Coleman Technologies Blog

The Pros
There is more than one application and way to use automation. While the uses are more general than specific, they can be applied to several different kinds of goals or processes, whether it’s customer service or data processing. In this sense, automation can be used in a pretty universal way.

Efficiency
It’s obvious that certain processes take a considerable amount of time to complete, but if they are handled by automated systems, they can be completed much more efficiently than before. In other words, since you don’t have to focus on these tasks, you can instead devote the time to something else entirely. This effectively adds more time to the workday by removing routine tasks that can be handled by an automatic process.

Minimizing Repetition
If someone has to do the same task over and over again, they are doomed to lose interest and make mistakes. If these tasks don’t require focus, then the employees will likely let their mind wander, and productivity can suffer. This makes even a quick task more likely to be repeated multiple times, making it less likely to yield a return on the investment. Automation makes it more convenient and less risky to leave monotonous tasks to employees. Trust us when we say employees will thank you for taking these tasks off their plate and freeing up their schedule for others.

Convenience
When someone reaches out to your business, it’s likely they need your help with something, and they need it fast. If you can’t provide it on a convenient time frame, chances are they will take their needs elsewhere. Automation gives them the ability to get help from a chatbot or other similar automated system without the need to staff someone at all times to address immediate needs. This gives you a better chance at being able to respond to their needs when they reach out to your organization.

Potential Cons
Automation might be quite helpful for businesses, but there are some issues that should be addressed in order to ensure it doesn’t become a liability for your business. For example, some processes are simply too complex for a machine to handle in the same way a human brain can. Most automated systems are limited by design, thus ensuring that they will be limited to the task assigned to them. After all, an automated system’s purpose isn’t being fulfilled if you have to provide constant feedback to it. Here are some ways you can make sure the faults of automation sting less:

• Use automation sparingly: Some of the services that could be automated likely don’t need to be. This is particularly true for more complex issues. Consider that many of the people who contact your business have a point of contact within your organization and regular requests, meaning that working with a human might not be such a bad thing if they are available at that time. In this way, automation supplements human contact rather than replaces it.
• Have employees direct the automation: If an automation system can’t perform a task on its own, having employees direct it during more complex tasks can work to mitigate the issue. A complicated request can be made, but still processed and understood with the right direction.
• Ingrate your automation: You don’t want to stop processes midway. As long as your automation is well-designed and thought-out, tasks can be integrated with automation to ensure they are handled in the most complete way possible.

What are some ways your organization can benefit from automation? Let us know in the comments.

Your business needs IT expertise, regardless of how much it is integrated into your operations. You need someone on staff who not only understands your technology, but someone who can help you make the most of it to get the leg up on competition. Today, we want to explore how you can hire the right IT professionals for your organization’s specific needs, including both hard and soft skills.

How to Find the Ideal IT Specialist

You want your business’ IT help to have the right combination of skills and expertise. Here are some of the types of knowledge you should expect from them:

Security

Your IT team will undoubtedly have to deal with security challenges, all of which require a certain amount of knowledge and expertise that any ideal candidate should have. It also helps if your candidate has the industry compliance knowledge so as to help you implement the appropriate solutions for compliance with best practices.

You need a security professional on your side to take the fight to the new and emerging threats developed every day. Make sure that you are only hiring the best candidates possible—the ones who have a proven track record of securing networks from threats.

Cloud Computing

The cloud is a vital part of most modern businesses today, and to be quite honest with you, if you’re not considering how it can improve your business, you’re leaving money on the table. The right IT professional can help you leverage the cloud for all kinds of tasks, like application deployment and data backup. Your IT people should have the skills necessary to help you manage your own in-house cloud, work with a provider, or a little bit of both as needed. There are also cloud certifications for IT professionals, so if you find a candidate who has these, keep them in mind for sure.

Network Maintenance and Design

Your network is the thing that keeps your business running, so it makes sense that any potential tech professional you bring on should have some experience working with them. Not only must it remain operational, but it must also remain secure. Your team needs professionals who have experience maintaining and building network infrastructures so that any adjustments you need to make over time can be accommodated.

Further Skills for IT Specialists

There are other soft skills that an IT specialist will need as well. Here are some of them:

Customer Service

Your IT team will be working with more than just your technology; they’ll also be helping your staff. This requires patience and empathy, both of which are crucial when working with seasoned professionals or newbie hires. Most important, however, is that they handle working with others in a professional and courteous manner.

Curiosity

With so many changes occurring on a daily basis, business IT professionals need a sense of curiosity to look into new solutions, explore potential problems, and discover innovative solutions to them. This type of curiosity and creative thought goes a long way, and you might be surprised to see how valuable an asset it can be for IT workers.

