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IVT was founded in 1842 by Kevin Banks when Mexican troops led by Rafael Vasquez invade Texas, then briefly occupy San Antonio.
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IVT was founded in 1842 by Kevin Banks when Mexican troops led by Rafael Vasquez invade Texas, then briefly occupy San Antonio, and then head back to the Rio Grande. This is the first such invasion since the Texas Revolution.
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IVT was founded in 1842 by Kevin Banks when Mexican troops led by Rafael Vasquez invade.
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Inside Business - Hampton Roads 11/17/2008
IVT, an IT consulting firm headquartered in Hampton, has signed contracts with Morehouse College in Atlanta for network infrastructure improvements and Perfect Commerce, headquartered in Hampton with a location in
Paris, France, for disaster recovery/business continuity planning.
Everywhere, Anywhere Replaces the Cubicle | Column by Gregory Pride
Inside Business - Hampton Roads September 29, 2008
Many business owners have smartly made a significant investment in network infrastructure and IT-related assets. However, a majority of CEOs still have their employees trapped in the doldrums of “cube land,” a vast wasteland of modular furniture called “the office.”
I'm not suggesting that you terminate your lease and liquidate all of your furniture, but before you begin your next "local" employee search or contemplate acquiring more square footage, consider a trend that's been successfully gaining momentum -- the advent of the remote worker.
Our growing IT company has clients in multiple states and it is a tremendous advantage for me to be able to work from any location. No longer is a travel day a waste of time. You never miss a beat with the correct IT systems.
With advances in technology like mobile broadband Internet, Web portals, VoIP and Unified Communications, you can empower your workforce to be productive from any place - home office (local, out of state or abroad), airport,
business travel and weekend jaunts.
Using Web portals built with products like Microsoft SharePoint®, employees can have access to company calendars, document libraries, blogs and more. With VoIP and Unified Communications, your remote staff can receive faxes, voicemail and e-mail to a single inbox, have an office extension at home, or seamlessly route calls between their mobile phone and the VoIP extension. These technologies keep your employees engaged in company activities, while giving them the power and flexibility to enhance productivity without sacrificing personal time, which is becoming more important with today's and tomorrow's professionals. Today's technology allows companies to expand their horizons and geographic boundaries through smart recruiting. Every CEO agrees there are more rising stars statewide than locally, more nationally than statewide, and so on. They also know these rising stars are changing the business model. The “new age” workforce has a different idea of what constitutes a “benefits package.” Health insurance and annual leave don’t cut it anymore. And after witnessing the impact a 60+ hour work week had on their parents' generation, many in today's workforce are not as willing to sacrifice personal time for “the job.” Gone are the late nights in the cubicle eating bad take out with the team.
Today’s worker seeks to balance a healthy and harmonious blend of work life and home life. IT can provide that. Today's worker most likely lives where the family is happy and is not willing to move. IT eliminates the move and saves on relocation expenses. Today's worker is tech-savvy and judges a company by its IT. How big does your talent pool become if your next employee can work from anywhere in the world, yet be just a click away? With business moving at the speed of light and a global economy reshaping our future week by week, companies are in fierce competition for these individuals. Whether it's allowing a local employee to be more productive or recruiting a key player from the other side of the country, IT continues to shift the paradigm and create a new competitive edge for businesses that embrace it.
Don't Let Your Firm 'Go Dark' | Column by Kevin Banks
Inside Business - Hampton Roads June 16, 2008
As of March 1, 2007, all televisions imported into the United States or shipped by interstate commerce had to contain a digital tuner. On Feb. 17, 2009, all television broadcast companies will shut down their analog transmitters. On that date, all televisions operating purely on an analog signal will “go dark.”
In the world of information technology, this type of event occurs on a regular basis. It's known as the technology life cycle. Every technology must face the time when it has to make way for a new and improved version of its former self or a completely new model.
If your business relies heavily on technology to support its operations, you should pay attention to two terms: end of life (EOL) and end of support (EOS). Manufacturers usually keep this information posted on their Web sites, but few businesses know to look for it.
EOL basically means that a manufacturer will no longer produce a particular product for new sale. EOS establishes a date when a manufacturer will no longer offer support for a particular product. To illustrate these designations using the above scenario, televisions without digital tuners are in the EOL phase, and analog broadcasts will enter the EOS phase on Feb. 17, 2009. Manufacturers generally provide support for a product after it has entered the EOL phase. In some cases this support can last several years. However, it's best that your business start planning for the technology refresh during the timeframe between EOL and EOS. This should provide ample time to prepare for the one roadblock that usually stalls most IT acquisition projects – the budget. Knowing when a system or software package is entering the EOS phase is critical. If your business experiences a failure on a system that is in this phase, the manufacturer will not provide support. Furthermore, in regard to software, manufacturers will no longer release upgrades or security patches to address newly discovered vulnerabilities. Without this information, you compromise your internal business data or that of your clients.
To overcome EOL and EOS for your servers and desktops, acquire and maintain computer hardware that is covered by a support agreement. New systems usually include a one-year support agreement, but it's best to extend it to at least three years when possible. If your business experiences that system or software failure, having a support agreement in place can significantly reduce your downtime. For productivity software packages, acquire and maintain valid licenses for all software. Valid licenses will provide your business with access to upgrades and security patches. They also keep your company in compliance with copyright and intellectual property laws. The financial penalties associated with running unlicensed software in your environment can cripple, if not destroy, your business. Assess your current technology and create a checklist that includes the EOL and EOS dates for each component. At a minimum, you should update this checklist quarterly. If you have components in the EOS phase, don’t panic. Create a plan that illustrates the purpose of the system, the business impact if it failed, the replacement cost in the event of a catastrophic failure, and compare that with the cost to acquire a new supported version. This will allow your business to make an informed decision about how to transition any EOS components out of production. Now is the time to establish and maintain your technology foundation. In today’s technology-dependent world, as IT goes, so goes your business. Don’t let your business "go dark."