vCTO Secure Blog

The average IT infrastructure is made up of dozens of technology solutions that all work in tandem to ensure your business’ success… at least, that’s how it’s supposed to work. Oftentimes, you’ll need to contact your technology vendors to either procure new solutions or get your existing ones to work with theirs. How do vendor relations figure into your company’s prolonged success?

As a business owner, you have relationships with your vendors that must be cultivated and maintained in some way on the off chance you need them for support. However, working with vendors can be stressful and downright frustrating at times. Let’s examine a specific situation that demonstrates these challenges and what you can do about it.

Managed IT service is a great way for the small business to save money on their IT support costs while still getting the coverage they need. One of the ways that an MSP is able to keep their costs down is by proactive maintenance. If an MSP had to fix every computer problem a company had after it became a problem, the service would largely be untenable for the small business. Today, we look at the proactive maintenance feature of our IT management strategy and how our clients save a lot of money as a result.

There is certainty in that the small business can benefit from new technology. A problem sometimes rears its head when a business wants to improve their technology all at once and the costs associated with both implementation and downtime start to spike. For the responsible business owner, it has to be a matter of putting need over want, and instituting solutions that will work to build profitability, which will ultimately provide the capital needed to institute new technology. Today, we will look at some technology implementations that many small businesses consider, and how the implementation will bring the best return on investment.

Antivirus is one of the simplest means of protecting a computer network, but that doesn't necessarily mean that a business should overlook the benefits of having an antivirus. If a business doesn’t have antivirus on its systems, it’s usually because they really don’t believe they are in any danger. The harsh reality emerges after a data breach. Regardless of its size, any business holds the kind of data that would draw in thieves and rogues. From Social Security numbers to credit card numbers to many other kinds of personally identifiable information, businesses possess plenty of data that can bring in a pretty penny on the black market.

Business owners have a lot on their plate. Even the smallest businesses have a lot of moving parts that need to be attended to, which all add up to a mammoth amount of stress for their owners. Perhaps most obviously, financial matters contribute greatly to this angst.

The modern business needs a reliable source of information technology support. Historically, this was provided through a method known as break/fix—if your business technology was to break, a technician would come in to fix it. While this approach works, there are many trade-offs to using it that a business shouldn’t have to accept. Now that there is the managed services model, businesses no longer do.

There is no denying the value that an in-house information technology resource can offer a company. However, many small and medium-sized businesses might have a difficult time finding room in their budget to hire additional in-house resources. In cases like these, turning to other, external resources can provide a helpful boost to your IT.

Managed IT services are all the rage in the business world, and for good reason. They allow businesses of all varieties the ability to focus on their goals rather than their IT maintenance. However, it’s not always easy to understand what every single service offered by MSPs like us provide is. Here are three great services that we can provide for your SMB.

If we asked you how effective your current IT support is, what would your answer be? Do you find yourself waiting around for service technicians more often than not? Does it seem like you are always calling support about the same annoying issue? Regardless of who your IT service provider is, if they don’t offer managed IT services, you’re at a significant disadvantage in the business world.

There’s no question, technology has been a great benefit for some businesses, especially when it works right. However, if something goes wrong, the opposite can happen, halting or hindering productivity until the issue is resolved. In cases like these, businesses need a resource that can get them back up and running, ASAP. A managed service provider is designed to be that resource.

If you’ve recently signed up for IT services from a third-party, there are a couple of things you need to know before getting started. Likewise, there are a couple of things that your service provider needs to know before they can get started. Here’s a short checklist that will help you make a smooth transition to a new IT service provider.

Technology support is kind of a tricky conundrum for many small and medium-sized businesses. You know that it’s a necessity, but it’s not easy for you to find the time in your schedule to properly care for your technology. Furthermore, you can’t just hire an in-house IT department to care for your technology, as your budget is limited. How can you take advantage of professional technology support without the burdens it presents for your budget?

You know better than anyone that managing your business isn’t something to be taken lightly. Keeping your technology in proper working order is just the icing on the proverbial cake, making the task of managing your business even more difficult. If you’re using normal break-fix IT services, this might be the case. Alternatively, managed IT services aren’t designed to burden you.

Having quality IT support is essential to keep your business running, but how can you know for sure that you’ve found the support that’s right for your organization? Often times, good IT support can be tricky to find, especially in areas where the technical skills required to perform IT maintenance are sparse. How can you get the support you need without making a difficult compromise?