

When it comes to IT security, most business professionals today think about their desktop computers — as they should. But our smartphones, tablets and PCs are not the only devices on our networks that can compromise critical infrastructure.

A few months ago, the Distributed-Denial-of-Service (DDOS) attack on Dyn Inc.'s Domain Name Server marked an unprecedented level of cyber intrusion, causing widespread website availability issues throughout the East Coast. This disruption shed light on some of the major vulnerabilities within Internet-of-Things devices, including those that we tend to overlook, such as printers. 

Keep reading for:

• a quick video on why you should care about printer security, courtesy of Christian Slater and HP Studios
• key factors that come into play for the overlooked threat of printer security
• what you can do to overcome the risk and secure your printers

The biggest lesson I learned while planning my wedding last year is that success is all about partnership. With so many details, priorities and districtations vying for our attention these days, it's more essential than ever to find someone you can trust and work with as a team in the pursuit of mutual goals, interests and success factors. This doesn't only apply to your personal life, though. In fact, it's just as relevant in business relationships, especially those that relate to the technology that drives your business, such as a managed services provider (MSP).

Whether they're offering help desk services, document solutions, hardware, software, managed IT services, or any combination thereof, the “P” in MSP should really stand for Partner. Let’s face it, if it works out we may be talking about a long-term relationship here. So, before you say “I do,” ask some critical questions of any technology suitors vying for your business.

A service level agreement (SLA) with the right MSP can, and should be, mutually beneficial to both parties — in other words, it should be a partnership. Don’t be timid about scrutinizing the intentions of any firm courting your business. Make them pass the three S test: strategy, service and support.

Have you ever wondered how IT vendors get away with hourly or timed billing for maintaining systems they were supposed to prevent from having issues in the first place?

Well, the short answer is simply because they could. Because they held a grip on your technology and everyone else in the profession charged the same way.

But not for long...times are definitely a-changing.

The good news is that the introduction of new all-inclusive business models is driving the market towards a fixed fee culture — though the majority of IT providers still use hourly billing under a "break/fix" business model.

But how exactly does the fixed-fee model work? How can one expect to maintain secure, speedy and scalable systems in the face of relentlessly evolving technology, with a predictable monthly bill?

It seems that "green" sentiments have seeped deeper into our consciousness and have begun to influence more day-to-day processes and decisions, including those in the legal industry.

Every once in a while, ABA Journal posts success stories about how law firms across the country are moving towards being green; both from an operations standpoint and an added perceived benefit for clients.

Not only can a firm, or any other organization, "go green" by adopting a print fleet management program, but they can also focus on cutting down unnecessary costs for your company. This can include toner/ink expenditures, which commonly place a large burden on a firm’s accounting books. By gallon, the price of toner can be more than 10x the price of gas, depending on printer model.

I've compiled a list of 10 ways a law firm, or virtually any other organization, can employ a print fleet management program, or managed print services, to "go green" while saving green. Here are the first 5: 

Companies today are dealing with more information than ever before, so taking the opportunity to outsource and streamline processes wherever possible is beneficial. One of those key business areas organizations are increasingly looking to third parties for assistance with is managed printed services.

According to Transparency Market Research, by the end of this year, the valuation of the global managed print services market is forecast to reach $31.5 billion - and as much as $95 billion by 2024.

Fines up to $1.5 million, loss of clients, and negative publicity are just some of the serious consequences of violating the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

The penalties for non-compliance are based on the level of negligence, and in some cases carry criminal charges that can result in jail sentences. HIPAA compliance is serious business, and when penalties are levied one of the main things taken into consideration is what, if any preventive steps were taken.

With that in mind, here are some basic best practices to implement regarding HIPAA compliance, including:

1. Comprehension of the guidelines
2. Training
3. Guard against 3rd party disclosure
4. Proper disposal methods
5. Mobile device management

Read on to learn about each of these five best practices, and how you can implement them.