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Selecting a company to maintain your technology is one of the most important decisions you can make for your business. You must find the most competent and reliable IT support provider in your area.

How do you know if the IT company you’re considering is right for your business?

Some technology companies call themselves the best, but they haven’t kept up their certifications. This is important because the latest certifications validate the skills that their techs learned in their training. With all the cyber threats and new IT solutions today, it’s critical that your IT provider is up to date on their skills.

Don’t just pick a company off the Internet because they’re the closest one to you. Do your research to find out if they are truly qualified to protect your data and meet your organization’s unique IT needs.

The following are some key questions that you should ask any IT provider you’re considering for your business.

• What are your staff’s qualifications and certifications?
  The right IT company should be able to provide you with information regarding the certifications held by their staff and relay how these will meet your needs.

• How long have you been providing technology services? They should have a minimum of three years of experience in the service, support, and solutions you require.
• What Partner Certifications and Technical Specialties do you hold? Ask, for example, if they are certified on Apple devices and Microsoft solutions. Also, ask if they can provide you the latest hardware and software products at the best price.
• Do you require continuous training of your IT techs? This is the only way to ensure technicians have the most recent certifications.
• What industries have you worked in?
  Find out if they’ve worked in industries similar to yours. If not, determine if the work they’ve performed for others aligns with your needs.
• How well do you understand the business applications we use?
  Your business may have specially-built applications to handle needed workflows. Your IT provider should understand how your business technology works and be able to support it.

• How large is your IT company?
  If they are a small company, you’re more likely to be high on their priority list. However, larger IT companies typically offer a broad knowledge base and capabilities. Plus, their available resources may be more expansive. You must weigh the benefits of each and decide which is best for your business.

• What kind of customer service can we expect? Do they offer 24/7 service with a live person on the other end of your call, chat or email? Is their help desk staff qualified to address your issues immediately?  If they can’t resolve your problems over the phone or online, how long will it take for a tech to visit your business?
• Is your onsite service response time backed by a written Service Level Agreement (SLA)? A certified, professional IT company will put what they offer in writing. They should offer managed services with service-level guarantees. What is their “on-time” guarantee? Their SLA should include this as well as information about how you’ll be compensated if they continually show up late, or if they don’t meet the standards detailed in the SLA.
• What is and isn’t covered by your service contract?In addition to what they do provide, find out what they don’t.  Do they provide fixed-fee services? Are there extra costs, and if so, what are they? Avoid using IT companies that are only interested in fixing what breaks and selling you equipment.  You deserve an IT partner who will work diligently to give you and your employees an IT infrastructure that is secure, reliable, and enhances productivity.

• Do you offer outsourced CIO Services? Having an Outsourced CIO means your technology will meet your business needs now and into the future. Their CIO should be able to:

• Develop an understanding of your business and technology infrastructure.
• Provide recommendations for IT solutions that will promote your success and grow with your business.
• Construct a Strategic Plan that aligns with your budget.
• Conduct ongoing evaluations and provide IT performance metrics on a monthly basis.
• Will you monitor our IT system around the clock? This prevents downtime because they will detect problems early before anything fails.
• What security services do you offer? How will you protect my interests?Cybercrime is on the rise, and your data must be safeguarded. They must provide up-to-date cybersecurity solutions to protect your computers and network from unauthorized access, malware, phishing, viruses and other forms of cybercrime.

• Can you monitor our network for cyber intrusions and threats? With all the security incidents today, 24/7 security monitoring is essential.
• Do you provide Mobile Device Management? When you or your employees use your laptops, tablets or smartphones for business outside of your workplace, they are vulnerable to theft and malware from public Wi-Fi and more. You need the assurance that your data can be remotely wiped from any device if necessary.
• Do you perform Risk Analyses and Vulnerability Assessments? Your business may require this to stay compliant with government or industry regulations. Plus, this will detect any “holes” in your computer and network security that hackers can take advantage of.
• Do you provide Backup and Recovery Solutions? You need both an onsite removable backup solution and an offsite one (in the Cloud) to ensure you will have access to your data if it’s stolen, corrupted, accidentally deleted, or damaged due to a flood, fire or another emergency.
• What’s included in your Disaster Recovery Plan?
  This is extremely important. Be sure to ask about site visits and audits to estimate the recovery time and the impact of a potential failure. Do they have a reliable process in place? How often do they test the disaster recovery plan? Is their staff knowledgeable and ready to react under the worst possible conditions? Also, make sure they can regularly provide the results of disaster recovery tests.

