IoT

Are Smart Devices Changing How We Communicate?

As connected devices permeate practically all aspects of our society, are we communicating differently? From voice commands to new technologies, the presence of IoT devices is changing things in the tech and business industries: the only question is, how?

It’s not surprising to hear that by 2020, there will be tens of billions of data-spouting devices connected to the Internet. Many people believe IoT devices make us more efficient in our daily lives, while others feel they create barriers to communication. Here are a few areas you can expect to see impacted by the rapid adoption of smart devices.

 
Traditional Media vs. New Media
One of the biggest changes is location. In the past, traditional media like TV, print, and radio were key components for reaching audiences. Now, the prime location has moved to digital platforms. Web-based and mobile apps like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook are taking over. Consumers are shifting to these social platforms when they want breaking news, and 26 percent of them are accessing it through smartphones.

Today, more than ever, business need digital, cloud-based communication. Companies can no longer rely on traditional methods and assume that their employees are as okay with the status quo as they are. Business communications need to take advantage of the technology revolution.

 
Options for Communication
Before smart devices, communication was limited to a few channels. Orchestrating meetings with team members or clients was difficult, and the technology that was available was less than reliable.

These days smart devices offer businesses …

Is Your Business’s Data Secure?

Data security is a priority for IT professionals in the business world. For others? Not so much. A study by the Ponemon Institute reported that only about 38 percent of non-IT employees with access to company devices viewed data security as a high priority. But after 2017 showed us that data breaches can do a lot of damage to a company, can you afford to let it slide?
What is a data breach?
Simply put, a data security breach is a confirmed incident in which private, sensitive, confidential, or other protected data is accessed or released in an unauthorized way. For example, you’ll probably recall a number of high-profile security breaches that occurred in 2017, such as Equifax and Yahoo.

Despite widely-held perceptions, largely due to pop culture, many data breaches are not a result of hacking — at least, not by the stereotypical cyber criminal tapping furiously at his keyboard. In fact, some of the most notorious data breaches happened because an authorized user took an unauthorized action. Target’s 2014 breach, for instance, occurred because of a successful phishing attempt on a third-party vendor, giving the attackers the login information to Target’s systems. Because at least one employee opened a fraudulent email, the payment and contact information of over 70 million Target customers was compromised.

If it sounds scary, that’s because it is. IBM’s 2017 Cost of Data Breach Study reported that in 2017, the average cost of a data breach for a company was $3.62 million, and 1 out of …

Up to 1GB of Bandwidth within 7 Days, No Smoke or Mirrors Needed

With the advent of the BYOD and the “Internet of Everything”, bandwidth is King. So what do you do when you need more bandwidth? You probably call your local telco person and they provide you with a few quotes from the likes of At&T, Comcast, etc.

According to the yearly statflash by Vertical Systems Group, metro fiber passed the 40% threshold this year. Fiber penetration into commercial buildings with 20+ employees has now reached 42.5%, moving up strongly from 39.3% last year. Five years ago, the figure stood at 22.9% of such buildings, a number which we may even officially double in 2016. Of course, that still means that 57.5% of those buildings still get their bandwidth from the likes of copper and occasionally microwave. The penetration rate is much higher in large cities, but rather lower when you get out into less populated areas.

If you have ever ordered bandwidth or changed your carrier, you know this is not a quick process, often taking six months to fully deploy. What if you do not have six months? Enter 123Net Metro Wireless solution. 123Net is the largest provider in Michigan for High Speed Fixed wireless. 123Net’s SLA for this product is the exact same as the SLA’s for fiber, so please do not think the quality will suffer.

Below are a few of the Highlights

Speeds of up to 1 Gbps over secure, fixed wireless links
Fast installation turnaround of 7-14 days
Low installation and …

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Millennia Technologies is a full-service voice and data solutions company for midsize to enterprise customers. Specializing in UCaaS , CCaaS , Cybersecurity , IoT , Voice , Cloud , and more. Our passion is firmly rooted in showing clients how well-designed data solutions can significantly accelerate business operations, and then celebrating their goal-shattering successes.