Install, upgrade, and innovate: insights for IT teams on industry news
By Pacxa Holidays throughout the year pose unique opportunities for cybercriminals to capitalize on increased online activity and understaffed IT teams. Two of 2021’s most infamous cyberattacks transpired on holiday weekends. On the eve of Mother’s Day, DarkSide ransomware hit Colonial Pipeline, one of the U.S.’s largest fuel pipelines; during the Memorial Day weekend, an attack on JBS Foods, the world’s largest meat supplier, completely froze production. The two events alone resulted in more than $15 million paid to attackers. The winter months are chock-full of holidays, giving the season inherent potential to see major cyberattack surges. Just this past Labor Day weekend, two major attacks shut down the Los Angeles Unified School District and InterContinental Hotels Group, resulting in extremely costly downtime. As we enter the holiday season, organizations must stay vigilant to mitigate risk and sidestep cyberattacks, even in the midst of holiday merriment. Why holidays = surges The holidays are an incredibly vulnerable time for a number of reasons. Lessened IT staffing is probably the number one factor. Employees take well-deserved time off for the holidays to travel, celebrate, and be with loved ones, but this leaves understaffed teams—and cybercriminals know that. Responses to any incidences may…
By Pacxa As travelers return to the skies for both business and leisure, they also face heightened cybersecurity risks as high-value targets. Business travelers are especially enticing prey for cybercriminals—they often handle sensitive information and travel without the support of company firewalls and other physical security measures. Just this month, a Russian-based hacker group targeted airport websites across the country, including 15 in Hawaiʻi. There was no impact to traveler safety or data, but the event served as a reminder that despite our remote geography, Hawaiʻi is not safe from cyberattackers. Proactive preparation and vigilance are key to avoiding travel-related…
Pacxa
By Bret Peavy, Vice President of Sales and Business Development The transformational impact of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) on enterprise IT is entwined with the success of Salesforce, the growth of the internet, and the proliferation of broadband, mobile phones, and browsers. The concept of accessing tools and services via the internet to enable customization and flexibility continues to evolve to meet the demands of the dynamic enterprise environment. More than 20 years after Salesforce’s inception, the nature of business requires that virtually every tool and service have the option to be turnkey, pay-as-you-go, user-friendly, and remotely accessible. Welcome to the era…
Bret Peavy
Real-world challenges and success stories from our customers
The Challenge Island Holdings had recently established a Shared Services department to provide services across its family of companies. The IT help desk was now tasked with servicing requests from eight different entities, and the disparate processes amongst the companies made it challenging to operate efficiently. Without a consolidated ticketing system, they had no means to effectively handle requests, automate workflows, or track real-time metrics. Then came the pandemic and the transition to remote work. The help desk was flooded with a threefold increase in requests, further underscoring the need for modernization. In addition to everyday workloads, the help desk was suddenly responsible for supporting the setup of work-from-home equipment, collaboration tools, and supplementary infrastructure. Island Holdings needed to streamline its processes and redefine its service levels to meet the challenge. The Solution Island Holdings aimed to employ a single ticketing system for the entire enterprise and gain visibility into consolidated IT metrics to properly align resources. They evaluated ticketing systems, such as Freshdesk and Zendesk, but needed to ensure their solution could be tailored to their unique needs and business goals. Pacxa, a member of the family of companies, introduced the ServiceNow software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution to Island Holdings. ServiceNow…
Pacxa customer In Line Flooring, the Kalihi-based commercial floor installer and essential business, faced a daunting challenge as the realities of the pandemic set in; how to keep employees safe while remaining fully operational? Turning to Pacxa for help, In Line President, Taryn Miyamoto, learned that a suite of apps installed on employees’ phones could be a game changer. ServiceNow’s user-friendly Emergency Response Management suite gave In Line the tools they needed to handle health checks, exposure tracking, and more. We talked to Taryn and her Office Manager, Joana Story, about their experience. See our full Q&A below. What challenges were you facing before you started using the apps? We are an essential business, so closing during the initial…
Recent updates from the Pacxa team
HONOLULU—Pacxa, Hawaiʻi’s premier technology provider, today announced that Kelly J. Ueoka, President, has been selected for Hawaii Business Magazine’s 20 for the Next 20 2023 cohort. The annual program recognizes 20 emerging leaders who are poised to make waves in the next two decades. Serving as President since 2014, Kelly has embodied Pacxa’s mission to “make technology work for Hawaiʻi.” His strong passion for a brighter technology future is illustrated in the work that he has accomplished within Pacxa and in the community. Under Kelly, Pacxa has found tremendous growth and success meeting the state’s rising demands for digital transformation. Most recently, Pacxa was named Hawaii Business Magazine’s 2021 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Awards technology honoree, a Pacific Business News 2022 Fastest Growing Company, and Pacific Edge’s 2022 Tech Company of the Year. Kelly has led Pacxa in pioneering diverse workforce development initiatives and collaborating with leaders across the public and private sectors. To support the local workforce, he introduced the Huaka’i program; which builds and augments IT skills and helps launch new careers. Through a partnership with TRUE Initiative and the Hawaii State Library System, Kelly played an instrumental role in opening a community-based esports facility at Waipahu Public Library in…
HONOLULU—Pacxa, Hawaiʻi’s premier technology provider, today announced that Nik Daubert has been named its Senior Vice President of Operations, a newly created role that will enhance alignment across the company to support its rapid growth. As SVP of Operations, Daubert will optimize operational activities by streamlining cross-functional processes and aligning with strategic goals. Daubert has more than 18 years of experience in operations management, previously serving as the VP of Deposit Operations at Hawaii National Bank. During his time at Hawaii National Bank, he instituted and developed the bank’s ebanking department, and went on to oversee all customer channels and…
Major tech investment creates awareness for $300B gaming industry HONOLULU—TRUE Initiative has launched the TRUE Esports + Tech Lab at Waipahu Public Library. The state-of-the-art technology facility will teach valuable game and software development skills. The esports industry, encompassing software development, data analytics, and content/media content, is a priority for technology companies globally and is estimated to be worth $300 billion. The lab, 6 months in the making, is the culmination of a unique public and private sector collaboration between TRUE, the Hawaii State Library System, and the State of Hawaiʻi, with hardware and technical guidance contributed by Pacxa and…
Today, we’ll find out about a brand new eSports lab on the Leeward Side at the Waipahu Public Library. We’ll talk about the genesis of the lab, who gets to use the facility and the vision for esports in Hawaii.
Waipahu Public Library is home to the first esports and tech lab, broadening the onramp to the burgeoning global gaming industry.
WAIPAHU — The burgeoning esports scene in Hawaii received a two-pronged push toward prominence over the last several days.
For the 28th consecutive year, Pacific Business is excited to celebrate the Hawaii companies committed to growth with its Fastest Growing Companies awards.
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