Blue Ridge Technology

Are your productivity tools actually slowing you down? Depending on who you ask, we’re either living in a golden age of remote work powered by the best productivity tools the world has ever seen — or we’re drowning in “productivity” tools and remote work isolation. As usual, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. We really do have access to better, more powerful productivity tools than any previous working generation, and they really do enable remote and hybrid work in powerful ways. At the same time, there really are too many of them. If you suspect your productivity tools aren’t delivering on the promise of higher productivity and better collaboration, you’re probably right. Good news: you can take steps to fix this and truly benefit from the right set of productivity tools. Here’s what you need to know. Too Many Choices, Too Many Tools The first problem many businesses encounter is this: they’re just using too many tools. And who can blame them? There are hundreds of softw...

When did you last have a health check? As we’re rolling headlong through the early part of the year, many of us would benefit from a quick check-up — or at least a check-in. Every new year, health and fitness-related goals and resolutions are some of the most common on a personal level. And a few weeks into every new year, most of us begin to falter on those goals, if we’re honest. At a minimum, now is an ideal time for a health check-in, asking ourselves: how are those goals going? Do any of them need adjusting to be realistic and attainable? And how’s my health overall? Along the same lines, perhaps it’s time for something a little more official. When was your last health check-up or physical? Most physicians would rather see patients once a year proactively rather than wait until a problem grows more serious. Of course, we aren’t doctors, dieticians, or trainers— so please don’t take health advice from us! So why are we talking about check-ins and check-ups? Because your business — ...

Backing up your data can save you a lot of work and stress. The Importance of a Reliable Backup It may come as a surprise to you that although a lot of us know that we need consistent backups, the truth is that many of us, if not most of us, don't have them. Having a reliable backup can save you a lot of headache and stress. Here are some of the most common reasons why it is so important to perform these backups consistently: Malware or Ransomware: R ansomware is a malicious software from cryptovirology that threatens to publish the victim's data or perpetually block access to it unless a ransom is paid to restore the data. Typically if the ransom in not paid within a certain timeframe, the victim is at risk of losing the data forever. Of course, there is also no guarantee that the data will be restored by the cybercriminal. Check out Philip Betbeze's article about a hospital that was attacked with ransomware. Human Error: Human error is one of the top reasons that re...