What’s the fastest thing in the universe?

It’s a particle called a tachyon, and it travels faster than the speed of light at more than 186,282.397 miles per second.

The fastest wind speed ever recorded was 318 mph, during tornadoes that ravaged Oklahoma in 1999. The peregrine falcon flies at speeds of up to 200 mph. And the cheetah and sailfish run and swim, respectively, at up to 70 mph.

One of the fastest computers is China’s Tianhe-2 supercomputer, capable of nearly 55 quadrillion calculations per second. And a quantum computer being developed by Google will easily eclipse that speed. Your computer limps along by comparison, despite executing approximately 100 million instructions per second.

But there are three things you can do to increase your computer’s speed and reduce your frustration at its less than optimal operating pace.

Update and delete

There are many reasons to update your operating system and programs.

Security is one — updates fix vulnerabilities that leave you open to attack. And newer operating systems support the latest programs and browsers, enhancing processing speed.

Removing outdated or unnecessary programs also increases speed because it can free up hard drive space or memory.

You’ll find a list of programs on your computer under your control panel. Simply go through it and delete what you no longer need.

Avoid the urge to download that app

That coupon or weather application you want to install may end up being more trouble than it’s worth.

Many applications function as browser plugins, which load when you log on to your computer. That process slows down your system because the plugins are telling your browser to constantly search for updates, monopolizing processing speed.

And another reason to skip the app? Many load plugins into your browser that track what you’re searching, monitoring your history at a level you may not want.

Clean it up

Hard drives are spinning discs, and as files are added, they are spread across that disc. Over time, files are broken up, making the most use of open spaces, but also making it difficult for the drive to access the files.

Defragging can help because it makes changes to the hard drive — putting pieces of files together, reordering them — to clean it up. The drive is then easier to read, adding operating speed. It’s a maintenance process that’s easily accomplished by going to your system tools and clicking on disk defragment.

Defragging can’t be done on all devices, however. Tablets, iPads, Macs and some notebooks have solid-state hard drives that can’t be defragged. Similarly, systems using image-based backups should not be defragged because the backups are made in sectors. Each change made by defragging is also backed up incrementally, slowing the backup.

Even if you can’t defrag, you can implement the other strategies. Any combination of them will help you experience more of the computer speed you want and need.

– Tita Parham is marketing and communications specialist at InfiNET Technologies.

More than 187,940 children in Central Florida struggle with hunger, according to Second Harvest Food Bank. And that’s an 8.9 percent increase over last year.

In response, Winter Park businesses and individuals are renewing efforts to reverse that trend. They’re raising funds for Second Harvest Food Bank through the second annual Feed the Need campaign, presented by Florida Distributing, Mayflower Retirement Community and Winter Park Memorial Hospital.

Last year, the collaboration, which includes founding members Winter Park Chamber of Commerce and the City of Winter Park, raised $100,000 in 22 days. InfiNET Technologies has joined this year’s effort as one of dozens of community champions donating funds and raising money to continue the momentum to end hunger.

The campaign kicked off Oct. 31 at Winter Park City Hall and runs until Nov. 21. Until then, residents, businesses, faith communities and civic groups can participate through online giving, community events and individual fundraising efforts — all to feed the need for local families.

More information about the campaign, the needs in Central Florida and ways to help is available on the Second Harvest Food Bank website.

— Tita Parham is InfiNET Technologies’ marketing and communications specialist.

For everyone who lives along the East and Gulf coasts of the Unites States, the local news station’s tropical report is the highlight of the season. That’s the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

For those six months, coastal and even inland residents follow the tropics so they can quickly put their disaster plan into action if a major storm is predicted.

Businesses need to be prepared for disasters, too, and not just during the seasons when weather-related disasters are most likely to hit. Anything that takes down a system and keeps employees from doing their jobs is a disaster to business, and those situations can take place any time of the year.

That means there’s no offseason when it comes to being prepared for a disaster. And that’s where a backup disaster recovery (BDR) plan comes in.

A disaster in disguise

Everyone knows a fire or major storm — either the tropical- or winter-weather kind — isn’t good for all the hardware and data on a computer network, but events like gas leaks, water main breaks or equipment failure can be just as hazardous to a business. In Florida, sink holes and the remedies required to stabilize buildings pose a unique threat.

Anything that shuts down the power to a building or limits access to a network and its files, especially when buildings are deemed unsafe, is a disaster requiring a backup plan. Because when that happens, data can be lost and employees aren’t able to work, putting a business at risk.

The optimal plan

A BDR plan that protects against a variety of scenarios needs to include two important components: on- and offsite backups.

Onsite backups enable recovery when there are hardware and software failures, virus attacks or files destroyed. Offsite backups restore systems when employees can’t access the onsite backup — when fire, flood, tornado or some other event destroys the backup or when access to files is denied because power to the network is off.

The ideal solution is image-based backups to an onsite system that is able to virtually restart servers for disaster recovery and periodic testing. A duplicate of those backups, with the same functionality, should be located in an offsite facility.

