Main Issues a Wildcard SSL Certificate Can Solve

Posted on July 6, 2021 by Diksha Jani

Businesses are continuously focussing on their website as their primary means to gain more leads. They also use the website to collect customer information, i.e., demographics, login information, and even financial information. As a responsible company, they must ensure that the underlying data is in the servers. There is always a risk of attack from hackers, with studies showing a hacking attack every 39 seconds.

You would need to install an SSL certificate that can mitigate the risk of data breaches.

The businesses running multiple first-level subdomains can install comodo wildcard ssl to prevent any untoward incidents. While the features may vary a bit across the Certificate Authorities (CAs), they can help in protecting your website. We will learn more about their benefits through this article.

What is a Wildcard SSL Certificate?

The installation of an SSL certificate ensures that the interaction between the visitor’s browser and the webserver is encrypted. But different types of certificates cater to various use cases. For example, if your business runs multiple sub-domains at the same level, you must choose Wildcard certificates.

They can secure your primary domain and several subdomains at the same level. It is a single certificate with a wildcard character (*). It helps to secure several subdomain hosts under the same base domain. For example, if you choose to secure the subdomains news.example.com, blog.example.com, careers.example.com, etc., with a single certificate, the Wildcard SSL is the option for you.

Benefits of Wildcard Certificates

Securing several sub-domains

What will you do if you must secure multiple sub-domains with the primary domain? Yes, help is at hand through the Wildcard certificates. It will help to secure all the subdomains under a single roof. You may continue to add several subdomains during the entire lifecycle of the certificate.

Improved certificate management

The use of Wildcard SSL certificates emanates from website administrators finding it challenging to manage multiple certificates for several subdomains. They can help to consolidate the requirement onto a single certificate. Moreover, it makes management easier as it requires your team to interact with only one vendor. Managing renewals and dealing with support activities becomes easier too.

They are affordable

Can you imagine the costs associated if you had to install separate certificates for all your subdomains? The Wildcard SSL helps to consolidate and reduce the costs associated with cybersecurity. There would also have been an increase in human resources requirements to handle the multiple certificates. When you buy one from a renowned CA, you also get additional features like the warranty, money-back guarantee, Trust Seal that only adds to the perks of ensuring your website is secure.

Prevents security warnings

Web browsers have been providing emphasis on ensuring a safe browsing experience for the internet. Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox have been marking non-HTTPS websites as “Not Secure.” This warning was enough to scare visitors from the website and visit the competition. It led to an increase in bounce rate and lower visitor count, which also affected their conversions.

Other benefits

Some of the certificates ensure fast online validation and come relatively cheap too. It will allow you to have a free Trust Seal too. The certificates also ensure that the SEO value of the website is increased. You can choose the Comodo Positive Wildcard SSL for this purpose. Search engines like Google have provided lightweight weightage to HTTPS websites and ranked higher during a keyword search.

You can also choose a Multi-domain Wildcard certificate that will allow the business to secure up to 250 fully qualified domains through a single certificate. They also come with warranties that ensure they can be trusted.

Security risks that will make you think twice

Businesses must secure their website at all costs. If any hacker has access to the domain, they may create malicious sub-domains that would appear valid. The visitors would not be able to distinguish the sub-domains that are smeared and continue to visit them.

The web server may be compromised.

If businesses do not have proper safeguards, even the Wildcard certificates cannot help.

The certificate can be used across multiple servers that increases the risk. The web servers may be hacked, and the cybercriminals may host malicious elements for their dubious ends.

Security of the private key

Only the authorized person must have access to the private key. But it would be difficult for global teams to access it. It is better to have an audit log of the employees who are accessing the private key. The business must audit the records to trace if there was any unauthorized access.

On-time renewals

The certificates must be renewed on time. The IT team must set up notifications to inform them about upcoming renewals. If the certificate is not renewed on time, there could be errors on the site, and it would be insecure for visitors to visit the site. Notable brands have also faced this that has led to erosion of customer trust. Always keep in mind that updating lapsed certificates could be a severe issue.

Conclusion

There has been an increase in the number of hacking attempts at businesses. Therefore, it is a necessity that companies have robust systems to prevent these attacks. For larger businesses with multiple sub-domains, they must use Wildcard SSL certificates to protect the website. It can help to thwart data breaches and act as a line of defense against cyberattacks.

Top Ways to Secure Your Data on the Cloud

Posted on June 28, 2021 by Francis Brown

In the modern age, the ways in which people store their data are heavily based on cloud computing. In fact, finding a company that doesn’t use clouds in one way or another is incredibly hard. Of course, all this is for plenty of good reasons, as cloud computing offers possibilities that were unimaginable even a bit more than a decade ago. The amount of data that can be stored by using a cloud easily beats any hard disk out there, both by performance and by price. Additionally, having your data off-site allows you to protect it more efficiently from any on-site issues. Now, cloud computing, like everything else, doesn’t come without its disadvantages.

