(ThyBlackMan.com) It would be silly to go into business without knowing something of how advertising works. No, you don’t have to be an advertising professional. But when you are talking to advertising professionals, you at least need to know what they mean by SEO. The same kind of thing is true for inventory, business taxes, and payroll. If you don’t know the terminology, you are going to be at a serious disadvantage that will affect the longterm viability of your business.
While most business owners know this, they seem to forget all about it when it comes to technology. What they don’t seem to realize is that these days, every business runs on tech. You can’t open a lemonade stand without technology playing a major role. From ordering aprons with your company logo, to accepting Apple Pay, you are going to be using tech. And there are some terms with which you need to be familiar. Here are a few:
SSD and HDD
You may have read enough posts to know that your HDD is the component in your computer that is most likely to fail. But that does you precious little good if you don’t know what it means. HDD stands for hard disk drive. It is an awkward term that has evolved over the years. We used to just call them disk drives during the time when there was only one kind.
While the term is still a little generic. HDD generally refers to the spinning hard drives found in traditional desktop and laptop computers. Though serving the same purpose, it is not to be mistaken for an SSD, which stands for solid-state disk/drive. These are usually upgrade options that are more expensive than the HDD that comes stock. A solid-state drive has no moving parts, and performs much faster and more reliably.
Just because an SSD is more reliable doesn’t mean that it cannot fail, or that you will not need the services of a SSD secure data recovery service. While they fail in different ways than HDDs, they do fail. And when they do, you are going to need the help of a professional. At this time, there are no reliable home remedies worth recommending for mission-critical data. It is important that you understand the tech that drives your business.
Server
Do you need a server? You are not going to have any hope of answering that question if you don’t know what a server is. Many people think that a server is just a big computer used by enterprise-level companies. No part of that characterization is true. A server does not have to be big, used in a large business, or even used for business.
In general terms, a server is computer hardware or software that provides functionality for other programs or devices known as clients. It is important to know when your business is ready for a server. It is one of those things to bear in mind when looking to finance your business. You need to know the difference between the various kinds of servers and their functions. A network server is different from a cloud server. Do a little research before having that conversation with your IT person.
Virtual Private Network (VPN)
A public network is like the internet connection at your favorite coffee shop. Everyone can log onto it. But it is not very secure. A private network is like the one at your office. It is very secure. The only people who can log into it are the people in the office on a network connection. A VPN is a network that has the privacy and security of the one in your office, but can be accessed from anywhere in the world. If you travel for business, or have employees or contractors who need to access the network while traveling, you need to look into a VPN of your own.
There is no exhaustive compendium of tech terminology every business owner needs to know. But you won’t get far without speaking the language of disk drives, servers, and networks.
Staff Writer; Charles Morgan