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IT Capital Expenditure vs. IT Operating Expenditure: Which makes sense for your business?

Well, what should it be – buy or lease your IT infrastructure? Two titanic strategies are fighting it out for supremacy, and there can be only one winner. CAPx This is the way it’s always been done, and the concept is straightforward enough: you pay up front to purchase all the hardware, software, and peripherals that you’re going to need, planning for a specific lifecycle. You handle installation, configuration, and day-to-day management. Outside of limited (usually very limited) warranties, you take responsibility for whatever breaks, and you have to fix it. You pay more up front, but you maintain absolute ownership and control, in the most immediate hands-on sense, of all aspects of your IT infrastructure. The gear you buy shows up on your balance sheets as a company asset, and you might even gain tax benefits too, through purchase or depreciation. OPx This upstart strategy is gaining traction in a lot ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:54+00:00

Right-Sizing IT – Power & Flexibility for Growing Companies

Growing a business is never easy, and properly managing that growth can be even harder. A growing company has countless “moving parts” that must be considered, accommodated, and forced to work in synchronization. Head counts have to match resource requirements; facility size has to accommodate head count; budgeting, provisioning and resource allocations have to scale in symmetry with the company’s growth path. And one of the most critical – and difficult – moving parts to manage has historically been IT. Consider the case of Teijin Advanced Composites America. Although its corporate parent is a vast Japanese chemical and pharmaceutical firm, this pioneering Red Level Client is nonetheless subject to most of the same challenges and constraints as any other emerging start-up—and some extra ones besides. When we first became acquainted with TACA, it was in the earliest stages of a collaborative agreement with one of America’s largest manufacturers, and at ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:54+00:00

Cybersecurity in the Industrial Heartland

Report from the 2016 Cybersecurity Conference If you asked an average businessperson to think for a moment about efforts to stop hacking and increase digital security, their immediate thoughts would probably turn to labs in Silicon Valley or bureaus in Washington, D.C.—and they’d be right. Despite our state’s strong information technology industry, digital security still isn’t a top-of-mind concern for too many executives. Efforts to improve cybersecurity have historically been focused in the areas of highest capability and greatest perceived need – even if that may not be where the greatest security vulnerabilities are. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Detroit Regional Chamber hosted their 2016 Cybersecurity Conference in Detroit for some very good reasons. Despite the higher profile that digital security has gotten in recent years, companies and government bodies still don’t take security as seriously as they need to. That creates windows of vulnerability that hackers are ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:54+00:00

Red Level Recognized for Excellence in Managed IT Services

Red Level, the Novi-based technology consulting and solutions company announced today CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Red Level to its 2016 Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list in the Pioneer 250 category. This annual list recognizes North American solution providers with best practice approaches to delivering managed services. Red Level's service offerings help companies navigate the complex and ever-changing landscape of IT, improve operational efficiency, and maximize their return on IT investments. In today's fast-paced business environments, MSPs play an important role in helping companies leverage new technologies without straining their budgets or losing focus on their core business. CRN's MSP 500 list shines a light on the most forward-thinking and innovative of these key organizations. The list is divided into three categories: the MSP Pioneer 250, recognizing companies with business models weighted toward managed services and largely focused on the SMB market; the MSP Elite ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:54+00:00

Red Level Achieves 4 Gold & 3 Silver Microsoft Competencies

Red Level, the Novi-based technology consulting firm, today announced it has attained Gold Cloud Productivity, Gold Hosting, Gold Midmarket Solution Provider, and Gold Small and Midmarket Cloud Solutions competencies and Silver Datacenter, Silver Messaging, and Silver Cloud Platform competencies, demonstrating outstanding ability and commitment to meet Microsoft customers' evolving needs in today's dynamic business environment and distinguishing itself within the top 1 percent of Microsoft's partner ecosystem. A portfolio of competencies showcases that Red Level is committed to focusing on in-demand, business solution areas, along with ensuring it can meet the evolving needs of customers because of market changes. To earn a Microsoft competency, partners must successfully complete exams (resulting in Microsoft Certified Professionals) to prove their level of technology expertise. Partners must also submit customer references that demonstrate successful projects. For gold competencies, partners must also implement a yearly customer satisfaction study and, for many competencies, meet a performance commitment. ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:55+00:00

CYBERCRIME: 9 Steps to Safeguard Your Organizations Data and Technology

There's a strong argument to be made that "Cybercrime" is more of a threat than a physical crime to most people and organizations. The more you think about the hypothesis, the more alarming it becomes. A physical crime typically depends upon the victim and the perpetrator (or group of perpetrators) being in the same place at the same time. That requirement doesn't hold true for individual hackers, sophisticated crime syndicates, foreign governments, or corporate espionage specialists. Vast underground networks of digital criminals trade information and conspire for purpose of sabotage, theft, and fraud, often working across borders that place them out of reach of law enforcement. For the past decade, security has consistently ranked as a top concern of CIOs. While other issues have come and gone, security has remained a vital issue because the capabilities and sophistication of cybercriminals have often outpaced the measures taken to protect against them. ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:55+00:00

6 Ideas for Making Your Business Better in 2016

Every New Year's Eve, Americans vow to earn more and weight less. As business owners, we're often challenged to to do more with less resources every year too. We asked a few of the talented technologists, consultants and innovators at Red Level to put aside their personal and professional resolutions for a bit and look at how business technology can help us accomplish more with less stress. Collaboration software? A technology backup plan? Working remotely? The Red Level team ofters six quick technology resolutions any business can implement to make 2016 their best year yet. Enjoy the video and Happy New Year from everyone at Red Level.

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:56+00:00

Merry Christmas from Red Level

Red Level’s offices will be closed on Christmas Day (12/25), but you are never alone. For emergency technical support please call 248.412.8210. We wish you a very happy holiday season filled with family, friends and tasty treats! We have so much to celebrate - especially a great team and great clients like you. Thank you, The Red Level Support Team 248.412.8210 support@redlevelnetworks.com

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:56+00:00

What is your favorite Christmas cookie?

Sugar Cookies? Chocolate Santa Bars? Hungarian Honey Nut Kiffles? We popped in on a few of the talented technologists, consultants and innovators at Red Level to ask them to share their favorite sugary holiday snacks. Whatever your favorite may be Red Level has the recipe for success. Grab a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy our favorite cookies! What is your favorite cookie recipe?

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:56+00:00

What’s your favorite Christmas carol?

As Buddy the Elf says "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear." We popped in on a few of the talented technologists, consultants and innovators at Red Level to ask them to sing a few bars of their favorite Christmas songs. While the producers from The Voice won't be calling anytime soon, the team fields a lot of calls from smart CIOs and IT Directors. Sing along with us to some of the classic Christmas tunes. What is your favorite Christmas carol?

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:56+00:00

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