Ferrum Technology Services Blog

Data informs decision making, and your business creates countless data throughout the course of its operations. However, metadata—or data about data—offers a unique opportunity to businesses that understand how it works, particularly in the realm of business intelligence (BI) or business analytics (BA). Let’s discuss the importance of metadata and what your company can glean from it.

It has become evident over the past several years that understanding how to use all the data that your business creates and obtains has been viewed from many different angles. Metadata is all the underlying information about data.

Businesses require financial resources to operate, and at times, it can be quite challenging to free up enough funds for strategic initiatives after covering all expenses. However, harnessing the right technology can be a game-changer. By establishing a more streamlined and efficient process, tasks can be accomplished with fewer resources, opening doors to enhanced revenue generation and the ability to reallocate resources in alignment with your organization's immediate objectives. Let's explore some technologies that can aid in achieving these goals.

Tape backup has been used for a long time, and it was once the most prominent solution for data backup out there. Nowadays, it’s not used much at all, mostly in favor of better and more convenient solutions. However, there has been a slight resurgence in tape backup, so we want to look at why some companies might still use it, despite its flaws.

You see the word “blockchain” all the time in relation to cryptocurrencies and NFTs, but do you know what it actually means? This is but a small portion of what a blockchain encompasses, and we’re here to discuss today what this technology is capable of.

Inefficiency can be a real killer for a business’ ability to take in revenue, but sometimes it seems like this lack of continuity can be unavoidable. It isn’t. Technology can go a long way toward helping you build more efficient processes. In this week’s blog, we discuss a couple of key pieces of technology used by many small businesses to keep their processes streamlined.

Technology enables businesses to streamline operations and make better decisions that can enhance productivity in the short and long term. That said, the sheer number of options available at any given moment for businesses can be intimidating and downright confusing at times. Technology professionals can help you determine the best solutions for your company’s needs.

Do you prefer to get your work done on a desktop? If so, you’re not alone; laptops are great for mobility, but they do have certain limitations placed on them that you might find difficult to work with. Thankfully, you can make most modern laptops work and feel like a desktop with a couple of modifications and components.

Artificial intelligence is all over the headlines, and not always in a good way, but the fact remains that it can save your business plenty of time and resources that could be better invested elsewhere. Let’s go over some ways that businesses just like yours are currently using AI to automate tasks and streamline operations.

Every organization is always looking for an advantage. Integrating technology can make a lot of difference as you try to build operational efficiency. Not only can technology bring speed to your business, it can bring reliability that is impossible through analog means. This month, we will discuss ways that technology can bring additional efficiencies. 

In business, meeting customer demand is essential; but doing it efficiently can significantly improve your business. This isn’t always easy since there are a myriad of problems that businesses have to face. If you can improve your business’ proactivity, it can go a long way toward mitigating problematic situations. Let’s discuss how to get out in front of risk by using technology. 

Artificial Intelligence has become kind of a hot-button issue in the business world. Seemingly every business is starting to dip their toes in the AI water and are gaining significant benefits from doing so. In this month’s newsletter, we discuss four ways that AI, which is being integrated into a lot of the applications that businesses use, can improve business computing and enhance efficiency, customer relationships, and more.  

Technology is improving all the time, which means that businesses are always gaining new opportunities to put it to work. Whether your goal is to make your current business processes faster and easier or expand upon what your business can do, there are several options that recent technologies provide for you to consider. Let’s review some of them now.

The Internet of Things, or IoT for short, has changed how businesses approach many areas of technology management, including how utilities and other systems are managed. Thanks to automated systems that can control utilities such as HVAC systems, heating, lighting, and so on, the IoT gives businesses more opportunities to control costs and improve efforts at efficiency. Let’s look at some of the ways businesses can use IoT devices to produce consistent cost savings.

It certainly is not unusual for businesses to move in the direction of “green” technologies, not just because they are better for the environment, but also because they are simply better for operations. Let’s go over some of the technologies your small business can implement to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by green technology.

Technology often finds its way into pop culture, especially television shows that showcase just how technology has impacted people’s lives. It’s something we can all relate to, as we have lived through a time that has seen exponential technological growth, making for some quite popular television shows that span genres. Let’s take a look at three shows that any technology enthusiast will find interesting.

Fundamentals are always important. This is true regardless of what you seek to accomplish. In regards to business technology, having a fundamental understanding of the technology and strategies you use to get things done, can help you concoct a plan that will be effective in keeping that technology secure. Let’s look at what today’s cyberattack entails and what an organization needs to do in order to keep the threats from having an effect on their business. 

Your business’ bandwidth could reference a couple of different parts of your IT infrastructure, with the most notable being your network bandwidth and your Internet bandwidth. Today, we want to focus on demystifying your network bandwidth by answering all of the frequently asked questions you might have on the topic.

If your business could go about its daily tasks without having to worry about technology, you would find yourself suddenly much more productive and efficient. Think of all the time and money you could save by not reacting to technology problems. With the right tools and approaches, your company can make great strides toward a more proactive technology management model.

The more complex and robust your IT infrastructure is, the greater the chances that it will undergo a system failure. Basically, according to Murphy’s Law, if something can go wrong, you should expect it to go wrong. To counteract this mentality with real, tangible methods that you can control, you’ll want to implement solutions that prioritize redundancy. This week’s blog is all about how you can build redundancy into your infrastructure through the use of data backup and restoration systems.