Computerware Blog

Your business, like all businesses, relies on a lot of moving parts to function. That’s the reality. What isn’t the reality is that you have no control over whether these moving parts will break down, and that you have to just sit and wait for it to happen, reacting when it does.

Commerce has been fully embraced by the Internet, with online stores slowly phasing out many brick-and-mortar establishments. While you may not be in too much danger, depending on what you offer, you may also have the opportunity to leverage this trend in your favor. Below, we’ve outlined a few factors to help you decide if e-commerce is the right fit for you.

Technology is critical to the success of your business. You rely on it for productivity, efficiency, and security. Your organization can’t run as intended without constant access to important data and systems. If a business can’t afford to maintain and implement adequate technology solutions, they will often pay untrained employees to do what they can, but this comes with too many risks to be effective.

IT support is one of the most important parts of any modern business simply because it’s just not feasible to run a business without any form of technology at its core. For example, most businesses rely on email and other forms of communication, whereas stores might require access to a point-of-sale software to sell their wares. Either way, it’s critical to the success of most businesses, and where there’s technology, there is bound to be someone who needs to manage and maintain it.

Network security is more than just a conscientious attempt by your staff to protect your organization’s digital assets. It’s making sure that your employees know how to handle dangerous situations, implementing preventative IT measures to eliminate potential issues entirely, and having the right technology experts on-hand to handle tough problems that can’t be solved by a few pieces of technology.

When you are looking for help with your IT maintenance, would you rather experience downtime and frustration, or would you rather not? While the right answer to this question is clear, many organizations still rely on antiquated break-fix IT support that holds them back from achieving greatness. What are the differences between traditional break-fix IT support and a managed service provider?

It’s inevitable that your organization will face some hard decisions, but no choice is as painful as pulling the plug on the one thing that you’ve dumped your heart and soul into; your business. There is a plethora of problems that could cause a business to consider shutting its doors, but often there is a solution. If technology-related costs and downtime are your main problems, managed IT services can help.

Workstations that don’t work properly can get in the way of even the most diligent of workers. If the IT department is too busy to give them immediate assistance, where can your employees turn to? If your organization has a help desk solution, workers have a great way to get the assistance they need without having to wait.

It’s important that issues are resolved as quickly as possible, so they don’t negatively affect operations. A help desk is the best way to eliminate time and productivity lost to technology troubles, and it gives employees the freedom to request assistance as it is needed.

A help desk works by giving an employee who is experiencing a problem, the ability to quickly contact an IT technician that can, and will, resolve the issue. This is all done without disrupting anyone that doesn’t need to be involved because it is a direct line to assistance. A help desk solution serves as a great way to contain an IT issue from taking up more time and resources than it should.

With a help desk, your staff won’t be distracted by a member of IT arriving on the scene to resolve the problem. This also allows your IT department to keep all hands-on deck and allow your technicians to focus on doing what technicians do best; innovating and creating new ways to optimize technology for your organization’s benefit. Plus, it is likely that your IT staff has more pressing obligations and responsibilities than setting up someone’s email.

As a bonus, one major benefit of a help desk comes after an employee takes full advantage of it. Since the employee gets immediate assistance and isn’t being burdened by faulty technology, they’ll be able to get right back to work with minimal downtime. This means that you aren’t spending money to pay an employee for time that’s unproductive. Eliminating downtime is one of the key ways that businesses can save in operating costs, and a help desk helps you achieve this goal.

In the long run, implementing a help desk solution for you and your staff will pay for itself. Less downtime equates to more productivity and more money. To learn more about how a help desk can help your business save money, reach out to Computerware at (703) 821-8200.

It’s not unheard of for organizations to experience immense technological trouble that brings future potential problems into question. Surprises like these can spell trouble for businesses that are unprepared, especially considering the major damage it could cause to your budget. This forces you to ask yourself if you know what your current plan for IT covers, and what you want your provider to do to eliminate unexpected billing surprises.

Business owners have a lot to worry about. However, keeping workstations, server units, mobile devices, and various software solutions in good working order doesn’t have to be a concern--that is, if you outsource these responsibilities to the right IT professionals.

Think of your business technology like a car. Sure, it’s a great way from getting from one location to another, but if it breaks down, you’re in big trouble financially. Even worse, you’re stuck without a vehicle for a certain amount of time. Can you imagine purchasing new hardware and losing precious productivity due to downtime?

Technology grows at an incredible rate, and businesses need to take advantage of new features to get ahead of their competition. But is simply adopting new technology enough to get ahead? After all, new technology solutions mean nothing if your end-users don’t know how to use them.

Managed IT services have become a popular way for small businesses to manage their technology. Yet, there are still organizations that mistakenly think they have reasons to prefer the alternative, break-fix IT. In order to show why managed IT is superior, we want to address the top three reasons why a business would lean toward the break-fix model.

