VISIONs of Greatness – Greatness. Defined.
What does it mean to be great? Is greatness, like genius, something elusive, forever beyond the reach of our definitions? Is it futile to even attempt a definition of greatness? Maybe. But that’s not going to stop us from trying.
So you want to be great?
Welcome to the club. A lot of people desire greatness, but to actually become great, you’ve got to do a lot more than want it – you’ve got to live it. Day in, day out. You’ve got to put in the work. That’s because at the end of the day …
“It’s not about money or connections – it’s the willingness to outwork and outlearn everyone when it comes to your business.” – Mark Cuban, Entrepreneur & Investor
And working hard means working hard at every part of your business, your craft, your goal. Not just the big, fun stuff, but all the boring little details, too. After all …
“Greatness is a lot of small things done well.” – Eric Thomas, Motivational Speaker & Author
If that sounds hard, that’s because it is. So if you’re going to pursue greatness, make sure you pick something you love, because …
“You can only become great at that thing you’re willing to sacrifice for.” – Maya Angelou, Writer & Activist
… and it’s not worth all that sacrifice if you don’t love it.
It’s also not worth the pain. That’s right – there’s pain on the path to greatness. And failure, too. Plenty of failure. But hey, don’t stop when the going gets tough, because here’s the thing …
“Greatness begins beyond your comfort zone.” – Robin Sharma, Author & Speaker
OK, but what if you go for it … and fail? What if you put everything you have into your dream, and things don’t work out? What if –
Look, those thoughts are scary. They’re also human. Every great person in history likely started their journey to greatness with serious doubts. With fear. So embrace those doubts and make friends with your fear, because …
“Greatness comes from fear. Fear can either shut us down and we go home, or we fight through it.” – Lionel Richie, Singer & Songwriter
As for the possibility of failing, that’s just part of the deal. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. So, when you feel that fear bubbling up, just remind yourself …
“No one ever achieved greatness by playing it safe.” – Harry Gray, Business Leader & Philanthropist
In the pursuit of greatness, you can plan, strategize, and learn as much as you can to mitigate risk. But risk can never be eliminated. Greatness requires a leap of faith. It requires courage.
But the best thing about greatness – the thing that makes greatness, well, great – is that it’s usually worth it: the risk, the work, even the pain.
That’s because true greatness is bigger than you. It’s bigger than any one of us. True greatness makes the world a better place. Is the moon landing great? Of course. But so is an act of kindness. So is sitting beside a hospital bed for hours …
“Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
Wise words from Dr. King. Service IS great. Helping others is great. Caring is great.
This brings us to a crucial point: greatness isn’t about how much ‘success’ you have – how much money you make or how many people know your name (even though greatness tends to lead to success). It’s about who you are and how you treat others.
“Most people define greatness through wealth and popularity and position in the corner office. But what I call everyday greatness comes from character and contribution.” – Stephen Covey, Author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Character and contribution. That’s it, right there. Greatness comes from within, and it manifests in how we affect the world around us – and the people we encounter. And it’s in all of us, too, this capacity to be good, to do good. To be great and do great.
So don’t wait to be great or make plans to be great.
BE great. In your thoughts, in your intentions, in your actions. Greatness starts with the small things. And it starts … right … now.
Go.
***
If you enjoyed this piece, look out for the next “VISION of Greatness” from The 20. And don’t forget to register for VISION ’23, the MSP event of the year!
VISION is just a few weeks away – secure your seat before spots fill up!
VISIONs of Greatness – The Funny Thing About Greatness
He’s bearded. He’s bold. He’s silly. He’s creative. He’s one of the most successful comedians of all time. He started out doing stand-up and bombing. He became a Hollywood star. He still does stand-up. He still bombs. Studying his career—his approach—teaches us a lot about greatness. Turns out, greatness is a funny thing.
A True Story
He’s great. He’s rich, he’s famous, and everybody likes him (well, not everyone, but in this day and age, consensus is an all but mythical phenomenon).
And it’s not surprising. He is likeable. Is it his face? The beard? His overall appearance? When he hosted SNL, he described his look in a variety of colorful ways:
- “homeless college professor”
- “marijuana Santa Claus”
- “someone who looks like they write on alpaca message boards”
People laughed. The things he said brought them joy. And maybe that’s it, right there—the reason he’s well-liked, the reason he’s great:
He brings people joy.
But like many comedians who got their start on the stand-up stage, success didn’t come quickly or easily. Before everyone knew him—before everyone liked him—he was just a scared kid pursuing a dream.