The main thing that people are worried about when using clouds is security. Of course, cloud providers do everything in their capabilities to enforce safety. But, having your data exposed in a server that can technically be tracked down can be a reason for some to opt-out of using clouds. Now, there is good news if you are personally conflicted on whether you should or shouldn’t use clouds because of security skepticism. There are a lot of things that you can do to boost how secure your data is on the cloud, and if you know what to do, your worries can be reduced exponentially. If you want to learn more, in this article, you will find all that you need to know about the top ways in which you can ensure that your data on the cloud is secured.

Focus on the encryption that your cloud service uses

When it comes to data safety, no factor is more important than encryption. If you’re not familiar with the term, encryption is the process in which the information is encoded in a way that makes it hard to decrypt it. This basically means that the stronger the encryption that your cloud service uses, the better the protection of your data on the cloud. So, always make sure that you do your research on the type of encryption of your cloud service. Additionally, it would be best that you avoid those services that offer no encryption of your data.

Third-party encryption

If you want to ensure that your data is protected to the extent that your cloud service doesn’t offer – there is a way to do so. Basically, you can utilize a third-party cloud security platform that will make sure that your data is as protected as possible. There are platforms that can offer you encryption of your data, separately from the services that your cloud service offers. This way, you ensure that your data is encrypted to the extent that barely any cloud services offer.

Always opt for two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication might seem like an unnecessary hassle to some – but it truly boosts your online security exponentially. When it comes to passwords, they, of course, play an important role in how secure your files are. The thing is, passwords can be decrypted, given that the person trying to do so is persistent and skillful. Of course, this isn’t easy to do, to begin with – but it can be done. On the other hand, if you use two-factor authentication, you are lowering the chance of someone accessing your data. This is especially true if the two-factor authentication includes sending an SMS to your phone.

Don’t take password strength lightly

The fact that passwords can be decrypted has been mentioned previously, but let’s see how you can lower the chance of that happening. Many people aren’t aware of the importance of password strength. That is why they opt to use simple passwords that they can remember easily. The thing is the simpler your password, the higher the possibility of it being used against them. The same goes for those that use the same password on many different websites. So, next time you create a password – make sure to make it as undecipherable as you possibly can.

Only use trustworthy WiFi networks

When uploading your data onto the cloud, as well as accessing it – make sure that you never do so through a public WiFi network. Public WiFi networks are oftentimes way easier to hack into due to low encryption and high accessibility. This is exactly why a large number of hackers find their victims on those exact networks. All this is why it is incredibly important that you never use a public network when working with data that is on the cloud.

Always read the user agreement fully

Reading user agreements is something that many of us skip as we deem this process unimportant. While this might be true for the majority of instances, it is not always the case. In fact, whenever you’re handling something that has security at stake – reading the user agreement is imperative.

When signing up for cloud services, you want to make sure that you understand the vital parameters of how it protects your data. In some instances, by reading the agreement, you can run into the part that says that you’re giving them permission to sell and/or use your data. Of course, if you want to boost security, you want to avoid this. All in all – never sign up to cloud services if you don’t fully understand every clause in the user agreement. The same goes for reading and understanding any updates in your cloud services’ privacy policies.

Think twice before uploading sensitive information

Lastly, let’s finish this article by tackling how you should approach sensitive information and clouds. In general, you want to avoid uploading anything that can be used against you on the cloud. So, your personal data, and anything that can, if exploited, compromise your safety. Surely, you decide what you want to upload, but just be aware that some data should be kept safe the old traditional way.

Finally, it is important to understand that while our options for pretty much anything are lined up for us – we still must do our part. Optimizing security in the era where everything is online should be everyones’ top priority. As you’ve been able to see, there are a lot of ways in which you can do your part, most of them not even being that complicated. So, instead of opting out of different new and modern ways in which we can optimize whatever it is that we’re doing, informing ourselves should be the first step. Embrace the positives and tackle the negatives head-on – and you will get the best of both worlds!

Signs You Need To Buy More Computer Memory

Posted on June 27, 2021 by Boris Dzhingarov

Memory is vital for the computer because it is the component used to store data temporarily in order to allow really fast access. RAM is the most common memory type used in computers these days. It means random access memory and is formed out of chips that are mounted on long strips. The strips are dual inline memory modules, which is what we refer to when saying the acronym DIMM.

RAM is attached to the computer’s motherboard. It is very easy to remove and swap so upgrades can be done quite fast whenever needed. The problem though is that most people do not even know that they can install more RAM. And in some situations, this is one of the best tech tips you could receive since more RAM could drastically improve performance.

In order to help you make a very good choice, let’s think about situations in which you want to seriously consider adding more RAM.

Programs Load Very Slowly

Modern computers respond almost instantly as you click the icon that launches software. As a result, when you notice delays of over 2 seconds, there is a pretty good possibility that upgrading RAM can help. This is especially the case when you have an SSD installed, which is designed to help open programs fast. When software does not load fast and you have SSD, the culprit is most likely having too little RAM.

