28 01, 2022

Five Steps to Reduce Network Latency

2022-01-28T17:38:39-06:00January 28th, 2022|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Instant access is the new normal. When customers, employees, or partners hit the Enter key, they expect an immediate response. An inability to meet such high expectations diminishes a brand’s reputation, lowers productivity, and increases churn. A number of items impact network performance, so let’s take a look at what latency is, how it arises, and how to reduce it. Latency is the time that elapses between when a request for data is made and the delivery of it occurs. Moving information from an end point to a central server and back again involves coordination among many different elements. Slowdowns can occur at many points. With networks, the focus is often on routers and switches. However, server processors, storage systems, end-user devices, application software, and a wide range of infrastructure software (security, operating systems, management tools) also impact response times. A delay at any intersection disrupts communications, and problems follow.  Web page load times increase, audio and video streams (which are very sensitive to disruptions) fail, and applications drone on. Illustrating the impatience of today’s user, more than half (53%) of them will abandon a web page that takes three seconds or longer to load. Since businesses require an average of 15 seconds to perform that task, latency impacts companies much more than they realize. So, how can your firm avoid the problem? Get a Measurement Tool or Service The first step to ensuring adequate response times is understanding how well your network is working. Vendors sell performance management tools. In addition, Managed Service [...]

15 10, 2021

Secure Company Data with Virtual Private Networks

2022-02-28T16:38:44-06:00October 15th, 2021|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Corporate networks are constantly under siege by hackers. Consequently, organizations need solutions that protect their information. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) offer them an effective technique for ensuring that intruders do not sneak off with their data as they traverse the enterprise network. Mobility is the biggest benefits that Wi-Fi networks offer Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs). The widespread adoption of wireless connections has changed how work gets done. Employees are no longer chained to their desks. They often work remotely, getting closer to customers or having quiet time, so they can focus on tasks at home. Such connectivity makes workers more productive. But like any advancement, wireless networking comes with a price. As employees roam at remote corporate offices and beyond, they open themselves up to possible intrusion. Make no mistake, the bad guys are quite busy trying to break into business computers. In fact, a hacker attacks a system somewhere every 39 seconds, according to a study at the University of Maryland. While breaches at large organizations gain national headlines, 76% of SMBs reported a cyberattack within the previous 12 months, according to a Ponemon Institute. Security Holes Open Up Hackers attack because networks offer them – as well as legit users -- an entryway. Such openings are plentiful when employees work off site from their home or public Wi-Fi hotspots, such as a coffee shop, airport, or hotel. In many cases, these networks do not have any security checks, leaving personal data open to intrusion. Compounding the problem, wireless network designs have [...]

12 04, 2021

Steadfast Join Forces with Imagit Inc

2021-05-03T11:45:16-05:00April 12th, 2021|Tags: , , , , |

Combining the technical capacities of Imagit’s customized IT services and Steadfast’s multi-cloud portfolio delivers a complete IT solution set to businesses of all sizes  CHICAGO, IL – April 12, 2021 - Steadfast, a leader for over 20 years in complex cloud consulting, engineering, and managed hosting is proud to announce a new gold partnership with Imagit Inc, a Chicago-based company providing comprehensive IT services for channel partners, managed service providers, and enterprise businesses with multiple locations. The business culture and foundation of Imagit reflects the same values as Steadfast, which is one of the critical components Steadfast looks at when considering partners. Beyond culture, Imagit has a solid IT services foundation and has accelerated for over 20 years as a known “go to” network engineering partner. Steadfast’s multi-cloud offerings perfectly complement Imagit’s highly customized services. “At the core, Steadfast Provides the Foundation to Make IT Work upon which organizations of all sizes can reliably and cost-effectively build and operate existing, evolving, and future technology solutions. This same statement can be applied to Imagit’s model – which is ideal to provide the right infrastructure and network foundation to help companies modernize their systems to be highly agile, stable, and aligned for seamless growth. The entire IT scope for businesses is critical today and to move seamlessly into future tech – Imagit and Steadfast make this happen.” - Tim Monner, VP Marketing and Business Development Depth of solutions and services found within this exemplary partnership include: Network Engineering Cloud Consulting and Engineering Systems Engineering Managed Hosting [...]

