Technology advances show no sign of slowing down. 2017 will be no different and we have highlighted some of the top trends you can expect this coming year.

Technology has started to become an aspect of life for many people. It is a part of almost everything that we do on a daily basis. Every year there are new advances in technology that integrate even more into our lives. 2017 will be no different. These are the top strategic technology trends you can expect this new year and something to keep an eye on in your industry.

• Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Machine Learning. Artificial intelligence and machine learning incorporates many things such as deep learning and other advances systems that can understand, learn, adapt, and predict behavior. While some of these things may be very expensive to integrate into your business, you can consider using a form of it to predict customer behavior to benefits them as well as you. For example, you can use it as a way to predict what a customer will buy by taking a look at what they are already purchasing. Kroger in the US or Woolworths in Australia plus other big grocery store chains are already doing this and using it as a way to provide coupons for frequently bought items and suggesting items to add to their virtual grocery list.
• Intelligent Apps. Intelligent apps come in many shapes and sizes but most often you find them in the form of virtual assistants. Even if you do not want to be in the business of making your business like a virtual assistant, you may want to consider teaming up with a company that does and integrating with them. This will not only allow your services to be used more easily but you will likely get more customers as a result. Intelligent apps are not just limited to virtual assistants anymore, though. The technology is becoming more and more advanced. In the next few years, more companies will use this type of technology to create better user interfaces on their apps and make the experience more enjoyable by making it more customized.
• Virtual and Augmented Reality. Everywhere you look, there is a new virtual reality device or an augmented reality app. For example, just a few months ago, Pokemon Go took the world by storm and there are many new devices being sold for the holidays this year. Companies are using it as a way to train employees and the military is even using it as a way to train for combat. It changes the way that people interact with each other and there is likely a way you can integrate this in your own business if you get creative. It is becoming a more affordable type of technology so it is something to consider integrating this year. The technology will only get better and better and it will be interesting to see what happens in the next year.

This year, you may even want to integrate some of these trends into your IT planning so you can stay ahead of the technology trends in your industry. There are new technologies coming out every year and 2017 is set to be a very positive year. For more information on these trends and more in {city}, be sure to contact {company} by calling them at {phone} or by emailing them at {email}.

Wow, 2016 is done already!  Where did the time go?  We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone as safe and happy new year this weekend.  See you all in 2017.

Consider implementing multifactor authentication that requires additional information beyond a password to gain entry. Check with your vendors that handle sensitive data, especially financial institutions, to see if they offer multifactor authentication for your account.

The OneDrive Admin Center preview was just released. This is what you need to know.

There are so many great changes happening to OneDrive and the most recent one that you can benefit from is the new OneDrive Admin Center. While this has not yet rolled out to all users, it will be available soon. The preview is available to First Release customers currently and OneDrive is looking to hear feedback so if you have access, you need to check it out and let them know what you think.

The Advances of the Year

OneDrive has been busy all year updating their systems and adding new features. They have worked towards making things easier and better for their end users in areas such as IT, web, mobile, and across sync. The advances have come at a rapid pace and they are simply trying to keep up with the things their customers have vocalized as needs. Another component to this is that as the number of users and usage grows for companies, they have reached out asking for easier ways to administer their company OneDrive settings and policies. One of the ways they are doing just that is through the OneDrive Admin Center.

What You Need to Know About the OneDrive Admin Center

The OneDrive Admin Center will be available for more people to view before too long but for now, you can only use it if you are a First Release Customer. To check to see if you have access, you can try to view the preview at https://admin.onedrive.com. To get a good look at what it offers without having access to the preview, we have you covered. These are the key features of the Admin Center by section:

• Home Dashboard. On this page, you will be able to see all of your most recent Office 365 Message Center posts. You can also view your usage reporting that is related to OneDrive for Business.
• Share Information. You can view and control exactly what you share and with who from this page. You can also view who your users are sharing information with. This page allows you to control the use of external sharing and your anonymous links. You can also limit the external domains that your users can share information with.
• Control Syncing. You can block syncing of specific file types while also denying syncing to any PCs or devices that are not from your domain.
• Manage Storage. Within this section, you will be able to set default storage limits as well as document retention durations. This allows you to better control how your storage is used.
• Control Device Access. You do not want any device gaining access to your files. Now you can control how and where someone can access them. You can deny access from personal devices or other networks if that is what you want. You can also implement Mobile Application Management Intune policies for iOS and Android devices.
• Ensure Compliance. You can find links to auditing, data loss prevention, eDiscovery, and retention from the Office 365 Security and Compliance Center so you can better maintain your compliance.

The OneDrive Admin Center will make many components of your business safer and more productive. To find out more, contact {company} in {city} via {phone} or {email}.

Technology has made pretty much everything easier, even paying for items. Although it is easier to pay with your phone, is it really smart to do it?

How nice is it that technology has advanced so much that you do not even have to get your wallet out to pay anymore? Technology has made many aspects of our lives easier than we ever though possible but that does not mean that all of them are the safest ways to do things. Paying with your phone might be extremely convenient but before you make it a habit, there are a few things you should consider if you want your money and personal information to be kept as safe as possible.

How Reliable is the App

The app that you are using to pay with your phone would be assumed to be safe. However, you should never assume anything and every app has its own vulnerabilities. Before you use any app, you need to make sure that it is one that you would trust. You will be putting in some very sensitive information such as your banking account, your credit card information, and more. Before you let them have access to all of it, take the time to vet the app and the company that supports it. Are other people happy with the app? Is it secured? You also need to check for the app permissions and their privacy policy. Make sure that they only have access to the information they need and not everything on your phone.

Protect Your Phone

Once you have decided on an app that you can trust, you need to be extra careful about keeping your phone secure. If your phone ends up in the wrong hands, you are essentially giving them all of your personal and account information so they can take all of your money and steal your identity. It is extremely important to set up a password on your phone and on the app, if it is allowed. Make sure the passwords are not the same. Also, consider ensuring that you use a strong password that can not be easily guessed and never share the information with anyone. Keep a close eye on your phone and never leave it unattended or unlocked.

Use Secure Networks

Even if your phone and the app are very secure, you do not want to risk using your phone if you have to connect to a network that is not secure. Cyber criminals are known to use unsecured networks to get valuable information and hack devices. Do not use public Wi-Fi if you can help it and never connect to a network that you are not sure about. Instead, use your mobile network and ensure it has a password before sharing information through it.

Even by taking all of these precautions, there is still no guarantee that your information will remain safe. You should always keep your app up to date in case there was a patch to keep everything more secure. Also, you should keep an eye on your bank statement and phone statement every month to ensure that there haven’t been any hacks on your personal information. For more information about keeping your data secure in {city}, be sure to contact {company} via {phone} or {email}.

Best wishes for a happy holiday season and our sincere thanks for your loyalty and goodwill throughout the year.

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