The Computer Uses Most Of The RAM

When you receive memory error messages or you see that the computer consistently uses over 80% of your RAM memory, it is time to add more.

You can easily check how much RAM is used on your computer at any point in time. In Windows, you use Task Manager. On a MAC, you use Activity Monitor. When your computer uses Linux, you have to go to the terminal and type “vmstat”.

When you run more programs at the exact same time, more memory is utilized. That is why you need to perform this test as you load the operating system. This gives you base usage levels. When base usage levels are naturally high, you also might want to install more RAM.

You Cannot Run Many Programs At Once

The situation in which this does not matter is when you use software that is very resource-heavy. Examples of this can be given in graphical suits and animation programs. If this is not the case and you cannot run several software programs at once, without performance losses, it is time to add more RAM.

As an example, let’s say you run Microsoft Word, your web browser, and an MP3 player program at the same time. If you cannot do this without lag or performance issues, the computer runs out of the memory it needs.

Final Thoughts

Remember that adding more RAM is very easy. However, you can only go as high as a specific limit. This is why you have to know as much as possible about the hardware part of your computer. Whenever there is something you do not know, like if it is normal for your PC to react in a specific way with your configuration, look for the information online. You will find it.

How To Improve Your Business Infrastructure And Grow Faster

Posted on June 23, 2021 by Charlene Brown

When you own a business, it is common that at times you may feel stuck, but you want to expand your operations. There are different steps that you can take to grow your business and generate more revenue. Read on to learn how to improve your business infrastructure and grow faster.

Grow Your Business With SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is an effective strategy that helps your business thrive online by improving its visibility. Effective SEO utilizes unique keywords to drive organic traffic to your website so that it ranks high on search engine results pages. Make sure you include quality content on your website that can add value to the users. Before users buy different products, they first look for information that can help them solve their problems. When the visitors to your site get the information they want, they can try your products. Conversions from clicks on your site can boost your sales and promote growth.

Prioritize Web Designing

A website is a critical and indispensable component that affects the entire operations of your business. You should design a user-friendly site that is easy to navigate. Apart from web design, you must also focus on other critical elements including the loading speed and bandwidth related to hosting. If you often experience downtime, knowledgeable web hosting individuals sighted that you must choose the right UK reseller hosting company to improve user experience. With reliable hosting infrastructure, you can significantly grow your business since your site can appeal to the interests of many users. All you need to do is to choose the best package that suits the needs of your company.

Utilize Appropriate Channels to Reach Your Customers

You can also use different social media platforms to engage with your clients to build strong relationships and loyalty. The advantage of using social media is that it provides a two-way communication system that allows you to get feedback from the customers. Start by making a short video to engage your customers with something they need. Conclude by offering to listen to their feedback. The feedback you get from the buyers is essential since it helps you make the necessary changes that can add value to your clients. You can also reach out to your loyal customers using the same channels if you have crucial information to share with your clients.

Use Management Software

You should use appropriate management or accounting software that helps you measure the performance of your business. You need to understand the metrics that help you track progress in your operations so that you avoid setbacks that can affect your operations. Carefully mapping your IT infrastructure will make it easier to spot bottlenecks and obsolete systems. With the right program, you can produce financial reports that reflect all business activities. More importantly, keep your IT infrastructure and computer networks in good working condition.

Build Strong Cybersecurity

Several small businesses, in particular, are victims of cyber attacks that often result in system crashes and data breaches. Cyber threats can impact the organization in many ways and cause great harm to its operations. The best way to address cyber threats is to choose an effective security system that you can add to your IT infrastructure. The cybercriminal elements continue to pose threats to businesses. Therefore, you need to strengthen your cyberinfrastructure to ensure that your business is ready for various threats that can affect the viability of your company.

Make Strategic Acquisitions

You also gain new clients from the small organizations that you acquire if you do it well. You can also use an Online Service Marketplace to build unique online services to grow your customer base. Another viable method of expanding your business involves strategic acquisitions of smaller businesses that offer ancillary services.

The strategy of acquisition helps your company access expertise and knowledge from employees within the acquired businesses. This can help promote the growth of your business. Metrics can be used for performing metrics as a service tasks and can enable your teams to make actionable changes to optimize security, development and operations.

Improve Customer Service

The quality of service that you offer your customers determines the success or failure of your business. Buyers are interested in the good customer service they get from your company, instead of the products. Therefore, you must develop an infrastructure that supports exceptional customer service to the consumers. For instance, you need to utilize an email marketing strategy when you can send personalized messages to the customers to appeal to their emotional interests. You should also build a database consisting of customers’ contact details that you can use to connect with them.

The success of your business strongly depends on the type of infrastructure that you use to reach your customers. In this digital age, it is vital to improving your online presence to attract many buyers to your business. Make sure that your website is user-friendly and has a fast loading speed as well. It is vital to choose the right programs that help improve your operations through the automation of various tasks. You should also strive to build formidable cybersecurity that helps protect your business. More importantly, provide quality customer service to attract more buyers.

