Making Your Wireless Work for You

Optimizing wireless plans and costs can be a daunting task, but it is essential to ensure that you are not overspending on this key component of your business operations. Abilita’s independent consultants can conduct an analysis of your wireless communications technology. Applying our expertise to these assessments typically yields savings of 30%, usually without changing vendors.

A technology assessment will identify solutions and position you for effective and efficient management of your company’s wireless usage and expenses. Here are examples of what you can expect from Abilita:

Objective Assessment

An independent Abilita consultant will provide an objective and unbiased assessment of the company’s wireless expenses as part of a broader technology review. With an impartial perspective, your consultant can often spot inefficiencies and cost-saving opportunities that may be overlooked by internal teams.

Cost Reduction Opportunities

Abilita’s consultants have experience identifying and implementing cost reduction strategies, including the application of industry benchmarking. They analyze usage patterns, negotiate with service providers, and recommend optimized plans to achieve significant cost savings.

Vendor Negotiation

A unique skill set and established relationships with wireless service providers empower Abilita’s consultants to negotiate more favorable rates and contract terms.

Time and Resource Savings

Engaging a consultant to handle the intricacies of optimizing your wireless plan and costs allows internal teams to focus on their core responsibilities, which can result in significant time and resource savings for the company.

Policy Development

Consultants can assist in developing and implementing effective policies related to wireless device usage. Well-defined, streamlined policies contribute to efficient cost control, promote responsible use among employees, and facilitate monitoring of activity.

 

With the guidance of an Abilita consultant, you can rest easy while we navigate the wireless cost optimization process on your behalf to ensure that you achieve the greatest value possible.

This brief video explains more about how Abilita can assist with management of your mobile device plan. There is no upfront charge or obligation to learn how much we can save your company. Give us a call!

admin@abilita.comMaking Your Wireless Work for You
read more

Here is why you should review your wireless spend!

Many times, the work from home and work from anywhere approach to maintain business continuity has been a decision made in a crisis mode, not knowing if it would be permanent or a short-term strategy until things got back to normal.

During the pandemic many companies have experienced an increase in wireless telecom expenses. We have seen organization’s wireless costs increase by 30% or more as their employee’s data use skyrocketed.

Here are some tips to potentially reduce your wireless expenses:

                Review your wireless bill to potentially reduce expenses

                Review your plan’s usage behavior to identify high volume users

                Review your plans to make sure devices are on the most efficient plans available

                Leverage a 3rd party consultant to guide the review process

In 2020, Abilita consultants generated costs savings averaging 30% for our clients with wireless expense management being the highest share of this savings. Get control of your wireless costs with Abilita’ s unique A3 Program: Awareness – Analysis – Action.

Click here to download our whitepaper on the subject.

For a 10 minute no obligation conversation, please click here to schedule a meeting at your convenience.

admin@abilita.comHere is why you should review your wireless spend!
read more

Moving Forward in the New Normal

It has been a trying time for everyone and every organization. Regardless of your business – things have changed. Employees have been told to stay away from their offices. But work still needs to be done. Customers/Clients still need to be contacted and relationships maintained.

What we have found is that most organizations have had to make these technical changes in a triage scenario. There wasn’t time to make these changes in a planned and controlled method. Instead, things had to be up and running over night. If not – business would be impacted, projects halted, revenue lost, employees frustrated.

Hopefully your organization has survived the triage time and you are moving to a longer-term strategy. Either thinking of returning to “normal”, or perhaps realizing that this may be a good time to re-evaluate your technical and communications infrastructure to support the “new normal”.

Here are a few things that we suggest you consider:

  • What are the security concerns to your data as a result of the work from home scenario?
  • Has your network been impacted due to an increase (or a decrease) in bandwidth usage?
  • Have you been assured that your remote workers can access E911 services if using the corporate infrastructure and resources?
  • Have there been new services added ad-hoc in order to support the transition?
  • Will these be short term or is it possible that this will become the new normal?
  • What are the technical and financial implications of these changes going forward?

Budgets may need to be re-evaluated and expenses reduced. This may be a good time to review existing contracts to determine if there are areas that can be modified to better reflect your situation going forward.

We at Abilita are professionals in these areas and are here to provide whatever assistance we can during these times. We don’t sell you telecom or technical services or products, but can listen to your concerns and help you determine the right course for your organization. 

