How a Structured Cabling System Benefits Your Business

Posted on: March 12th, 2020 by admin

A structured cabling system in a server room

An integral piece of your business that often gets overlooked is your cabling system. It connects all of your technology as well as aids in improving the overall reliability and efficiency of your business. At The Connect Group, we believe that your structured cabling system is the foundation of all of your technology. We believe there are many benefits to a high-quality system.

Scalable

A structured cabling system has a high level of scalability as it can quickly accommodate any changes, additions, or moves. Since you can make changes or additions efficiently, this will make it easy to expand your hardware as your company grows. Additionally, a structured cabling system has a high bandwidth, so it will be able to handle new technological demands your company places on it, such as video conferencing, thus allowing for increased productivity.

Cost-Effective

Since a structured cabling system is extremely scalable, it will grow with your business. This scalability will make it less expensive to expand your hardware since it will be easier for the technician to install. Additionally, the cabling system can handle a high workload, so your employees will be more productive and can continue to drive your business’s growth.

Reduced Downtime

Any maintenance performed on your cabling system will be much easier to complete. The increased speed will reduce any downtime your business may experience. Additionally, problems will be much easier to troubleshoot with a structured cabling system since everything is neatly organized.

At The Connect Group, our highly experienced structured cabling installers have worked on projects of all sizes in many different industries. From hospitals and schools to warehouses and data centers, we will ensure that any installation meets all building and electrical codes. Contact us today to speak with one of our experienced employees about your cabling systems.

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Managed IT Services to Streamline Your Business Operations

Posted on: February 7th, 2020 by admin

Hand pushing an IT button with a blue and white background

As a small business owner, you have a lot on your plate. From completing daily tasks, customer service, and managing employees, you don’t have much spare time. How are you going to find the time to manage your IT and ensure that best practices are being used in all levels of your IT? The Connect Group can remove this burden from your shoulders by managing your IT. You will be able to place 100% of your focus on your business operations and trust the experts at The Connect Group to handle all of your IT needs.

We provide numerous services, all aimed at removing stress from your life and streamlining your business operations. They are as follows:

  • Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) – We will have a plan in place to ensure your business gets back up and running if your company experiences a disaster. We know how tough it is to lose access to your network, and we will handle any issues promptly.
  • Managed Network Security – Your business needs to be protected against cyber threats. We will implement hardware and service offerings that are always kept up to date with the most cutting-edge cybersecurity practices to keep your data network protected.
  • Managed End Point Security – We handle all security, Malware/Spyware, and windows updates for each machine that your business uses. We will also manage all of the subscriptions so you can rest easy knowing you are safe.
  • Help Desk Services – We have technicians ready to remediate any issues your business may experience. You’ll no longer need to wait for a technician since our experts are only a phone call away.
  • Outsourced Chief Information Officer (CIO) – We will have quarterly meetings with you, where we will deliver reports on your network and security. We will help you plan for your business’s future.

When you partner with The Connect Group for your IT services, your company will control its IT costs and reduce labor costs. Since your business will pay a monthly fee, you won’t deal with any high IT costs. You’ll reduce your labor costs since you won’t need to employ a large IT staff. Contact us today so we can begin the process of streamlining your operations and allowing you to focus on your business.

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Leverage the Power of Microsoft Teams

Posted on: February 3rd, 2020 by admin

Four business people collaborating with coworkers via video conference

BILLINGS, MT – Connect Telephone & Computer Group, a leading managed technology services provider (MTSP), announced today that the company is leveraging the power of Microsoft Teams to help companies collaborate faster and more effectively. As we enter a new decade, the workforce is changing drastically, both in demographic and behavioral tendencies. Millennials soon will make up the majority of the workforce and “by 2025, 3 out of every 4 workers, globally, will be a millennial,” (source: TIME Magazine). Millennials and Generation Z have a preference for working remotely and utilizing collaboration enabling tools.

Microsoft Teams is a representation of the way that communication has changed the way we work and is set to become the new standard in collaboration and professional communication, posing many new opportunities for enhanced productivity amongst SMBs. Connect Telephone & Computer Group is helping businesses reinvent themselves and remain relevant with advanced technology, so they can reach higher heights than ever before. “There are myriad of collaboration tools out there, but the core reason that SMBs will be utilizing Microsoft Teams in the future is because it increases an organization’s capacity to
collaborate, but more importantly, they can collaborate securely,” stated Matt Duray, President of Connect Telephone & Computer Group.

