by IT Connect 360 | Apr 4, 2022
Software matters. What your employees use can impact your firm and your customers. Pay attention. Make rules.
New software applications
In the pre-pandemic phase, even when companies had staff working from home they were fewer in number and a lot of them even came into the office a couple of times a week to ‘just catch up’ on work and with colleagues. So, no one really had paid any attention to collaborative software programs because engagement levels were pretty high with just a handful of staff working remotely and connecting on the phone or in-person anyway.
It was only after the pandemic forced organizations in their entirety began to operate –from CEO to intern–that businesses recognized the need for collaborative software programs such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom Meetings, Google Meet, etc. Similarly, from the productivity tracking perspective, software programs such as TimeDoctor, Roadmap, Tick, Timely, etc., became popular. The challenges of migrating to these tools were two-fold. First, investing in new technology was expensive especially for SMBs, and secondly, everyone had to be trained on how to use it.
Data security
With staff working remotely, data security became a serious concern. When you have staff operating in an office, it is easier to keep tabs on data security. You can have various mechanisms in place to ensure data security. These include firewalls, antivirus software applications, closed, secured, and tightly monitored networks, physical security measures, and monitoring systems such as CCTV cameras, biometric access controls, etc. But, with staff working remotely, a lot of these can’t be deployed, as the employees are mostly using their own personal devices for work purposes and also using their home’s internet connection to access work files. This makes monitoring and imposing restrictions almost impossible.
Timely, ongoing and consistent monitoring is a necessity. An MSP has the tools and experience to guide you toward solutions that will keep your data secure.
by IT Connect 360 | Mar 28, 2022
Access matters when things go to **&?)!
The COVID-19 pandemic brought a multitude of lessons along with it, on both the personal and professional fronts. From the business perspective, the pandemic turned things upside down across almost every industry. One of the biggest trends that the pandemic brought was remote work. While working from home (WFH), or telecommuting as it was called earlier, existed in some industries, the pandemic made WFH mainstream for everyone. From doctor’s offices, to SMBs to IT companies, almost every industry had to resort to remote operations to stay in business. This shift from on-site, brick-and-mortar offices to WFH brought along with it some serious challenges. This blog discusses 2 ways businesses leveraged technology to overcome the various challenges businesses faced with the sudden shift to the remote work environment.
Data access
This was one of the first and foremost challenges. When shelter-in-place orders and lockdown restrictions were imposed and people couldn’t get to work, the biggest question was, “How do we access data remotely?” Organizations that had already embraced the cloud to store and access data were clear winners in this round. Having data in the cloud meant their staff could access the data from anywhere. All they needed was an internet connection and of course a computer, tablet, or even a smartphone. Organizations that still relied on traditional methods of data storage including hard drives, on-site servers, etc., had a tough time getting their staff enabled to work remotely.
Productivity and engagement tracking
Another aspect companies struggled with as WFH became the norm was productivity and engagement tracking. When your staff is not in the office, how do you keep track of their productive hours and engagement levels? Also, there was the challenge of keeping the employees motivated and connected with the brand in the confines of a remote environment. This is where new software applications came into the picture.
These two different issues arose directly from the WFH scenario created by the pandemic. Without a solution to the first problem, WFH would be basically impossible. However, the existence of the internet and the trend toward cloud storage made access to work-related data possible. The second issue is more of a work in progress. How much employers will really need software applications to track remote work is problematic. In fact, it may, in many cases, be unnecessary. Research over the past year is indicating that WFH is actually increasing productivity. However, one thing is for certain, remote access from anyplace anytime to data is a permanent requirement.
by IT Connect 360 | Mar 21, 2022
Outsourcing: an overview
Outsourcing today simply involves using external entities to handle specific, specialized business functions so that organizations can focus on their core competencies. The idea of seeking outside support for areas that are not core to a business is many decades old. However, seeking support from external providers can make a lot of sense, especially in fields that involve considerable complexity. One example, as human resources becomes increasingly complex practice, especially in areas that involve often complex and arcane laws such as benefits and employment law, many smaller companies are increasingly outsourcing some or all of their HR tasks.
IT is another example. Like human resources, IT covers a wide range of specialties, for which no one or two individuals can possibly hope to be fully versed in.
As the CEO of a small- to medium-sized firm, or perhaps a line manager, why should you consider outsourcing all or part of the IT function?
One immediate reason is that IT is a complex field and it is likely top management has only broad knowledge of the issues at hand. As a result, it can be hard to manage an IT department. Setting priorities and guiding IT strategy can be difficult for a leader whose background and focus is on the specific mission of the company or organization. It speaks to the issues of core competencies–is IT yours and does trying to manage it distract? Limited management resources can be drained off, letting management lose some of its focus.
Another way to get the most out of any outsourcing of IT is to think carefully how you view their role in the broadest strategy of the organization. When you look for a Managed Services Provider to outsource your IT, you aren’t looking for someone to handle a task. MSP generally focus on specific industries, so they have knowledge of the needs and specific challenges faced by companies in that sector. Additionally, because of that industry sector knowledge, the best MSPs can work as strategic partners, helping you understand what technology can best support your present needs as well as what upcoming technologies might have a positive impact on your future growth and competitiveness. MSPs can help plan and guide at the C-suite level to drive growth.
by IT Connect 360 | Mar 14, 2022
Can you do this at home?