Improve Your Business with Design Thinking

Posted on June 18, 2021 by Addison Yes

Design thinking has already been a part of giant corporations’ strategies. Apple, Airbnb, Google, Nike, and other leaders implement the tactic for every product launch and report analysis. It’s one of the most effective approaches to business nowadays since customers have become more knowledgeable.

They can research now and want to choose the best of the best, which is logical. So, to make your products and services stand out from the crowd, you should focus on what your potential clients want.

So, design thinking is all about innovation, adjustment, and customer experience. The process contains several steps and can bring your business incredible benefits.

Not sure yet? Continue reading, and by the end of the article, you’ll want to implement a new UX design process into your company!

The 5 Steps of Design Thinking

There are 5 stages to design thinking:

Expressing empathy.
Analyze the common problems clients have with your service, website, products, etc. Empathize with them, put yourself in their shoes. Maybe an outline of the main problem will come to your mind.
Identifying the problem.
First of all, if sales are poor but you don’t know what the issue is, you need to find at least one. It may be an SEO vs paid ads problem or automated or live customer support. Find out what your potential or current customers don’t like that they choose competitors over you.
Looking for solutions.
Think like your customer and get ideas on potential solutions for the main problem. Take one at a time to make sure the adjustment works. However, if one solution can resolve several concerns, that would be amazing.
Creating a prototype.
As you identify problems and find solutions, create a prototype of a new strategy, approach, system, etc.
Testing the solution.
Put it to the test. You can offer your customers to become a part of a test group for a benefit or just implement the new strategy and see how it changes the way people react to your business. Digital analysis tools will be crucial at this point.

So, design thinking is people-oriented, creative problem-solving. A UX agency should be able to explain it to you much better. Whether there’s a problem with cybersecurity or your customer support team needs adjustment, this approach will help detect the issue and fix it as soon as possible.

The 7 Benefits Design Thinking Brings to Your Business

Now, to the benefits. There are plenty, but we’ve identified the top 7 ones that will make a difference for your business:

Identifying the right issues.
Pinpointing the issues your customers have is both the essence of design thinking and one of the biggest benefits. When you know what they need, want, like, don’t like, you have all the power to create the customer experience of their dreams. It’s like an honest relationship where partners always share their concerns.
Inspiring to innovate.
Innovation brings progress and convenience to any service. Design thinking will give your teams inspiration to research, seek new ways to surprise potential customers and accommodate them better on the website of your company. This also applies to brainstorming for new projects.
Holding better meetings.
It’s a common thought that meetings are a waste of time. And often it is. You can talk about many things for hours and everyone will leave a room not having a definitive summary in their heads. Preparing meeting topics and approaches with the help of design thinking will help a lot.
Faster product launches and delivery.
While thinking from the perspective of a customer, you’ll see that waiting can be very strenuous. Finding solutions to make deliveries affordable yet fast and product launch more interesting and engaging, your business will skyrocket, leaving the competition far behind.
Matching expectations.
When a person wants something, usually, they have some expectations. A company that meets as many as possible will be the final choice. By understanding your target audience fully, you’ll be able to deliver the best user and customer experience. This will lead to more 5-star ratings and more revenue!
Gaining trust from clients.
Building loyal relationships with your clients due to the UX design process is a must-do if you want them to stay. Thus, you’ll always have orders, brand attention, UGC (user-generated content), etc. As a result, your advertisement bills will be lower as you’ll have a team of loyal supporters that will help.
Higher ROI (return on investment).
Quick delivery, friendly communication, full understanding, etc. will eventually result in the increase of ROI. You’ll invest less and gain more, which is a vital process for any business. And it won’t be based on saving resources or cutting salaries. Your company will prosper.

You can spend thousands of dollars on advertisements, but if your business isn’t hitting the spot of the potential clients, it doesn’t make sense. But learning design thinking will also take some time. To help implement the strategy into your company’s life, consider cooperating with a UX design agency. There, a team of experts in that type of thinking will analyze what your clients need and show you how to cater to them.

Implement Design Thinking in All Teams Working for You ASAP

Not only the marketing, sales, and design teams need this approach. You should implement it in every stage and team of the company. Thus, every meeting will be ten times more effective, customers will come to you without much effort from your side, and you’ll have perfect contact with them.

Creating a product or service doesn’t have to be only about money and scale. First of all, you should optimize your approaches to the people you target. Then, every other tactic, campaign, and funnel will go smoothly. Take design thinking as the basis for all the other processes in your business, and you’ll see improvements in a relatively short time.

And if you’re not ready to do it all on your own, cooperate with a UX design agency. Turn to professionals in design thinking before implementing it fully into the work of your company.