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Protect Your Business and Employees with On-Site Surveillance

Posted on: January 6th, 2020 by admin

Black surveillance camera showing 4mm CCTV lens

The hot button topic nowadays is cybersecurity, and rightfully so. Protecting your data network is extremely important, but what about your physical place of business and employees? Having great cybersecurity doesn’t mean much if a thief can get inside your business and steal all of your hardware. That’s why The Connect Group offers HD video surveillance to protect your equipment and employees.

Aside from the security increase by adding surveillance systems, insurance companies will often offer a discount on their rates if you have surveillance cameras installed. Having evidence of any work-related incidents that happen at your place of business is hugely beneficial. You will be able to see exactly what happened, rather than relying on a recounted version of events.

If you have surveillance cameras pointing into your parking lot, you are increasing the safety provided to your employees when they are arriving or leaving work. Providing your employees that added layer of protection can make them feel safer and, in turn, more productive as they won’t be worried about their safety.

Having high-quality video surveillance increases safety, security, consistency, and profitability in the workplace. Contact The Connect Group to speak to one of our knowledgable employees about purchasing and installing security cameras for your business.

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Sharing the Top 3 Business Collaboration Tools in 2020

Posted on: January 6th, 2020 by admin

User showing colleagues information on a laptop computer.

BILLINGS, MT – We are sharing our top 3 business collaboration tools in 2020. Small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) need to be able to collaborate across teams and departments and unfortunately, the old way of doing business simply has become obsolete, due to its inefficiencies. Connect Telephone & Computer Group is actively engaged in educating the business community with how SMBs can utilize the latest in technology to position themselves to grow substantially in 2020, and if there’s a single feature that virtually every organization needs it is the ability to collaborate. With more companies looking for better, more effective ways to collaborate Connect Telephone & Computer Group has compiled its top 3 technology tools that are imperative to foster collaboration.

The first tool that business owners need to deploy within their organizations to foster collaboration is remote workforce technology. Typically, this encompasses cloud IT such as Microsoft’s Azure and cloud voice to support remote workers. Employees need to be accessible and communications need to be secure. The reason these technologies are indispensable to an organization is because remote working has become the norm in many industries and in the coming years that will only expand as Millennials and Gen Z begin to dominate the workforce. According to a study by IWG, “70% of employees globally work remotely at least once a week and 50% of employees work remotely half the week,” which means that business owners will need the technology to keep their remote workers efficient and effective whether they like it or not. “Lots of business owners think that remote working is a fad. However, remote working is here to stay and will only expand in the coming years,” state Matt Duray, President of Connect Telephone & Computer Group.

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Protect Your Company with Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

Posted on: November 26th, 2019 by admin

Digital representation of a padlock on a blue background keeping your business safe from a disater

According to a survey of 580 attendees of the Black Hat security conference, about 66% think it’s likely that their own organization will have to respond to a security breach within the next year. The data network of your company is its lifeblood. Your business relies heavily on its ability to safely store your data and access it when you need. What happens when you lose access to your data network, or your company is the victim of a cyber attack?

Recovering your lost data can be expensive, and in some cases, it can cause your business to shut its doors. The Connect Group will make sure that your business is back up and running with our Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) plan.

We will implement services and provide hardware that will give your business the protection it needs and stays up to date. Leave the security to us while you focus on bringing the best possible service to your customers.

Learn more about our Managed IT services and how we can help your business protect its data and recover from disasters quickly.

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The Connect Group Monitors the Dark Web to Keep Customers’ Information Safe

Posted on: November 6th, 2019 by admin

Man sitting at a desk with a phone and a laptop

BILLINGS, MT – Connect Telephone & Computer Group a leading managed technology services provider (MTSP), announced today that the company proactively monitors the Dark Web to keep their customers’ information safe. Connect Telephone & Computer Group leverages sophisticated Dark Web intelligence technology to identify, analyze, and check for compromised customer and employee data. Cybercrime is rapidly on the rise in the United States and SMBs need to know if their information is on the Dark Web.

