Soaring Technology

Technology and Managed Services Blog – A WingSwept Production

One Month Away: Technology Recycling Opportunity in Garner NC

Mar 21

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Industry News, Local News, Press Releases | Comments off

In one month, on April 21, 2012, WingSwept will be holding the Technology Spring Clean for the fourth year in a row.  The electronic recycling event will occur in the North Parking Lot of Aversboro Road Baptist Church in Garner, NC from 10 AM until 4 PM.

 

Take a look around your house, pack up your car, and make a trip to the event with items like computers, phones, fax machines, printers, and wires.

 

Every year, the event allows people to free themselves of technology equipment that they want to get out of their home or office, but don’t know how.  Throwing electronics away leads to pollution in landfills.  It was once only frowned upon, but is now against North Carolina state law.

 

The Technology Spring Clean is a free and easy recycling drop off event, and was previously recognized as Triangle Business Journal’s Green Action Program of the Year.  The event has gained popularity in Garner and surrounding communities like Fuquay-Varina, Clayton, and Raleigh.

 

WingSwept is thankful for the support of the event sponsors which include Triangle Recycling, Aversboro Road Baptist Church, Waste Industries, Town of Garner, International Minute Press, REX Wellness Center, SYSTEL, Garner Chamber of Commerce, Fuquay-Varina Chamber of Commerce, Clayton Chamber of Commerce, Greater Smithfield-Selma Area Chamber of Commerce, S&A Cherokee, Jones Insurance, McDonald’s, and Timeless Promotionals.

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Hard Drives – What’s the Difference?

Mar 1

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Technology Tips | Comments off

Solid state drives (SDD) have become more and more prevalent in the computer world recently and have been receiving very positive reviews. But, what exactly is better about an SSD drive over my hard drive (HDD) and why is it more expensive for less space?

The most fundamental difference between a SSD and a HDD is the way it stores memory. HDDs work using a spinning platter coated in a magnetic material that is used to record data similar to how cassettes store data using the magnetic film. This technology has been around for a good while and it is capable of storing very large amounts of data. SSDs use flash memory similar to the memory card in your camera or smartphone. SSD drives don’t have moving parts which serves many benefits such as speed of read and write times, and a reduced rate of failure. HDDs are currently the bottleneck of most modern systems and the increased speeds that SSD provides is solving that problem. Another possible option is to use a hybrid hard drive, the “middle ground” between HHD and SSD, which combines the two technologies resulting in higher storage space and faster speeds. Although the price is a little higher than a typical hard drive, a SSD drive can allow applications to load faster, computers to boot up faster, and the user to have more time to spend getting work done.
Are you concerned about your hard drive space or your PC performance? WingSwept’s IT helpdesk can address your concerns.

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The Technology Spring Clean is Back! Details on the 2012 Event

Feb 29

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Industry News, Local News, Press Releases, Technology Tips | Comments off

The July 2011 ban on improper electronic disposal has made the need for the Technology Spring Clean even more evident than years prior.

The Technology Spring Clean is being held at the North Parking Lot of Aversboro Road Baptist Church in Garner on April 21, 2012 from 10 AM until 4 PM. This year marks the fourth annual Technology Spring Clean community service event held by WingSwept.

There is no need to hold on to broken, unusable, or old technology any longer because you don’t know the appropriate way to get rid of it. On April 21, your equipment will be collected for proper and secure recycling. Other perks are that the “spring clean” drop-off is free and convenient, and hard drives get shredded before they are recycled.

Examples of accepted electronics for drop off are: computers, CPUs, hard drives, televisions, mouse, wire, monitors, printers, copiers, scanners, circuit boards, phone systems, and more.

WingSwept, a North Carolina technology firm, receives event support from organizations in Garner and surrounding areas. Together, over 50,000 pounds of technology has already been successfully diverted from landfills. Visit www.wingswept.com/recycle for more information or call (919) 779-0954 x 131 for questions.

Supporting sponsors include: Aversboro Road Baptist Church, Cabinet Connection of North Carolina, Clayton Chamber of Commerce, Fuquay-Varina Chamber of Commerce, Garner Chamber of Commerce, International Minute Press, Jones Insurance Agency, McDonald’s, REX Wellness Center, S&A Cherokee, SYSTEL, Timeless Promotions, Town of Garner, Triangle Recycling, and Waste Industries.

