In history class, we learned about the Industrial Revolution and its impact on the world. Today, we are in the midst of a technological revolution, with impacts as broad as the ones from the revolution brought about by the cotton gin. As a leader, do you know what you need to know about this phenomenon?

The Technology Revolution

This revolution actually started with the advent of the personal computer.

One of the most often overlooked security holes in many companies is through third party providers. Companies may have a comprehensive security policy in place for their internal networks, with provisions for mobile devices and a great data loss prevention strategy, but may leave themselves wide open when it comes to the third party security.

One system a business should never take for granted is its telephone. Once upon a time, there were no choices about telephones – you got what the local provider gave you, and that was that. Times have changed, and there is more than one telephone company in town these days.

Monday morning Microsoft announced that its next flagship operating system will be available to consumers July 29 as a free upgrade. Most users who have Windows 7 and 8.1 can now reserve their copy. The new OS features a host of features that will be familiar to Windows 7 users as well as others that will make Windows 8.1 users feel right at home.

Do you know what the first thing you would do if your business got hacked? Have you planned for this eventuality or even thought about it? While it’s not a very pleasant thing to contemplate, with the abundance of computer hacks happening every day, it’s not something you can afford to not think about.

Microsoft is ending support for Windows Server 2003 on July 14, 2015. Losing maintenance for Windows Server 2003 is a concern as Microsoft will not be providing critical maintenance patches to fix vulnerabilities being exploited by the hacking world.

Most small to medium-sized business owners understand the power of technology to transform their business. Making the right investments in technology at the right time can radically change the face, nature and character of your business. It can make you and your employees more productive, cut development time, improve customer service, and more.

In many ways, passwords should be viewed as your first line of defense where protecting your company’s data is concerned. Sure, you’ve got antivirus software and a firewall in place, and those things are necessary too, but let’s face facts here.

Video conferencing, or net conferencing as it is sometimes called, is an outgrowth of a number of different technologies, made possible by the availability of high-bandwidth, low-latency connections. Essentially, this is the same technology that makes streaming movies or playing video games across the internet possible.

Most of us are either optimists or we can’t seem to think beyond today. Being optimistic is actually a great trait to have, except when you run a business. Not thinking beyond today may be the coping mechanism that works for you, but it’s a bad idea habit for business owners to get into.