Sadly, it’s become commonplace to see reports in mainstream news whereby hundreds of millions of customers’ data has been breached by cyber criminals, that have successfully infiltrated networks and extracted sensitive data which inevitably leads to identity theft, corporate intrusion or any form of cyber abuse. Connect Telephone & Computer Group has taken a proactive step forward to not only address this rampant source of criminal activity, but to put an end to its effect on SMBs.

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An Affordable Alternative to Network Re-Cabling

Posted on: October 22nd, 2019 by admin

A hand resting on a phone receiver that is on its base, with a keyboard, monitor & headset blurred in the background

When a company expands, one of the more costly upgrades is cabling. An expanding business often equals growing networks; this means installing more cables into the walls with costs often overlooked. Fortunately, there is a way to bypass these expenses by installing a TDM phone system instead of investing in a whole new network infrastructure.

TDM phone technology uses electrical circuits that are physically switched on through the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Because these phones use this form of switch technology, there is no need for an IP server or the internet, making these phones adaptable to your existing infrastructure. While sound quality stays consistently high due to its digital capabilities, calling features are somewhat limited, which may affect certain types of businesses. Traditional features include call routing, voicemail, hold, and conference calling. Phones also must connect to an available phone jack, and adding lines may require installing new networks.

The latest advancements to this system is the integration of TDM with PBX, which is widely used by large enterprises. Hybrid PBX combines TDM with IP PBX phone technology, allowing companies to switch to an IP telephony without completely getting rid of their TDM phone systems. Not ready to switch to the cloud? Hybrid PBX provides you the best of both worlds.

Our TDM phone solutions connect to your existing infrastructure and include high-level features like call routing, voicemail-to-email, video conferencing, and access control integration with time-clock. Save money on re-cabling by switching to a TDM phone system with The Connect Group.

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Secure WiFi-as-a-Service Protects Customers from Cyber Attacks

Posted on: October 2nd, 2019 by admin

Silver shield with blue accents that reads 'SECURITY'

Billings, MT – Announcing the launch of a Secure WiFi-as-a-Service program to protect our customers from cyber attacks through wireless access points. Over the past few years, the prevalence of cyber attacks has continued to grow, expanding every SMBs’ need for cybersecurity. One of the most widely utilized methods by cybercriminals is WiFi hacking through an organization’s wireless access points.

WiFi hacking has proven to be one of the most effective means of cyberattacks and hackers are using this specific method to exploit SMBs. However, Our Secure WiFi-as-a-Service program comprehensively stamps out this threat and equips SMBs with a means to securely connect to WiFi, so that their businesses can run smoothly, securely and safely. This program goes far beyond the typical protection that most businesses utilize. Common cybersecurity packages include firewall, data backup, antivirus, malware prevention, OS security and patches, yet these solutions are no longer sufficient protection mechanisms.

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How AI is Transforming Cybersecurity

Posted on: September 18th, 2019 by admin

Man in hood searching for passwords.

Artificial intelligence has made a significant impact in the way cybersecurity protects and safeguards businesses. Reports from the Capgemini Research Institute state that over 61% of enterprises can’t detect breaches without the help of AI, with corporations like Cisco reporting that the use of AI has thwarted trillions of attacks. This digital era has seen a drastic influx in digital and virtual businesses, leading to increased vulnerability to threats and attacks; so how does AI help improve operational security?

Artificial intelligence combines the use of machine learning with language processing to help cyber analysts respond to threats and breaches faster and more effectively. The process of AI includes the ability to learn data by the consumption of billions of data artifacts from sources like blogs, articles, and more with the technique of machine learning. Through patterns and records, AI improves its ability to understand security threats and risks.

Through reasoning and analysis, AI gathers information and insights to identify the relationships between threats such as suspicious IP addresses and malicious files. Current AI-run software typically takes only a few minutes, or seconds for analysis, allowing security analysts to respond to threats over 60 times quicker than without the use of AI. Lastly, with augmentation, the need for time-consuming research is eliminated with AI’s ability to provide a structured analysis of risks. This report decreases the time analysts take to make critical decisions and enhances their response time to perform remediation to the threat.

AI technology is continuously learning and evolving, but businesses everywhere are already seeing the tremendous benefits that AI has to offer. At The Connect Group, our cybersecurity solutions using the power of artificial intelligence combined with advanced technology to give your company the competitive edge towards any threat or breach. We recognize the importance of cybersecurity and have found the most innovative solutions to keep your operations safe.

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