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Ferrum Technology Services has been serving the Elgin area since 2007, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.

Do You Need Data Backup? The Answer: Absolutely

Do You Need Data Backup? The Answer: Absolutely

Data backup is something of a conundrum for many small businesses. The classic mindset is that they don’t think they need data backup because there’s no way they’ll be struck with a data loss disaster. Their office may not be located in a place prone to natural disasters, and the organization is so small that the assume they are off the hook when it comes to hackers. This doesn’t reduce the value that a good data backup system can offer, though.

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Common Scenarios Why You Should Be Nervous About Not Backing Up Your Data

Common Scenarios Why You Should Be Nervous About Not Backing Up Your Data

Over one-third of businesses don’t have any means of backing up their data. This is a major problem, especially considering how many threats there are that can derail operations. For managed IT providers like us, this is painful, as it’s unfortunate to hear about data disasters that could easily be prevented. We’ll discuss some of the biggest reasons why your business needs data backup and disaster recovery.

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Getting Back to the Basics for World Backup Day!

Getting Back to the Basics for World Backup Day!

It’s a nightmare situation for any business owner when all of their essential data suddenly disappears. Fortunately, there are measures that you can take to turn this nightmare into an inconvenience. However, you must also be certain that these measures are adequate to keep your data safe, despite the worst of circumstances.


Remember, there is a difference between a “disaster” and a “data disaster,” although the two are often connected in a cause-and-effect kind of way. A disaster is some event that puts a business in peril, oftentimes leading to a data disaster, where some large degree of data loss is experienced.

Keep in mind, a data disaster doesn't rely on a “typical” disaster in order to take place. Hardware failure, user error, and hacking attacks can all contribute to a data disaster.

Either way, nothing about any type of disaster is easily manageable. Either can have serious repercussions for your business if you don’t have a backup solution preemptively in place. However, this backup solution should meet certain criteria:

  1. Backups should be taken multiple times a day, ideally as often as every 15 minutes.
  2. It must be stored in multiple offsite locations. This will help keep your backup from being destroyed by the same disaster that took your original data.
  3. It must be tested on a regular basis to make sure it works. Otherwise, you may as well not have one in the first place.

Keep in mind, maintaining a backup solution is only half of the business continuity battle. Preserving your data is important, but should a true disaster endanger your business, you’ll need a comprehensive Backup and Disaster Recovery plan.

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Here are the Essentials of a Good Business Continuity Plan

Here are the Essentials of a Good Business Continuity Plan

If there’s one concept that every business owner needs to be intimately familiar with, it’s business continuity. Boiled down, the concept tackles the question of how your business will carry on after a disaster situation has struck. While a business continuity plan is by no means a simplistic document, there are a few key points that all businesses should focus on.

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Who Do You Turn to When Your Network Goes Down?

Who Do You Turn to When Your Network Goes Down?

Is your business prepared to deal with network downtime? By this, we mean any situation when your organization’s network infrastructure isn’t operating as intended. Maybe you’ve lost power in your office, or you’ve experienced a data loss incident that keeps you from accessing crucial information. To prepare your SMB for times like this, you need to ask if your organization can handle such a wasteful occurrence.

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How Backing Up Your Data is Like Having an Insurance Policy for Your Big Plans

How Backing Up Your Data is Like Having an Insurance Policy for Your Big Plans

Even the best plans can fall to unexpected circumstances, especially in terms of business technology solutions. Even if you spend countless hours planning out your system infrastructure, there’s always the possibility that an unseen actor could threaten the future of your business. Therefore, it’s crucial that you take into account the need for a data backup and disaster recovery plan.


Data loss can come from any number of situations. One of the most common scenarios comes from hardware failure, in which a device (such as a server or workstation) fails to perform properly, resulting in a significant amount of data being lost. You can’t ignore the possibility for fires, flooding, earthquakes, electrical storms, and all of the other threats out there that can end your infrastructure. There’s also the omnipresent threat of user error, which is the risk presented by one of your most critical assets--your employees--making mistakes like deleting or overwriting important data.

You probably don’t need us to tell you that data loss isn’t something to take lightly. While there are certainly other factors, data loss is a leading cause of organizations going out of business. Most companies that experience data loss are out of business soon after the incident.

To counter these concerns, organizations need a method of safeguarding their files from unpredictable data loss incidents. A comprehensive data backup and disaster recovery solution is the perfect way to keep your IT infrastructure secured and up-to-date.

In fact, a BDR solution is perhaps one of the most critical components of running a business. If your organization should fall victim to a data loss incident, a BDR solution has the potential to restore your backed-up data and get your systems up and running again. It’s a best practice that this solution store your data off-site and isolated from your in-house systems. The reason: even if your entire in-house infrastructure is destroyed, your data backups will be safe and sound.

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We Weigh in on the On-Site Backup vs. Cloud-Based Backup Debate

We Weigh in on the On-Site Backup vs. Cloud-Based Backup Debate

It’s no secret that data backup is an important part of any IT strategy for small and medium-sized businesses. Backup and disaster recovery makes all the difference in keeping your business afloat in the event of a data loss incident. However, there’s still some debate over what the best approach is. According to a recent survey, it seems that many businesses find that both in-house and cloud-based backup solutions are needed in order to guarantee business continuity.

