Computerware Blog

Many small and medium-sized businesses have serious difficulties when they try to balance their technology needs against the limited resources at their disposal. Fortunately, this serious issue can be resolved effectively by working with a managed service provider (or MSP). The approach that these professionals take outpaces the value that more traditional forms of IT support have been able to offer—whether that support is through an external provider or even an in-house team.

With technology cementing itself in all aspects of everyday life, businesses need a stronger competitive edge than ever to overcome the odds. SMBs can use technology for this purpose, specifically outsourcing technology management and maintenance to a third party. With the help of a managed service provider, your business can compensate for any skills deficit it might have and properly maintain its IT infrastructure.

Cloud computing is used by just about all businesses in some capacity, but how much should your company rely on it for its important functions? Let’s discuss some of the options you have for your cloud computing infrastructure and how it can all contribute to your business’ continued success.

Monitoring parts of your business is a good practice as it allows you to get out in front of any potential problem it may have. As IT is concerned, monitoring is a crucial part of ensuring that every part of your business’ computing infrastructure is working as intended. Today, we thought we’d discuss the tools used to monitor IT networks and infrastructure, and what effect that can have on your business.

When a person reaches out to you for your business acumen, you help them because you know more than they do. Why else would they ask? The best thing you can do for your business is to use technology effectively. The only way you’ll know you are doing that is if you see the increased productivity, efficiency, and profitability often cited as reasons to invest in technology. In part three of our series about managed IT services value, we will take a look at the role of consulting, and how it brings big benefits in many different aspects of your business.

Anyone that uses a computer knows just how frustrating it is when that computer doesn’t function as intended. For a business, it negatively affects profitability. If you don’t have the support structure in place to mitigate your technology problems, you could be spending a whole lot of money on nothing. In part one of our five-part series on managed IT services, we talk about how being proactive keeps your technology, and your business, working fluidly.

Small business owners are always looking for a way to shave some of that overhead off of their budgets. While this is probably true for most business owners, the more capital a small business can save, the more it can do. Outsourcing its IT management is one way to either cut down the company’s technology maintenance costs--or, if your company doesn’t currently have a dedicated technician--can keep you from paying way too much to keep your business running smoothly. 

Can you place a value on your organization’s IT solutions? Sure, but the true value of them is really how much money they save you in the grand scheme of things. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the amount of capital your technology solutions cost could completely sink any profits your business pulls in. How can you optimize efficiency? After all, you can make as many sales out there as you want, but if you have no way of keeping track of things, you’re asking for a failed business venture. The answer is simple: managed IT services.

If you have an internal IT administrator, they might be pretty stressed about your business’ security. Why? Simple - there’s a good chance that they feel trapped in a few common situations. Let’s review some stresses that influence IT employees, negatively affecting your security.

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.

Managing your business’ technology can be challenging, especially if you’re a small business with a limited budget. Either you have the money to pay a small in-house IT department to manage your organization’s assets, or you don’t. Depending on the way your organization is structured, you might even have your employees manage their own technology, which isn’t the right way to go. As strange as it is to read, managed IT services are capable of providing an effective way to manage IT.

How does your business handle IT maintenance? Chances are that your small business is in one of two situations: you either have a small internal IT department that can only accomplish a handful of tasks every month, or you have no IT department and rely on your employees to perform any maintenance. No matter how you look at it, this situation is not advantageous.

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?

There’s no denying that there is a lot to do in a business environment, and some things take longer than others...or at least they should. Is your business investing enough time into its network management, and all the tasks, processes, and responsibilities that it involves?

The business world increasingly relies on IT services. Regardless of which industry you fall into, IT will undoubtedly play a major role in how your business functions on a daily basis. Businesses also need their technology to remain in proper working order, but this is easier said than done--especially if you don’t have the luxury of an in-house IT department. Thankfully, managed service providers make this much less difficult.

A business without its own IT department will expend vast amounts of time and resources to manage its technology. Tasks like managing your email solution, upgrading or managing your desktop infrastructure, or securing your network from threats, can be draining. If you don’t have time to perform these tasks, then it’s worth it to invest in an outsourced IT provider for your technology needs.

There seems to be a shortage of IT skills in today’s job market. Unfortunately, there has never been a worse time for this to happen, as cyber security threats are more prevalent today than ever before. In response to the demand for highly skilled IT management experience, outsourced IT is a great way to take advantage of the latest security solutions without the burden of hiring an in-house IT department. Here are three ways that outsourced IT is the way to go to resolve the problem of the IT skills shortage.

When you take your broken-down technology to a break-fix IT technician, they’ll usually fix the problem, but you’ll be stuck with a hefty, per-hour rate that could easily ruin your IT budget. Unfortunately, small and medium-sized businesses often have little choice in the matter, as they can’t afford in-house technicians. Thankfully, there’s a third option for your IT solutions, and it’s called managed IT services.

While traditional break-fix IT services may have seemed helpful in the past, a time has come for its replacement to offer a more viable, efficient, and flexible alternative. Here are three reasons why SMBs would want to take advantage of managed IT services.

Reduced Costs
Break-fix technology is expensive by nature, primarily because you’re purchasing convenience. Think of it in this manner; you go to a restaurant to be served by waiters and waitresses when you don’t feel like cooking your own dinner. Plus, the cooks probably won’t be willing to part with their trade secrets so that you can cook your own meals. Break-fix IT works in a similar manner. They don’t want you to take preventative measures to keep problems from happening in the future, since they profit off of your misfortune.

Managed IT uses monthly payments that are easy to budget and are designed to save your business money in the long run. Most important of all, though, is that managed IT takes a preventative stance that tries to stop issues from becoming major problems in the first place. This saves you money on hardware and software replacements, as you’re wasting fewer budget dollars on downtime.

Improved Security and Efficiency
Efficiency is one of the most important traits that anyone could want out of IT maintenance. Network monitoring and maintenance is a necessity for businesses that want to guarantee the security of their systems. Patches also need to be issued in a timely manner to prevent vulnerabilities in widely-used software solutions from buckling under pressure of hacking attacks. Of course, all of this is much easier said than done. The SMB has a limited schedule and workforce, which inevitably leads to cutting corners in order to “stay ahead.”

Managed IT services can also remedy this issue. Our technicians have the ability to remotely monitor and maintain your infrastructure so that you can resolve issues efficiently without an on-site visit. In fact, most problems with your infrastructure can be resolved remotely, so you can limit our on-site visits to only the most necessary of operations.

End-to-End Support
While some businesses have an internal IT department, they may be too busy to implement new and innovative IT solutions. On the other hand, they may be too busy innovating to provide quality technology support to your users. Either way, your team is swamped with work, and managed IT offers an easier solution to this issue that’s a better alternative to putting too many demands on such a crucial asset (your IT department).

Managed IT wants to help your internal IT department manage and delegate tasks in an effective manner. If your internal team needs assistance, our technicians are only a phone call away. If you want us to innovate in your stead, we can do that too. Regardless of your IT needs, we can improve your business’s operations.

To learn more, reach out to us at (703) 821-8200.

Technology management is a major pain point for small and medium-sized businesses. Some organizations might have an in-house team dedicated to handling all of the technology maintenance and management while others will choose to outsource this responsibility to a managed IT service provider. While going with an MSP for your business’s IT needs has its advantages, it also presents a unique set of challenges that must be overcome.