We’re Traveling in January

We’ll be taking the trip of our lifetime, starting Jan. 10, when we head to South Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius and few other stops on the other side of the world. You won’t lose our support while we’re gone, and we’ll have the chance to see how some of Apple’s new communications technologies are working.

Most of our previous travels have been to places with good communications infrastructures, and that’s always enabled us to plan with some certainty how we can serve your needs. We’re still going to serve your needs; we have Apple’s iOS 18 with the ability to communicate via satellite when no Wi-Fi or cellular service is available.

So, we’ll be able to stay in touch with you and our support resources whether we’re on a game reserve or in a jungle or rain forest.

Just to remind all of you, when we are away, it’s best to call our office – 973-433-6676. We have people trained to get the information we need to serve you best by contacting us or going directly to one of our trusted partners. If need be, we can get in touch with you or resolve your issue remotely.

Because the places we will be visiting are 7 to 9 hours ahead of New Jersey, we will be doing our activities while you’re asleep, and our downtime will be during your waking hours.

If you happen to be traveling to some remote areas of the world and have an iPhone 14 or newer, you’ll be able to take advantage of Apple’s new communications technologies. You should be able to send and receive texts, emojis, and Tapbacks over iMessage and SMS. To connect to a satellite, you will need to be outside with a clear view of the sky and horizon. You can learn a lot more by visiting Apple’s support page for messages via satellite.

In the meantime, we have a month until we leave. If you have some issues that need attention or questions about planning future maintenance or the purchase and configuration/installation of new equipment, let’s take care of it as soon as possible. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to discuss your needs.

Microsoft’s Outage Issues

Microsoft outages seem to be a regularly occurring event, and that’s a real problem for all of us as we grow even more dependent on technology. The bad news is that the problem won’t get any better. Here’s a look at the industry’s metrics.

From my old help desk days, we followed the “rule of five-nines.” This meant our goal was to be “up” 99.999 percent of the time. Is it attainable? It sounds like a great marketing goal, but the reality is that no global company with the size and scope of Microsoft – or Google or Amazon or anyone else – can be perfect. It doesn’t matter which company you use; their service depends on the reliability of satellites and cables for connections and the power grid to keep them online. As we use online services more extensively, we can strain the capacities of those resources.

According to ThousandEyes Internet and Cloud Intelligence from Cisco, more than 90 percent of the world’s data centers experience outages. Local ISPs (internet service providers) experience the most outages, trailed by CSPs (cloud service providers). Outages increases are attributed to more demand on their infrastructures.

You’re not going to get any better service by switching the companies you use; they all face the same challenges. And they share some challenges with you, and those will be hard to plan for based on the world’s political and economic environment. This is not a political statement; it’s just a clear-eyed look at potential problems. For example, will there be a rush to order new equipment before possible tariffs go into place? Supply and demand issues ahead of any tariff issues will undoubtedly affect prices and inventories.

What can you do? We’ve discussed many of the steps you can take, so let’s put them in perspective.

  • Be backup savvy. Make sure all the data you and your employees use is backed up frequently in multiple places. In addition to backing up data, have battery backup capability so you can save data and close applications. This is more critical for desktop computers; laptops and phones have batteries.
  • Keep all your software up to date. It’s all related. Up-to-date operating systems and apps perform better, and that performance may be the difference in finishing and saving critical data or losing something that will take a long time to recreate or that might be lost forever.
  • Think about replacing computers and other hardware that’s approaching five years of service time. It’s nearly five years since the COVID-19 pandemic, when a lot of companies and individuals bought new hardware to be able to work effectively from remote locations. Five years is about the effective service life of most equipment, and your equipment may be on the same timeline as many other users. Our vendors and distributors have told us to expect shortages just for this reason.

We can help you set up a plan to replace your aging hardware and make sure all the systems you keep have the best prospects of making it through the next year or so. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to discuss your needs.

Windows 10 ‘Support’

We’ve been talking about this for a while. Microsoft will end its support for its workhorse Windows 10 operating system next October. The good news is that the company will provide security patches and bug fixes until October 2026. The bad news is that it will cost you $30 per device. The worse news is that we don’t know how long that support will last – and you won’t get any performance enhancements. Right now, it’s a matter of kicking the can down the road.

The can is called Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates (ESU) Program, and enrollment will open near the end of the current Windows 10 support program in October 2025. It will only cover security updates, and its effectiveness will be limited by Windows 10’s limitations. This is Microsoft’s way of giving in to customer demands to keep Windows 10 alive – at least for now. Older computers can run Windows 10 but may not work with Windows 11.

Thirty bucks a device sounds cheap enough until you look at what you get for your money – and what you don’t get.

The ESUs are just for security updates. You don’t get any new capabilities, performance improvements, or bug fixes that come with the newer software versions. Then, you need to worry about other limitations and risks.

  • You’re still vulnerable to other types of threats, like zero-day exploits or advanced persistent threats.
  • ESUs don’t guarantee compatibility with other software or hardware. Your outdated systems may not work properly with newer applications or devices, leading to productivity and security issues.
  • ESUs can create a false sense of security. Just because you’re getting security patches doesn’t mean your systems are fully protected. Hackers are consistently discovering new ways to exploit vulnerabilities, and outdated software is an easy mark.
  • ESUs can slow down your business and hinder your business growth. Companies get complacent with ESUs, and before they know it, they’re years behind on their technology and struggling to keep up with their competitors.
  • There are no guarantees that Microsoft will continue ESUs or that they will hold the price.

At some point, you may have no other choice than to buy new computers and move to Windows 11. But Microsoft’s ESU for Windows 10 could buy you some time – or let you procrastinate longer. Either way, it’s kicking a bigger, heavier can down the road. Don’t stub your toes. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to discuss your technology footwork.