With image-based, offsite backups, an image of the entire server, including all files, operating systems, applications and directories, is generated and sent to an offsite facility. Any incremental changes from that point on are also sent to the site so they can be incorporated into the backup. And with virtual backups — restarting servers and desktops on equipment offsite — employees are able to access their files remotely from any computer via the Internet, ensuring business continuity.

Using multiple power supplies and processors to build in redundancies, as well as installing extra memory and fire and waterproof hard drives, provides additional protection.

Whatever solutions are chosen must be tailored to a company based on its needs and budgets. Smaller companies may opt for less expensive solutions provided by hosted environments via the cloud, which protects systems from local disasters. Onsite options might still be necessary.

Ultimately, companies must decide how long they can survive “being down” while new hardware and software is being installed. That’s key in determining which backup solutions are best.

* Tita Parham is marketing and communications specialist at InfiNET Technologies.

❏ HIPPA and SEC-regulated companies affected most.

April 8 is the magic date. That’s when Microsoft will end its support of the Windows XP operating system. And that means Microsoft will no longer issue updates or patches for the system.

That’s especially worrisome for companies regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission or Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) and responsible for safeguarding sensitive data, particularly patient health information. Cracks in security could lead to violations and fines.

But for all companies, a less than optimal operating system could negatively affect business performance and integrity as a company.

What to do now

Companies that have yet to make the transition need to begin now to develop and implement a plan. Theses steps can help.

1. Conduct a network-wide inventory audit. This will help determine how many computers need to transition from XP to a newer operating system, giving companies a starting point from which to develop the most cost-effective plan.

2. Make sure the network is secure. Are computers protected against attacks? Are safeguards in place to monitor network breeches? If the answer to either is no, it’s time to put solutions in place that will help keep systems secure, both during the transition to a new operating system and once it’s completed.

That’s especially important for health care companies. HIPPA regulations include a section devoted to secure electronic storage and transfer of patient health care information, and companies with systems that don’t meet specific standards could be in violation.

3. Create a migration plan based on finances, applications and needs. Since XP launched in 2001, two newer versions became available — Windows 7 and 8. The latest is Window 8.1.

The version that’s best may depend on applications currently being used. Not all run on Windows 8; many do in Windows 7. Applications should be tested in a Windows 8 environment before upgrading to the system.

Browsers used are also a factor. Many electronic medical records posted online are accessed through Internet Explorer. Windows 8 supports versions 10 or 11; Windows 8.1 supports version 11 only.

Then there’s the cost. Some solutions include hardware fixes — upgrading memory or solid-state hard drives — that are fairly inexpensive. Another option is virtual desktop integration — running virtual Windows 7 desktops on a server or multiple servers for redundancies. Expenses involved include new server hardware, the operating system, Windows 7 licenses and the time to implement the solution.

For larger companies required to upgrade equipment and purchase new operating system licenses, the most cost-efficient solution might be to retire old hardware and purchase new computers.

Whatever the plan, companies need to be taking steps now to migrate to a system that’s best for them.

* Tita Parham is InfiNET Technologies’ marketing and communications specialist.

January is a time for making New Year’s resolutions — about our health, about our finances.

It’s also a good time for business owners and CEOs to take stock of the engine that keeps their businesses humming — their IT network.

But with any resolution, deciding on a course of action is only half the battle. Narrowing down those good intentions to a plan that’s manageable and maintainable all year long is key.

And where your IT infrastructure’s health is concerned, just two steps will keep its performance optimal.

1. Install remote management and monitoring software (RMM) on your network and computers. This auditing tool can track every computer, printer, router and switch on your network.

The most basic versions provide an asset inventory so you know exactly what hardware and software you have on your system. That’s helpful in maintaining up-to-date equipment, but also in determining depreciation for accounting and tax purposes.

Other RMM options can tell you how much memory and hard disk space is on each computer, what applications were installed and removed, and whether antivirus software is running and up to date.

The software also monitors network devices like routers, printers and switches. That means you’ll know something as basic as when a printer is out of paper or low on toner to the more critical — when a switch or router is experiencing errors on a specific port, which could mean something is wrong with a computer or printer plugged in to that port.

Does your Internet connection regularly go down? Are memory upgrades needed to improve server performance? The RMM will tell you that, too.

2. Just do it. Putting the mechanism in place to regularly take the pulse of your network is great, but if you don’t commit to dealing with the data you’re getting, your network will suffer. Your business might, too, if you can’t connect to the tools that enable you to serve your clients and customers.

The software makes it easy to fix any gaps. Here’s how it works. An alert related to an issue is sent to a specific person. The notification can be logged for later review, or if the issue is critical, an email or text can be sent to the designated troubleshooter, alerting him or her to the problem so it can be promptly resolved.

For asset inventories or updates on licenses and software, commit to running a report once or twice a year and comparing what you have to the latest technology. Are your computers past their prime, is your antivirus software out of date, are your software licenses no longer supported on any new equipment you purchase? If so, it might be time for upgrades.

Think of RMM as a regular wellness check and personal training program for your network. And committing to it will ensure your network is healthy enough to work for you.