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New Chips Support Increased Network Speeds To 400Gbps

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Marvell Semiconductor has a new product out, and it’s a game changer.  Their new “Alaska” chip (the Alaska C 88×7120) is the first on the market to support the new 802.3 standard.  The 802.3cd is on tap to eventually replace current Ethernet ports running at 25Gbps to 100Gbps with ports that will run at 50Gbps, 200 Gbps, and 400 Gbps.

The future is now.

Granted, the Alaska chips aren’t for sale just yet, but they are sampling to customers (“Sampling” in the chip world is akin to beta testing in software).  The chip supports sixteen 50 Gbps ports, four 200 Gbps ports, and two 400 Gbps ports, which will quadruple network output.  Even better, the new chips support both copper and fiber-optic wiring, as well as SerDes (long-reach serialization/deserialization) on system and line side interfaces, allowing OEMs to use the chips for wide-area interfaces.

Also of interest, the new chips use PAM4 (pulse-amplitude modulation), which is a four-level signaling scheme that’s designed to replace NRZ (non-return to zero) binary modulation, and even better, the new PAM4 protocol will be backwards compatible with NRZ hardware.

The port density on the new chip has been optimized to enable both Quad Small Form Factor Pluggable – Double Density and Octal Small Form Factor Pluggable port types for 500 GbE, 200 GbE, and 400 GbE deployments.

If all of those technical details make your head spin, not to worry.  The short of it is that once these chips go mainstream, network output is going to increase dramatically, which means that network speeds are about to get even faster.

Unless you run or manage a huge data center, you’ll probably never have direct contact with these chips. However, as big data centers begin deploying them, you’ll absolutely see the benefits.

Sim Cards Can Now Be Built Into Processors

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SIM cards have long been a source of frustration for equipment manufacturers.  With the relentless drive to produce smaller and smaller devices, the SIM card is a hurdle to be overcome.  It’s relatively large, and when you account for the necessary housing, it becomes quite the design challenge.

That challenge seems to have been met, however.  ARM, a prominent chip design firm, has recently announced the development of the iSIM.  The iSIM is built into the processor, and according to the company, only takes up a fraction of a millimeter squared.  To put that figure into context, today’s SIM cards measure 12.3 x 8.8mm, so ARM’s new design represents significant space savings indeed.

There’s a catch, though.  Although the new design is ready, and is already in the hands of ARM’s business partners for evaluation, there’s no guarantee that cell phone providers will accept the new technology and incorporate them into the next generation of phones.

ARM doesn’t think this will be an issue, although phones weren’t at the forefront of the company’s mind when they developed the iSIM.  Their main goal was to build the integrated SIMs to help power the next generation of tiny IoT devices, but this, ARM contends, is the very reason why phone carriers will welcome the new technology with open arms.  After all, more devices connected to their respective networks means more opportunities to profit.

In any case, time will tell the tale.  ARM is expecting that their business partners will readily embrace the new technology, and we should begin seeing products on the market utilizing the iSIM by the end of this year.  This will be a fascinating innovation to watch. If it succeeds the way ARM hopes,, it will lead to the creation of a whole new generation of even smaller devices.

Traditional Hard Drive Technology Is Evolving

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Rumors of the death of HDD technology have been greatly exaggerated.  The advancement of solid state technology and its increasing rate of adoption has been largely responsible for this, but don’t count old school HDDs out just yet.  They still have many important advantages, and recent breakthroughs should add further to the longevity of the tech.

Right now, the biggest advantage that HDDs have over their solid-state counterparts is sheer size.  While it would be prohibitively expensive to purchase 20+ Terabytes of solid-state storage, getting that amount (or more) of HDD storage is a trivial undertaking, a fact that it’s impossible to discount.

Even more exciting though, consider the recent breakthrough in 3D nano-magnets.  These were invented at the University of Cambridge, and stand to completely change the game. They allow data to be stored and processed in three-dimensional space, which will not only increase HDD storage space exponentially, but should see similar gains in terms of speed of access.

Another exciting recent breakthrough is a new magnetic system that turns heat into motion, which could be used to power miniaturized IoT sensors and actuators.  Such a system could also be applied to HDD technology by using the heat to power lasers, which would write data using the heat from the system itself, leading to an incredible boost in operating efficiency.

