Introduction 

Thanksgiving is a day filled with family traditions. There’s the annual family football game or turkey trot (if you are into that sort of thing), viewing party of the Macy’s Day Parade, debate over who gets to break the turkey wishbone, and of course, going around the table sharing what we are most thankful for.

Each year there is so much to be thankful for and despite the challenges 2020 has presented, this year is no exception. This is especially true when you think about the technology that has allowed us to continue living our lives with some sense of normalcy. Since the 1980s and the introduction of personal cell phones, technology has rapidly evolved into what it is today—an integral part of our everyday life. Now, we enjoy the perks of powerful smart devices, breathtaking photos, one click shopping, customized food orders delivered to our doorstep, and instant communication that bring us together even when we are far apart.

We have been especially grateful for how technology has helped businesses adapt during the global pandemic this year. Many businesses were not only able to save operations, but also their employee’s livelihood through the implementation of remote working. In fact, this transition happened twice as fast as expected thanks to cloud-based storage. Likewise, as workers went remote and “office spaces” evolved, our sensitive information could stay secure thanks to the latest advancements and tools in cybersecurity.

Before you gather with your loved ones for Thanksgiving, whether around a table full of turkey and pie or via Zoom call with your family across the country—let’s take a look back on all of the techie reasons our businesses can be extra thankful this holiday season.

Productivity Climbs To New Heights 

Downtime is now a thing of the past. IT teams have the capabilities to monitor and maintain your network 24/7/365. If an issue arises, it can be fixed before it ever has the chance to become a costly problem. Your IT team can also regularly apply patches and run updates to keep your network as “healthy” and efficient as possible. 

And, if your network does experience downtime, cloud-based remote management tools allow IT professionals to access your system from anywhere, enabling you and your team to continue working without disruption.

It’s A Smaller World 

Social platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn make communicating today—whether by video, image, text, meme, or gif—very simple. Younger generations wonder how we ever got anything done before. 

Today, our communication is instantaneous. The evolution of technology has created a system that is flexible and wildly accessible, blurring the lines of geographical and political boundaries that once stood in the way. Instead, the world acts as one large global village. You can build relationships with people from all over the world while sitting in your living room. 

We are especially thankful for the reach and positive impact technology has had during 2020. As many businesses were forced to close their offices amidst the pandemic, employees worried for their jobs. However, thanks to video conferencing platforms like RingCentral and Zoom, many workers were able to carry on remotely just fine and collaborate with team members and clients all over the globe.

Stranger Danger 

Due to the growth and necessity of e-commerce in today’s business landscape, more and more company information is stored in the cloud. While this practice holds great convenience, it has also increased the risk of potential breaches. 

Small business networks are attacked every 39 seconds by a cyber criminal according to research done by the International Conference on Dependable Systems and Networks. Fortunately, with the use of cybersecurity solutions, individuals and businesses can remain safer than ever before. Maintained and updated firewalls, antivirus solutions, strong passwords, and best practices can prevent even the most determined cyber criminal from invading your network. 

The Importance of Innovation  

Back in the day, it was costly to use the latest technology, making it unattainable for most businesses to conduct surveys or research. For this reason, thought leadership was often left to big corporations with big budgets. 

Now, affordable technology devices are readily available, making it possible for organizations to experiment and communicate in new ways. From webinars to white papers, businesses now have the resources possible to share information and gain credibility, giving them the edge needed in the competitive marketplace. 

Back-Ups Have Your Back  

Not long ago, major disasters like fire, flood, or even theft would bring a businesses’ operations to a standstill until the problem was resolved. In 2017, the average small business hit with a ransomware attack lost, on average, over $100,000 due to downtime as reported by CNN. This loss of time and struggle to restore data can be the last straw for many organizations as 60 percent of small businesses close within six months after falling victim to a breach. 

Thanks to modern tech advancements, these disasters can be viewed as a small bump in the road with the usage of Backup & Disaster Recovery solutions (BDR). This lifesaving service has a “virtualization” component, which means an exact “picture” of your server and computers is taken throughout the day and stored elsewhere. 

If worse comes to worst and your office or devices are compromised, your IT team can restore the latest image. Before you even know it, your business is back up and running again.

Conclusion 

One Step Secure IT is thankful for the technology that allows to stay connected to so many of you, the VoIP technology that keeps our nationwide team collaborating from anywhere, the cybersecurity solutions that watches over our clients while they celebrate Thanksgiving, and, of course, FaceTime with Grandma so we get her famous Cornbread Sausage Stuffing recipe right from afar!