The ACCENT Learning Hub

In today’s digital business world, it’s rare to find tasks that don’t require the use of a computer, tablet, or smartphone. This means that delighting your clients and keeping your employees productive depends heavily on the efficiency and competency of your company’s Information Technology department processes, whether it’s internally staffed or outsourced to a third party.

When John Leete wanted to move back to California from Denver, it was his experience in the IT industry that helped him land a job as a Systems Administrator with Accent Computer Solutions. It wasn’t until some 100 days later, however, that he realized how very fortunate he was to become a part of an organization that was not only welcoming and supportive, but overwhelmingly pro-employee.

Whether you follow basketball or not, you might have heard about Zion Williamson’s shoe blowout, 33 seconds into the February 20th game between Duke and the University of North Carolina. Williamson, a freshman who plays forward for Duke and is the projected #1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft, fell to the floor when his Nike shoe ripped apart. The result was a mild knee sprain that took him out of the game.

Can you believe how quickly February has passed? It certainly flew by for me. We've had a lot going on this month and I thought I'd share a bit from behind the scenes. Here is a quick update on what we have been focusing on this month:

For most of us Jan. 1 to April 15 is just tax season, but for hackers its “prime hunting season” to steal personal and financial information from unsuspecting taxpayers and businesses. Each year, hackers roll out new phishing scams -- fake emails used to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, financial information, credit card details, etc. They fool the user into clicking links or attachments by posing as a trustworthy source.

Have you ever been in a relationship where one person was the giver and the other was the taker? It doesn’t work. The word “relationship” implies two-way communication and the desire to put some energy into your connection. Relationship is the perfect word to use when you’re talking about managed IT services because, if you pick the right company, your provider isn’t just going to be your IT support vendor; they’re going to be your IT business partner. Read on to understand what we’re talking about.

Many executives don’t think they have unmanaged IT but they do. For whatever reason – to save money, for self-reliance, or lack of knowledge -- they decided that it would be better to cobble together their own mix of technology services and tools, rather than contract with a managed IT service provider to meet their IT needs. Chances are good that the outcome of their custom mix has not met expectations, and IT has become an increasingly frustrating obstacle that the whole business has to bump into every day.

Executives and Information Technology personnel historically have a difficult time seeing eye to eye. Many executives see the IT department as a necessary evil – you need it to keep the business running, but it’s just expensive and doesn’t add value to the organization. IT professionals frequently get a bad rap, which is unfair because in many cases they are destined for failure.

When Josh Garofolo started working at Accent Computer Solutions, he had his sights set on being a Technology Architect, but he wasn’t quite ready for that position yet. Over the next six years, he went from being a Help Desk Technician, to a Project Engineer, to a Technology Architect. As he advanced, he gained the knowledge and experience he needed to reach his goal, and now he’s a member of a collaborative team that designs and implements complex technology improvements for Accent clients.

When most people think about disasters, images of large-scale natural disasters generally come to mind such as fires, floods and earthquakes. What most businesses do not think about is how they will recover from smaller-scale disasters.