Click here
 to schedule a no obligation 10-minute discussion to help the you determine the right course for your organization

admin@abilita.comMoving Forward in the New Normal
read more

Remote Worker Threats – Stay Protected

Working from home introduces a much bigger threat of attack from hackers. Here are five remote access threats you should know about:

  • Phishing: tricking your employees into sharing sensitive data or passwords. 
  • Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS): malicious attempts to disrupt normal server traffic, specifically aiming to take down your encryption service so your employees can’t use VPN.
  • VPN Tools: ensure all your VPN software has been patched to minimize chance of threats.
  • Remote Desktop: attackers could gain access to critical computer or servers through phishing or brute force attacks.
  • BlueKeep: a vulnerability in Microsoft’s Remote Desktop services allows for remote code execution. Make sure patches are installed. 

Abilita and our cyber security business partners can help protect your company against cyber attacks. If you wish advice on this or any other Communications Technology, contact your Abilita consultant today!

Click here to schedule a no obligation 10-minute discussion to discuss your objectives and identify a strategy to come up with the right Remote Worker solution for your company.

admin@abilita.comRemote Worker Threats – Stay Protected
read more

Remote Tele-Working Tips

Can remote working be a coronavirus deterrent?

Many organizations are requiring or encouraging their people to work from home.
For many this is a first-time foray into the “work from home model”. REMOTE WORKING may be your organization’s new reality.

Here are some tips and gotchas that may help you or your company make the transition.

Phone Requirements
For many, a cell phone will be an adequate short term voice solution. Some companies have apps that mimic your office phone to your mobile device. It’s not without its limitations but it is a good stopgap solution. Good wi-fi at home helps. If your looking for a full VOIP solution, keep in mind, not all VoIP or “hosted” providers are created equal. Do your homework.

Desktop work
How’s your bandwidth? Make sure your bandwidth “pipe” can handle your day to day work load. Speed can matter. Quality of connection may matter more. AND check with your IT professional regarding Internet security and VPN requirements.  If you find this difficult to understand, contact us. We can help and we WONT sell you anything.  

All of our people work from home and have since 2004. We KNOW the rewards AND challenges of working from home (including barking dogs and full refrigerators). We can help advise you on what you might need for you or your company’s particular situation.

Abilita has been advising companies exactly how to do this for more than 17 years.
Abilita…we are THE Independent Technology Consulting firm in North America.
Be smart, be safe, be sensible, and be calm.
Here is our toll-free number: 1-888-836-4968.

Our website is Abilita.com

Click here to schedule a no obligation 10-minute discussion to discuss your objectives and identify a strategy to come up with the right solution.

admin@abilita.comRemote Tele-Working Tips
read more

VoIP and Cloud – Right Fit Planning Guidelines

In 2018/19, according to Gartner, roughly 1/3 of companies reported issues and dissatisfaction with their cloud VoIP solutions.

The key to a successful cloud transition is in proper planning, to get a system that fits your needs, from the right provider, at the right price.

With a successful cloud implementation:

  • Employees appreciate the seamless integration of their office and mobile phones allowing them to work anywhere and keep in touch with their customers and fellow workers. Collaboration is easier.
  • IT Departments appreciate the outsourced application, allowing them to spend time on priority projects rather than maintaining/updating a legacy phone system and managing the vendors.
  • Management appreciates the increased employee productivity, improved customer relations, and flexibility offered by cloud systems.

With an unsuccessful or problematic cloud implementation:

  • Employees will bypass the office phone systems, telling customers or suppliers to “use my cell number”.
  • IT Departments will need to devote priority time and effort to sort the issues out with the vendor and the company data network. They’ll also likely be blamed for the problems.
  • Management is unhappy with the employee dissatisfaction and customer relations issues and if necessary the cost to transition again to a new system or provider.

Needs Assessment

What system features do you need and would like to have in a Unified Communications system?

  • i.e. Mobile integration, multi-location, call center requirements and reporting, employee collaboration tools, and conference calling.
  • What are your growth requirements over the next few years?
  • How important is redundancy and back up?

Pricing can vary considerably depending on the features selected.

Resource – Managed vs. Outsourced

How much responsibility do you want to retain in house or off load? 

It is important that your Unified Communications system integrates effectively with your data network and security protocols.

Some vendors will offer a completely separate network for your communications, so that there is no interference between your voice and your data applications.    

Data Network assessment – The Network Is the #1 Failure Point for UCaaS

In planning you need to start with a proper network assessment, not only what you have now but what your data/voice requirements will be a few years out.

Potential Network Issues:  Enough Bandwidth, Latency and Jitter, Misconfigured Router/Firewall, Internal Network Problems, Internet Fail Over

The solutions may be more bandwidth or a separate voice network to ensure that you have the right provider for the quality you need. The selected VoIP-UC provider needs to have the expert network techs to work with your IT department to plan and resolve any issues.