Finally, consider the invention coming out of the Imperial College of London.  Researchers there have figured out a way to write magnetic patterns onto nano-wires, which the research team claims could mimic the function of the human brain.  While this technology is still in its infancy, imagine the possibilities of having a computer, or even parts of a computer (like your HDD) powered by something that mimics the function of the human brain, and the dazzling possibilities that open up.

All that to say, while HDD tech might be a little long in the tooth, it’s not dead yet.  Not by a longshot.

Apple And Google No Longer World’s Top Brands

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The latest Brand Finance Global 500 report out and contains some surprises this year.

In the battle of the Brands, two companies have long topped the list:  Apple and Google.  This year, there’s a new Sheriff in town.  Amazon blew past the top two claiming the top spot for itself.  It is now the most valuable brand in the world with an impressive $150.8 billion dollar value.

David Haigh, the CEO of Brand Finance had this to say about the upset in the rankings:

“Jeff Bezos once said that ‘brands are more important online than they are in the physical world.’  He has proved himself right by choosing the name Amazon, known as the largest, most powerful river in the world, as 23 years later the Amazon brand carries all before it as an unstoppable force.  The strength and value of the Amazon brand gives it stakeholder permission to extend relentlessly into new sectors and geographies.  All evidence suggests that the amazing Amazon brand is going to continue growing indefinitely and exponentially.”

The new number two, Apple, saw the value of its brand increase by a hefty 37% to $146.3 billion.  While impressive, the report stresses that Apple’s long-term prospects look bleak because the company has failed to diversify. It relies on its aging line of iPhones for more than a third of its total revenue, which hampers its opportunities for growth.

Third ranked, Google’s brand saw more modest growth in value (just 10 percent), and now stands at $120.9 billion.  Like Apple, the report stresses that although Google is a Titan in certain sectors (search, cloud, and Mobile OS), its relatively narrow focus has kept it from unleashing the full power of its brand in the same way Amazon has.

All hail the new King of the brands, Amazon!

Must Know Info For Backup, Security and Disaster Recovery

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Must Know Info For Backup, Security and Disaster Recovery

The Importance of a Proactive, NOT Reactive Approach

With the major role information technology plays in the way business is conducted in today’s world, it’s crucial that every business owner, both large and small, be able to see the big picture of protecting client and company data from disaster. Data backup disaster comes in many forms, from hackers to employee sabotage, to viruses and natural disaster, it’s critical to your business operation that you understand the scenarios and solutions to protect your business and keep things running smoothly.

Susceptible to Sabotage

Data backup is crucial when it comes to the human impact of business security. A smart and informed business owner knows the importance of protecting your company and your clients from being hindered by hackers, viruses and even employee sabotage. This comes in the form of physical backup drives, such as personal computers, USB drives and in house servers as your primary backup solutions. While these are an acceptable “extra” backup, they should never be considered as your primary backup solution. Hackers and viruses can corrupt and compromise in-house servers, personal computers and hard drives, leaving you completely helpless to not only protect your data, but also quickly recover form a loss to ensure business continues as usual. There is also the threat of a disgruntled or disorganized employee stealing, losing or sabotaging these physical storage devices. The answer to this threat is an offsite data storage device, such as high security IT servers and cloud solutions. These off-site storage options not only provide superior security and protection, but they also allow for quick access to your data, documents, programs, software and applications to allow you to continue to operate in the event of a data attack.

Fires, Storms and Burglary..Oh My…

The other threat to your in-house data backup solutions is the threat of natural disasters and burglary. While your USB drives, office computers and portable hard drives can be stole or destroyed in the event of burglary, fire or severe storms, off-site servers and cloud solutions allow you to continue work from home computers and other temporary locations while your home office recovers. These threats are often overlooked by business owners as the common mistake of, “this won’t happen to us” thought process leaves them in a reactive state, when a proactive approach could have avoided the entire disaster. Off-site servers and cloud solutions are the security blanket every smart business owner keeps in hand so that when disaster strikes, they won’t be left devastated.

Who Holds the Keys to the Castle

Designate specific roles in the company for individuals to monitor your data, documents, applications and software to ensure that all critical materials are continually backed up and saved for the event of a recovery. These specific roles also limit the number of individuals with access to the data to allow for you to control the threat of data tampering and sabotage. These individuals will also have a clear outline of where the data is stored and be able to organize a speedy recovery for all your employees to allow them to recover their necessary materials to ensure business is up and running as quickly as possible.

