Computer St. Louis Blog/News
Top 5 Reasons to Use Computer St. Louis for Managed Services
First, what is Managed Services? It’s our proactive approach at managing all your IT, an inclusive mash-up of your network, voice, data, video, infrastructure, and computing needs. We monitor and manage anything and everything connected to the network. Here are the...
Year-end Hardware – Utilize Your Remaining Hardware Budget in 2020
We’re out of capacity, can I have one more physical server, or can I finally upgrade to 10GB switching on my network? Can I have a new monitor – my images are morphing into gray blobs? Can I have an ergonomic mouse? My laptop is over five years old, can I have a...
Ransomware Attacks are on the Rise with Covid-19
The importance of training your team on phishing attempts via email or downloads from nefarious websites, needs to be a top priority in your security arsenal. Ransomware attacks are on the rise with more people working from home with a less than top-of-mind awareness...
WatchGuard – Trusted Wireless Environment
In keeping with wireless connectivity, security is always the next conversation. WatchGuard’s Trusted Wireless Environment addresses major components that could leave your business vulnerable. With the freedom that Wi-Fi offers, so many of us are connected with...
Wi-Fi 6 – The Future of Wireless
Are you ready for even faster wireless connectivity? In this newsletter, we’re going to talk about Wi-Fi 6. It’s the latest standard in wireless technology. Equipment manufacturers are boosting performance and speed nearing 10Gbps, about three times faster than...
Webroot Anti-virus and Internet Security
We’ve all been there – right in the middle of a big project and your anti-virus pops up with a scan or alert, wanting you to fix the problem. What are you supposed to do about it? You’re busy with your deadline and now you have to stop and figure this out? No thank...
Zero Trust Security Creates Data Breach Defense
Many an argument has been made regarding the lengths with which a company should go to protect their data – just as many opinions exist on how to strategically execute network security and the procedures by which these goals are accomplished. Should we take the most...
Make the Move to Managed Services – ROI in a Nutshell
It’s the age-old adage, “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” While that might have been true and continues to be the case for some industries, information technology is not one of them. It makes sense to wait until your refrigerator dies to do something about the food...
Cloud Repatriation – Is it Right for Your Company?
While cloud-based solutions can be instrumental for some storage needs, it can make sense to bring back an on-premises server solution for many applications and resource needs. High operating costs.Poor or slow support from cloud vendors.High latency or slow...
Benefits of a Privately Hosted Exchange Server
When clients decide that it’s time to retire their aging, on-premise Exchange servers, questions often come up on where to go with their next Exchange server. With few exceptions, the answer is the cloud due to uptime requirements for email flow and minimal cost...
3CX – It’s Time to Graduate to the Next Level of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
You never know what you are missing until you try something new. 3CX is a VoIP phone system that takes your business phone call operation from zero to sixty in no time flat! Once you understand what a new phone system can do for you, you’ll wonder how you ever lived...
Networking 101 – Understanding the Basics
Networks are comprised of firewalls, routers, switches, wireless access points and servers and any combination thereof. Understanding your network requirements and the infrastructure it takes to support those needs is our main priority. When we evaluate a network, we...
Work for Happy Humans
As described above, the future of work is unknown. Some industries are bringing their staff back in a staggered pattern, some are allowing staff to continue to work from home until further notice, others are 100% coming back with minimal changes. Some staff have taken...
Your Network Resources Available Anywhere
Over the last few months, industries of every size and shape have had to adapt to the ever-changing circumstances of working remotely. From setting up limited access profiles for employees who have never worked from home, to staff who regularly work from anywhere on a...
Data Center Upgrade and Move Announcement
Computer St. Louis has exciting news to share. We are upgrading and moving our primary data center in St. Louis, moving it from 210 N Tucker to 710 N Tucker. After almost 6 years in 210 N Tucker, this was not a decision that we made easily, but the move gives us many...
Choose a strategic IT firm
Industry experts agree that outsourced IT support (often called IT managed services) can be broken down into three distinct tiers, each one increasingly providing greater, more forward-looking IT support solutions for your business. Identifying which tier is the most...