Finance Considerations

Today many Unified Communications are cost competitive, even with traditional telephony when you consider the phone line costs plus the licensing and maintenance costs for a traditional phone system. 

Capex or Opex ?  You often have the choice to purchase or rent your phone hardware.

Contract terms? How long are you prepared to contract your system for?  

Vendor Selection

Do your research carefully on any vendors to be considered.

  • Do they have sufficient rollover facilities to avoid any network failures?
  • Customer satisfaction?
  • Do they have adequate project management and follow up support?
  • Do they monitor call quality?
  • How do they handle system and feature upgrades?

To schedule a 10 minute phone call to explore cloud communications for your organization, click here.

admin@abilita.comVoIP and Cloud – Right Fit Planning Guidelines
read more

Phone Companies Are Literally Letting Their Networks Fall Apart

Once as important as the railroad and electrical grid, phone companies aren’t quite what they used to be. The article below addresses some trends our offices are seeing across the country:

  • Rural areas are still struggling for reliable high-speed connectivity with decaying facilities.
  • The breakdown and transition of traditional carrier networks from copper to fiber.
  • The migration of customers from carriers to cable.

Many aging networks, built on taxpayer subsidies, still remain in use and slower expensive DSL can sometimes be the only broadband service available in rural areas.

Many phone companies have attempted to shift their business models toward new, more profitable sectors as the use of copper-based landlines has plummeted over the past few years. As VoIP services became more common in the early 2000’s, the nation’s phone companies used this surge in voice competition to convince lawmakers that meaningful oversight was no longer necessary.

Cable operators certainly appreciate phone companies’ apathy. Consumers with an actual choice in broadband providers are fleeing to cable at an unprecedented rate. This shift to cable operators has allowed them to raise their rates, impose arbitrary usage caps, and struggle with customer service.

And while next-gen wireless networks may provide an additional competitive option to some of these neglected customers, wireless won’t be a magic bullet for many due to geographical limitations, bandwidth usage restrictions, and potential higher prices.

To help you determine your best option for your voice and data networks, contact your Abilita consultant today.

admin@abilita.comPhone Companies Are Literally Letting Their Networks Fall Apart
read more

Don’t Take the Bait – Avoid Phishing Scams

Fishing can be an exceptionally relaxing way to spend a sunny afternoon. That is, unless you’re the fish. The more contemporary concept of phishing scams everyone, from ordinary web surfers to marketers to high-level executives.

3 ways to protect your business from phishing scams

To help you steer clear of future headaches, here are three key ways to protect your business from the vast number of phishing scams lurking on the web:

  • Use proven professional antivirus software.
  • Migrate from HTTP to HTTPS.
  • Preach the importance of safe email use.

What are phishing scams?

Put simply: Phishing scams are attempts by a hacker to pilfer your personal information for their own financial gain. And they cast a wide, effective net — costing companies roughly half a billion dollars per year in the U.S. alone.

Being able to avoid the bait set every day by hackers and scam artists is an important skill to cultivate for all internet users. And if you’re running any aspect of your business online, getting caught will cost you not only money but also loss of customer confidence and possible fines for not providing adequate safeguards.

Let’s look at each strategy in more detail.

1. Use (and update) your antivirus software

There are a variety of tools and antivirus software services available for businesses. Free downloads do not provide the full range of protection a business needs. Your antivirus package should include email, web and malware protection.

Once your antivirus software is live, don’t just set it and forget it. Leaving all of your company data in the hands of out-of-date software is asking for trouble. Studies have found that out-of-date antivirus software is similar to having no antivirus protection at all.

2. Migrate your website from HTTP to HTTPS 

One type of phishing that is less publicized but equally dangerous is referred to as pharming, and it can affect your website even when clicking a link or downloading an attachment. The “S” at the end of HTTPS stands for Secure which means communications between your browser and website are encrypted.

​While HTTPS protects your own website to a great extent, seeing it on another website doesn’t mean that URL is necessarily safe. Phishers have learned to exploit some SSL certificates, which give a website its “HTTPS” encryption designation.

3. Preach the importance of safe email use (don’t click that link!)

Even with all of the antivirus technology in the world at your disposal, user error can still lead to company data getting compromised. All it takes is one wrong click inside an inbox.

Phony emails that trick users into divulging their personal information are prevalent and they are on the rise as automation makes sending out bulk messages easier than ever. If even one employee fell for a single one of these email phishing scams, it could mean big trouble for your business.

Phishers have had time to refine their skills over the years. Some now even specifically take aim at company executives (a process known as whaling) to nab high-level access to all kinds of company/employee data.