“I’ll save money by only fixing technology when it’s broken.”
While at first this seems to be like a common-sense response, look closer. Repairing broken technology when it’s not working as intended is a clear approach, but it’s also highly inefficient. Technology systems deal heavily with data, and as such, your business could be down for days while attempting to resolve problems and maintain systems. This results in wasteful downtime that can easily be prevented.

Plus, you also have to realize that technology costs much more to purchase outright than it does to repair it. Consider this scenario: you have to replace a server unit or a workstation, but the best hardware is quite expensive, and it’s hard on your budget to replace key components whenever they show the slightest hint of degradation. It makes the most sense to invest in quality hardware and maintain it properly, so as to avoid the costly expenses of purchasing new equipment. This is what managed IT seeks to accomplish, and where break-fix IT falls short.

“My technology doesn’t need maintenance regularly.”
Many organizations might still be under the impression that their technology isn’t used enough to warrant regular maintenance routines. They might say this because they only really use their productivity suite, or the Internet browser. The problem lies in the fact that even these applications need constant patches and updates to stay secure from a myriad of threats. When it comes to hacking attacks, you can’t take any risks. If you’ve never had to deal with a data breach, it can seem awfully tempting to dismiss the possibility of a hacking attack.

Herein lies the issue that constantly plagues businesses. More businesses than ever use the Internet, and nobody who uses it is guaranteed to be safe. Any information that’s stored on an Internet-connected computer can be stolen if you don’t take steps to protect it, like implementing a firewall and antivirus solution.

Furthermore, it becomes of critical importance that your team understand the best practices of cyber security. Does this sound like a lot? Managed services can remotely apply patches and security updates, as well as monitor for intrusions; this goes beyond what the typical break-fix IT company can provide.

“My employees and I can handle IT all by ourselves.”
One of the biggest problems that small businesses have is their limited staff. This leads them to cut corners whenever possible, particularly in the IT department. They might feel that employees can handle maintenance and management just fine, and that by allowing them to perform maintenance themselves, they’re saving money.

The problem here is that you have inexperienced users working with technology that they may, or may not, be familiar with. Doesn’t it make more sense to have seasoned professionals working with your technology? Managed IT lets you focus on your business, rather than your technology maintenance.

For more information about managed IT services, give us a call at (703) 821-8200.

Imagine, for a moment, that your team is working diligently toward a goal, and even the slightest disruption could derail productivity. What happens when your team experiences software hiccups or a hardware problem that they don’t know how to resolve? Unless you have an in-house IT department, or reliable experts available at all times, you might be out of luck.

One of the major reasons that a company forsakes implementing their own IT department is that it’s incredibly expensive to hire staff and accommodate their needs. They may feel they can save money by having employees repair their own devices, but this can be disastrous. Inexperienced employees can mishandle technology and data, which can lead to hardware failure, data loss, and so much more. The end-user’s DIY fixes may not be aligned with company policy, and when it comes to your solutions, wouldn’t it be better to just hire professional technicians who know what they’re doing?

But what if you just don’t have room in your budget to hire an in-house IT technician?

While it’s easy for SMBs to get stuck on the pain points of time and money, there is a solution for those who can’t afford, or can’t find, a proper in-house IT department. One of the best ways that you can maintain the same level of care and expertise is by implementing a help desk solution from Computerware. You can think of the help desk as a virtual environment where you can report issues, communicate with our IT staff, and get the support you need to make it through the work week. It’s a great asset that lets your business get all of the benefits of an outsourced IT department, without the hefty budgeting problems that come from hiring new and experienced technicians.

Here are just a few of the many benefits that come with Computerware’s help desk solution:

Support when you need it
A help desk solution provides you with the tools you need to reach out to technical support when it’s needed. If your employees need help with resolving a specific issue, our techs are standing by to help your team resolve the problem. Our team can also remotely access your systems, which can help you avoid the costs of an on-site visit.

Assistance from experienced techs
Arguably the greatest benefit of working with Computerware’s help desk is that you’re not working with inexperienced techs. Instead, you’re working with established professionals who want to use their skills to help you succeed. After all, when you succeed, we succeed.

Single point of contact
Dealing with vendors can be frustrating, especially when you need very specific help, and it’s unavailable for whatever reason. Instead of jumping through hoops for support from your vendor, it makes sense to reach out to a single point of contact who can help you with any problems you encounter. Computerware can help to ensure that you waste as little time as possible working with vendors.

So, what’s keeping you from achieving maximum operational efficiency? With a help desk solution from Computerware, we can guarantee that it won’t be your IT support. To learn more, reach out to us at (703) 821-8200.