Outsourcing HR, real estate portfolio management, tax audits, etc is fairly common nowadays. This whitepaper discusses another function which, when outsourced, can bring greater efficiency and effectiveness to your business’s overall functioning–IT.
IT is one of the core functions of any business. There’s no aspect of a business that is untouched by IT. Outsourcing IT is a big decision and it is not surprising that many organizations choose to manage their IT in-house rather than relying on outsourcing. However, outsourcing your IT to a managed service provider offers numerous benefits.
Availability
Depending on your service level agreement with the MSP, you get access to an IT team 24/7 when you bring a managed service provider on board. With your in-house IT team there will be days when some of them may be on a vacation or an unexpected day off. You also probably cannot justify 24/7 internal IT support, even though your IT needs to run 24/7. All of these challenges can be avoided by signing up with an MSP, who will have a team that’s available when you need them, irrespective of what time or day of the week it is.
Agility
Having an MSP onboard helps make your business more agile and responsive to emergencies. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a world of change in how businesses operated. With lockdowns and shelter-in-place orders, WFH became the only option for many businesses. Organizations that had MSP partners were able to transition more quickly and do so smoothly, as MSPs were experts in enabling the remote workspace from the IT perspective.
Overall, when you have an MSP on your side, they will help you stay ahead of the curve. Irrespective of whether you have IT staff in-house or not, your managed services provider can add a lot of value to you on the IT front.
by IT Connect 360 | Mar 7, 2022
MSPs save money. And you get stuff that matters.
Outsourcing has become a fairly common element in business processes today. What started off as a means to cut business costs and take advantage of cheaper resources based offshore has now become an essential part of running a business today. (Its definition doesn’t necessarily include offshore outsourcing, of course) This blog looks at two additional areas where IT outsourcing can dramatically improve revenues. In particular, outsourcing can avoid high-fixed costs when you are trying to meet peak demand periods or have 24/7 coverage available.
Cost benefits
Having an MSP manage your IT infrastructure completely offers tremendous cost savings vis-a-vis having an in-house IT team. When you have FT IT professionals on your payroll, you incur many other HR and training-related costs that come with employing full-time staff. These may include 401(k) expenses, health insurance, paid time-off, etc., which can be avoided by outsourcing your IT process to an MSP. Inhouse staff needs ongoing management, something many business owners aren’t equipped to do.
Another way in which outsourcing your IT helps is by keeping your IT budget within predetermined limits. When you have a service level agreement with a managed service provider, they take care of your IT requirements at a service charge you both have agreed upon. This saves you money, especially in case of unforeseen IT emergencies. Like many SMBs, you may deploy the firefighting approach to technology, where you reach out to an IT specialist only in the event of an emergency that your in-house IT team can’t handle. This means incurring significant upcharges for emergency services. Working with an MSP under a service level agreement, you get the budgeting certainty of knowing what your IT expenses will likely be.
Scaling up or down
Relying on a managed service provider for your IT needs allows you the freedom to scale your IT infrastructure up or down depending on your business needs. For example, during the busy seasons you can ramp up your IT infrastructure and perhaps even scale down during the slower times–all without worrying about the need to hire new IT employees and consequently having to let them go during down times. This is particularly true for businesses such as CPA firms or retail that have busy and slack seasons.
by IT Connect 360 | Feb 28, 2022
Quality matters: Get the best
IT is one of the core functions of any business. There’s no aspect of a business that is untouched by IT. Outsourcing IT is a big decision and it is not surprising that many organizations choose to manage their IT in-house rather than relying on outsourcing. However, outsourcing your IT to a managed service provider offers numerous benefits. Here are two areas where outsourcing at least some of your IT can be especially beneficial.
Expertise
The first and foremost benefit of outsourcing your IT to a reputed MSP is the expertise they bring into the process of managing your IT infrastructure. As we discussed before, outsourcing is all about leveraging the expertise of another organization that specializes in something that is not your core competency. Managed service providers are experts in IT and will be able to manage your IT infrastructure more efficiently. Sure, you could hire IT experts and make them a part of your in-house IT team, but that would be expensive. Additionally, your in-house IT experts, no matter how experienced, don’t get the industry exposure and diverse hands-on experience of a managed services team that works to oversee and maintain multiple clients across various industries. In short, the expertise that a managed service provider brings to the table is unmatched.
Focus on IT strategy in-house, not routine stuff
Having an MSP onboard gives your IT team a break from the routine activities of patching, security updates, regular data backup/cleanup etc. These activities, though mundane, are indispensable and have to be done consistently. But, they can be time-consuming and distract your IT team from focusing on more important activities such as new software research, purchase, or implementation. Plus, activities such as patching, license renewal and security updates are very important and usually time sensitive. This means, an overworked IT team is likely to miss deadlines, resulting in serious consequences. So it is better to offload that responsibility to an experienced MSP who can get this done behind the scenes while your IT team focuses on other aspects of IT within your organization.
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