Horne & Benik Networks Blog

Depending on the sector your business falls into, you’ll want to implement technology solutions designed to help you be successful in the context of that sector. Part of that means investing in new solutions that can yield a satisfactory return on investment, or ROI. But how do you know if a solution can yield a good ROI, and most important of all, what kind of math goes into ensuring you’re not overspending on IT that doesn’t produce results?

AI is a game-changer, there's no doubt about it. From the value your business gets from streamlining operations to its powerful information retrieval, it’s changed, in a very short amount of time, how knowledge-based businesses operate. If you're thinking of handing over your entire customer support operation to an AI, however, you need to pump the brakes a bit. While AI offers incredible efficiencies, completely removing the human element could be a problem for your business.

Some of the most versatile and useful technology out there might already be installed on your infrastructure. One such tool is Microsoft Excel, Microsoft 365’s spreadsheet building platform. You might be surprised to find out that Excel can be used in some interesting ways—including these three uses.

Diagnosing issues with your PC can be challenging, and that’s because an operating system is inherently a complicated piece of technology. If you’re looking for a way to isolate the problem and diagnose it, we typically recommend you work with a managed service provider (like us) to make it happen. If you’d like to try things out for yourself, however, you can use Safe Mode to examine your PC in its base form to see if you can find the root cause of the issue.

There is a seemingly infinite number of cybersecurity threats out there, but there are few threats more dangerous than ransomware. If a business hasn’t taken precautions against it, ransomware can (and will) find ways to extort money, hold data hostage, and threaten that organization’s continuity. Today, we want to cover what ransomware does, what you need to do to prevent it, and what to do if you’re attacked.

Are you tired of that afternoon slump, the achy back, or just feeling generally sluggish after hours of sitting? Well, what if I told you there's a simple change you can make that could improve your workday and boost your well-being? We're talking about the mighty standing desk.

We're all looking for ways to feel better and be more productive, and standing desks are quickly becoming a must-have for good reason. Let's walk around some of the awesome benefits they bring to the table.

Every business owner has heard the mantra: Data is the new oil. 

It sounds great, but for most, the reality is far from it. Your data is probably unrefined, messy, and sitting in a digital graveyard. You're paying to store it, worrying about a potential security breach, but you can’t point to a single decision it helped you make. It's an asset that performs like a debt.

How much does your business value communication and data security? The answer to that should be “A lot.” Microsoft SharePoint, a web-based platform for storing, organizing, sharing, and accessing information, can help businesses that use Microsoft 365 work more effectively. Today, we’ll cover three of its best features and what your business can accomplish with them.

I have two questions for you.

First: how many subscriptions do you pay for that pertain to your business and its software? Second, how many of those subscriptions are actively used in your business’ processes?

This kind of sprawl is too easy to fall into if you aren’t carefully paying attention to these agreements… but you must. Let’s explore why.

The more IT you use, the more conscientious you have to be to ensure that an action you—or your staff—takes doesn’t unwittingly put your business at risk. Today, we’ll go through some ways for you to do your best to stay secure. Let’s get started.

While many people have heard the saying work smarter, not harder, this approach only works if employees are engaged with the tools you’ve chosen to outfit your business with. Even though new gadgets and software are exciting for most workers, the true benefits come when these investments directly boost productivity, helping businesses succeed.

What actually goes into a successful project implementation strategy, and how can you make sure your business is starting from an advantageous point? Today, we want to explore some of the ways your organization can best prepare for a project so that it has an optimal outcome. Whether you want to streamline your project timeline, implement tools to help see it through, or just make the entire process easier to manage, we’ve got tips for you.

Computers generate heat as they work, which is why laptops and desktops have fans and massive cloud computing server farms have equally massive climate control systems. Devices of any scale need to be properly cooled to maintain their functionality.

The problem is that we have numerous cloud-based resources available, and the cooling needs we’ve created have led to significant environmental and financial requirements. 

It’s tough to own up and take the blame, especially when you know it was you who made the mistake. Unfortunately, in IT, there’s a lot of blame thrown around, so it’s something that those in our profession have to get accustomed to. When you work with a technician, you want them to take responsibility for their mistakes and take action to prevent them in the future—and that’s exactly what we aim to accomplish with our managed IT services. Here’s how we make sure our clients can hold us accountable so they get the best services possible.

You want to make network security one of your top priorities, especially these days when you can hardly go online without feeling like someone’s trying to take advantage of you. The password still plays a dominant role in network security, but the fact remains that it’s only one credential that hackers need to target you. Instead of depending on the password, more businesses are shifting to two-factor authentication, or 2FA.

Scams are often so convincing that it’s difficult for even experienced individuals to detect them, but why is this the case? It all boils down to human psychology. Modern security training can help you identify these telltale signs, but it doesn’t really explain the why of things. That’s what we’re out to explore today.

Business technology is one of the greatest expenses in your budget, particularly when things don’t go according to plan. These are typically looked at as capital expenses, which means they are expensive and unpredictable by nature… but they don’t have to be. Today, we want to show you a different way of managing your IT that transforms it into a predictable operating expense.

On October 14, 2025, Windows 10 will officially reach its end of support. This means that millions of users around the world will have to make a decision: upgrade to Windows 11, or continue without support. What does this end of support mean, and how should your business prepare?

How often do you find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer amount of clutter on your desktop? You might dig through a pile of applications, windows, files, and so much more, and it can be difficult to make sense of it all and be productive. Thankfully, there is a rather simple tool to help you clean up your desktop and focus on one window at a time.

Ransomware is bad, and you can’t take any chances with it if you want to keep your business safe. Understand that it might seem like we’re exaggerating, but we’re not; ransomware really is as bad as it comes, and when you’re faced with double or even triple extortion, you’ll be put in a tough spot that no business owner wants to find themselves in. Today, we want to cover what these terms are and why they’re so bad.