Mike Vizard

All posts by Mike Vizard

Mike Vizard has covered IT for more than 25 years, and has edited or contributed to a number of tech publications including InfoWorld, eWeek, CRN, Baseline, ComputerWorld, TMCNet, and Digital Review. He currently blogs for IT Business Edge and contributes to CIOinsight, The Channel Insider, Programmableweb and Slashdot. Mike blogs about emerging cloud technology for Smarter MSP.

Middleware in the cloud
Middleware starts to head for the cloud

Middleware starts to head for the cloud

For as long as there have been applications, the need to integrate them has driven demand for middleware spanning everything from connectors and application servers to messaging and enterprise service bus technologies. In fact, without those technologies the opportunities to...

/ July 27, 2017
mobile computing
Rise of mobile computing changes MSP game

Rise of mobile computing changes MSP game

When it comes to building and deploying mobile computing applications, most internal IT organizations are severely challenged. That’s becoming a major problem because custom mobile applications are at the forefront of any digital business initiative. In fact, a new survey...

/ July 25, 2017
IT security defense
MSPs need to sell the economics of mutual IT security defense

MSPs need to sell the economics of mutual IT security defense

When it comes to IT security defense, the most attractive thing about MSPs is that the cost of implementing security technologies becomes a shared expense. MSPs invest in all the technologies and labor needed to secure the IT environment, but...

/ July 20, 2017
artificial intelligence
Coming to terms with fear and loathing of artificial intelligence

Coming to terms with fear and loathing of artificial intelligence

By now most IT leaders have accepted that large swaths of the routine functions performed inside and outside of the IT department will soon be automated thanks to advances in artificial intelligence (AI) applications employing machine and deep learning algorithms....

/ July 18, 2017
GDPR countdown
Demand for external GDPR expertise needs more time to build

Demand for external GDPR expertise needs more time to build

As the deadline grows closer for complying with the General Data Protection Rule (GDPR) being put into effect May 25, 2018, by the European Union, there’s a marked difference in attitudes between IT organizations in Europe and in the U.S. concerning the...

/ July 6, 2017
ransomware
MSPs need to be on the frontline of any ransomware defense

MSPs need to be on the frontline of any ransomware defense

While there is still much unknown about the latest wave of Petya/GoldenEye ransomware attacks, it’s all too clear that organizations that don’t keep pace with the latest patches are being targeted faster than ever. It used to take cybercriminals a...

/ June 29, 2017
gdpr compliance
Majority of companies already falling behind on GDPR compliance

Majority of companies already falling behind on GDPR compliance

There are a little less than 260 working days between now and when the European Union is expected to implement a General Data Protection Rule (GDPR) that among other things fines companies up to 20 million euros or 4 percent...

/ May 25, 2017
wannacry ransomware
WannaCry ransomware should eventually blow some good for MSPs

WannaCry ransomware should eventually blow some good for MSPs

While the fallout from the WannaCry ransomware attack will reach into the billions of dollars, the one positive outcome should be a wave of upgrades for millions of older Windows PCs that unfortunately are still widely deployed. The malware employed...

/ May 16, 2017
uk cybersecurity
UK study shines spotlight on scope of IT security challenge

UK study shines spotlight on scope of IT security challenge

Despite the increased awareness concerning IT security threats, a new survey from the United Kingdom suggests far too many organizations still don’t have anything approaching a formal IT security strategy. Three-fifths (57 percent) of the respondents to a survey conducted...

/ April 20, 2017
data management regulations
GDPR Promises to Forever Change How Data Gets Managed

GDPR Promises to Forever Change How Data Gets Managed

Given the rise of both Donald Trump and Theresa May, there’s never been more focus on regulations in recent memory. But the regulation that is starting to loom largest in the minds of business executives emanates from Brussels rather than...

/ March 14, 2017