Optima Tax Relief provides helpful tips on how Taxpayers can pay their Federal Taxes

Posted on June 2, 2021 by Addison Yes

This year, the IRS extended the federal tax deadline to May 17 for individuals to file and pay their federal income tax due to the ongoing pandemic. Paying taxes is mandatory, however, Individuals do have options on how they can pay their taxes. Optima Tax Relief informs taxpayers of the variety of ways they can pay their taxes to the IRS.

Some taxpayers make their quarterly estimated tax payments throughout the tax year in order to stay compliant with the IRS. This includes sole proprietors, partners, and S corporation shareholders who expect to owe $1,000 or more when they file. Individuals who participate in the gig economy may have to make estimated payments. The deadline to pay estimated tax payments was April 15, 2021. Check hundreds of unique Optima Tax Relief reviews before you make a decision.

Here are five ways for taxpayers can pay their taxes to the IRS:

Individuals who choose to electronically file their tax return can pay their tax bill by using their bank account information. The IRS does not charge an additional fee to individuals using the electronic funds withdrawal method.
The IRS provides a direct pay option that allows taxpayers to pay electronically directly from their checking or savings account for free. Taxpayers have the option to receive email notifications about their payments when they make their payment. It is important for taxpayers to watch out for email schemes from scammers attempting to steal their personal information. The IRS direct pay option sends emails only to users who request the service.
Taxpayers have the option to pay using a payment processor by credit card, debit card or digital wallet options. Taxpayers can make these payments online or by phone.
Individuals can make a cash payment at more than 60,000 participating IRS locations nationwide. Taxpayers can visit the IRS website to learn additional details regarding making cash payments.
Pay over time by applying for an online payment agreement. Once the IRS accepts an agreement, the taxpayers can make their payment in monthly installments.

4 Tips to Help You Choose the Right IT Support Service for Your Business

Posted on May 31, 2021 by Alex Sanders

In order for your business to remain competitive in today’s marketplace, you need a robust IT strategy that modernizes operations and keeps you lean. As part of this strategy, you need an IT support team by your side. But with so many different services to choose from, you’ll have to be selective in the companies you work with

The “Why” Behind IT Support

Small business owners often fall for the assumption that IT support services are just for big companies with massive budgets. But that’s simply not true. There are plenty of ways for small and medium-sized businesses to benefit from a partnership with the right IT support service, including:

● Better security. The right IT support staff keeps your entire system running smoothly. Not only that, but they ensure you have a reliable backup system in place to keep you protected in a worst-case scenario.

● Higher ROI. IT support saves you both time and money. The result is a beefier profit margin. While the upfront costs of hiring an IT support service are more expensive than a DIY approach, the long-term ROI is clear. With less downtime, greater reliability, and significant time savings, hiring an IT support service is a clear and obvious choice.

● Enhanced customer service. More uptime and reliability lead to happier and more satisfied customers. Subsequently, this produces better customer retention rates and stronger loyalty. This lowers your costs across the board and simultaneously gives your business a stronger foundation for future growth.

● Better use of time. When it’s all said and done, an IT support service allows you to spend less time worrying about what could go wrong and more time focusing on the other core tasks and responsibilities on your to-do list.

At the end of the day, having the right IT support service in place allows you to maximize your company’s efficiency and produce happy and satisfied clients that trust you to meet their needs. This rings especially true in industries like healthcare, where seamless operations and data security are paramount. Medical IT support ensures that your systems are not only running smoothly but also compliant with stringent regulations, ultimately fostering trust and confidence among both patients and staff.

4 Tips for Selecting the Right IT Support Service

With so many different IT support services to choose from, here are a few factors that are absolutely worth considering.

1. Location

Physical location may or may not matter very much – it just depends on the services you need. For example, if your company will provide services like VoIP or cloud hosting, the location of the servers can have an effect on the quality of your services. It’s also important to think about location if you plan to expand into a different country in the future. (Make sure they have the capacity to support you.)

2. Types of Support

Many IT support companies will offer varying levels of service. This may include:

● Pay-as-you-go support. Good for companies with smaller budgets that only need occasional support.

● Break-fix support. The managed services providers on an as-needed basis and bills you only for the work performed.

● Managed service support. The most comprehensive type of support. Ideal for businesses that want a totally hands-off, white-glove approach.

3. Response Times

When you have an IT issue, the last thing you want to do is spend hours or days waiting for your support provider to come out and troubleshoot the issue. Depending on the problem, you could be losing thousands of dollars every few minutes. Time is of the essence.

As you consider IT support services, consider if they make any guarantees around response times. For example, PalmTech Computer Solutions promises to have a qualified technician working on resolving the IT problems within one hour or less for all managed services contracts. That’s a huge benefit (both in terms of cost savings and peace of mind).

You may find different services can benefit your business. A live chat Outsourcing firm can ensure high quality responses for your operation.

