Category Archives: News

• In addition to checking out customers efficiently, POS systems can be used to collect customer contact information, track inventory and generate sales reports.
• POS systems automate the checkout process, track sales, and inventory, and can often integrate with your other business applications, like your accounting software.
• Some POS systems can help you manage both your online and brick-and-mortar sales channels.
• This article is for small business owners who are interested in how POS systems have improved in the past few years.

Point-of-sale (POS) systems are advancing, providing businesses with greater flexibility, control and intelligence than ever before. Businesses have moved from traditional cash registers and stationary credit card readers to tablet and cloud-based POS systems. This shift in technology not only provides businesses with additional features but also allows businesses to keep all reports and transactions in one place.

Day after day, security breaches in high-profile businesses all over the world are hitting the news. These attacks highlight the vulnerability of data and the lack of robust security strategies in organizations of all sizes. Your data security is vital to the overall well-being of your business. Your trade secrets, financial records and employee records all need protection. If compromised, you could suffer reputational and financial damages. There are steps you can take to ensure you don’t become a headline.

The following 10 tips will help you increase the security of your data.

1. Protect the data itself, not just the perimeter

Concentrating on securing the walls around your data seems to be the focus in many organizations, with almost 90% of security budgets spent on firewall technology. However, there are hundreds of potential ways to circumvent a firewall; including through customers, suppliers, and employees. All of these people have the ability to bypass exterior cyber-security and misuse sensitive data. For this reason, you need to ensure that your security efforts are focused on the data itself, not just the perimeter.

2. Pay attention to insider threats

It’s easy to visualize threats originating from outside your organization, as these are often represented in news and television as the biggest and most costly ones. However, the reality is that it’s your insiders that can potentially hurt you the most. Due to their nature, insider attacks can be difficult to detect and prevent. It can be as simple as an employee clicking on an email attachment they believe to have come from a trusted source and releasing a ransomware worm. These kinds of threats are the most prevalent across the world and the most costly.

3. Encrypt all devices

In today’s world, more and more people are choosing to work on mobile or personal devices. How can you ensure that these devices are trustworthy? Make sure that all data is stored in an encrypted format and remains encrypted during migrations.

4. Testing your security

If you think installing an antivirus on every computer or device will protect your company from attacks, think again. As recent data breaches have shown, hiring a professional organization to conduct a security audit will always reveal weaknesses you weren’t expecting. I encourage you to take a walk around your office and look at your employees’ desks. I guarantee, if you look hard enough, you’ll spot a password written down on a sticky note.

5. Delete redundant data

Many organizations deal with sensitive information as an essential part of their business; especially companies in healthcare, finance, the public sector and education. Ensuring information disposal mechanisms are in place helps prevent stale data from being forgotten about and stolen at a later date. Having a system for shredding, erasing or otherwise modifying redundant data to be indecipherable will go a long way to ensuring your employees don’t stash it away.

6. Spending more money and time on Cyber-security

Many CIO’s have admitted that spending more money and more time on data security is a must, as the lack of it continues to be the number one risk to your IT infrastructure. Many big companies with sensitive business data to protect are appointing chief security officers, often to board-level positions, with an acknowledgment that cybersecurity has to be an integral part of all business processes.

7. Establish strong passwords

Many organizations are still employing relaxed password policies, leading to simple, generic, and easy-to-hack passwords for critical accounts, which have access to the sensitive and valuable data. Implementing strong passwords is the first step you can take to strengthen your security in this area. Use reasonably complex passwords and change them at least every 90 days. Never use passwords like “12345” or “Admin1”. Don’t ever write down your passwords and leave them on your workstation for other people to find.

8. Update your programs regularly

Make sure your computer is properly patched and updated. This is often the best way to ensure its adequately protected. Your security applications are only as good as their most recent update. Since hackers and ransomware strains are constantly adapting to exploit weaknesses in earlier software versions, it is advisable to update these applications regularly.

9. Back up your data regularly

This should already be a crucial part of your IT security strategy. With secure backups in place, you can survive everything from accidental file deletion to a complete ransomware lockdown. As a security best practice, backup data should be stored in a secure, remote location away from your primary place of business.

The cost-of-living crisis is leading consumers to shop more cautiously. Amid a broad-based drop in consumer spending, sales across product segments and key markets are declining, with only limited signs of a lipstick effect offering hope. But while the challenging economic environment is expected to continue, there are more optimistic signs in the technology and durables (T&D) sector, where high-performance products are continuing to outperform their categories. To offset stagnant sales in other categories, how can businesses leverage high-performance products to drive growth and where should they focus innovation in the future? 

Premiumization slows  

Premiumization has been a long time trend and has been a major driver of growth for the T&D sector as consumers sought out larger, faster or better-equipped devices when making new purchases. But with the cost-of-living crisis forcing consumers to review their shopping habits, the value of premium brand’s product sales in 2022 has fallen – down from growth of 32% in 2021 to a contraction of 8% in 2022. 

Business software development is designed to precisely meet the software application needs of your company. Traditional off-the-shelf software can be a good option for startups. But for growing mid-sized businesses looking for a competitive edge, tailored business software development is the way to go.

Technology is already having a huge impact on businesses across every industry. Those that don’t keep up will find it very difficult to stay competitive.

Consider companies like Blockbuster, Nokia, and Kodak. Once leaders in their industries, they all failed to keep up with technology and have been overtaken. Compare these businesses to those like Apple, Netflix, and Instagram which have all been huge industry disrupters. It has been a software-led revolution of sorts.

The difference between the companies in these two categories? Some business owners, shareholders, and CEOs embraced technology and innovation, and some chose to bury their heads in the sand.

Better connections within the business

Business software development services can allow you to create team sites and employee portals to manage all operational activities. These allow people to work productively throughout your organisation- regardless of their team or location. This eliminates the “corporate silos” which often cut off communication.

Employees can use technology to reach out to team members working on the same or similar projects, in one centralised system. They can also have their questions instantly answered by experts throughout the company.

Monitoring business productivity

Business software development solutions allow managers and business owners to easily track progress during every phase of every project or job. You’ll gain advanced business analysis capability and reporting. These tools give business owners a deep understanding of market trends, customer preferences, and business performances.

Business managers throughout the company can access analytical reports and performance metrics. They can use this information to adjust or redesign strategies whenever necessary.

Reduced costs

Business owners can use custom software development to automate back office functions to achieve their business objectives. These business applications include payroll, accounting, record keeping, and more.

Business software development also removes the need for employees to use multiple systems every day. The more time they’re spending manually entering information or wasting time finding data in different systems, the less productive they are.

Time is money, and a custom system can integrate these systems into one place, so all team members can readily access information. This reduces the need for data entry, increasing employee morale and improving productivity.

Improved scalability

Your software requirements grow with your business. An off-the-shelf solution can be adequate for small businesses. But businesses aiming to grow should choose business software development. When it comes to system enhancements, a specialised custom software development company will usually more responsive and cost effective than a large software vendor.

When you choose a custom software solution, you’ll be able to accommodate your business both now and in the future. A great software development company will talk to you about your needs and future plans for growth. They’ll take your needs and goals account during the development process.

In order to remain competitive for long term, your software needs to support your business growth now, and in the future.

Protection against threats

Software that is used by many different businesses can be an easy target for cybercriminals and hackers. They have more incentive to hack off-the-shelf software since they would potentially gain access to multiple businesses sensitive data at once.

As you can see, business software development processes will take your business into the future, and provide numerous benefits along the way. For companies hoping to retain or regain a competitive edge this year, custom software is the right choice for a better user experience.