When it comes to technology, keeping up with the ever-changing landscape is a daunting task. For many small and mid-size businesses, hiring staff to manage technology just isn't in the budget. But one avenue often left unexplored is connecting with a Managed IT Services provider. So why does your small or mid-size business need a Managed IT Services provider?
There are a lot of answers as to why a small or mid-size business would need a Managed IT Services provider. At Fraser, we have been offering managed services for more than 15 years. Our customizable managed IT solutions have been helping businesses of all sizes handle their technology needs while providing network protection and defenses from cyber incidents. Here are some tangible, measurable reasons why managed IT may be for your company.
24/7, 365 IT Support
Many businesses say, "I have an IT person. I don't need any outside resources." That's great during normal business hours, but what happens when you close for the day. How about when your IT guy takes a vacation or calls out sick? Do you still have all the resources then?
IT issues don't always happen during the normal work day. Hackers don't work 9-5, and your network doesn't consider the fact that it's 10:00 p.m. on a Friday when it decides it needs a breather. With a Managed IT Services provider, you'll get 24/7, 365 support for your devices and network. They will monitor your systems to ensure everything is functioning at optimum levels and work to prevent any breaches or cyber incidents. So when your email server goes down at 4:00 p.m. on a gorgeous golf Saturday, you can rest assured your issue will be dealt with quickly with minimal downtime. This gives you peace of mind to know that your precious data is always being monitored and protected.
Data Backup When You Need It
We've all heard about the cloud; that infamous data repository in the sky where everything is stored. Many businesses are moving all of their data to cloud-based options that are easily accessed by your administrators when you need it. If you're not completely comfortable with a full cloud-based option, there are hybrid data backup solutions that offer in-house and cloud choices.
Data backup is one of the most critical solutions that businesses should invest in. Nobody knows when a disaster will occur, and all disasters aren't acts of nature, like a tornado or fire. Sometimes that disaster is a hacker or human error. With a reliable data backup solution in place, you ensure your information is safe, secure and easily accessible to YOU! There's no greater protection than a solid data backup plan.
Viable Remote and Hybrid Operation Solutions
We all know from the last year that moving employees to working from home is no easy feat. Many businesses struggled and scrambled to set up systems and procure hardware to make sure their staff had the basic essentials to work remotely. As restrictions have eased in parts of the country, some businesses have come to the realization that having everyone back in the office isn't necessary anymore. Allowing employees to work from home, even if only for a day or two a week, helps improve employee satisfaction and saves businesses money on overhead costs.
If your company has decided to stick with remote or hybrid working, having the most effective systems in place to ensure reliable communications for both staff and customers is critical. A Managed IT Services provider can help you assess your infrastructure and find the best solutions to keep all of your workers efficient and connected. This can include hardware such as laptops, phones and tablets to software solutions like a reliable VPN and communications packages. And they not only provide you with the solutions, but also the monitoring and maintenance to ensure that your data and systems are protected whether in or out of the office.
Preserve Your Current IT Staff's Sanity
Remember that IT person we talked about earlier? He or she is certainly on a valuable part of your company, but are you truly getting business-specific benefits from them? Most one-person IT teams spend the bulk of their time on simple or minimal issues that could easily be handled by a Managed IT Services provider. This allows the focus of your industry IT person to shift to projects that have long-term impacts on the profits and viability of your business. Whether it's a new ERP system you've been wanting to implement to increase ordering efficiencies or developing efficient workflows to keep your business running at optimal capacity, these are the projects you want your paid IT staff working on. Not only will your business benefit from this shift, but your IT staff will feel more invested in your company by making a real impact.
Security, Security, Security
It's the buzzword on the lips of all of those in the IT industry. Whether it is data integrity and preservation, a ransomware attack or a data breach, security is the most concerning IT issue for all businesses. Small and mid-size businesses are more likely to NOT have proper security measures in place, and these companies are the ones most often targeted by cybercriminals. They know your security isn't as stringent as a large enterprise, and they're just waiting to take advantage of it.
With a Managed IT Services provider, you will be working with IT experts. Their job is to stay on top of all of the current cyber threats to your business so that you are protected. A thorough analysis of your business and systems will allow the provider to give you the best recommendations for systems and software that protects your business data and client information from a cyber incident.
These are just a few of the many reasons your business needs a Managed IT Services provider. To learn more about Fraser's managed IT services and how they can help your business be more successful, safe and secure, get connected with a representative today.