He still remembers that first road gig, at a dive bar in Kentucky.
The owner told him to perform in a cage—you know, for protection against the beer bottles the crowd might throw.
Naturally, in those early days, he would get nervous before a set. Real nervous. Scared.
What about now? After doing stand-up for decades, after starring in one of the highest-grossing comedy trilogies of all time, after interviewing, on his own fake talk show, the former President of the United States …
How does he feel when he takes the stage?
You want to know the truth?
He still gets nervous.
That’s because he’s still chasing the goal. He’s still getting after it.
But he’s rich, he’s famous, and everyone likes him. What else is there to prove? Achieve?
Well, here’s the thing … For him, “fame and all that crap” wasn’t—and isn’t—the goal. The goal is the stand-up itself.
The craft of bringing people joy.
And you can never perfect that. You can never be done. So you keep trying new stuff. You keep bombing. You keep creating. You keep going—rain, shine, or beer bottles.
It worked for Zach Galifianakis, and it’ll work for you too.
The Insights
Greatness isn’t a state.
It’s a process: ongoing and unfinished. You never ‘get to’ greatness. It’s a horizon, a hypothetical destination that you just keep chasing. That’s because greatness is an expression of passion—of caring—and when you care, you never stop trying to get better.
Greatness isn’t ‘great.’
It’s human. It’s nerves. It’s uncertainty. It’s failure. Great people are just like everyone else. So if you want to be great in the hopes of becoming someone else, find yourself a new motivation or else you’ll be sorely disappointed.
So … you can’t ‘get to’ greatness and greatness changes nothing?
Pretty much! Told you greatness is a funny thing.
But jokes aside, the message here really is a positive and joyful one …
Enjoy THIS—this day, this moment, this life (not some imagined future where you’re perfectly content, confident, and at ease). Embrace the messiness of it all. The imperfection. The absurdity. And yes, even the failure. Because that’s the good stuff—that’s the great stuff—and it’s never going away.
***
If you enjoyed this piece, look out for the next “VISION of Greatness” from The 20. And don’t forget to register for VISION ’23, the MSP event of the year!
VISION is a month away – secure your seat before spots fill up!
Meet Colt Williams, Junior Graphic Designer!
Colt Williams quickly became a tremendous asset to the entire team at The 20. Read below to find out more about Colt.
What do you do here at The 20?
I am the Jr. Graphic Designer! I work off of several templates, create different social media posts, and animate motion graphics here and there.
Describe The 20 in three words…
Ultimate Game Changer
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was real young, I really wanted to be a pizza delivery driver. That was my grand end goal. Throughout my childhood, I really wanted to be a preacher.
What’s the most challenging thing about your job?
Adapting with trends, while staying consistent. You don’t want to look outdated, but you also don’t want to step too far away from your brand, especially to the point where it’ll be very out of style once the trend dies off. You have to find a perfect balance of using the brand as a foundation and then adapting it to what works and what the target audience will respond to.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Nothing stands out too much, I’ve been blessed with a lot of achievements to be thankful for. Something I never thought I’d be able to do was skateboard a quarter-pipe or a bowl, which I have come to be able to do, so I definitely would put that somewhere towards the top of the list since most people can’t do that.
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
I think respect and excitement towards others is strong for success. Most of the time, people will reciprocate and it creates more connections. Something as simple as always wearing a smile and remembering people’s names is an easy way to build relationships that can be useful when you need them.
What do you like most about The 20?
It’s a great environment, with strong driven leadership that understand the field. It’s promising and it gives me an outlet for creating things that I enjoy creating!
What do you like to do in your spare time? / What are your hobbies?
Skateboarding is definitely my go-to in my spare time. It’s something fun to do with friends, it helps me stay active, and it costs no money at all.
Where are you going on your next vacation?
I’m going to Panama in February for my honeymoon! It’ll be one of the only places that’ll be hot around that time so I’m pretty excited for that!
What is your top life hack?
Your brain feels greater fulfilled the more routines you break for new experiences. The older you get, the faster time flies by, because unlike when you were a kid, your brain isn’t being exposed to new experiences so it processes information faster. Even if it’s as simple as going to a new restaurant every night, new experiences help your brain slow down and enjoy things.
What are your favorite movies?
American Psycho, Fight Club, and Bullet Train all the way.
Favorite artist/band?
My favorite artist is Kid Cudi, and my favorite band is The Home Team.
What is your favorite food?
Fried chicken, and it’s not even close. I’m addicted honestly. Doesn’t matter where, Chicken Express, Cane’s, wherever. Bonus points if it’s spicy.
