BlackCSI Blog

How much does your business currently rely on the cloud? There are loads of ways to use it, but the best way is to find what works for your business, then double down on it according to your company’s specific needs. We’re looking at how the type of cloud can impact the way your business uses this flexible asset.

Long story short: it depends.

As unhelpful as that answer may seem on the surface, it really is the truth. There are just so many variables that different businesses will exhibit that ultimately impact how their budgets should be shaped. For instance, both a small mom-and-pop shop and a massive corporation need cybersecurity, but the scale of their respective investments will vastly differ.

Let’s go over how to budget appropriately for your cybersecurity protections and concerns. 

IT should be making your business work smarter, not harder. That’s what we want to discuss today: how IT impacts your business priorities, such as productivity, cybersecurity, and accessibility. Are you making the best choices possible, or are the options you’re selecting hindering your company’s operations?

Zero-trust, an approach to cybersecurity gaining traction in the industry, is perhaps the most effective way to secure your business’ infrastructure. We want to take some time today to discuss how zero-trust came to be and how it compares to today’s cybersecurity threats.

Businesses deal with all types of problems, and some of them are really serious. Some situations aren’t even problems…yet. When risk is all around you, how can you know when enough is just enough? In today’s blog, we will provide you with some answers to how to flip potential problems into opportunities using technology.

Staying optimistic is difficult, not just in business, but in life.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is no longer a futuristic concept. It's here, and it's transforming the way businesses operate in 2024. From manufacturing to healthcare, IoT applications are making waves. They're enabling real-time data collection and analysis, leading to smarter decision-making. 

Whether you like it or not, change comes for us all—particularly for businesses. Any organization that hopes to see any significant growth or innovation will be subject to change. Your organization should be capable of working with change, and when it comes to factors that can influence how well you adapt to change, there is no greater tool than your company’s IT.

Your business is as valuable as the data it collects, meaning that if you’re not taking full advantage of your data, you’re leaving money on the table. SMBs need all of the strategic advantages they can get, and one way you can gain such an advantage on your competition is through utilizing big data. Let’s explore how big data can transform your operations for the better.

Do you know what a digital twin is? While it might be considered a relatively recent innovation, it’s still helpful for businesses that want to improve their workflows. Today, we want to define what digital twins are and what value a business might get from them.

We’d like to extend a very Happy New Year to all of our followers! The new year is a perfect time to make resolutions, particularly for your business. Let’s look at some common areas where a resolution might prove to be an effective motivator for change within your business, as well as how you can commit to it long-term.

Blockchain has increasingly become a technology you hear about, but you may not completely understand how it works. It’s often painted as a controversial technology because the corrupt behaviors of people managing cryptocurrency exchanges have put a negative sheen on the technology. The technology, however, has a wide range of applications across various industries due to its decentralized, secure, and transparent nature. Let’s take a look at a couple of the uses for blockchain. 

In our rapidly evolving society, very few things are as they once were. One thing that feels a lot similar to the past is the Christmas holiday. Sure, it’s more commercialized than ever, but by-in-large many of our holiday traditions stay the same. People make a point to get together and exchange gifts and eat too much; and they tend to do this every year. 

Remote work has changed the way that businesses approach normal operations. Due in large part to the disruptions of the past couple of years, remote work has become a staple of the business environment, and while you might hear stories of businesses pushing hard to return to the workplace, the reality is that they are the exception rather than the norm.

Self-service checkout registers are incredibly popular with Gen Z, and while there are differing opinions on them and their impact on the workforce, there’s no denying that they are here to stay. That said, there is much discussion on whether or not biometric payment processing would make for a more efficient method of checkout. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t, and it’s not welcome for either consumers or organizations.

Generally speaking, each new iteration of any given operating system will offer some enhancements and improvements to the user’s experience, often via new features. iOS 17, the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, is no exception. Let’s go over some of these new features now.

Considering the amount of data created on a daily basis, there will eventually come a time when the amount of data will outweigh our ability to store it. The technology giants at Microsoft are taking the initiative to find a solution to this dilemma, and they are working with the University of Southampton in England to make this vision come to life.

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.

Foldable phones are an interesting anomaly in recent technological development. The traditional flip phone eventually gave way to the large-screened smartphone, but now the smartphones have veered in the direction of folding. There is a considerable amount of excitement about these devices in some circles, but issues with pricing and fragility have kept them from going too mainstream yet. However, there are some arguments in favor of them that we want to examine today.

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.