The most common things mentioned by the staff themselves.
ITG, Integrated Technology Group, is home to some of the most talented computer experts you can find. They’ve been in business for 15 years and 90% of their “year one” clients still do business with them. Their business model is simple ‘making technology work for you’. This can be a range of issues from hardware and software upgrades to troubleshooting network issues and security needs. There is a myriad of services offered by the local business which can be found directly on their website. Why choose ITG over competitors? Put aside the fact that it is a local business located in East Greenbush, NY, and focus on the people at ITG that encompass the core values of this technology business. The staff took a few minutes out of their busy schedules to engage in a quick interview with myself. Therefore, I am proud to present, the staff of ITG.
Meet Kayla:
Along with Computer Science, she was also an English Major; and she has fun using these contrasting skills to create her unique approach with technology to help clients solve business goals.
Meet Chris:
It’s 2018 and he somehow doesn’t possess a single social media account! He loves the freedom to create a viable solution for each client.
Meet Triston:
He has a pet Rottweiler and loves his clients, especially ones that give him food!
Meet Zane:
He can do a Rubik’s cube in under a minute but claims he’s not a genius. Some would beg to differ.
Meet Mike:
He is the owner and a man of outdoor adventures. He loves the longstanding relationships he has been able to make with clients and looks forward too many more.
What enticed them to start a career in IT?
“Throughout my early career, I realized that what I really enjoyed about the work I was doing was the problem solving, and IT is all about problem-solving.” – Kayla
“I had an interest in IT and computers for as long as I could remember, even before I knew what it was, I was taking stuff apart.” – Chris
“I like being in an industry that’s always changing and evolving. It keeps things from being stagnant.” – Triston
“I’ve liked computers since I was young and worked at Boys & Girls Club in Troy. I would mess with the computers there since there were no classes for it in High School. I took a leap of faith and went to UAlbany to get my masters in Computer Science.” – Zane
“Information technology is an industry that changes and evolves on a daily basis. The challenges and opportunities to learn new skills every day was something that attracted me to a career in IT. Having the opportunity to help other industries grow from a technical perspective is a bonus.” – Mike
What is their favorite thing about working for ITG?
“I love that I can get my hands in everything. There is nothing that we can’t do here. I can see things through from start to finish. There are no departments where one person is in charge of something and so on. We are a team that works together to get the job done.” – Chris
“I like the work itself, especially building the relationship with our clients. They trust me and it makes us stand out from other IT places. I can go to my client’s office and feel like I belong there. We aren’t a company that tries to get in and out without catching a first name. We have this wonderful environment because we work as a team and we all learn and benefit from each other and their experiences as well as our own.” – Kayla
“The team environment and family culture – Every person that works at ITG approaches their workday with a ‘how can I help my coworkers’ attitude. This approach is not limited to the business workload or the technical assistance we offer to each other but it extends beyond the 9-5 work hours. Every team or family experiences personal difficulties, loss and hurdles, however, it is those teams and families that come together to support the other members that are the happiest and most successful.” – Mike
What makes ITG Unique?
“We have the freedom to do our own research and create a plan based on what is best for the clients” – Chris
“We help our clients get the most from available technologies and our services. We work closely with our clients to understand what it takes to operate their business. There is no one size fits all plan when it comes to technology. We provide our clients with recommendations that are suited to their specific needs.” – Kayla
“We specialize and focus heavily on a proactive approach to assisting our customers. Due to the combination of technology and human interaction, the IT industry will always have a reactive element to it. Other companies’ primary approach is to respond to an issue and “put out the fire” to correct the problem. ITG partners with clients to reduce the percentage of reactive issues. This reduction of issues will help increase business production for the client as well.” – Mike
What is the best thing you’ve done for a client?
“I’ve worked late after business hours to make sure that a client could continue operations so they didn’t lose time or money.” – Triston
“I think it varies situation to situation. You could respond to something as simple as a password reset or something as complex as a full data restoration. Either way, responding with the same level of commitment is really what it takes to save the day and do the best for the client in any case.” Kayla
“I was able to help a client recover their personal documents and photos which meant a lot to them.” – Zane
What is your biggest accomplishment in IT?
“Having the technical background knowledge to fix problems and the personal skills to make people laugh while they are going through a crisis.” – Triston
“Implementing a Security division to ITG that specializes in HIPPA/PCI and perimeter scans and audits. IT security is an absolute must these days and having the ability to offer these services to combat any cyber threat that endangers a client’s business is rewarding.” – Mike
Together the ITG team can accomplish the impossible. They are always available to help current clients as well as new ones. Invite them into your home away from home and you won’t be disappointed with the level of service and professionalism. Contact the staff today for all your computing needs.