Interested in working with Colt at The 20? We’re hiring! Check out our Careers page for more info.
The 20 Recognizes Top MSPs and Vendors at VISION ’22
Full Press Release Here
Last week was VISION ’22, our annual conference for growth-minded MSPs looking to get to that next level. The event was a huge success — we’re still feeling the buzz! It felt great to get together with the MSP community and celebrate each other’s successes.
Speaking of which, we capped off Day 2 of VISION with an Awards Ceremony recognizing MSPs and vendors for their outstanding achievements over the past year (list of winners below). Our CEO, Tim Conkle, shared his thoughts:
“The 20 is proof that MSPs can work together and take pride in each other’s success. Giving out awards to recognize the tireless efforts of the MSPs in our community is gratifying in and of itself, but it’s especially gratifying in the context of our group — we love seeing each other win, and anyone who was in attendance Thursday could see that. It was also a tremendous honor to recognize top-performing vendors for their innovative solutions, which not only empower our MSP members to do more with less, but also push our entire industry forward.”
Well said, Tim!
Now, presenting the winners of the VISION ’22 Awards …
-
- MSP of the Year – George Burke, The Computing Edge
- MSP Business Growth – Dennis Ward, Code Red Networks
- Most Engaged MSP – Gary Blawat, INGRAIN IT*
- Support Desk Favorite – Chris Kimbell, Wolfguard IT*
- Ambassador of the Year – John Rutkowski, BOLDER Designs*
- Best Revenue Booster – Zomentum
- Most Disruptive Solution – Cytracom
- Most Helpful Vendor – Ciardi Ciardi & Astin
- Product of the Year – BLOKWORX
- Partner of the Year – Kaseya
*Now part of The 20 MSP (full press releases here and here)
Congratulations, everybody, on these well-deserved recognitions!
And a big, Texas-sized THANK YOU to everyone who attended VISION ’22. MSP owners, speakers, vendors, IT pros — it was truly a privilege and a pleasure to spend a few days with you. Our community is awesome, and we love giving y’all an opportunity to get together and connect.
Here’s to the accomplishments of last year, and to the opportunities of the coming year!
Full Press Release Here
The 20 MSP, a leading business development group for managed service providers, today announced that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named three of The 20’s leaders to the esteemed Women of the Channel list for 2022: Ciera Cole, Chief Experience Officer; Crystal McFerran, Chief Marketing Officer; and Alexis Williams, Digital Marketing Coordinator. Those named on this annual list come from all corners of the IT channel — including vendors, distributors and solution providers whose vision, expertise and leadership help drive the industry forward.
By bringing innovative concepts, strategic business planning and comprehensive channel initiatives to life, these extraordinary women support partners and customers with exceptional leadership. CRN celebrates these women, who are so deserving of recognition, for their constant dedication to channel excellence.
Ciera Cole serves as Chief Experience Officer at The 20. In her role as CXO, Cole spearheads The 20’s efforts to provide its MSP members with one unified experience, securing retention, growth and satisfaction. Cole studied business at Baylor University and later received her MBA from Southern Methodist University while working full-time at The 20. This is her fourth time appearing on the Women of the Channel list.
Crystal McFerran is a proven marketing leader with nearly two decades of experience in B2B marketing, demand generation, marketing communications, lead nurturing, content strategy and multichannel marketing for the IT industry. In her current role as Chief Marketing Officer at The 20, McFerran draws on her marketing expertise and entrepreneurial experience to translate business objectives into marketing strategies, facilitating growth and scale for both The 20 and its MSP member network. McFerran holds a bachelor’s degree, MBA and M.A. from the University of Texas at Dallas. This is her fourth time appearing on the Women of the Channel list.
A rising talent in the IT space, Alexis Williams started out at The 20 as an intern, and now serves as Digital Marketing Coordinator. In this role, Williams is responsible for boosting the digital presence of The 20 and its MSP members through content creation and coordination, social media campaigns, and strategic marketing initiatives aimed at driving brand awareness. Williams holds two bachelor’s degrees from the University of North Texas and, in 2021, was named to the inaugural Channel Futures DE&I 101 list.
“It’s incredibly exciting and heartening to see three women from our company recognized on this year’s Women of the Channel list,” said Tim Conkle, CEO of The 20. “Alexis, Ciera and Crystal possess unique and invaluable skill sets, but one thing they all share is a hunger for innovation, and their relentless pursuit of excellence has been instrumental to our nationwide growth.”
