News

October 2023 Update from One Okaloosa EDC

By Nathan Sparks, CEcD Executive Director of One Okaloosa EDC Welcome to Fall! After the scorching hot summer that we experienced, the (slightly) cooler temperatures are, quite literally, a breath of fresh air. Fall not only brings cooler weather, lighter traffic, fewer crowds and, my personal favorite, FOOTBALL – it also brings a change of leadership at One Okaloosa as our new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.  We cannot say enough about what a pleasure it has been to serve under Jillian McQueen, Hilton Garden

Bit-Wizards Urges Businesses to Assess BCDR Plans Amidst Height of Hurricane Season

Managed IT Services company, Bit-Wizards, encourages businesses of all sizes to assess their business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) plans as we reach the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season. 25% of businesses fail to reopen after a disaster, which is why it’s crucial for companies that could be affected by a hurricane to take BCDR seriously and plan in advance.  “If a disaster impacts your business and you don’t have a plan, at the very least, you’re going to lose clients, you’re going to lose

Bit-Wizards Makes Top 5 Again!

 For the 14th year in a row, Bit-Wizards was named one of Florida's Best Companies To Work For in 2023. The annual Best Companies To Work For In Florida list, featured in the August issue of Florida Trend magazine, ranks 100 companies in small, medium, and large employer categories. After a couple of years of tremendous growth, Bit-Wizards moved from the Small to Midsized category in 2022. Coming in at #4, this is the second consecutive year that Bit-Wizards has secured a spot in the top

Bit-Wizards’ Recent Pen Test Results Prove High Level of Security

Bit-Wizards is proud to announce that they scored a 5 out of 5 on their latest external pen test and a 4.5 out of 5 on their internal pen test. The Managed IT Service provider chooses to undergo a penetration test every six months, allowing an outside company to perform an authorized attack on their network to evaluate its security posture.     “The goal is to try to be one step ahead of the hackers at all times. Instead of going through a vulnerability assessment, which tends to be cheaper and less time

Be the Magic Foundation Pledges Over $45,000 in Support for PAWS in 2023

To kick off its third year of partnership with the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society, Bit-Wizards' Be the Magic Foundation (BTMF) is doubling down on its support this year. On Saturday, April 29th, BTMF presented PAWS’ Executive Director, Ashley Degraaf, a check for $20,000 and spent the afternoon volunteering onsite. In addition to the cash donation and over 40 hours of Wizard volunteer time at the facility, PAWS will also receive a total of $20,000 in hardware and skill-based services.    “Bit Wizards

Bit-Wizards Hosts Free Webinar on How Bad IT is Costing Businesses

The Bit-Wizards Managed IT Services team is getting ready to host its first webinar of the year, “How Bad IT is Costing Your Business.” This will be a virtual presentation and live Q&A session focused on how outsourcing IT to a managed services provider (MSP) can prevent your business from wasting money.    “As a new year begins and inflation continues to cause concern, many business owners are looking to tighten their purse strings. We want to make sure they fully understand how downtime, security

Bit-Wizards Offers Six Tips for Holiday Security

The holidays are full of fun and family time, which can sometimes lead businesspeople to let their guards down. Unfortunately, this is the very reason bad actors tend to take advantage of businesses during the holiday season. “There’s an increase in activity for cyber threats this time of year because hackers know that many people are not being as vigilant as they normally are,” says Jason Monroe, Director of Solution Consulting at Bit-Wizards. “By nature, we’re relaxed, we’re happy, and we don’t think

Bit-Wizards Named #2 on Top 100 Best Companies List

For the 13th year in a row, Bit-Wizards has been named one of Florida's Best Companies To Work For. The annual Best Companies To Work For in Florida list, featured in the August issue of Florida Trend magazine, ranks 100 companies in small, medium, and large employer categories. During the previous 12 years of recognition, Bit-Wizards fell into the Small Companies category. Due to their exponential growth over the last year, Bit-Wizards now falls into the Midsized Companies category.   To participate,

Is Your Business Hurricane Ready?

Bit-Wizards Helps Shalimar Police Department Pass an FBI Audit with Flying Colors

“I would not recommend anybody else to meet your IT needs. Bit-Wizards can do it all."  - John Cash, Shalimar Chief of Police There were roughly 50 to 60 requirements set forth in the FBI audit, all of which Shalimar PD had to be in compliance with within 60 days of receiving the information. Learn how the Bit-Wizards Managed IT Services team made it happen.

