Washington Works Blog

What if we told you that not all VPNs were created equal? What if we said that some are meant to be used by consumers, while others are meant to be used for businesses that need to keep data secure while out of the office? Today, we want to clear up some misconceptions about what virtual private networks do, how they work, and what they actually protect you from—as well as how you can get started with a business-grade VPN today.

Email is necessary for your business to function, but it’s far from a perfect solution. In fact, you might experience all kinds of issues with it that can eat into your company’s productivity and put it at risk in more ways than one. We’re going to demystify two of the major problems that businesses experience with email so you can hopefully get your business back on track.

Business telephone systems are an interesting topic to consider these days. On one hand, you have the Internet, a sophisticated communication infrastructure that connects you with countless opportunities, but on the other, you have email and phone systems, which are direct lines to your business. At the end of the day, your customers will connect with you by phone—and as you might have guessed, how your business handles telephone calls matters.

Updates and upgrades are expensive, but that doesn’t mean your business can afford to skip them. More often than not, ignoring an update or upgrade to your technology is going to result in eventual bugs, hardware issues, and security vulnerabilities that can only be addressed with an update or an upgrade. First of all, what’s the difference between the two, and how do you know which one is necessary in a given situation?

You want your business to operate efficiently; that’s hardly a controversial statement. When you waste time, money, and resources, your business’ growth can crawl to a halt and give your competitors an advantage over you. Technology helps you bridge this gap and can give you the power to compete at higher levels than you’ve ever thought possible. Let’s go over some of the solutions modern businesses use to drive results.

There are a lot of issues that can impact the operations of your business, many of which are rooted in the hardware components of your computers. One of the most common issues with devices that are on their way out is issues with RAM. What is RAM, and how do you know if it’s time for a replacement?

Navigating the aftermath of a data breach can be a confusing and stressful experience. Whether it's a major company or a small business, a data breach means your personal information might be compromised. So, what should you do? Here’s a guide on how to react and what your options are.

Is your business’ technology hindering your employees, or is it making their jobs easier and more efficient? The right technology can go a long way toward improving the employee experience, morale, company culture, and most important of all, productivity. Let’s look at three ways technology makes for a better employee experience.

For anyone who has seen the movie Moneyball, remember Billy Beane and the Oakland A's? In the early 2000s, Beane revolutionized baseball with "Moneyball," a radical approach to team building. Faced with a shoestring budget, he eschewed traditional scouting metrics and instead used sabermetrics—advanced statistical analysis—to identify undervalued players. The result? A small-market team consistently outperforming richer rivals, proving that data, not just dollars, could buy success.

Fast forward to today, and the principles of Moneyball are more relevant than ever for modern businesses. In an increasingly competitive landscape, every company, regardless of size or industry, can leverage data to make smarter decisions, optimize resources, and ultimately, build a better business for less.

While hiring anyone to work in your business offers an assortment of challenges to overcome, it’s especially complicated when that hire’s role involves managing your IT. Technology is a complex subject, after all, and your expertise more than likely lies elsewhere in your organization’s needs. This knowledge gap could lead to the wrong fit being brought on… an expensive endeavor in more ways than one.