5 12, 2020

TBI Adds IT Service Provider Imagit to Portfolio

2020-12-05T23:26:34-06:00December 5th, 2020|Tags: , , , , |

The partnership brings IT Professional Services to TBI’s partner community. CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 2, 2020 - Leading technology brokerage firm, TBI, announces the addition of Imagit to their provider portfolio. Imagit is a full-service IT solutions provider with extensive experience in every aspect of desktops, servers, and network environments. With over 20 years of experience and a presence in 45 countries, Imagit helps businesses around the world meet their IT needs today and plan for the technology demands of tomorrow. Imagit provides customizable and innovative solutions to help businesses through their extensive network of channel partners. Customers gain access to a team of experts and trusted IT partners focused on converging business and technology to help organizations build for the future. Imagit’s professional project management, deployment, and maintenance services help meet IT infrastructure objectives and increase efficiency. Partners can provide their customers with consultative and comprehensive IT support using Imagit’s robust service portfolio, while still adhering to the partner’s standards and best practices to yield a high rate of success, client satisfaction, and repeat business. Built on providing exceptional customer service with the most trusted technicians in the field, Imagit continues to grow its expansive customer base and expand internationally. "Imagit is happy to partner with an extraordinary company like TBI and broaden their already expansive offering. In additional to this partnership being a perfect logistical and technological fit, culturally TBI and Imagit are mirror images: great people consistently delivering amazing services to large, multi-site partners. TBI partners now have a full, turnkey [...]

24 09, 2020

Public Cloud’s Impact on Enterprise Networks

2021-02-19T16:45:55-06:00September 24th, 2020|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Corporations are moving to public cloud in growing numbers, and the increasing use of these services is having an impact on enterprise networks. Potential bottlenecks are shifting away from the company data center to network entry and exit points. Corporations must understand why the changes are occurring and their impact, and then take steps to ensure their networks deliver acceptable response times. Organizations are embracing cloud computing. Worldwide spending on public cloud services was forecasted to increase from $227.8 billion in 2019 to $266.4 billion in 2020, a 17% annual jump, according to market research firm Gartner, Inc. As workloads move from the company data center to the public cloud, enterprise network traffic patterns shift. The first change is corporations are deploying more applications: mobile, social media, data analytics, and artificial intelligence and machine learning. The result is they work with more information and need to carry it over their corporate networks. The volume of data generated annually is expected to grow from 33 zettabytes (1 trillion gigabytes) in 2018 to 175ZB in 2025, a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 61%. Changing Traffic Patterns Faster networking techniques are required as more information flows over enterprise networks. Recently, vendors started to roll out Wi-Fi 6, which increases wireless networks’ top speed from 1G bps to 2G bps to 10G bps. In addition, traffic flows shift. In the past, processing was monolithic: almost all was done in central data centers. Cloud distributes computing infrastructure: keeping some work on site but moving some off to public [...]

21 08, 2020

Network Traffic Shifts from East/West to North/South

2021-01-27T00:14:07-06:00August 21st, 2020|Tags: , , , , , |

The growth of public cloud services boosts enterprise network traffic Public cloud has become popular because it offers organizations flexibility, lower costs, and more rapid deployment. One ripple effect from its growth is a significant change in corporate network traffic patterns. Typically, most traffic, traveled East-West, inside the data center, but cloud alters that equation so more data moves North-South from inside to outside. As they embrace these services, corporations often need to upgrade their networks to ensure adequate response time. Vendors, like Amazon Web Service, Microsoft, and Google Inc., are locked in an intense battle to emerge as the top public cloud provider. In response, they have been expanding their services and lowering pricing with the goal of attracting more customers. Their plans have been very successful. Worldwide spending on public cloud services and infrastructure is expected to grow from $229 billion in 2019 to nearly $500 billion in 2023, a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 22.3%, according to market research firm International Data Corp. A Lack of Focus When examining these services, businesses often focus on the impact on their applications and data center staffing. With public cloud, organizations deliver software updates more quickly. In many cases, businesses also reduce their data center operations staff needs. While the business drivers are compelling, one area that is often overlooked is public cloud’s impact on the enterprise network, which is quite dramatic. The perception that public cloud makes computing infrastructure invisible is a misconception. Whether organizations themselves deal with the computer infrastructure or someone [...]

12 11, 2019

TAG Austin 2019 Recap

2020-07-14T16:55:52-05:00November 12th, 2019|Tags: , , , , , , |

Our team enjoyed TAG in Austin and we’ve got some highlights to share with you! Technology Assurance Group (TAG) hosted their big event on November 7 - 8 in Austin, TX focused on Planning Your Success in 2020. TAG is an organization of over 100 leading MSPs and other technology companies. Members benefit from best business and management practices, advanced sales training programs and processes, in-depth financial analysis and industry benchmarking, professionally led peer group interaction, marketing and lead generation programs, and strategic partnerships with technology manufacturers. Here’s our recap of the event: Notes from the Conference Floor We have exhibited at TAG events before and once again we found the event to be worth our time and effort. This was the first time TAG did all the regions in one location, normally they host three smaller meetings. We liked this approach better and hope to see them do more events in this format. There were around 70 people in attendance, which is about what we expected for the meeting. While this number is lower than an average-sized conference that we attend, the ‘quality’ of attendee was through the roof! Just about every attendee was a decision maker which made for great conversations. The size of the show and venue made it easy to move around the floor, while still being compact enough to be perfect for networking. The conference had a lot of good speakers and information about security and the importance of making sure you have the appropriate insurance coverage. MSPs are [...]

