If you take a quick look at your network, you might notice the following: workstations, server(s), applications, and a nifty cloud backup. The cloud backup was probably simple to set up and it seems to be capturing information and data successfully, all with a price tag that is less than your parking spot in the city. However, it is likely that you are unsure of the exact data it’s capturing and you would love to check on it nightly, but don’t have the time. 

To begin, let's define three popular infrastructure architectures:

• Distributed: A complex architecture where multiple components, typically in various locations, work together to achieve a common goal.  In this case, servers or compute, disk storage, and network switches may be spread across racks, rooms, or even a campus.
• Converged:  This architecture groups together separate IT components into a single, optimized computing package.  While compatible, each component needs to be managed separately. All components including compute, storage, and switching are part of a highly standardized or referenced architecture and are typically deployed in a single rack.
• Hyperconverged: An architecture that is similar to converged as it is a consolidation of multiple IT components into a single package similar to a rack server; however, the components cannot be used separately.  In this case, to add either compute or storage capacities, you must add additional units.  Another big difference between the systems lies in the management.  A hyperconverged system can be managed from one central location.

Although data breaches are common enough to show up in news headlines on a weekly, sometimes daily basis, it's something none of us want our businesses to experience. In fact, an organization's IT staff is regularly putting practices and securities in place to try and prevent network compromises from occurring. However, it's not only employees who make mistakes that compromise network security. Listed below are five risks and their matching solutions to keep networks healthy and cybercriminals at bay. 

Moving to the Cloud means different things to different organizations. Similarly, offering a cloud solution means different things to different vendors. At this point, you probably have some portion of your business running ‘in the Cloud.' The most common place we see organizations adopting the Cloud is with Software as a Service (SaaS), which includes Microsoft Office 365, Salesforce.com, and any number of line-of-business applications hosted by a provider in the Cloud.

Systems Engineering’s (SE) Lunch & Learn "Information Security Evolution and the Modern Network" was recently held in Bangor and Portland, ME and Nashua, NH.  This event covered cybersecurity, its current state, how threat intelligence has grown, and an overview of the evolving layers of security. 

It’s no revelation that the age of Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) computing is here and has been for some time. Whether it's with a smart phone, tablet, or smart watch, BYOD is a convenient way for today's workforce to stay connected. Recent surveys show that BYOD adoption, as a business tool, presents a company as more attractive and a "must-have" for millennial-generation job applicants.  

Portland, ME — August 13, 2015 — Systems Engineering, a leading IT strategy, and managed services provider, has been named one of the 2015 Best Places to Work in Maine. This is the 10^th year the Maine State Council of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) has chosen the list. Systems Engineering was selected in the medium company category (50-249 employees). This is the second time the company has been selected to the list.