Outsourcing IT support just makes sense
Many businesses in the St. Louis area have found that outsourcing their IT support makes sense. When outsourcing, an organization looks to build a trusted partnership with a managed services provider who will then work with the company to take on IT-related tasks that...
Don’t fall for these 4 IT mistakes
As an IT consultant, Computer St. Louis has come across many clients who are not happy with the way their IT shaped up over the years. They feel their IT investments never really yielded the kind of returns they expected and have come to us looking for change and new...
The end of Windows 7
On January 14, 2020, the world will bid a fond farewell to the beloved Windows 7 operating system. Well, sort of. Microsoft has declared that, after that date, it will no longer update or support the system. It’s the final nail in the coffin for a trustworthy,...
Password basics
Worry about your security all you want and keep locks on your data center and have the recommended level of network security available, but it will all mean nothing if your employees are sloppy with their passwords! Based on data from real-world investigations and...
Does your business need ‘Data Backup as a Service’?
Data Backup as a Service (DBaaS) is a cloud service specifically built for backing up data. Since DBaaS is a specialized service, it provides a better backup solution than what is offered along with generic cloud services. The level of security in place for DBaaS is...
Where to get help with Office 2019 issues
Microsoft Office 2019 is a popular and top-selling productivity suite. A one-time purchase gives you access to an array of applications that you can use to create and edit documents, spreadsheets, and presentations for school or work. While the program is easy to use,...
Common Facebook marketing mistakes
Facebook has grown rapidly in the past decade and now boasts over two billion monthly active users. These users are constantly liking, sharing, commenting, and posting on the platform. Many businesses see this as an opportunity to grow their customer base so they...
Which web browser is the safest?
Enterprise cybersecurity is a holistic system that involves employing security practices at every level of use. This includes picking out the most secure application for web browsing. Consider the security features of these popular web browsers when picking yours....
Tips and tricks for collecting customer data
Businesses have more access to customer data than ever before, and that trend will likely continue in the future. The insights you get from all that data are valuable. However, a lot of data is unnecessary or possibly even problematic. To ensure your insights are...
Windows 10 makes backing up files easy
To any business, ransomware means trouble. From operational disruption and revenue loss to total shutdown, it spares no part of the company. That’s why it’s wise to regularly back up your business data in multiple locations, including the cloud. If your computer is...
5 Security issues to look out for
The security of your systems and technology is a constant battle, and one you will likely never completely win. There are significant steps you can take to secure your systems, but having knowledge about your systems is one of the most effective tools. If you know how...
3 Things to consider with virtualization
Virtualization can help boost operational efficiencies like never before, but you have to understand that the benefits aren’t always immediate. As with anything IT, the price to pay for perks is proper setup and fastidious implementation. Here are a few concerns you...
A brief guide to keeping computers clean
A clean work PC not only encourages employees to work harder, but it also prevents glitches and downtime linked to poorly maintained hardware. Clean PCs contribute to immaculate workspaces, which can positively affect employee morale and company reputation. Here’s how...
Mobilize your VoIP
VoIP solutions are a great way to save costs and increase productivity, especially when it comes to remote and mobile workers. With business trends like Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies, companies using VoIP in their offices needed to expand their remote...
Microsoft Office 2019 vs. Office 365: A comparison
Microsoft Office is one of the most popular productivity suites for businesses. Over the years, Microsoft has released several versions of the product, all of which were designed to target different users or update outdated features. Two of the suite’s latest...
3 Cloud service models for your business
Cloud computing has become a staple in business strategy and IT architecture over the past couple of years. The functions and benefits of using the cloud let businesses seek to adopt new business models, obtain valuable insights from massive amounts of data, manage...
5 IT investment mistakes to avoid
Business owners aren’t perfect. They’re human and sometimes make costly mistakes. If you want to succeed as a business owner, learn from others and try to avoid making bad moves. Be wary of the things you purchase and think twice before parting with your hard-earned...