Musato Technologies Blog

Future-Proofing Your Microsoft Applications

AWS (Amazon Web Services) offers advantages for applications in each of the top five use cases for cloud migration cited by survey respondents:

#1: Corporate communication and collaboration applications

AWS helps run Microsoft applications such as SharePoint, Dynamics, and Exchange with greater security, easier management, and higher performance, respondents say. “Using AWS makes it easy for us to resize [Microsoft Exchange] instances and increase storage without having to go through a lengthy procurement cycle,” says Tom Bentzen, director of information systems for Choice Logistics, a global warehousing, and parts logistics company.

#2: File servers and backup, data storage, and archiving.

AWS offers a complete range of storage services to support both application and archival requirements. Continue reading →

Published June 25, 2017 | By Gideon E. M

Intel Core i5 versus i7

Published June 24, 2017 | By Gideon E. M

Which CPU Should You Buy? Intel Core i5 versus i7

We outline each Intel processor line and explain what it all means for your next desktop or laptop purchase, especially with Core i9 on the way.-Intel Core i5 versus i7

Drilling Down to the Cores

For many consumers who are on the hunt for a new desktop or laptop PC, one of the biggest considerations is the type of processor. Two of the CPUs most often in contention are the Intel Core i5 and Intel Core i7. Discounting Core i3 and m3 (mainly found in budget systems), Core i9 (powerful CPUs for gaming and performance PCs), and AMD processors (another story entirely), the difference between Intel Core i5 and Core i7 can seem daunting, especially when the prices seem so close together once they’re in completed systems. We break down the differences for you.

Pricing and Marketing

Simply put, Core i5-equipped systems are less expensive than Core i7-equipped PCs. Intel has moved away from the star ratings it used with previous-generation Core processors in favor of a capability-driven marketing message. Essentially, the Core i7 processors have more capabilities than Core i5 CPUs. They will be better for multitasking, multimedia tasks, high-end gaming, and scientific work. Core i7 processors are certainly aimed at people who complain that their current system is “too slow.” Spot-checking a system like the Dell XPS 13 Touch ultraportable, you’ll find the Core i5 to be about $200 less expensive than a similarly equipped Core i7 system. Continue reading →

Posted in Hardware, Intel, Investing in technology, Processor, Processors, Technology | Tagged CPU, Hardware, Intel Core i5, Intel Core i7, Intel Processors, Processors

Windows 10 S

Published June 23, 2017 | By Gideon E. M

Windows 10 S

What is Windows 10 S and how is it different from regular Windows 10?

Microsoft launched Windows 10 S, a brand new version of its ubiquitous operating system that will come with many new PCs in the near future. But what is it, how much does it cost and how is it different to Windows 10 Home or Pro?

What is it?

Windows 10 S is a fully fledged version of Windows 10 designed for low-cost computers as well as education-oriented PCs and even some premium computers, such as the new Microsoft Surface Laptop.

What does the ‘S’ stand for?

According to Microsoft, the “S” doesn’t stand for anything in particular, but the company says Windows 10 S is streamlined for simplicity, security, and speed. Windows 10 S will boot 15 seconds faster than a comparable machine running Windows 10 Pro with the same profile and apps installed, and it will run as fast on day 1,000 as it does on day one, Microsoft says. Continue reading →

Posted in Microsoft, Operating Systems, Windows 10 S | Tagged Microsoft, OS, Windows 10 S

Customer Relationships

Published June 22, 2017 | By Gideon E. M

Customer Relationships

8 Ways to Enhance Your Customer Relationships

Relationships are the foundation of every small business’ success. But as your business grows, it can become harder to sustain strong relationships with your customers.-Customer Relationships Management Systems

How can you serve your 100th customer with the same degree of personal attention you gave your first customer?

The answer is customer relationship management (CRM) solutions. CRM software can help you capture more information about customers, use what you’ve learned to provide better service, and quickly take advantage of sales opportunities. Here are some suggestions for finding the right CRM tool for your business.

1. Gather available customer information

You may not realize just how much data your business collects on your customers—from purchasing history, job title, and budget to personal details like alma mater and how many children they have. How can you put all that data to use? Look for a CRM tool like Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online that allows you to organize it all in one place. Continue reading →

Posted in Customer Relationships | Tagged CRM, Customer Relationships

URL Padding

Published June 21, 2017 | By Gideon E. M

The Mobile Phishing Threat You’ll See Very Soon: URL Padding

The fact that hackers are increasingly targeting mobile devices isn’t exactly a secret. And really, it’s not surprising either. After all, most of us are practically glued to our smartphones throughout the day.-URL Padding

An SMS arrived? Better read it straight away.

New email? Let me at it.

Screenshot of URL in a mobile browser.

Somebody, I don’t care about updating their Facebook status? Great, let’s see what they’re up to.

The increased attack volume we’re seeing directed at mobile devices is really nothing more than recognition on the part of threat actors that mobile devices account for an increasingly large proportion of web traffic… but aren’t nearly as well protected as PCs and laptops.