“We are proud to once again recognize the remarkable leaders on this year’s Women of the Channel list. Their influence, confidence, and diligence continue to accelerate channel success significantly,” said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. “Their accomplishments will inspire others, and we look forward to witnessing their future contributions to the channel.”
CRN’s 2022 Women of the Channel list will be featured in the June issue of CRN Magazine and online at https://www.CRN.com/WOTC.
About The 20
The 20 is an exclusive business development group for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) aimed at dominating and revolutionizing the IT industry with its standardized all-in-one approach. The 20’s robust RMM, PSA, and documentation platform ensures superior service for MSP clients utilizing their completely US-based Help Desk and Network Operations Center. Extending beyond cutting-edge tools and processes, The 20 touts a proven sales model, a community of industry leaders, and ultimate scalability. For more information, visit https://www.the20.com
Follow The 20: Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook
About The Channel Company
The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end-users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. https://www.thechannelcompany.com
Follow The Channel Company: Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
Meet Sean Coker, Support Desk Technician!
Sean Coker quickly became a tremendous asset to the entire team at The 20. Read below to find out more about Sean.
What do you do here at The 20?
I am a support desk tech here at The 20, which means that I spend most of my day handling email-tickets.
Describe The 20 in three words…
Growth, Co-operation, Security
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be an archeologist growing up.
What’s the most challenging thing about your job?
Trying to make each user feel heard and taken care of when it is busy.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievement would probably be getting my B.S. in Economics as a first generation student.
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
In my experience, perseverance has been the quality most important for success.
What do you like most about The 20?
This is my first real IT job, so I have really appreciated how kind and eager to help all my coworkers are.
What do you like to do in your spare time? / What are your hobbies?
In my off hours, I generally spend time playing video games with my GF and exploring new restaurants throughout DFW.
Where are you going on your next vacation?
DC for all the monuments and museums, might even take a quick trip over to Baltimore to pay my respect to Edgar Allen Poe.
What’s your top life hack?
Keyboard shortcuts and hotkeys. Learn them, use them, love them.
Interested in working with Sean at The 20? We’re hiring! Check out our Careers page for more info.
Secure Access Service Edge, also called SASE (pronounced “sassy”), is an emerging technology to solve modern security problems in a scalable and efficient manner. The easiest way to think of this technology is as a next level VPN. This allows you to project a secure network out with a simple software client to connect in. You are given conditional access allowing the implementation of a zero trust architecture while having the process abstracted into XaaS.
While zero trust architecture is a strategy, SASE manifests as a solution. The general SASE stack combines solutions which address the following in some combination: Secure Web Gateway (SWG), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Firewall as a Service (FwaaS), and Zero Trust Network Architecture (ZTNA). We’ll get into exactly what these all are and why they matter or benefit security in a bit. In short, you’re addressing many of the cost prohibitive points of the cloud with minimal effort at scale with the right solution.
With continuous threats across the globe, and new work paradigms, security has taken a turn. It’s neither better nor worse, it’s just more complex for people who haven’t kept up. It’s a lateral move if you have managed to stay relevant, but it’s a lot of catch-up otherwise.
Phishing is still alive and well. You have to address the human element of cybersecurity, avoid social engineering, and tackle all of the many technical concerns as well.
IaaS, XaaS, and Zero Trust
With infrastructure migrating to the cloud, the premium cost of a predictable bill has fallen below the risk of hardware failing. It can make sense to ensure that the liability is owned by a vendor even if it costs more long-term. We’ve reached the point that virtually everything technical is a service due to it being technically and economically feasible. Firewalls can live in the cloud because processing resources, bandwidth, and the cost of security have reached the point it’s commercially viable.
Infrastructure has gotten more abstract and more complex. You aren’t securing a site anymore, you’re securing a patchwork of vendors, clients, and even employee networks. A block of servers lives in Azure (some with Nerdio, a few with Crayon, others vanilla), another resource lives in AWS, and everything is tied in with a mixture of legacy on-premise systems and other cloud vendors. Throw in work from home, business travel needs, and ballooning security concerns and compliance measures and you get a recipe for complexity which can drive IT costs up rapidly.
It’s expensive and near impossible to build a system where every component can be trusted or even vetted. Add in external vendors and similar and traditional subnetting, VLANing, and similar measures break down quickly. This has led to the creation of zero trust architecture (as a strategy) and more technical SASE solutions implementing it (among other technologies).