4. Costs

Finally, consider the cost. Every IT support service operates on a unique payscale. Some companies require long-term contracts and monthly retainer fees, while other companies let you pay as you go with no long-term commitment. There are benefits to both types of agreements, so make sure you’re taking all relevant factors into account. Depending on what stage your business is in, it may make more sense to sign a long-term agreement and cut costs. Other businesses like the pay-as-you-go structure because of the flexibility and scalability. Use Revolution IT for flat rate IT services, this is the leading IT support provider in Auckland and offers comprehensive solutions to businesses seeking reliable and effective IT support services.

Putting it All Together

Your business doesn’t just need an IT support service – it needs the right IT support service. As you search for the perfect partner, take factors like location, support services, response time, and costs into account. If nothing else, your thorough due diligence will leave you with the confidence and peace of mind that you made the right choice.

What is a VPAT and how is it used?

Posted on May 27, 2021 by Amy Fischer

The VPAT 508, or a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template, is an important document that explains how information and communication (ICT) products conform to the Revised Section 508 standards for IT accessibility. ICT products include but are not limited to software, hardware, electronic content, and even support documentation.

It is an important document that allows companies and organizations in the United States to provide a comprehensive analysis of their conformance to accessibility standards set in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. In this short article, we will discuss what a VPAT is, how it’s used, and its importance for compliance to Section 508.

What is a VPAT 508?

VPATs help federal agency contracting officials and government buyers to access ICT products for accessibility when doing market research and evaluating proposals before purchasing.

U.S. government solicitations which include ICT will specify accessibility requirements, indicating which provisions are required to ensure the deliverable is accessible. The VPAT is very important because it is a good way to address the accessibility requirements defined in the solicitation.

Developers or vendors should prepare VPATs for their ICT. This is essential because the VPAT 508 describes how well the ICT product conforms to the accessibility standards of section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

What is Section 508?

Before we go into how a VPAT is used, we will first discuss what Section 508 is.

Section 508 is a portion of the Rehabilitation Act, outlining standards to address accessibility to ICT. With that, Section 508 requires access to ICT developed, procured, maintained, or used by federal agencies across the United States. Examples of ICT include computers, telecommunications equipment, multifunction office machines (such as printers, software, websites, information kiosks, transaction machines), and electronic documents.

These Section 508 Standards ensure access for people with physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities.

How is a VPAT 508 used?

The purpose of a VPAT is to help ICT buyers make an informed decision before purchasing a product. These include:

Understand a product’s level of accessibility compliance
Compare compliance of similar products
Choose a product that best meets accessibility standards and the organization’s functional and legal requirements
Plan ahead for equally effective access when an accessible ICT product is not available

It is then highly recommended that vendors procure a VPAT for any ICT that is intended to be marketed to the U.S. federal government. There is a VPAT template from the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) website.

How does one get a VPAT?

VPATs are prepared through accessing the current VPAT template from the ITI website. Vendors should generate a VPAT for any ICT. They should also make it easy to find each ICT product’s VPAT on their website, such as by linking it on the product description page. This way it will be much easier for interested buyers and clients to assess the product’s accessibility and compliance to the revised Section 508 Standards. Otherwise, the VPAT is only provided once requested from their sales or support contact.

Keep in mind that VPATs developed before 2017 may be out of date if the product has been updated since then. (Make sure to get the VPAT 2.0 or higher).

The VPAT is highly relevant to anyone who is a provider of ICT or even electronic and information technology (EIT) that can or will be used by federal workers. Since Section 508 mandates that any product or technology used by federal employees must be accessible, it is a good business practice to be Section 508 compliant. Otherwise, providers are losing business opportunities by not being compliant or even by not providing a VPAT that properly outlines the compliance.

Here is Why You Should Be Upgrading Your Server Memory

Posted on May 20, 2021 by Milos Radakovic

An increasing number of businesses are relying on their online services more than ever before. Due to this, you have naturally been considering upgrading certain tech elements of your company. Among them, you may be thinking about leveling up your server memory.

If you are still on the fence about this decision, it is time to put all doubts to an end. Here is a list of all the ways that such an improvement can greatly help your business:

You Enjoy Better Performance

The first thing to appreciate is that server memory is directly linked to performance. This is because a shortage of RAM will hinder the delivery of data from the hard drives to the CPU. In turn, this will cause the CPU to go into sedentary mode, preventing you from utilizing its full potential.

With an upgrade, however, you have more RAM on hand, allowing your server to handle more VMs and to distribute their loads in a more efficient manner. In doing so, you will be able to benefit from faster memory speed and greater bandwidth. Since this means that faster data processing is occurring, your CPU will be able to handle tasks as necessary.

It Accommodates Other Upgrades

Not only are businesses more reliant on technology than ever before, but this tech is also evolving by leaps and bounds on a yearly basis. As a result, you will have probably found yourself needing to upgrade your software, database applications, and various other tech elements. Well, all of these are dependent on your server memory.

Therefore, the only way to ensure that your other upgrades function properly is to boost your server RAM. Taking this measure will prevent issues such as slow load times, systems crashing, etc. Instead, you will be able to enjoy smooth performances across the board from day one. This will also make all of your investments a great deal more worthwhile too.