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Understanding the Diverse Components of WingSwept

Jan 5

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Local News, Press Releases | Comments off

In the Garner community, the WingSwept brand is recognized and the faces of the people that make up the WingSwept team are well known, but what WingSwept does is often misunderstood.

Locally, WingSwept is synonymous with IT support, but our team is full of experts in multiple technology fields. The company is made up of four divisions, each with their unique and diverse customers, all which strive to help customer leverage technology for better results. The divisions are Network Support, Vertical Marketing, Web Development, and Government Services. WingSwept is blessed to have a major presence in multiple arenas and over 2,000 customers across the country, and the diversity of the company has been a major attribute to its ongoing success.

The Network Support team does everything from designing networks and installing hardware to providing complete managed services to companies earning anywhere from 1 to 100 million dollars in revenue. The engineers can completely manage your business’s technology or be the second line of defense for your already existing internal IT team.

The Vertical Marketing division provides customers in different industries with websites in a quick and affordable fashion. The industries that WingSwept has a presence in today include the automotive repair industry (www.repairshopwebsites.com) and the HVAC market (www.surfingduct.com). This division has customers in all 50 states, as well as international customers.

The Web Development division creates enterprise-level custom web applications for customers around the country from major universities to small businesses. The applications developed by the WingSwept team allow organizations to solve issues or improve processes unique to their customers.

The Government Services division focuses on serving the Office of Inspector General community with an investigative case management product called CMTS. OIG customers turn to CMTS when they want to replace their manual process of case management with a secure and accessible web-based product. Whether WingSwept is keeping a large corporation’s network up and running or setting up a website for an independent repair shop, they believe in professional service with a personal touch. Visit www.wingswept.com to learn even more about the growing company.

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Giving Thanks – A Note from A WingSwept Staff Member

Nov 23

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Industry News, Local News, Managed Services, Press Releases, Technology Tips | Comments off

Oh, the satisfaction of christening that new toy! Holding your new Samsung Galaxy tablet; making that first phone call (or giving your first reminder to Siri) on your new iPhone 4S; booting off your new SSD and marveling at its speed: these are the moments that make us all feel like kids again. Around this time of year I am reminded of how fortunate I am to have these moments, and I give many thanks for that.

Then I think of those people who rarely, if ever, get to have these opportunities: Kids, adults, neighbors, and strangers who struggle to keep on their lights or keep food on the table. They cannot afford to splurge on the technology we have grown to expect. Yet that does not mean they want nor need it any less than we do.

So as you discover the cool tricks your new toys can do, take a minute to look around your house or office. If you are like me, there are probably old phones, game systems, computers, VCRs, DVD players, etc., just collecting dust and taking up valuable real estate. Some of the less-fortunate people around this area would love to use that technology!

Several organizations in this area accept used equipment and repurpose it: the United Way and the Kramden Institute, to name a couple of them. A good resource on the Web is Givmo, with a page for resources in Raleigh.

Before you slice into that beautiful turkey or peel back the golden foil on your Honey Baked Ham tomorrow, give thanks for everything hard work, great friends and family, and good fortune have afforded you. Then stuff yourself and sit back after dinner (probably in a food coma) and enjoy those new toys. But make certain you reserve some time this weekend to gather your unused equipment so you can donate it to the needy. The feeling of gratitude you feel this Thanksgiving will pale in comparison to the feelings of gratitude those lucky recipients will feel after getting their “new” toys.

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NC IT Support and Services Firm, One of the Nation’s Fastest-growing Companies in 2011

Aug 30

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Industry News, Local News | Comments off

Inc. magazine ranked WingSwept No. 2947 (No. 372 in the IT Services Industry) on its fifth annual Inc. 500|5000, an exclusive ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The list represents the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy—America’s independent entrepreneurs. WingSwept joins thousands of other prominent brands featured on this year’s list.

In a stagnant economic environment, median growth rate of 2011 Inc. 500|5000 companies remains an impressive 94 percent. The companies on this year’s list report having created 350,000 jobs in the past three years, and aggregate revenue among the honorees reached $366 billion, up 14 percent from last year.

WingSwept has a tight-knit team that delivers service with a personal touch despite their growth.  They are deeply rooted within the Garner, NC community and enjoy helping local organizations thrive through secure IT solutions.  Among other services, WingSwept provides technical support, managed services, data backup, cloud computing, and network design.

WingSwept has been growing steadily in company and customer size, but being honored on the Inc. list is a true testament to how far the technology company has come.

