Tom McDonald

President of NSI, Tom has been helping small and medium businesses succeed in Connecticut for over 25 years.

Recent Posts

Which IT Support Is Right For Your Local Business: Remote or Onsite?

By Tom McDonald | May 4, 2016 10:40:00 AM

Every business runs on computers these days, which means every business needs some form of computer support. Someone has to be responsible for configuring and maintaining computer systems, keeping the Internet up and running, managing the web site (especially if you are dealing selling using e-commerce), and even dealing with paper jams in the printer. At the same time, staffing is one of the biggest expense items for any business, typically consuming more than 50 percent of itemized expenses when you take into account compensation, benefits, insurance, and worker’s compensation. But do you really need a dedicated IT team to keep your network systems up and running? Read More >

Healthcare IT Practices to Help Ensure HIPAA Compliance

By Tom McDonald | Apr 26, 2016 8:10:00 AM

HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, was passed to secure patient records. It applies to health care providers, hospitals, insurance companies, and any organization that has access to protected health information (PHI), especially electronic health records (EHRs). While EHRs have become a real asset for medical practitioners, making it easier to store and share patient data, EHRs also pose a new challenge for IT professionals who have to meet the informational needs of caregivers while still maintaining privacy as outlined under HIPAA. Read More >

How MDM Software Can Help Unlock Work Phones For Government Purposes

By Tom McDonald | Apr 19, 2016 7:55:00 AM

The recent controversy regarding the FBI’s efforts to coerce Apple into writing a universal key to unlock iPhone security has shone new light on the need for mobile device management (MDM) software. As you probably know, the FBI sought a means to access the iPhone of Syed Rizwan Farook, the gunman responsible for killing 14 people in San Bernardino. The FBI argued that Apple had to develop software to access Farook’s iPhone data. Apple argued that the FBI’s request would require them to create a universal skeleton key that could compromise security on any iPhone. While all of this is now a moot point, because the FBI was able to unlock Farook’s phone without the help of Apple, the part of the story that few hear is that the FBI could have easily unlocked Farook’s iPhone if San Bernardino County had installed MDM software.

Read More >

How Small Insurance Agencies Can Improve With Technology Updates

By Tom McDonald | Apr 11, 2016 1:40:00 PM

Technology is changing the way small businesses manage their operations, and insurance agencies technology updates are no exception. Insurance carriers and underwriters are investing in more technology to assess risk, create new actuarial algorithms, and develop new types and categories of insurance to meet customers’ changing needs. To stay competitive, insurance agencies have to invest in new technology. However, as with any small business, the challenge is knowing where they will get the most return from their technology investment. Read More >

How To Protect Your Customer Insurance Information With Managed IT

By Tom McDonald | Apr 6, 2016 6:50:00 AM

Customer records serve as the foundation of the insurance industry. Whether it’s life insurance, auto insurance, homeowners or medical insurance, having accurate and secure data is critical. Insurance CSOs lose a lot of sleep worrying about how to protect customer records. By necessity, insurance records have to be more comprehensive with more personal, sensitive information, and the insurance industry is heavily regulated, which means protecting customer records is a primary concern. Read More >