Bit-Wizards Ranks Among Highest-Scoring Businesses on Inc. Magazine’s Annual List of Best Workplaces

For the sixth consecutive year, Bit-Wizards is named to Inc. magazine’s annual list of the Best Workplaces for 2022. Hitting newsstands on May 17, in the May/June 2022 issue, and as part of a prominent Inc.com feature, the list is the result of a wide-ranging and comprehensive measurement of American companies that have created exceptional workplaces and company culture whether teams are operating in a physical or virtual facility.     CEO, Vince Mayfield and COO, Louis Erikson founded Bit-Wizards on a

Bit-Wizards Blog: 5 Cloud Computing Trends Impacting Businesses

Cloud computing has completely changed the business technology landscape over the last two decades. One might even say that cloud computing has altered the very nature of how businesses operate. Cloud computing is the practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server or personal computer. “There are different kinds of cloud computing,” says Bit-Wizards' Managed IT Services Team Manager Brian Schlechter. “In general, your

Bit-Wizards Brings Home American Advertising Federation Gold

For the 12th year in a row, the magical team at Bit-Wizards brought home a record-breaking number of American Advertising Awards at the Local competition level. The “ADDYs” are the largest and most representative competition in the advertising industry, recognizing and rewarding the creative spirit of excellence in the art of advertising.   For their work in 2021, Bit-Wizards earned a whopping nine Gold and 17 Silver ADDYs for a total of 26 Awards. Recognitions spanned across various categories, including

Bit-Wizards Blog: The Top 5 Cyber Threats Facing Businesses

Cyber-criminals are attacking businesses everywhere. You must protect your assets through diligent determination EVERY SINGLE DAY. Finding an IT partner or professional to watch over your network should be as much a part of your business as having business insurance.Keep reading here.

Bit-Wizards’ Be the Magic Foundation Gives Back in BIG Ways - January 2022

In early 2021, Bit-Wizards took its philanthropic efforts to the next level by unveiling the Be the Magic Foundation (BTMF). The Foundation is committed to making the future of its community stronger and more viable through the support of Youth Development, Adults & Children with Special Needs, Animal Welfare, and Community Development.  After the Foundation’s announcement, dozens of organizations applied online and were vetted by the Be the Magic Foundation board. Through a variety of partnerships, a

Bit-Wizards Co-Parenting App, TalkingParents, Serves Over 550,000 Families in 50 States and 11 Countries

A little-known fact about local tech company Bit-Wizards is that it manages and operates a SaaS (software as a service) application called TalkingParents. 2021 has been a massive year of growth and innovation for both companies.    TalkingParents is a leading co-parenting application supporting separated/divorced parents worldwide. The communications platform was founded by resident Stephen Nixon while running his criminal defense and family law practice.     “I created TalkingParents as a solution for

December 2021 Update from One Okaloosa EDC

Submitted by Nathan Sparks, CEcDOne Okaloosa EDC Executive Director Happy Holidays! With Thanksgiving squarely in the rearview mirror, Hanukkah already underway and Christmas and New Year’s Day right around the corner, we now all find ourselves in the proverbial “Sprint to the Finish” that comes our way this time each and every year. Inevitably, this is the time of year that our internal deadlines begin to mount as the companies and consultants we are working to assist look to achieve end of year

Bit-Wizards Blog: Purpose-Driven Brands Succeed Exponentially and Here’s Why

Corporate philanthropy has been around for ages. Any good business owner or executive knows it is in the best interest of their company to give back through monetary and/or service donations. Whether it’s for financial purposes or simply for the greater good of the communities an organization serves, it’s a proven business strategy. Depending on the size of a business, donations typically range from the sponsorship of a local little league team or hosting a food drive, to multi-million-dollar pledges, to

United Way Emerald Coast Honors 40 Under 40

United Way Emerald Coast’s (UWEC) Emerging Leaders is pleased to announce the inaugural class of “40 Under 40” honorees, presented by Step One Automotive Group. This award seeks to recognize Okaloosa and Walton counties’ top young leaders excelling in their workplaces and making a difference in the community.  This is UWEC’s first year organizing the Emerging Leaders 40 Under 40 award. Seeing the talent, leadership, and passion possessed by the community’s young professionals, UWEC created a venue to

Don’t Let Ransomware Ruin Your Life

Ransomware attacks are more prevalent than ever. Most organizations approach their IT in two very different ways: proactive and reactive. The reactive approach is becoming increasingly dangerous as ransomware attacks rise. Learn more about how this approach can cost your business time, money, and your reputation.  Read more from Bit-Wizards' blog here.