The IT Experts

You might wonder where this bold assumption comes from, and in all honesty, it’s just plain logical to assume. Consider how much business has changed over the past several years. The cost of storing a terabyte has significantly decreased, but is this decrease enough to offset the amount of data that your company stores? More advanced technology naturally leads to greater size files to store, and this can all dramatically increase your data storage needs.

Having a large data infrastructure also tends to come saddled with other large price tags. Consider the fact that you’re paying not only to host and store that data, but also to back it all up on the off-chance that something happens to go wrong with it. On top of all that, you are also paying to store those backups somewhere. You can see how the costs can multiply and become problematic for companies, especially those that are trying to cut costs and create a more efficient budget.

A study performed by Komprise, a provider of data management tools, found that 65 percent of organizations surveyed spend more than 30 percent of their IT budgets on data management and storage. Even more--approximately 33 percent--spend more than 35 percent, and 31 percent spend more than 40 percent. It’s safe to say that data management and storage make up a pretty hefty chunk of most companies’ IT budgets.

As for operational goals, the survey showcases that there are three primary ones for businesses: investing in analytics, reducing storage costs, and improving visibility. Where does your business fall on this spectrum? How do you fight back against the challenge that comes from trying to outpace the rapid rate at which organizational data grows?

Well, the good news is that you don’t have to have all of the answers, and you don’t have to do it alone.

If your organization is looking to cut costs down in terms of data management and storage, look no further than KB Technologies Managed IT. With our storage solutions informed by industry-standard best practices, you can rest assured that you are getting the best deal out there for storing and maintaining your data infrastructure. To learn more about what we can do for your business, give us a call at (954) 834-2800.

Before we get too ahead of ourselves, we do want to mention that there are other tools that allow you to compress and decompress files, like the free and open-source 7-ZIP, but we are going to do our best to focus on what can be done with Windows 10’s built-in functionality.

First, a bit of an explanation of what compressing and decompressing (a process that we will refer to as “zip” and “unzip”) files involves. Basically, it compresses the files into a more compact format that can be easily transferred to and fro. This also helps to conserve a tiny amount of storage space on your PC. A ZIP folder is the file format used to store these compressed folders or files.

Windows 10 has changed things a lot in terms of transparency and accessibility of this feature, as it now allows users to view what is in a zipped folder just by opening it like any other folder. You can then make the determination of whether or not you would like to extract the contents of the folder to your PC. Keep in mind that any edits made to these files will not stick until you actually extract, or unzip, the contents of the folder.

Zipped files are pretty easy to identify. Not only will the file type read as .ZIP, but the folder will also have a zipper running up the icon. To unzip an individual file, you can just click and drag the desired file to the extraction location. If you would rather unzip all contents of the folder, you can do that with a couple of extra clicks. If you are ready to unzip files, you can right-click on the .ZIP file and click Extract All. There is also a button that you can click on from within the folder. You will then have to choose a location to extract the files to. Basically, what happens here is that the contents of the folder will be extracted to your desired location.

Click on the Browse option and then navigate to the folder that you want to extract your files to. Once you have the destination selected, click on the Extract button. Depending on how large the files are, it might take a bit of time, but once the process is complete, you should be able to see the unzipped folder in your desired location.

We hope that you have found this tip helpful! Be sure to let us know about other kinds of tips and tricks you want us to write about in the future.

Many businesses struggle with implementing new technology, and no amount of IT support in the world or available resources will change this fact. Essentially, businesses have to ask themselves, “What problem am I aiming to solve with this technology?”’ Understanding the answer to this question is the first step toward finding the correct solution to address your problems. But, as is often the case with technology, the solution is not always clear.

For example, two similar companies are trying to increase accessibility of network resources for remote employees. They can use the cloud to make data accessible from anywhere on any approved devices. While the problem and solution are the same, the specific solution itself will vary depending on certain factors.

In this situation, pre-existing resources will drastically change how the cloud is implemented. If the infrastructure available can accommodate a cloud server, then that is an option, as long as the company has the technical expertise to deploy, manage, and maintain the infrastructure. If this is not the case, however, and the company doesn’t have these resources, then the cloud solution can be outsourced to a managed service provider. This removes the responsibility of hosting, managing, and maintaining the cloud solution from the business.

In both of the above scenarios, the companies are looking at their problems and the potential solutions, then using their current resources to determine how to implement the solution. This is key to making progress toward resolving problems with your IT infrastructure. If you know what you need to do and how you need to do it, you will have a greater chance of actually getting it done.

KB Technologies Managed IT understands that your business will face many challenges when implementing new technology, and with a little help from us, you can dodge these pitfalls and make for a successful implementation right from the get-go. If you don’t know where to start, we can offer a comprehensive network audit to help your business identify opportunities for improvement. You can then use the information to make the best decisions possible for your organization’s technology needs.

KB Technologies Managed IT can help you through each stage of the technology implementation process. To learn more, reach out to us at (954) 834-2800.