• Will you provide ongoing Security Awareness Training for our employees? Cybercriminals are constantly developing new techniques to trick your users into downloading malware or releasing confidential information and credentials. It’s critical to conduct recurring and updated security training to ensure your employees recognize these threats and know what to do to prevent exposing your data.
• Will your IT professionals communicate with our staff in “plain English?” They should be able to relay information in a way you and your employees can comprehend.
• How do you stay informed about evolving technologies? Do they attend industry events to update their skillsets?
• Will you migrate us to the Cloud and help us understand how to use cloud solutions? Make sure your IT provider can help you and your employees understand the Cloud, it’s benefits and risks. They should be able to help you find the right cloud services for your unique business needs.
• Can you offer us different types of cloud solutions? Do they provide:
  • A Public Cloud, so you can securely share space with other clients?
  • A Private Cloud that is dedicated only to your use?
  • A Hybrid Cloud which is a combination of a private and public cloud?
• How much will cloud migration cost? Migrating your workflows and data to the cloud can provide many benefits, including cost savings, and increased productivity. However, you should ask how much cloud migration will cost, including associated expenses such as maintenance and support.
• Do you have any case studies or testimonials from existing clients that I can read? Can I contact them? Would you hire a new employee without checking their references? Of course not. So, you should do so with your IT provider. Contact some of their existing clients to find out what you need to know.

Modern professional relationships require digital processes, like email, collaborative software, and file sharing. The cloud has opened up incredible possibilities beyond imagination a mere decade ago, but which is the right choice?

The competition is seriously fierce in cloud storage. The Internet of Things has fueled a data addiction for which traditional storage can’t physically support. We love our devices – I mean, we are straight-up addicted to our smartphones, our iPads, our Kindle Fire tablets, all of them. And there’s a reason we back up our smartphone content: we’d be absolutely lost if we lost it. Our contacts, our notes, our apps, our calendars, and everything we depend on for day-to-day use is on that tiny computer. Where do you back up your data? It’s probably safe to assume there is a cloud location you connect to that saves your backed-up data. It’s safe to assume because we would overwhelm traditional storage options.

Traditional storage hasn’t been able to meet expectations and needs for performance, availability, management, or the cost impact in comparison to growing demand. Everyone has an opinion on who their favorite cloud storage solution is, and it’s usually one of the Big Three players in the cloud game: Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive – and not in that order.

Technically speaking, the first cloud storage solutions launched well before today’s modern providers. Consumers had access in the early 1980’s through CompuServe, and AT&T launched a platform in the 1990’s to support small business solutions. Amazon Web Services introduced AWS S3, their cloud storage offering, in 2006 and functions as the storage provider for Dropbox, Pinterest, and many other large digital enterprises. The only thing that has changed is file size, file type – but mainly adoption.

Cloud storage is increasing in adoption for every professional environment – and is the only solution for distributed workforces! Managing resources for storage needs to be agile, and limited solutions also limit agility. The cloud is merely an accessible extension of your data storage center. Review your full data storage needs, and consider the advantages the cloud offers your business and daily operations.

When reviewing your cloud storage priorities, there are many issues that deserve a deeper consideration. Here is the “Top Ten” List we suggest using as a checklist, and in no particular order:

• Cost
  • The financial impact of cloud storage is usually the first factor any business considers, but we disagree with this position. While your bottom line is critical to your overall operational budget, there is a multitude of factors that could have a greater impact on your day-to-day needs.
  • It’s surprising just how many decision-makers are surprised – and unprepared for – the expenses required to utilize cloud providers.
• Sync Simplicity
  • If storing or backing up your data to a cloud solution is cumbersome, the likelihood of full adoption by your staff – and your clients, if applicable – will be a struggle, and result in decreased productivity and decreased reliability. You don’t have time for that!
• Sync Speed
  • Just as with simplicity, speed is a factor with the ability to sync data quickly. As with any downtime, no one can afford reduced productivity due to Internet connection issues, and it’s an even larger issue if it’s due to your cloud storage provider.
• Location
  • As they say in real estate, “Location, location, location”! Anyone who thinks it doesn’t matter where your data is stored physically is wrong. Wrong! Though there are too many reasons this matters to list, here are just a few:
  • Data stored in the U.S. is both protected by and susceptible to U.S. laws, like the Patriot Act and the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act. Data stored in – or containing the information of – European Union nations are subject to protection by legislation passed by European Parliament enacting strict consumer data protection rules.
  • Facilities that physically house servers for cloud storage providers are just as open to impacts of weather and natural disasters as any other structure in that locale – and accessing your data will be subject to these conditions.
  • Is the physical security of the location a concern under any other circumstances?
• Reliability and Access
  • Is the vendor reliable? The key players in the cloud storage game tend to be the best for valid reasons, but appropriate considerations, in this case, would be hardware failures, power disruptions, or even vendor disputes. Crazier things have happened.
• Storage Capacity
  • How much data do you anticipate storing in the cloud? This is like trying to choose your favorite song. The answer changes on a regular basis, and most of the time there is no one singular answer. Obviously, you’ll want to choose a provider that is capable of offering you more storage than you think you’ll ever need, but you also don’t want to pay for storage you’re not using nor will you ever. It’s a delicate balance, and many providers allow for variable usage.
• File Sharing
  • How many times have you attached a document to an email message, and tried to send it only to get the dreaded error message “File exceeds the maximum size of 25MB. Try removing an attachment and send again”? You are then faced with trying to reduce the file size (Word document into a PDF, etc.) or uploading the file into a cloud solution like Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneNote, and sharing the access URL instead.
• Application Integrations
  • The number one request made by anyone accessing cloud storage and utilizing an application is to offer an intuitive user experience. Statistics show half of all users that abandon a cloud app do so due to integration issues, citing missed deadlines.
• Support
  • If any issues arise, it’s critical that users achieve the needed help immediately from an adequately trained member of support team equipped with the right knowledge to resolve the situation.
• Data Security
  • The cloud and data stored in cloud environments face risks, just like any other professional endeavor. A cloud storage provider that can guarantee against cybersecurity vulnerability and takes the greatest care in safeguarding your data is an excellent vendor and partner.

We’ve talked about what you need – now let’s talk about who can help you. Here is a fantastic detailed resource when comparing many of the cloud vendors at once, but let’s talk about the Big Three. The key players in the Cloud Storage Wars are Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneNote – and any one of these providers would valiantly battle to the bloody end for your business! There is a reason that these three are the best in the biz: they’ve earned their reputation with quality service, support, and every other item in the checklist.

• Dropbox
  • Offers a free basic storage plan (2GB)
  • Paid plans and features cater to business customers
• Google Drive
  • Offers a free basic storage plan: clarification, Google users have 15GB of free cloud storage – shared between Gmail, Google Photos, and Google Drive. If you get a ton of emails and don’t clean out your inbox often, that eats up your 15GB
  • Paid plans and features cater to business customers
• OneNote
  • Offers a free basic storage plan (5GB)
  • Paid plans and features cater to business customers: Here is where it truly pays to use OneNote and be an Office 365 customer, as the paid plans are included with Office 365 subscriptions, either Personal or Home.

The ability to sync, share files and speed are all a focus of these teams, and the competition is pretty ruthless. In fact, Dropbox and Microsoft have formed a partnership to allow easier integration by making Office Online available to Dropbox users at no cost. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer!

So, which provider is right for you? Only you can make that decision. Armed with this information and reviewing our checklist will hopefully help you make the right choice!

Hint: It Will If Your IT Network Goes Down.

You’re lying in bed, almost asleep when, “Oh no! Another lightning strike -that means the power probably went out in the office!”

Does the sound of thunder keep you awake at night wondering if your IT network will be up and running the next morning? It can happen to the most successful of businesses. That is unless you’ve planned to ensure it doesn’t.

IT downtime is a reoccurring nightmare for small and midsize businesses (SMBs) today.

Technology is Great – Until It Stops Working

This is the “Catch-22” of today’s technology dependence. With a reliable, secure and stable IT network, your small business can compete with the “Goliaths” of the world. You can reach across oceans, mountains, and continents to serve customers almost anywhere, 24/7. You couldn’t do this 10 years ago, but with today’s technology, the opportunities are endless. You can really make some money now – unless your network goes down.

The “big guys” you compete with can absorb a few IT failures, but you can’t. They have the resources and backup IT infrastructures to keep operating and profiting. For you, an IT failure could result in a real drain on your bank account, and ultimately, the end of your business.