It Works Well for Future Expansion Plans

If you are like any savvy entrepreneur, then you are already considering how to expand your business. As you can imagine, any kind of expansion requires more support and resources. It is at this point that the true differences of HPE smart memory vs standard memory become more apparent.

While standard memory will work just fine for small, perhaps even medium businesses, the smart memory is what will help you build a fully-fledged company that can cater to a wider target audience. Therefore, if you want to create something great, an upgrade is the way to go. Servers price can range depending on you or your businesses size and needs.

It Reduces the Need for Additional Servers

Most people assume that if they truly want to improve their overall system that additional servers are the way to go. If this is something that you thought as well, you will have naturally hesitated. After all, additional servers certainly aren’t cheap.

Well, if you just work on upgrading server memory, then this isn’t something that you need to worry about. It is a far more cost-effective approach to enhancing your system and will still provide you with benefits that you require.

These are all the reasons that you should be upgrading your server memory as soon as possible. The only thing that is left for you to do is to make an actual change.

How to Choose a Computer Chair

Posted on May 12, 2021 by Alexander Fallen

Office chairs and computer chairs have firmly entered our lives. Today, when most of us choose sitting in front of a PC monitor as our main activity, this type of furniture has become of great importance. How to choose the right computer chair or ergonomic chair, so that you can work for a long time, and not get tired?

Key Factors when Choosing an Office Chair

An office chair should be distinguished not only by its comfort and ease of use but also by its reliability, high quality of execution, and practicality. After all, solid office furniture is a sign of the seriousness and profitability of the company, as well as the status of its management. However, chairs and armchairs are chosen not only for offices but also for home offices, as well as for equipping the workplace of students who also spend a lot of time at a computer or desk and want to use high-quality furniture.

Office chairs come in several types. There are different types of furniture for managers, employees, and visitors.

Executive Chairs

When choosing a chair designed for the boss, you should pay attention not only to the functionality of the furniture but also to its comfort and appearance, since such a chair will emphasize the status of the boss. Moreover, the director’s chair should be distinguished by the impeccable quality of execution, so it is worth paying attention to the models made with the use of genuine leather. The upholstery of this chair is usually a classic black or brown shade. The executive chair should be ergonomic, equipped with wheels and armrests, and have mechanisms for adjusting the height and angle of the backrest.

Staff Chairs

Staff chairs have more modest characteristics. The main thing in such furniture is quality, practicality, and convenience. An important condition is the ability to adjust the height of the product so that it can be used by a person of any height. These chairs can be operator and computer-based. The operator’s chairs are comfortable and functional. They have armrests, mechanisms for adjusting the height of the seat and the angle of the backrest. Computer chairs for staff are universal. They are characterized by maximum comfort and mobility. These chairs are not only easy to move around the office, but also rotate around their axis.

Visitor Chairs

Chairs for visitors should be comfortable and of high quality. They should not differ in a complex design, but such chairs should have an attractive appearance.

Home Office Chairs

For home use, a desk chair is usually chosen based on its design characteristics and design, counting primarily on the fact that such furniture, with all its functionality, successfully fits into the interior of the room.

Chair Prices

Currently, the catalogs of furniture stores offer a huge selection of such furniture in different price categories. For many, this means a real problem. What should I pay attention to when choosing a standing desk for a computer? Let’s look at a few key parameters that will help you make the right decision.

Conclusion

I think a good chair is the basis for pleasant comfortable work and the investment in it is worth it. The invested money will return to you, but not in the form of bills, but the form of no back pain and good health. The right good chair will last for years and keep you healthy.

Important Reasons to Hire Ukraine IT Developers For Outsource

Posted on May 12, 2021 by Austin Dease

If you want to build high-quality software and save money, you can view outsourcing options in Ukraine. When choosing an outsourcing company such as IT outsourcing Kiev, it is clear that you want the best value for money. Many factors affect prices. The most common ones are living standards, hardware and software costs, taxation, and programming experience. On the other hand, good outsourcing developers are priceless. They affect the success of the project, but they are not easy to find. Therefore, it may be a good idea to entrust your project to an overseas software company to get the best results and reduce costs.

Why is outsourcing so popular in Ukraine?

IT outsourcing Kiev provides a wide range of solutions to meet various software development needs. Most developers have many years of experience and have collected many successful projects in their portfolios. With the development of the IT industry, the number of skilled workers is also increasing. Ukrainian outsourcing companies have been working hard to improve the working environment and the services they provide. Compared with other countries benefits in terms of IT network, work ethics, and location. Therefore, it has attracted many overseas companies, such as Grammarly and Google. Ukraine has shown excellent results in software development and is considered the best choice for IT outsourcing Kiev.