Inc. has sought to recognize and to celebrate the creativity, dedication, and hard work that entrepreneurs put into building their companies. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/5000.

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WingSwept Keeps Growing!

Jul 14

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Local News, Press Releases | Comments off

WingSwept, the continually growing Garner-based IT firm, has seen an increased demand in their Network Support division thanks to enthusiastic support from their clients. As part of their effort to provide the best possible customer service, WingSwept has brought two new members to the Network Support division as Systems Analysts: JC Cranford and Michael Johnson.

As professional Systems Analysts at WingSwept, Cranford and Johnson will assist in handling the large volume of maintenance and technical jobs performed by the Network Support division, assisting clients remotely and on-site. Both new members bring extensive talent in the field of information technology to WingSwept.

“Cranford and Johnson will be vital to the Network Support division’s ongoing scalability and efficiency as WingSwept continues to grow,” said CEO Jay Strickland. “They’ve proven to be a great fit and we’re looking forward to providing better service than ever before.”

Cranford comes to WingSwept with a breadth of IT training and knowledge, Johnson as an NC State University alum with Information Systems as a major field of study. “My colleagues at WingSwept have been very welcoming and it’s been a pleasure to walk in every morning,” said Johnson. “WingSwept swept me off my feet.”

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Garner IT Company Named #6 Small Business in the Triangle, #57 in the South

Jul 7

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Industry News, Local News, Press Releases | Comments off

WingSwept recently secured a top spot in the Business Leader Magazine list for the Top 300 Small Businesses in the South for 2011.  The IT company in Garner, NC came in at #57 overall and #6 out of 60 winners from the Triangle area.

Business Leader honors companies based on a variety of factors, including percentage of sales generated in their local market, revenue growth, businesses achievements and civic contributions.  With hundreds of applicants from Raleigh, Atlanta, Miami and other economic capitals of the South, WingSwept is honored by the impressive ranking of #57 amongst the other honorees. 

The IT staff members help companies leverages technology to achieve better results within their organizations.  WingSwept delivers the highest quality services while remaining dedicated to their community.  WingSwept has a positive impact in Garner and surrounding areas through chamber memberships, community event sponsorships, local charity support, and its very own annual community service event.  WingSwept has been recognized for its contributions in the community and IT industry, and they remain grateful for every honor.

“We’re very proud to be recognized for our efforts and it’s an honor to earn such a high ranking,” says President Jay Strickland.  “Congratulations to our staff at WingSwept and thanks to our customers for enabling us to grow like we have.”

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Save Money, but Don’t Skip on Security for Your Business

May 31

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Technology Tips | Comments off

Ann Marie van den Hurk recently wrote an article, “Hacking happens, so be prepared”, about how information hacking can happen to anyone and does.  People are hesitant to spend money in these economic times, but holding back on security for your network and data is not the place to do it.  WingSwept specializes in network security and data protection in North Carolina and customizes IT plans for small to medium sized businesses.

Ann Marie van den Hurk writes:

“Sony’s PlayStation Network was taken offline for about a month after an attack that compromised its 77 million users’ personal information. In April, the email marketer that handles customer communications for companies including Kroger, Capital One and JP Morgan Chase was hacked.

With companies of such size and resources victimized, what can small businesses do to protect themselves?

First, you must understand the problem. Hacking comes in many forms, such as viruses, malware, password attacks, spoofing, phishing and distributed denial of service attacks, commonly called DDoS.

The two most common attacks are viruses and DDoS. Viruses copy themselves onto your customers’ computers, while DDoS prevents your customers from reaching you because hackers bombard your site’s servers with visits and overwhelm it to the point of not functioning.

The most concerning of these issues is data theft, as it’s costly to resolve and can damage the trust between you and your customers.

Sarah Granger, founder of the Center for Technology, Media and Society and a network security expert, said many companies think they’re saving money by not investing in network security. But it’s just the reverse, as it costs more to be reactive than proactive.

According to a recent study on the cost of data breaches by researcher Ponemon Institute, data breaches cost U.S. companies $204 per compromised customer record in 2009. Data breaches caused by malicious attacks were more costly to resolve.

As a business owner, your goal should be to prepare. Granger strongly urges companies to create disaster recovery plans so that if their data or sites are compromised, they already know what to do.”

Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2011/05/30/1755558/hacking-happens-so-be-prepared.html#ixzz1NxZPJV8b

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