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Beyond Data Backup: Why You also Need Disaster Recovery

Beyond Data Backup: Why You also Need Disaster Recovery

The search for the perfect way to handle a data loss disaster has led many businesses to implement data backup and disaster recovery solutions, but the most challenging part of doing so is finding a solution that can minimize data loss and recovery time. Furthermore, there’s a specific need to understand the difference between data backup and disaster recovery, as the two are certainly not the same thing.

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Can Your Data Backup Solution Stand Up to These 3 Common Threats?

Can Your Data Backup Solution Stand Up to These 3 Common Threats?

These days, businesses practically expect disaster. With so many high-profile hacking attacks in the news, people are paranoid and fear for their data. Yet, even more businesses don’t fear enough, which can lead to unexpected data loss from hackers, natural disasters, and even user error. As a business owner, it’s your responsibility to ensure that your organization is prepared to handle disasters of all kinds.

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Tip of the Week: 2 Crucial Qualities Every Data Backup Solution Must Have

b2ap3_thumbnail_business_continuity_and_data_recovery_400.jpgBusiness owners have many important decisions they must make pertaining to the continuation of their organization. Securing their company’s data may come off as yet another item on a to-do list, but, due to the critical role data plays in the day-to-day operations, this task should be a high priority for every modern business. Raising awareness of this critical issue is precisely why March 31st is World Backup Day!

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Backing Up Your Data Keeps Your Technology In Tip-Top Shape

b2ap3_thumbnail_backup_for_it_utopia_400.jpgFor eons, the human species has sought to improve efficiency through the integration of new innovative technologies. We always push toward the bright new future, a garden filled with shimmering hardware and the sweet, sweet smell of silicon. Everything is running smoothly, just like music, until you hear a note that doesn’t belong. Instead of a chorus of heavenly angels serenading you as you open the door to your server room, you hear the sound of failure; hardware failure, to be specific; and it’s not pretty.

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World Backup Day is Upon Us: How Do You Backup Your Data?

b2ap3_thumbnail_world_backup_day_2_400.jpgA quick scan of the past year’s headlines will show that a data-loss scenario resulting from a hack can unexpectedly hit any business, big or small. Your company needs to have a data backup solution in place, and it’s imperative that backups are taken regularly. Has it been awhile since you last backed up your data?

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Tip of the Week: How to Troubleshoot A Failed Backup

b2ap3_thumbnail_failed_backedup_400.jpgWhen a disaster strikes, you should be able to recover quickly and efficiently with minimal downtime. Unfortunately, for some businesses, things don’t work out quite so smoothly. If your backup doesn’t process correctly, you might be in a bind when it comes time to restore operations from your backed-up data. How does one go about troubleshooting a failed backup?

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You Can Lose Your Data as Easily as You Can Forget a “Eureka!” Moment

b2ap3_thumbnail_eureka_moments_400.jpgDo you get some of your best ideas somewhere other than at your desk? Ever get a brilliant game-changing idea while walking the dog, driving home from work, when out at a restaurant, or even in the shower? If you do, then you’ve experienced the frustration of forgetting your life-changing idea before you get a chance to write it down.

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3 Security Factors to Look for In Your Business’s Network

b2ap3_thumbnail_three_security_factors_400.jpgA business is always at risk of being destroyed, be it online or offline. According to a study by 1&1, 67 percent of people confirmed that someone they know has had information stolen from them while online. In order to prevent your business from joining this statistic, there are several features you should look for when considering your network’s security.

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4 Ways to Prevent Mobile Device Memory Shortage

b2ap3_thumbnail_mobile_device_memory_400.jpgIf you’re a heavy tech user, then eventually, your photos, apps, and videos will take up all the space on your mobile device’s hard drive, making it impossible to add anything new. Plus, Murphy’s Law states that this will happen at the worst possible time, like while you’re recording your kid’s recital. Follow these four tips and don’t get stuck with a lack of space.

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Objection: Data Backup is Not the Same As Disaster Recovery

b2ap3_thumbnail_disaster_recovey_not_just_backup_400.jpgA thorough data backup is important for your business continuity plan, and so is a fast and efficient disaster recovery solution. What's that? Aren't those the same thing? Unfortunately, the two concepts are far from the same thing, but many business owners are still under the impression that their data backup is also a disaster recovery solution.

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Backup Switchvox With Automatic Backups

Digium SwitchVox

One of the most important things in the business world today is data. Whether it’s customer data, sales data, employee data, whatever is important to you. A loss of critical data due to a failure in equipment can be crippling to any business. The data on your phone system is equally important. You can protect yourself with warranties in case of hardware failure. But what do you do to protect yourself against data loss, should the worst happen?

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Managed IT Services: The Perfect Gift for Business Dad!

b2ap3_thumbnail_happy_fathers_day_400.jpgDo you know what to get Dad this Father's Day to show him that you appreciate all that he's done for you? If he's a business owner, we have the perfect gift for him!

That's right - Ferrum Technology Services' managed IT services! We don't mean buy them outright for him, but by suggesting our services to him, you can give him the greatest gift of all: peace of mind and a whole lot more cash in his pocket. Here are four good reasons to outsource Dad's IT services.

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What to Do When Your Smartphone Gets Stolen

b2ap3_thumbnail_lost_my_phone_400.jpgAs with anything else that's deliberately taken from you, having your smartphone stolen can be one of the most frustrating experiences ever. After all, many of us use them to keep us on point with our daily tasks. Measures are being taken by legislators and cell phone companies to help curb the issue, but there are ways that you can prevent and react to your phone being stolen.

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