Reasons for hiring a Ukrainian software development company:

Quality:

Training is the cornerstone of expert competence. Without higher education, it is difficult to find a job. With a huge amount of educational opportunities, almost half of Ukrainian software developers and programmers have at least a master’s degree. If school-age children perform well in admissions, they can enter the university for free.

Technical Education:

Ukraine is known for its high-quality technical education. For example, the engineering universities in Kiev, Lviv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro are excellent and recognized worldwide. Gain student-related knowledge in a constantly changing market. Many developers also have PhDs. Knowledge of mechanical engineering prepares them to solve the most difficult problems.

Cost efficiency:

When choosing a development company, the most important issue is its service cost. The cost of IT outsourcing Kiev is very different from other countries. The living wage there, prices, and wages are not high. Developers can help technology companies increase productivity. Under the same budget, this will bring you better results. The average hourly salary of a Ukrainian software developer is 30 to 50 US dollars per hour, which is about 4 to 6,000 US dollars per month. % Lower than the fees charged by European and American companies to customers. However, Ukrainian companies provide relatively high-quality competitive services.

Time zone:

Different time zones are usually the reason why many people are not sure whether to outsource software development. Differences in time zones between employees can lead to misunderstandings, undesirable issues, delays in the work process. However, Ukraine is only one or two hours ahead of European countries, which makes IT outsourcing Kiev collaboration and communication easier with others.

World-renowned companies created by Ukrainian developers:

Many IT entrepreneurs in Ukraine have created world-renowned IT companies. The profits of these IT companies have brought millions of dollars in revenue to the country’s industry, and millions of people around the world use their services. It is considered reliable and promising. Let’s take look at some of those IT products:

Grammarly was founded by Alexey Shevchenko and Maxim Lytvyn. The program can check grammar, incorrect structures, and grammatical errors in real-time, find theft, and propose the best solution. The company has two offices in Kiev (Ukraine) and San Francisco.

DepositPhotos is an international photo library that provides services between photo authors and their buyers. It was founded by Dmitro Sergeev. The service provides free photos, vector images, and videos. The company supports customers worldwide in 14 languages. The cost of purchasing credit images starts at $0.75, and the subscription fee starts at $49 per month.

Terrasoft is mainly a manufacturer of CRM and service desk systems created by Katerina. Kostereva and Alexander Popov. Today, Terrasoft has become the leading CRM solution provider in the CIS market. The company has offices in five countries (Ukraine, Latvia, Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom) and serves more than 6,000 customers. The software product company is responsible for the implementation of IT consulting and CRM strategies.

What Generation Z knows and why it’s worth hiring students

Posted on May 10, 2021 by Carrie Duncan

On the threshold of summer, the question of student employment becomes even more urgent for many employers. On the one hand, an HR manager faces a young and ambitious candidate with excellent prospects, but on the other hand – an inexperienced specialist with unfinished studies and an uncertain professional future.

Students in the Office: Pros and Cons

Work for students without experience is the best way to get the first professional skills and the opportunity not to depend on parents financially.

Companies, for their part, are wary of hiring newcomers without experience, belonging to Generation Z, because they understand the complexity of adaptation, the need for training, and the possible risks in the matter of a responsible approach to work. This is not the only disadvantage of hiring students:

For some students, the study is a priority, and they spend most of their time on it;
they cannot be sent on long business trips;
The work schedule should be adjusted individually to the person.

Despite these disadvantages, working with students has its pros. If you don’t want to take on a student for a full-time role, you could opt for hiring a freelance student to take your project to the next level, with the possibility of having them join the team full-time in the future.

Reasons Why It Is Worth Providing Work for Students in Their Field of Study:

Members of Generation Z are not guided by experience. Experienced employees are always preferred by the employer, but they have a certain professional background: habits and rules, personal requirements for building processes, and working conditions.
From a student, you can make an ideal employee, who will penetrate your corporate culture and follow the policy of the company.
The student is a generator and a source of new ideas. Z-students who are constantly developing: attending events, watching webinars, and taking training give out more promising thoughts and ideas.
There is no need to maintain a Work-Life Balance. Only a small percentage of students start a family while studying, so they are more involved and focused on professional growth. The only they have is study but many of them use write my essay services to save the time for work.
Financial benefits for the company. In most cases, a student’s salary = half of a professional’s salary. This can significantly save on salary costs.
Productivity and performance. Generation Z, unlike their more experienced colleagues, seeks not only to learn new things but also to apply their knowledge. They are more receptive to IT technologies and master the field faster. Usually, students of technical universities come to work in IT companies even before they graduate, because they show excellent results and have a high level of intelligence.
Self-management. Generation Z employees have lower expectations than their colleagues. They are more willing to take on different tasks and are flexible and engaged.
Students enliven the workspace and inspire experienced colleagues to work. Having a young and proactive person on the team has a positive impact on the work environment. Students bring new ideas to the workplace, so they inspire themselves and inspire others to be productive.
Rapid Adaptation. Z-students learn and adapt quickly in a new environment, and they also show more enthusiasm than experienced colleagues.