Don’t forget to check out our newest blog post about your Windows 10 resolutions! If you get confused or worried – Just give us a call: 518-479-3881!
IT pros who emphasize these resolutions in 2018, including a focus on the easy-to-overlook security holes in Windows 10, will have a great year ahead.
The start of a new year often leads people to make resolutions; some people strive to lose weight, others look to save money. Whatever they select, the goal is to make their lives better.
Windows professionals should follow suit and make their own Windows 10 2018 resolutions. The right changes can make both their lives and their users’ lives better in 2018.
From improved security to fewer privacy concerns, the time is now to adopt these five Windows 10 2018 resolutions for the new year.
Focus on the simple things for security
IT can put a lot of its security concerns to rest in the new year by shoring up obvious areas. For example, IT can easily encrypt users’ personally identifiable information and other data by activating BitLocker, which is built into Windows 10. IT should also educate users on how to avoid bad links or malicious emails. It’s impossible to completely eradicate the risks associated with users making mistakes, but some teaching can go a long way.
Many organizations also run into rampant levels of unpatched third-party software. Attackers know that IT often forgets to update third-party software because there can simply be too much to keep track of. Fortunately, there are patch management tools out there, such as GFI LanGuard, that IT can use to identify unpatched software and address it.
In addition, IT needs security standards on every desktop. Setting minimum password lengths or whitelisting applications can really fortify an organization’s defenses.
Put Windows Update problems in the past
Windows Update can hit some snags that block updates, which can create security and compliance risks. IT should make sure that all devices are connected to the internet because Windows Update requires an internet connection to function.
Windows also delivers an error code when Windows Update fails. IT can search the internet for that code to diagnose the problem. If that proves fruitless, IT should make sure the device meets Windows 10’s minimum hardware requirements. It is also possible for a user’s device to simply run out of the space it needs to update. IT can clear space with Disk Cleanup.
Windows 10 certainly isn’t perfect, and there are a host of nagging problems that can make it tough to deal with for users.
Problems with Windows Update can also crop up if something happens to the System Reserved Partition, which contains the Boot Manager, Boot Configuration Data and BitLocker startup files. The partition works as part of the update process. Sometimes users delete the System Reserved Partition because they don’t know what it is and want to free up space on their devices. The partition can also run out of space. The Disk Management Console gives IT pros a window into the System Reserved Partition so they can make sure it’s present and see how much space it still has.
IT can also use the Windows Update Troubleshooter to identify and resolve any issues that commonly cause Windows 10 update problems.
Take full advantage of Windows 10 features
Microsoft has already released several major updates since the OS debuted in 2015. The Fall Creators Update added Exploit Guard, a tool within Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection that enables IT pros to block malicious websites and combat zero-day attacks with intrusion policies. For users, the Fall Creators Update enhanced the My People app by enabling them to pin contacts to their task bars and open an email, instant message or video chat directly from there.
The new features are great, but it’s important to also maximize the existing features. Windows Defender Device Guard, for example, enables IT to create code integrity policies that whitelist which apps are allowed to run on Windows 10.
IT can bolster security even more with Windows Hello for Business, which enables both biometric and two-factor authentication. Users can also work with the Cortana digital assistant to make appointments, get directions and more. And, of course, there is Continuum, which can orient the screen of a 2-in-1 device to match the presence of a keyboard.
Turn off annoying ads
Windows 10 certainly isn’t perfect, and there are a host of nagging problems that can make it tough to deal with for users. Ads, for example, pop up everywhere in the lock screen, the Start menu and in the Windows 10 Action Center. It is possible to suppress them, but users or IT must do it on a case-by-case basis. There are different toggles for turning off the ads for the Start menu than for the lock screen.
Address privacy concerns
The last of the five Windows 10 2018 resolutions is dealing with privacy concerns. Microsoft collects data from users, including security settings, contact lists, passwords and website visits. It also collects email and text message information, but does not read the contents. This data collection is supposed to help Microsoft customize the user experience. Apps such as Cortana, for example, rely on users’ personal information to better meet their needs.
There are ways to limit the data Windows 10 gathers. With telemetry data, for example, there are three settings: Basic, Full and Enhanced. Enhanced sends the most data of the three back to Microsoft. In Windows 10 Enterprise and Education, the user can even turn telemetry data collection off entirely. IT can employ Group Policy settings to limit other data collection or to alter privacy settings.
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