The importance of information technology in meeting business objectives continues to grow. Regrettably, the shortfall in professionals who can manage business tech is also growing. Learn what the IT skills gap means for you. [Read more…]
It’s not as if the name “managed services provider ” (MSP) is that self-explanatory. You might read that business description and have no real idea what it is an MSP can do for you. We’re providing managed services — OK, but what does that mean? To make things easier, this article outlines the actual IT services an MSP provides. [Read more…]
Understanding the Cost of DowntimeBusiness downtime is costly. Research abounds on just how much it can set a business back. Some small businesses can’t even rebound from the expenses associated with downtime. This article outlines the many expenses a business can encounter as a result of downtime.
What do we mean by downtime? There are many reasons a business might experience IT downtime. Say, the Wi-Fi goes down or there’s a simple power outage. Either could lead to a small-scale, short-term downtime. [Read more…]
Onboarding an IT Provider: What’s Realistic?When you hire a managed service provider, you want instant results: you want all your technology to run faster and more smoothly, and everyone to be more productive. And there will be no problems again, ever, right? But that’s not realistic. Managed service providers are pretty great (even if we do say ourselves), but we’re not miracle workers. So, let’s discuss what you might realistically expect when onboarding a new IT provider. [Read more…]
What IT Services Should You Outsource?Every successful small business owner reaches a point when they need to tap others’ talents. When it comes to IT, depending on your skill set, that point could come pretty soon. Yes, there are IT services you can do in-house, but there are others that are beneficial to outsource. [Read more…]
Could the Business You Work for be More IT Savvy?Working for a small business, you can be asked to wear many hats. Even if one of your many roles is not IT, you may need to speak up about your business technology or cybersecurity. [Read more…]
Business success comes from capitalizing on opportunities, except it is harder to do so if you are resource constrained. This article explores ways to free up IT resources to drive productivity and evolution.
Your business depends on information technology resources. The right software can help manage expanding workloads and improve collaboration. Enjoy reliable, secure access to innovate and grow your business with appropriate hardware. [Read more…]
7 Common Business IT Myths DebunkedMythBuster programs on television never focus on business misconceptions about IT. Too bad, because believing these myths can be both costly and dangerous to your business. This article debunks seven common business IT myths. [Read more…]
Outsourcing to an MSP: Custom-size Your PartnershipWhen it comes to business technology, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Managed service providers (MSPs) know this firsthand. That’s why you’ll find they make it easy to partner with them for different levels of outsourced IT. This article outlines the three tiers of MSP outsourcing typically available.
Small and mid-sized businesses share many challenges. They need to manage resources, follow regulations, and combat cyber threats. At the same time, they grapple with constant changes (e.g. growing workforce mobility). Yet for all these commonalities, the technology used in each business can vary, and so too can the level of in-house expertise to manage and maintain IT.
So, many businesses turn to MSPs to get to know their IT infrastructure. The MSP can act as an IT watchdog, offer specific value-added services, or replace an in-house IT team.
This level of MSP engagement is for the business that wants expert backup support. The MSP watches over the business infrastructure and makes sure everything runs smoothly.
The MSP will use remote monitoring to keep tabs on the IT environment. They won’t make any changes if an issue arises – that’s up to the business – but they’ll help detect concerns to avoid any business disruption.
Many businesses don’t have the personnel for around-the-clock IT monitoring. This basic level of MSP service is a good way to track critical networks, systems, and databases 24/7/365.
MSPs also offer a menu of value-added services on top of the monitoring. The added tasks outsourced can depend on your expertise, budget, and desire to be hands-on with IT.
Value-add services MSPs offer include:
Partnering with the MSP for these services can save the business time and money. Consider data backup: The MSP may have its own data centers for all its clients, which might mean a better rate on essential data backup thanks to economies of scale.
Other businesses can benefit from handing over all IT to a trusted MSP. For one thing, this saves the business from having to recruit, train, and keep its own IT team in a tight labor market.
The MSP continues to remotely monitor and manage the IT infrastructure, but they now have full responsibility. It’s not a matter of picking from the services available on the a la carte menu above. All those tasks are the MSPs responsibility.
Many internal IT teams are reactive, as they don’t have the bandwidth to act otherwise. Yet with an MSP in place of an overwhelmed IT staff, you gain a proactive partner. The MSP secures applications and networks, manages mobility, and handles any incidents. They keep your business running by avoiding disruptions leading to revenue loss, customer churn, and reputation damage.
Putting an MSP in charge of IT can concern some business owners who are reluctant to give up control, but an MSP brings the benefits of specialized experience with technology (and, ideally, your industry). They have the tools to provide data analytics, improve cybersecurity and continually better your business.
On any of these three levels, you want to work with an MSP that will become an extension of your business. The right MSP becomes a trusted partner looking out for your business’s best interests. Contact us today to book an appointment:
There are many acronyms in the IT world. Two common ones are SaaS and MSP, which stand for software-as-a-service and managed service provider, respectively. The bigger question is what the differences are between these two and why you would need one or the other. Here’s help. [Read more…]