The Thurston, Pierce, Lewis, and Mason Counties IT Experts

What is a DBMS?

The database management system is a piece of software used to create and manage your organization's databases. It offers features that allow you to create new databases, update the tables, easily and quickly retrieve information from the database, and enhance the data found in the database. It is effectively the dashboard that allows you to sort and view your organization’s data. 

Most DBMS titles also provide tools that allow users to alter the way a database works, so that a business can alter it to meet the needs of that business. Many times your business’ databases will be managed by a single party with the front end fueling business management titles like a customer relationship management (CRM) program. 

The Benefits of Database Management

There are several valuable benefits of a DBMS. Some of which include:

Improved Data Security

A DBMS can help users share all types of information quickly and easily, sure, but one thing it excels at is keeping that information safe. By providing fast answers to database queries, the DBMS provides access to data, often in real time. The integrated access control system inside the DBMS ensures that only authorized parties are subject to the underlying data, keeping the system secure. 

Better Data Integration

The DBMS can be used to see how processes in one part of your business affect the processes in another part. This was once done manually and took a long time with a lot of people, but now can be completely automated making it much, much quicker and much more accurate. 

Consistency and Regulatory Compliance

In using a DBMS, you can be certain that the view you have of your data is accurate and consistent. This, along with the ability to manage your organization’s data centrally, provides intrinsic data privacy and security benefits, making the DBMS a crucial tool for organizations that need to stay compliant with data regulations. 

Improved Decision Making

The reliability of the data managed by a properly deployed and maintained DBMS are simply better than data that is loosely tied together manually. It’s that simple. Better data management creates more truly actionable information that can help your business move ahead quickly. 

With data being a huge deal for nearly every organization, having the tools and expertise at your disposal to help your business’ data work to help improve your business is important. If you would like to learn more about databases, the DBMS, and the role they play in business give PC Technologies a call at 360-491-2227.

Adjust Your Startup Page in Google Chrome

The startup page in Google Chrome will open up whenever you open a new tab, so it’s important to set it to whatever you think will get the best results for your productivity or convenience. To access these settings, use the three-dot icon in the top-right corner of the screen. Select the option for Settings.

In the left column, you’ll see the On Startup option. Click this and select one of the three options which appear:

• Open the new tab page
• Continue where you left off
• Open a specific page or set of pages

Now, your choice will largely depend on what you want your startup page to do. You can have it open a plain old tab, have it open up the last one you closed, or open a specific page (or pages, if you’d rather). It all depends on what functionality you want from your browser.

For example, you might want your browser to open up to your email or maybe even your cloud storage. Now, you could always navigate to it yourself, but you can save some time by having your browser do the work for you.

If you want more assistance with your technology, be sure to call us at 360-491-2227.

Let’s consider some of the costs that neglecting to invest into your data privacy measures can force your business to pay.

Issues Concerning Your Data Privacy Get Expensive, Fast…

…and for a variety of reasons. Any given company’s data handling practices are now given a lot more scrutiny from regulatory bodies and security-minded customers and clients alike. News headlines and the lower-thirds of broadcast news have announced “CYBERSECURITY BREACH” far too often as of late for cybersecurity to not be a priority…and yet, many businesses still shortchange their defenses, assuming that their business’ size—or relative lack thereof—shields them from being a target.

Guess what? It doesn’t.

On top of that, not only could you suffer your data being breached, you’d also have to deal with the consequences that such a breach brings about—the loss of reputation, the regulatory fines and backlash, and the damage done to the trust your clients feel for you. In short, the breach of privacy is just the start of your troubles…and the rest of these troubles carry a significant price tag with them.

How Breaches of Privacy Get So, So Very Expensive…

Let’s say, for the sake of example, that you were running a medical clinic just as sexy as the ones on TV. In between dramatically complicated and emotional cases and the decidedly not HR-approved relationships amongst your staff, your facility suffers a data breach that exposes the considerable amount of data you've collected from your patients—medical histories, personally identifiable information, and financial details all made available to whomever wanted them.

That’s pretty bad. Can’t imagine many patients (new or existing) are going to be excited to receive treatment at a facility that allowed all of that personal data to be breached. Chances are, your clinic is going to lose most of its patients. However, while all your patients may want little to do with you, you’ll certainly get plenty of attention from regulatory bodies and authorities looking to collect fines for your likely non-compliance. You’ll also need to provide some form of recompense to all those impacted by the breach, which often takes the form of extended monitoring services on your dime for everyone involved.

On top of all this, you’ll also need to resolve whatever problem led to the breach, which can easily rack up costs, as can any downtime that these events will cause.

But Isn’t It Just as Expensive to Implement All The Requisite Security Tools?

In a way, yes…but when implementing these tools, it becomes a question of capital costs versus operational costs.

Let’s say your hypothetical melodramatic medical clinic was hacked. Without the security that may have stopped the hack, you have all of the above costs to deal with, all hitting your budget at the same time. Forgive me for assuming, but this kind of event will ruin your budgetary planning, unless you had both the foresight and sufficient funds set aside to cover this kind of event.

However, today’s IT—from productivity to security—is delivered differently than it once was. Rather than investing a large lump sum and having to completely replace your software every few years (including another large lump sum paid out), PC Technologies can help you by offering a scalable, sized-to-fit implementation of the necessary resources. Due to this approach, you’ll be able to predict and budget your software and other services in a more consistent and predictable way…and, as it happens, one that is far easier to incorporate into your business’ budget as an operational cost.

In short, our services make ensuring your data remains secure and more feasible to budget for, and thereby make them more accessible for Thurston, Pierce, Lewis, and Mason Counties businesses. Interested in learning more about how PC Technologies can make your business’ security (and, by extension, your life) easier? Give us a call at 360-491-2227 today!