The Technologies That Make Up SASE
SASE is IaaS on steroids with a focus on security which adds in zero trust architecture as a strategy with the technologies to enable everything to work seamlessly. Instead of your infrastructure being a network onsite where everyone needs to VPN in and deal with jump boxes and similar, they just use an application (for most solutions). You get something like a VPN where the rules just make sense and a network setup which makes the underlying infrastructure transparently in the cloud.
SD-WAN (Software Defined Wide Area Networking) has made it easy to tie together disparate LAN infrastructures and knit them together in a way which makes the process transparent. Networks have gotten more complex with BYOD, work from home, and branches all needing shared connectivity with enterprise resources. This connectivity can create a larger attack surface so companies turn to things like Secure Web Gateway (SWG) solutions to help block threats. Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) solutions help control access to cloud resources to protect from internal threats.
Security continues to get more complicated with the need for layer 7 application firewalls. A Zero Trust Network Architecture (ZTNA) is virtually essential since there are so many moving parts that the best strategy is to never trust, always verify. Firewall as a Service (FwaaS) solutions help glue the security pieces together into an abstract network which jumps from cloud to cloud tying everything up to where there is secure access across the distributed network.
How SASE Solutions Work
With the complexity of the security landscapes, even security-oriented MSPs are having to leverage specialist solutions to build the right cybersecurity packages. SASE vendors like Palo Alto, Cato Networks, Cloudflare, Todyl (and more) have built easy, scalable, software-defined solutions to make everything easy. For many solutions, it feels like connecting to a VPN but it covers many security angles in one simple package. For instance, some tools cover SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) angles and more.
Cloud firewall solutions and SD-WAN solutions allow the service to unify disparate networks in an easy, scalable, ad-hoc method. Using a next-generation application firewall (our partner BLOKWORX uses Palo Alto firewalls) allows the infrastructure to become more locked down in a way that enables the establishment of a Zero Trust Architecture methodology that’s easily managed and easily scaled. CASB solutions help manage data in and out of the virtual network and between devices. SWG further protects the devices from the greater internet, but also limits their interaction with internal assets in a more granular, application-defined way.
The exact way they integrate with a site will vary depending on the vendor and what is available onsite. Some solutions may require an appliance for larger branches or similar, others may be completely cloud-based. The equipment required to get started is usually pretty minimal compared to trying to build your own solution to get the same results.
SASE isn’t really new, but the ability to manage so many disparate technologies in a unified manner makes it more practical to administer and scale for a business. You don’t need to jump between multiple consoles and tweak settings while tracking the changes between each and every item, it’s all done from a single pane of glass or at least in a single solution. This lowers the burden of setup and maintenance and makes it easier to audit changes.
Meet Pat Quin, Content Writer!
Pat Quin quickly became a tremendous asset to the entire team at The 20. Read below to find out more about Pat.
What do you do here at The 20?
I’m a content writer.
Describe The 20 in three words…
Ahead of … curve.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
For a while there I wanted to be an architect who drives a Camry. Don’t ask me why — just seemed like a cool situation to be in.
What’s the most challenging thing about your job?
Trusting that the ideas will come even when it doesn’t feel like they will.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Building a table.
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
Taking just a few things very seriously and being relaxed about everything else.
What do you like most about The 20?
The people!
What do you like to do in your spare time? / What are your hobbies?
Hanging with my cats and wife.
Where are you going on your next vacation?
Chicago!
What’s your top life hack?
I don’t know about life hacks, but I’ve had a lot of success with vinegar.
Interested in working with Pat at The 20? We’re hiring! Check out our Careers page for more info.
Well, it’s that time of year again.
That time of year when many people make New Year’s resolutions for their personal and professional lives.
It’s important, I think, to set goals for ourselves, in an effort to better ourselves. We have one go-around at this thing, so shouldn’t we try to live out our best version? There’s always room for improvement in every business, and the New Year is a great time to evaluate both our strengths and our weaknesses.
We recently asked our partners from all over the country to give us their business resolutions for 2019, and the response was incredible!
Here are a handful of resolutions for you to enjoy:
I have two goals: 1) Acquire a company and 2) end the 2019 tax year as an Inc. 5000 applicant (which requires having $2 million in revenue).
I want BOLDER Designs to grow by 20%, I want to end the 2019 tax year as an Inc. 5000 applicant, and I’m also hoping to finish the ‘MID Operations Handbook’ that I’ve been writing for all members of The 20. It’s the definitive guide in creating a Scalable Service Operations.
Michael Wayland, Managing Director of Byte-Werx
My goals are to break into the MSP 501 list and hire my first full time employee.