Is Working on Personal Devices Risky Business?

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Is Working on Personal Devices Risky Business?

It’s natural and common for your employees to want to conduct some of their work at home or on the road, and often the most convenient way is to do so on their personal devices. However, this could be putting your business at risk, and thus allowing your employees to conduct their work on personal devices could be risky business.

The Risk of Not Being Regulated

Since your employees personal devices aren’t the property of the company, they aren’t being properly protected and regulated. And thus, you have no control on how they are being used. Employees are easily at risk for downloading and infecting their personal devices with malware and viruses that can quickly find their way into your network.

Lost and Not Found?

Another risk of having business and client files and information on a personal device, is the risk of losing or misplacing the device. If your employee’s personal device is lost, so are the the crucial documents and files you may need for your company. Or even worse, what if the credentials and personal files of you business and your clients fall into the wrong hands? You would have to notify your clients of the security breach and your reputation and relationship with your clients could also be lost in a hurry.

Take the Proper Precautions

This all isn’t to say you shouldn’t allow your employees to use their personal devices for work. It’s often convenient and even necessary to allow them to do so. However, there is not excuse for not have the proper security and precautions in place. Be sure their devices are being secured and backed up like every other device in your network. The type of remote security monitoring you need will depend on the device, the in formation being stored or accessed and the laws regarding the information you store for your business or clients.

What is VoIP?

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What is VoIP?

The Void in VoIP Knowledge

What is VoIP or voice over Internet protocol? Why is it better than traditional land-line phone service? These are common questions when it comes to the quickly growing VoIP services being implemented by businesses over every size. The simple answer is VoIP services offer a state-of-the-art communication system that allows your business to expand its technology and capabilities, without expanding costs.

Turn in the Line for the Web

While a traditional telephone call is transmitted directly over land telephone lines, VoIP takes a more digital route. Specifically, the analog audio signals that you hear and transmit over a land-line, are transformed into digital data and transmitted over the internet. This new telephone software allows you to bypass the telephone company, and their excessive costs, all together.

You Decide the Device

Wondering if you need special equipment for VoIP? The answer is no. An ATA or analog telephone adapter will allow you to connect a traditional phone to your computer or your internet connection and use the VoIP system. IP Phones take this one step further as they bypass traditional phone connections for Ethernet connections that are routed directly into your computer or router. These IP Phones allow you to quickly and easily connect to a VoIP system wherever a router or WiFi connection is available. Lastly, you can always chat computer-to-computer with a VoIP system. These computer-to-computer calls are the easiest way to use a VoIP system and even allow you to use a video program to see the individuals you are speaking with and giving your conversation a more personal touch.

Get a Head Start

A majority of major phone companies are already using VoIP systems to maintain call flow and streamline demand. As this method continues to grow, so will the standard for using and needing a VoIP system at your business, in your office and even in your home. As VoIP systems expand, you and your employees will be able to easily transition business calls from anywhere you travel, and thus keep you on track, on pace and ahead of the competition.

You Won’t “LIKE” What Social Media Can Do To Your Business Security and Productivity

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You Won't

More Posting and Less Productivity

Employees using company computers to access their favorite news website, social media page or check the score of their fantasy football team is nothing new. The problem is these sites and apps are getting more addicting every day, and employee productivity is dropping at an alarming rate. Even worse, more and more companies are at risk for employees using company resources to access adult websites and gambling websites as well.

Create a Policy to Protect Productivity

The first step to stopping the loss of valuable work time and productivity among your employees is to establish a policy that details what your employees are allowed to do and not allowed to do with company resources and while on company time. You want to make sure you use content filtering and blocking software to enforce this policy, because the honor system just doesn’t cut it anymore. You want to make sure this software monitors internet using, company email and the blocking of sites and content that you don’t want your employees to access while they are on the clock.

Sneaky Social Use

Another stop you need to take is to establish a policy on the use and internet usage of personal devices that are brought to the office. While everyone has a cell phone, and emergencies do happen. You want to make sure your employees aren’t using their personal devices, such as smart phones and tablets, to access productivity killing apps, websites and social networks. This is even more necessary if you have employees that are on a BYOD or Bring Your Own Device policy for work.

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Greenville, NC 27858

Phone: (252) 565-1235