Some Alarming Statistics:

The National Archives & Records Administration reports that 93% of small and midsize businesses file for bankruptcy within 12 months of experiencing data loss and prolonged downtime for 10 or more days.

The Aberdeen Group revealed that the annual cost of downtime for a small business with fewer than 100 employees amounts to $25,806. Furthermore, midsize businesses with 100 to 1,000 employees lose $880,600 annually due to IT failures.

Most IT Downtime Can Be Prevented.

That is if you’re prepared. So, what should you do?  Ask a professional IT company (a Managed Services Provider) to conduct a Risk Analysis,  Vulnerability Assessment, develop a Disaster Recovery Plan, and implement Next-Generation Firewalls and Defense-in-Depth Cybersecurity for your business.

Unfortunately, many SMB managers and owners prefer to put this off until a disaster hits, or when the “hiccups” in their IT system become unbearable. In the meantime, every “hiccup” costs them money, and the major downtime events cost them more than they can afford.

50% of SMBs don’t have a Disaster Recovery Plan in place, and 41% haven’t even thought about it.

This is like gambling with your livelihood every day- and you know that when you gamble, the odds are usually against you. Maybe you know that this could eventually prove to be a costly mistake, but do you know that if you aren’t properly prepared that it’s already costing you money every day?  If you’re relying on break/fix IT services, you aren’t properly prepared. These companies don’t provide the proactive, preventive service your business requires today.

Many businesses just like yours are hemorrhaging money by relying on high hourly rates, extra charges and long wait times for IT support.

Greater Dependence on Technology = Greater Risk

It’s a paradox – technology serves you well, and your business probably wouldn’t be here today without it. However, the more you depend on it, the greater your risk of failure.

If your small dental practice has to pay $25K to recover from a phishing scam, and you had to cancel appointments for the next 10 business days, would you be able to afford to open your doors in two weeks?  Or if your legal practice has to shell out $45K for data recovery and IT repairs, could you make payroll next week? Not to mention the fines and litigation you could face for HIPAA and other regulatory infractions. This could put you out of business entirely when your patients and clients find out.

Did you know that nearly 40% of SMBs will have their network compromised by a hacker? Most won’t even know their IT system fails.

How Much Can You Afford to Lose?

It’s time for a reality check – the fact is that unless you’re properly prepared, your data can be compromised, your IT system can fail, or both. Take the time to ask a few questions to determine if you can afford this risk.

1. Based on the statistics we’ve revealed, how much downtime do you think your business can afford to put up with?
2. How much time in productivity do you lose each day due to IT interruptions or unreliable Internet access?
3. How fast can your current IT company respond to emergencies?
4. Is your critical data backed up every day both onsite and in a secure cloud?
5. Can you quickly access your data in the event of a theft, flood, fire or other damage to your IT system?
6. Do you know if your backups are truly reliable?
7. Is the data on your mobile devices backed up every day?
8. Is your network safe from hackers?
9. Are your employees fully informed about cybersecurity tactics?
10. Do you have IT professionals conduct Vulnerability Audits on a regular basis?

Downtime Can Be Prevented, But Disasters Can’t

Here’s another question for you: Are you taking advantage of today’s managed cloud solutions? Smart business owners and managers know that cloud-based and virtualized backup solutions mitigate damage from downtime. It allows them to access their data quickly and securely from wherever they have an Internet connection. It’s a cost-effective method that provides business continuity capabilities in the event of an IT disaster. Virtualization allows for business servers to be grouped into one software bundle. This means all your operating systems, applications and data are safely stored in the cloud for quick restoration if required.

Server virtualization involves the partitioning of your physical server into smaller virtual machines (VMs), so you can also maximize your IT resources. With Cloud and Virtualization Services, you can migrate your data to another server during repairs or other required tasks. You’ll no longer need to shut down your servers and deal with downtime. Your data will always be available, and your capacity for business continuity will be greatly enhanced.

Important! Migrating your infrastructure to the cloud takes preparation and expertise. Only a certified IT provider should be trusted to handle this.

With the right cloud solution and virtualization, you’ll no longer need to shut down your servers and deal with downtime. Your data will always be available, and your business continuity will be greatly enhanced. By heeding the advice we’ve imparted here, your business can thrive and your bank account can grow.

With the 2016 version of Excel, Microsoft has really upped the game for people who aren’t great with numbers. You can now easily use one-click access that can be customized to provide the functionality you need.