Make sure your employees are aware of what’s at stake when it comes to safe email use. Implement policies for safe and secure email. Building a culture of skepticism where suspicious emails are treated with caution is a big step toward protecting your business from the negative effects of email phishing.

You can never be too cautious

Online phishing scams are born out of vulnerabilities. If one hacker or fraudster finds a situation that can be exploited, they are going to do so. These con artists have been known to use psychology, technology and craftiness to exploit anyone or any situation they can. Scams can also be perpetrated via the phone: phishing for account numbers and passwords or requesting bank account details to process a “refund”.

If you invest in the digital security of your business, train employees to be critical of suspicious emails, and maintain a proactive rather than reactive attitude about data protection, you’ll be able to ideally avert every potential phishing crisis that rears its ugly head.

Abilita and our business partners are available to assist with any of your company’s technology needs. Contact your Abilita consultant today.

 

This article, written by Brenda Barron, first appeared on GoDaddy.com on Oct 11, 2018. Brenda Barron is a writer from southern California specializing in technology and business. 

admin@abilita.comDon’t Take the Bait – Avoid Phishing Scams
read more

Two Factor Authentication – Not the Panacea to Protect your Business from Cyber Crime

  • Two Factor Authentication, although an extra layer of security, still has potential for cyber crime.
  • View the video of KnowBe4’s Kevin Mitnick demonstrating how Two Factor Authentication can be hacked.
  • User education and training along with other cyber security efforts can help protect your company’s data.

In today’s world of digital crime and Internet fraud, most people are familiar with the importance of online login security using usernames and passwords. Two Factor Authentication adds an extra layer of security that requires not only a username and password but also a piece of information only they should know or have immediately on hand – such as a physical token.

This does make it harder for potential intruders to gain access and steal that person’s personal data or identity, however Two Factor Authentication may not be the panacea that many believe it is. Kevin Mitnick, cybersecurity expert and KnowBe4’s Chief Hacking Officer, shows in the video below how easily this defensive measure can be spoofed:

This example demonstrates how Two Factor Authentication is not enough to stop phishing attacks. You and your employees must remain diligent through user education and training, along with technology to help protect your company’s data.

Abilita and our cybersecurity business partners can help protect your company against cyber attacks. Contact your Abilita consultant today for assistance.

admin@abilita.comTwo Factor Authentication – Not the Panacea to Protect your Business from Cyber Crime
read more

Which of Your Employees Are Most Likely to Expose Your Company to a Cyberattack?

• Your employees are often the weakest link when it comes to enterprise cybersecurity.
• Your IT Department, Finance and C-Suite are particularly risky when it comes to cyberattacks.
• Harvard Business Review identifies 4 areas to mitigate the risk of cyberthreats through human error.

Cybersecurity has now expanded far beyond external threats of hackers attacking network vulnerabilities. Your employees are often the weakest link when it comes to enterprise cybersecurity. Insider threats are much more complex and difficult to manage. The nature of insider threats can be categorized into malicious, accidental, or negligent.

Some departments are more likely to fall victim to cyberattacks:

  • IT and development: These employees have system access and passwords to sensitive company files.
  • Finance: Attacks target these employees to transfer large sums of money, bypassing normal accounts payable procedures and controls.
  • The C-Suite: Executives often work long hours, are rarely confined to the office, and have unrestricted access to the most sensitive company data, making them highly valuable and highly available targets.

Harvard Business Review wrote an excellent article about the problem of employees exposing your organization to cyberthreats through human error. They identified four areas where you can significantly mitigate this risk:

  • Rethink employee training: In order to make a meaningful and lasting impact on employee behavior, organizations should organize frequent and interactive training sessions.
  • Identify high-risk users and intervene: Another technique is to send out mock-phishing emails to see who clicks. Predictive analytics and artificial intelligence can also monitor and influence risky behavior.
  • Shape the solution to the human user and not vice versa: Secure systems such as encrypted email can be complex and cumbersome to use. Companies should engage with employees to find a viable and workable solution to support cybersecurity efforts
  • Constantly adapt to changing threats: Rapid advancements in technology makes it easier to secure data and to apply advanced analytics.

The Harvard Business Review article ends with: “It’s true that to err is human, and humans will keep erring. But increasingly, technology and improved practices can help you identify those employees who are most at risk of exposing your company to a cyberattack — before it becomes a major problem.”

Abilita and our cybersecurity business partners can help protect your company against cyber attacks. If you are ready to explore some of the strategies outlined in this report, contact your Abilita consultant today!

admin@abilita.comWhich of Your Employees Are Most Likely to Expose Your Company to a Cyberattack?
read more