My business New Year’s Resolutions: 1) Adding $25k in MRR, and 2) growing our footprint in South Carolina so as to have a full-time presence in Greenville and/or Charleston.
Sell, baby, sell! I want to land 2 MID clients per month; 24 for the year.
Our business New Year’s resolution is to continue growing into our financial and law verticals. We are also working to build an offering specific to non-profits in our area!
Sean Michie, Business Development Manager of MetroMSP, LLC
To build meaningful relationships within the medical industry to help practices avoid HHS fines.
Right now, one of our goals is to add another solid lead generation plan.
Our goal is to optimize our support-delivery to increase client retention and word-of-mouth referrals. It’s cheaper to keep ’em than to find new ones!
Jesús Zarzosa, President of TriuneIT
A couple of our goals for 2019: 1) Acquire an average of $10k new MRR per month, and 2) reduce our sales life cycle average to under 30 days.
I want Stratocent Technologies to support more than 500 devices with our business clients, and 1000 devices for consumer clients. I want to re-hire Max (he’s working as a VW Technician right now) and hire a local field tech — both will have fully-branded tech vans with vinyl wraps. I want a solid foundation for $1,000,000 in revenue in 2020.
I want our first MSP 501, and I want to move into real office space. I want our biggest challenge to be keeping up with the growth and continuing to deliver a quality customer experience.
I want to have $40k in MID/BDR MRR revenue by year’s end. I want to be operating at 100% MID for all of my clients, and to get rid of any remaining break/fix clients that won’t convert. Finally, I want to be more engaged in social media to promote my company as well as The 20!
So, there it is!
The New Year is the perfect opportunity to make the changes necessary to yield big dividends for years to come. Here’s to 2019!
The End of an Era: Microsoft Ends Extended Support for Windows 7
by Alex Bleam and Scott Meeler, Contributors
Every few years it happens: Microsoft lets us know that they will no longer be supporting one of their older operating systems or versions of Office.
Sometimes, as is the case with Windows ME, Windows Vista, or Window 8 – we don’t care. We don’t care because those were horrible operating systems so fraught with bugs and potential security issues that most of us avoided them – at home and in the office.
Then, there are those times we cringe when we hear the news of Microsoft wanting to take away software – software, mind you, that works well, runs on almost anything, and is stable and easy to use.
Originally released on July 22, 2009 – Windows 7 – is one of those operating systems.
Unfortunately, its time is now at an end. Microsoft has confirmed that on January 14, 2020, it will no longer support the Windows 7 operating system.
So, what does this mean?
This means that critical patches and security patches that protected your computers, network and data will no longer be developed. As a result, your machines will be susceptible to attacks without Microsoft there to plug those holes.
You may say, “Aren’t you providing anti-virus so bad things don’t happen?” The answer is, “Of course we are.”
Anti-virus is just one piece of a giant jigsaw puzzle that protects your network, your data and your client data. Microsoft’s updates and patches are an essential component needed to properly protect your business. These patches and updates address specific bugs, improve the operating system with additional features, and perhaps most importantly – address security vulnerabilities.
In addition, there are many organizations bound by law to meet HIPAA, Sarbanes Oxley, NIST or other compliancy guidelines. Running an operating system that is no longer supported by Microsoft puts your organization at risk of complaints being filed, audits, fines, and in worst case scenarios – potential criminal charges.
Outside of the potential security concerns that this can also bring, your computer may stop working properly. If you have a new issue pop up, the company who created your specific line of business (LOB) software may no longer fix this issue because you are on an obsolete version of Windows. The last thing you need is for critical business functions to go down or to stop working properly with your other technology. Migrations take planning, time, and money – waiting until there is an issue or a fire to put out can cost you more in the long run.
So, what are the options? While initially considered not-ready-for-prime-time, Windows 10 has developed into a stable, even likeable operating system that will be around for some time.
It will also likely be the last Windows operating system that you do not have to pay a subscription to use.
Yes, that’s right.
Microsoft has plans to move their operating system solutions to a subscription model like Office 365.
So, what is a business owner to do?
Well, DON’T panic for starters! You still have some time and we can definitely help. Call us and we will review your current situation. We will help you determine the most efficient process for replacing or updating those older machines.
Alex Bleam is the President of Frogworks, which serves the greater Washington, DC area, and is an Elite Member of The 20.
Scott Meeler is the CEO of Managed IT Systems, which serves the Atlanta and Athens, Georgia areas, and is also an Elite Member of The 20.