This is the first of a three-part series about using Microsoft Excel 2016 to help you identify trends, construct helpful charts, and organize information to maximize the value of your data.

You can use Excel Worksheets and Workbooks in conjunction with programs like Microsoft Access and PowerPoint. Excel 2016 possesses many capabilities that aren’t readily apparent. That’s why we’re providing this three-part series for you.

What is Excel and how is it organized?

Excel is an electronic spreadsheet program that’s used to store, organize and manipulate data. You enter data into Workbooks that are made up of individual Worksheets. In the Worksheets, you enter data into cells that are organized into rows and columns. Excel data can consist of text, numbers, dates, times and formulas.

Why would you want to use Excel?

If you or your employees work with financial data, it’s a great tool to use for:

• Basic mathematical operations like adding, dividing, and multiplying.
• Finding values like profits or losses.
• Calculations like averages, percentages and number counts.

Performing calculations in Excel is only the tip of the iceberg. There’s much more you can do like creating charts and graphical layouts to make it easier to recognize trends and more easily analyze data.

Navigation

What’s great about Excel is that it has the same set up as other Microsoft products you’re familiar with. You have tabs across the top, where each tab has a corresponding ribbon with many functionalities to choose from.

The Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access Toolbar is a drop-down menu where you’ll find functions that you commonly use like Print and Save. You can also customize the Quick Access menu with other functions you use on a regular basis.

The Formula Bar

This is located underneath the ribbon next to the Name Box that shows you where your cursor is located on your Worksheet. The Formula Bar is important because it’s what calculates the math for you. Excel does the calculation and displays the answer in the cell you choose. The Formula Bar also shows you the contents of the particular cell you’re in.

Adding Data

There are three ways you can add data to your Excel Worksheet. You can:

1. Type in the data,
2. Copy and Paste data, or
3. Import data from other sources.

This is great if you have a large amount of data. For example, if you have customer lists in a database, you can even pull this into Excel.

You can enter data into only one cell, into several cells at the same time, or even on more than one Worksheet at once. And, as mentioned, the data can be numbers text, formulas, dates, or times.

On your Worksheet, simply click a cell and type in the information that you want to enter. Then hit ENTER or TAB. If you typed in a date, Excel will recognize this and format it the way you’ve specified in your default settings.

Formulas

Excel computes the correct answer when you enter a formula into a cell. Once you’ve done this, it recalculates whenever you change any of the values. The way Excel knows that you’re entering a formula is by starting with an equal sign. Then you follow the equal sign with a SUM or AVERAGE.

For example, C2: =A2+B2 means that the number in C2 is what occurs when you add the numbers in A2 and B2.

You can type this in manually, but now Excel has great functionalities to help you do this. The simple way is to put your cursor in cell C2, hit = and type in A2+B2. The numbers in A2 and B2 will be added, and the SUM will be entered in cell C2.

Note: You always want to calculate using the actual cells rather than typing in numbers like 1 + 2, etc. The reason for this is so you can go back at any time and change the values in cells and the formula will calculate with the new numbers.

Let’s say you want to add a bunch of numbers together in your Worksheet. You can type = sum (a1:a5) in the cell where you want the answer to appear. Or you can do this and drag your mouse across the cells you want to add. Type =sum ( and drag your mouse across the cells and hit ENTER. The sum will appear in the cell without you having to typing in all the numbers! When you put your cursor on the cell, you will see the actual formula you just created.

There are many ways to do the same thing in Excel. It’s like this across all Microsoft products. You can go to the Ribbon at the top to “Auto Sum” to do the same calculation. Select a cell next to the numbers you want to add, click AutoSum on the Home tab and press Enter. Do what works best for you.

Once you create a formula, you can copy and paste it into another cell. You can also copy and paste formulas into different Worksheets as well. This can save you a lot of time.

Formatting Worksheets

With Excel 2016, you can format your Worksheets much more easily than you could before. You can use document themes throughout the Worksheets in your Workbook to present a professional and consistent appearance. You can also apply predesigned formats as well.

Let’s say you have a Worksheet with many rows that are hard to read. You can go in and create fill colors and more to differentiate the rows, columns, and headers to make reading much easier.

You have options to create borders around cells, rows or columns from the drop-down menu. You can also shade cells with a solid background. Don’t forget that you can change the style and types of fonts. Right-click the text, and a drop-down menu will appear where you can make these and other selections easily.