13 05, 2019

Communicating after a Cyber Attack

2021-02-19T16:55:22-06:00May 13th, 2019|Tags: , , , , |

Organizations of all sizes are at risk for cyber attacks that can cripple operations and cause lasting damage. Businesses must have a plan in place for communicating with customers in the event of an attack so as to minimize losses. We are happy to share some information from our partners at Pronto Recovery about planning your communication and response after a cyber attack. The costs of a cyber crime The price tag of a security breach is staggering, with an average cost of $1.2 million. Cyber crime will cost the world in excess of $6 trillion annually by 2021 and financial costs are not the only consequences. Ransomware attacks are the #1 cyber threat to businesses and are growing at a yearly rate of 350%. These often start with a simple phishing email and can lead to the complete shutdown of business operations. One-third of companies surveyed claimed their company lost intellectual property due to a cyber-attack and 36% of them believe the attack reduced their competitive advantage. In today’s globalized business environment, organizations of all sizes face the prospect of falling victim to a cyber-attack or IT outage that could cause serious damage to its infrastructure and ability to operate. Despite the improvement of cybersecurity techniques, criminals continue to develop sophisticated ways to disrupt systems and steal data. The need to prepare for cyber-attacks is more important than ever. According to Cisco’s 2017 Annual Cybersecurity Report more than one third of the organizations that experienced a cyber breach in 2016 reported a loss of customers, business opportunities and [...]

1 05, 2019

Say hello to the new Imagit!

2019-10-24T21:53:44-05:00May 1st, 2019|Tags: , , , |

Big news! We are celebrating twenty years in business with a brand-new logo and brand identity! Over the next few months you’ll see the new logo and colors roll out on our website, social media, collateral, and anywhere we are in public. If you have used the Imagit logo in any of your marketing materials, please contact us and assist us in updating them. This rebrand comes after careful consideration of our name, presence, industry, and vision for the future. Years ago, we launched the Imagit name under this logo and slogan. Our goal was to provide businesses with comprehensive IT services, delivering cutting-edge solutions for complex problems. Imagit was built on providing exceptional customer service with the most trusted technicians in the field. Originally serving only smaller businesses, today we fully support organizations who have thousands of locations globally. Today we are still in the field every day delivering innovative solutions and completing large multi-site projects for clients and partners everywhere. As we look to the future, we want to embrace our greatest strengths as a company. Our vision and mission reflect our strengths and the goals that we strive for. Imagit is recognized in the tech industry as the go to network engineering partner, guaranteeing impressive and integrity-based results. We are proven, brave, curious, passionate, determined and lots of fun… people like us! In a world where many technology companies are rather faceless, completing work remotely and outsourcing customer service, Imagit takes a different approach. Our focus on relationships brought us to [...]

15 03, 2019

Imagit Inc Exhibits at Data Center World 2019

2019-07-29T20:34:31-05:00March 15th, 2019|Tags: , , , |

Imagit Inc showcases nationwide network IT services at the leading conference and expo for data center and IT infrastructure professionals in Phoenix on March 19-22. Chicago, IL -- Imagit Inc announced today it is exhibiting at Data Center World, a conference that brings together professionals in the data center, facilities, and IT infrastructure industries. This year’s event, scheduled for March 19-22 in Phoenix, AZ, will deliver expert strategy and insight on the technologies and concepts you need to know to plan, manage, and optimize your data center. Attendees will meet for four days of vendor-neutral education, industry-leading speakers, abundant networking, and broad access to vendors. “We’re at an inflection point in the data center industry where it’s more critical than ever for the buyers and sellers of data center technologies and services to be having the kind of dialogue that will advance the quality and reliability of the data center,” said Kelly Kocher, Marketing Leader, Informa Tech. “Having companies like Imagit as an exhibitor at DCW gives our attendees the knowledge and insight they need to be sure they’re making sound decisions for their businesses.” “Data Center World gives us a great platform to educate industry professionals about the key benefits of working with a global IT provider,” said Brian Gardner, CEO. “As an industry leader, we leverage our industry experience and best practices to help partners and end users improve productivity, maximize resources, and strategically plan for future growth.” Meet Imagit during Data Center World at Booth 823 during the exhibitor events. We look [...]

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