So with all that in mind, it shouldn’t be terribly surprising that we have a new mobile phishing threat to tell you about.

URL Padding

If you’re a regular reader of our blog, you may remember that back in March we published a post on the use of top level domains (TLDs) for phishing sites. In that post, we highlighted the use of generic (i.e., non-geographic) TLDs such as .support and .cloud to create URLs that appear to be authentic. For example:

review-helpteam.support

contact-us.site

summary-account.review Continue reading →

Posted in IT Services | Tagged Mobile Phishing, Phishing

Windows Server feature updates

Microsoft is moving Windows Server to the same semi-annual feature-update schedule as Windows client and Office 365 ProPlus are now on. Here’s how this will work.

As it has committed to do with Windows 10 and its Office 365 Pro Plus suite, Microsoft is set to deliver two new feature updates for Windows Server per year, starting this winter/fall (Northern Hemisphere)

The move to consolidate rollout schedules isn’t surprising, given Windows client and Server Engineering are both under Windows and Devices chief Terry Myerson. As Windows Client and Server are built in tandem, it makes sense for the client and server to be on the same release schedule.

In April, Microsoft announced that the Office 365 ProPlus suite and Windows client would be on the same feature release schedule, starting this September. There will be two new feature releases per year for both products. Microsoft will deliver this Fall the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update and a new version of Office Pro Plus, officials said. Continue reading →

Published June 21, 2017 | By Gideon E. M

The latest in quantum computing

D-Wave’s new and improved quantum computer is dubbed the 2000Q, representing the number of qubits in its quantum processor.- quantum computing

Quantum computer maker D-Wave Systems has released a new quantum processor, the 2000Q, which has double the number of qubits of its previous 1000Q system.

The 2000Q is the Canadian company’s fourth quantum computer system, aimed at solving certain optimization problems through a process called quantum annealing.

Quantum computers differ from conventional computers in that quantum bits, or qubits, can achieve superposition, or a state that is both 1 and 0 simultaneously, boosting the quantum processing unit’s (QPU’s) problem-solving powers. Continue reading →

Published June 20, 2017 | By Gideon E. M

The world’s first national technology ambassador

The world’s first national technology ambassador is heading to Silicon Valley. COPENHAGEN – The top firms in California’s Silicon Valley carry more weight on the global stage than many countries, which makes building diplomatic relations with them increasingly important, the world’s first national technology ambassador said.

Chosen to fill what his country’s foreign ministry has dubbed the first “techplomacy” posting on the U.S. West Coast, Denmark’s Casper Klynge will be tasked with building direct ties between his country and the likes of Facebook, Apple and Alphabet’s Google.

“We are to continue doing traditional diplomacy with countries and organizations, but we also have to start looking into what relation you can have with these big tech companies,” Klynge told Reuters in an interview. Continue reading →

Published June 19, 2017 | By Gideon E. M

Free and low-cost web analytics tools

Published June 19, 2017 | By Gideon E. M

Free and low-cost web analytics tools

Now that you are online and your company has a great website, what comes next? If you really want to maximize the impact of your website and make sure it was worth your investment, you need to track and analyze your online efforts using the web analytics.-web analytics tools

How these tools help you?

Web analytics software and social media monitoring tools help you avoid getting lost in data. The key is to set clear goals, isolate which metrics matter to your company and find the tools that will present that information to you simply.

For instance, web analytics applications can help you:

target your marketing initiatives
track the success of your search engine optimization efforts
understand your website visitor experience
learn what keywords bring in the best prospects
improve your sales conversion and
identify trends and improve website usability to maximize your website’s return on investment.
Related topics

Continue reading →

Posted in SEO, Website, Website Design in Durban, Wireless Technologies | Tagged Online Presence, Search Engine Optimisation, SEO, Web Analytics

Hard Disk Drives and Solid State Drives

Published June 18, 2017 | By Gideon E. M

Hard Disk Drives and Solid State Drives

SSD versus HDD: What’s the Difference?

The Choice Is Yours

Until recently, PC buyers had very little choice about what kind of storage to get in a laptop or desktop. If you bought an ultraportable, you likely had a solid-state drive (SSD) as the primary drive (C: on Windows, Macintosh HD on a Mac). Every other desktop or laptop form factor had a hard disk drive (HDD). Now, you can configure most systems with either an HDD or an SSD, or in some cases both. But how do you choose? We explain the differences between SSDs and HDDs (or hard drives), and walk you through the advantages and disadvantage of both to help you decide.-Hard Disk Drives and Solid State Drives

HDD and SSD Explained

The traditional spinning hard drive is the basic nonvolatile storage on a computer. That is, information on it doesn’t “go away” when you turn off the system, as is the case with data stored in RAM. A hard drive is essentially a metal platter with a magnetic coating that stores your data, whether weather reports from the last century, a high-definition copy of the original Star Wars trilogy, or your digital music collection. A read/write head on an arm accesses the data while the platters are spinning. Continue reading →

Posted in Computer Storage | Tagged Computer Storage, Hard Disk drives, HDD, Solid State Drives, SSD