Creating Charts

If the data isn’t complex, you can easily read it, but if you have a lot of data, creating a chart will help you better analyze it. You can select specific cells, rows, and columns for your chart. One way to do this is to highlight the data and go to the top ribbon to select the type of chart you want to create.

With Excel 2016, you have a “recommended charts” option. Excel will help you choose the chart that best suits your data.

You can then go in and further customize your chart in the “Chart Tools”. You can change the color scheme, 3D effects, shading and more. If you change the data in the cells in your Worksheet, your chart will reflect the changes.

Some of the new charts in 2016 include:

• Waterfall
• Tree Map
• Box and Whiskers
• Sunburst

Creating Tables

You may be used to creating tables in Word or PowerPoint. Some people think the format in Excel is already in a table, but it’s not; at least until you tell it to do so. If you want to do this, select your data, go to “Insert” and select “Table.”

Similar to other Microsoft products, tabs will appear to help you format your table.

Viewing Worksheets

When dealing with lots of information, it can get unruly trying to work around various rows and columns. This is where Viewing Worksheets can be helpful. You can freeze a portion of your worksheet with “Freeze Panes” to more easily view it.

You also have the ability to “split” the data to view different parts of your Worksheet. You can compare two Worksheets in the same Workbook or even in different Workbooks by viewing them side by side.

Saving and Printing

If you have Worksheets that are so large they won’t fit on one page, go to “Save As” and decide on the name, where it gets saved, and go to “Print” where you can save the file to a pdf that you can send.

You can select options for printing the entire sheet, part of it, resizing it, and more to suit your needs. Going to “Page Setup” will allow you to shrink the entire Worksheet down to a size that’s more manageable for printing.

Sharing & Security

In Excel 2016 you can share Workbooks and Worksheets with others and password-protect them. The people you send them to need to know your password to open them, whether you send them via email, share them on your network, or via the cloud. From within Excel, you can designate who can access your Worksheets and Workbooks, and also whether they can edit them or not. There are a variety of parameters you can set within a Worksheet.

For example, if you want to hide employees’ salaries, you can hide this section when you share it. Or, you can let people see your data but lock it down, so they can’t change it. You can also protect your Worksheets and Workbooks to keep them secure from non-authorized users.

The Quick Analysis Tool

When highlighting data, click on the Quick Analysis button to create a chart, highlight specific cells, and much more. It doesn’t give you the functionality you’ll find in the Ribbon, but you can get things done quickly and easily with this tool.

3D Power Maps

This is another new tool in Excel 2016 that lets you look at information in ways you might not have seen in the two-dimensional format. This helps you strategically create your data on a 3D map. You need latitude and longitude data to do this. You can also import your own maps into 3D Power Maps.

PivotTables

PivotTables help you analyze your Worksheet data. You can summarize, analyze, explore and present your data in just a few clicks. They are very flexible and can be adjusted to your unique needs. Note: Your data should be organized without blank rows or columns for this to work properly.

The good news is that Excel 2016 will also help you pick the best format for your PivotTables!

PivotCharts

PivotCharts are another great way to add visualizations to your data. You will first need a PivotTable to create a chart. Now, your PivotTable will behave like a PivotChart. When you change the information in your PivotTable, the PivotChart will also reflect this change. The PivotTable is connected to the PivotChart.

That’s it for now! For more information on using Excel 2016 like a Pro, feel free to contact the Microsoft Experts at InfiNet Solutions! (402) 895--5777 [email protected]

Will You Be Ready When 5G Finally Gets Here?

5G Network Technology seems to be overdue in America. We now have so many smart homes, smart cars and smartphones just crying out for a better network. Add to that the huge advancements in machine learning and artificial intelligence, and you can see how critical a 5G network really is.

Mobile Phone Usage

According to a 2014 Business Insider report[1], 50 million people now stream video on their mobile phones. That usage number has been climbing dramatically over the last five years. Today, 40 percent of the traffic on Youtube comes from mobile phone users- even Netflix has been affected. About 23 percent of all subscribers say that they’ve watched a movie on their phone. As phones and mobile technology advance, those numbers will increase.

Up to now, the only thing missing was a better, faster network. Ultra-fast 5G networks will support mobile video while providing more dazzling HD screens. Whether you want to stream video on your Kindle device or watch a favorite YouTube video on your phone, speed and quality will always reign supreme. Consumers just aren’t happy with weak video and sound quality anymore. They’ve been spoiled by mobile phone manufacturers like Samsung and Apple, who push the envelope every year to offer even more innovative services.

The Future Will Require Blazing Fast Speeds

However, 5G is not just about upgrading your wireless service. Though all carriers are excited about the faster network heading our way, there’s a lot more at stake nowadays. People are starting to get more comfortable with smart cars. Manufacturers are looking to the future to see what new gadgets and devices they can add to the smart car. Some of these include:

• Augmented display across the windshield
• Thin, pliable batteries
• Communication between vehicles
• Self-healing paint
• Full smartphone integration

The one thing these futuristic technologies have in common is the need for a stronger, more secure network. The 5G network promises that and much more.

Industry Leaders Believe This is Just the Beginning

Ana Tavares Lattibeaudiere, head of the industry advocate for mobile operators known as GSMA, commented that “We’re very excited that all the US operators are really taking seriously the path to 5G. Many have announced that they will bring it to market by the end of the year. Some of them have announced pilot cities, but the excitement is there. We believe that there will be commercial deployment by the end of 2018, which is amazing”.

She went on to say that though 5G networks have seemed like they were a long time coming, their invention came much sooner than similar advancements of the past. She believes that this is due to the faster-than-expected adoption of “smart” technology. Amazon’s Alexa can be found in millions of homes across Canada and the U.S. It began as a novelty item, but now most people say they love their Alexa and couldn’t live without it. The stories about smart homes and smart cars are similar. These began as novelties that had good potential and now people love having the technology so much that they’d probably not be willing to give it up.

New Smart Technology Runs Better on 5G

As 5G networks become the norm, this will fuel invention in every field, including robotics. Your new robot housekeeper could potentially speak 17 languages, answer questions about almost anything and interact with appliances. They could actually be programmed to make dinner, then clean up the mess and load the dishwasher. If the dishwasher breaks down, it has on-board technology built-in that enables them to repair simple errors.

Lattibeaudiere added, “Artificial intelligence is coming – home assistants, smart homes, smart cities, all of those things are becoming real. We used to be talking about it in the past and now you’re seeing it day to day. The connected cars I mentioned, driverless cars, that’s something that with low latency will become possible. All of those applications will definitely be disruptive”.

Samsung rolled out its 5G home routers at the 2017 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. These routers reached speeds of up to 4 gigabits per second. In more understandable terms, a consumer would be able to download a 100 GB 4K movie in about four minutes or a 50GB game in two minutes. Developers believe that 5G will be easier to implement and distribute than older wired internet formats. 5G millimeter waves will be delivered wirelessly through the air the same way that a mobile network is delivered. That means no expensive infrastructure to build.

How Does 5G Work?

The Samsung 5G Home Router will be installed outside a window in your home and connected to a WiFi router in your home. Special antennas will be able to pick up wireless signals transmitted from “millimeter wave” cell towers. 5G will be the fifth generation broadband cellular network with applications that provide users with faster technology for games, TV, IP telephony, mobile web access, video conferencing, and high-def mobile television viewing.

The Cost of 5G for Users

The one drawback to technology like this is often the cost. Right at the beginning of any new advancement, service providers often raise prices because they know certain people will pay more just to have the clearest, fastest signal in the world. That’s why industry experts expect the initial price of 5G networks to be higher. However, as with all technology, competition will eventually drive the price down. In addition, providers will not have to build any new infrastructure as mentioned above, so eventually, 5G internet should be cheaper.

When Will 5G Arrive?

The searing question for most consumers is, “When will 5G become a reality?” Both Verizon and AT&T claim that they will be rolling out 5G networks in the latter part of 2018. Expect to see smartphones and other devices that support 5G around the same time. Although manufacturers are ready to move forward, this is one of those situations where both the technology and devices that support it will be released around the same time.

Final Thoughts

As 5G technology is incorporated into everyday life, expect to see more applications that use machine learning and artificial intelligence. With faster, better connectivity, new opportunities will open up for products and services. For instance, games and videos that feature more virtual and augmented reality could become the norm. Cars with a wide range of sensors to help drivers make better split-second decisions could save lives. And lastly, watching a great movie on your phone should become a much more enjoyable experience.

[1] http://www.businessinsider.com/mobile-video-statistics-and-growth-2013-12