Flexibility

Furthermore, you want your IT staff to have the flexibility to take on new challenges and switch out priorities as needed to keep your organization at optimal efficiency. For example, they might have to switch from monitoring your infrastructure to reacting swiftly to resolve an issue. You never know what IT has in store for your business, so the professionals who work with it must be able to respond to the evolving demands of the job.

Managed Services Will Help Your Talent Woes

If you can’t find the best technician for the job, have no fear. This is exactly why managed services companies like Coleman Technologies exist. We make IT help accessible and efficient for small businesses. Learn more by calling us today at (604) 513-9428.

As a small business, we’re sure you want to improve your profit margin so that you can offer more exciting and innovative services or products. One way that many businesses bleed capital is through their IT expenses. While it might make sense on paper to address technology challenges only when they present themselves, the truth is the exact opposite.

In reality, you want to address technology problems well before they surface, as the costs of waiting for them to materialize can snowball out of control, and fast. Rather than taking a reactive approach to your IT maintenance, we recommend you take the following proactive measures today to prevent downtime and save some capital in the process.

Patch and Update Your Systems

Your infrastructure consists of software and hardware, both of which need to be regularly updated to prevent potential issues. Software should be patched to keep security breaches as far away from your business as possible. At the same time, hardware should be upgraded to prevent a hardware failure from causing absurd amounts of downtime. MSPs like Coleman Technologies are trained to handle both of these tasks, and in cases that don’t involve hardware issues, we can even do them remotely.

Remote Monitoring and Management

In situations where we are not on-premises to keep an eye on your systems, we can still be there in spirit, so to speak, by remotely monitoring and managing them. It’s simple; hardware will showcase symptoms of an impending failure long before it actually kicks the bucket. If these can be detected and addressed before the failure, you avoid the fallout and keep operations running unimpeded. 

Perform Routine Maintenance According to a Schedule

Your business’ IT infrastructure should have a routine maintenance schedule where its many bits and pieces are examined regularly. If you build a schedule like this and stick to it, the chances of experiencing a hardware failure or major downtime incident drop considerably. Granted, we know that you might not have all the time in the world to do this, but we sure do, and we want to help you proactively monitor your technology through a maintenance schedule.

Get Started with Proactive Maintenance Today

Every day you’re waiting for your technology to break down is another day you risk spending considerable time and capital recovering from a hardware failure. Don’t let your technology take you by surprise; plan for its inevitable failure by working with Coleman Technologies. We can help you implement a plan of action that starts well before your IT experiences issues. To learn more, call us today at (604) 513-9428.

While most of us know that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole, fewer know that he’s specifically built his big, rambling castle in the Laughing Valley. It is there that he and his workforce, the elves, sprites, pixies, and fairies that help him make his toys all live, all working hard to give the children of the world their presents each year.

Of course, as magical as Santa and his team may be, it isn’t unheard of for them to need a little help every once in a while.

The Laughing Valley sure does live up to its name. From the brook that winds its way through the emerald green banks and chuckles as it goes, to the wind that whistles a merry tune through the trees, to the cold sun that gives what heat and warmth it can to Santa’s establishments, to the poinsettias and daffodils that smile their way up through the snow. It only stands to reason that the Laughing Valley would be a place of contented happiness, and Santa Claus was proud to know that this contentment could be found in every nook and cranny of the valley he made his home and place of business.

To one side of the valley stood the Forest of Burzee, where all the elves—and even Santa himself—spent their childhoods amongst the mighty trees. At the other side, however, rose a great mountain, riddled with the Caves of the Daemons. In the middle is the peaceful and serene valley, where jolly old St. Nicholas has made his home.

Now, no one could blame you for thinking that Santa, the Santa Claus, the right jolly old elf who worked tirelessly to make the children of the world happy, would have no enemies. For a long time, you’d have been right to think that, too.

However, it wasn’t long before the Daemons who occupied the caves developed a loathing of Santa Claus, and it was largely because the toys that Santa delivered each year worked.

The mountain was home to five Daemons, each with their own cave. Closest to the ground, a broad path leads to the first of the caves, ornately decorated with intricate carvings that could easily draw in an unsuspecting witness. This was the home of the Daemon of Phishing. Just behind this cave was another cavern, much more utilitarian, this one occupied by the Daemon of Ransomware. Just beyond this entrance stood the cavernous hole that the Daemon of Data Theft called home, and if one were unfortunate enough to pass its threshold, they would find themselves approaching the heart of the mountain—the home of the Daemon of Business Failure—and all the weaving snares and traps that littered the caverns within.

Each of these caves had a small tunnel that emerged from beside it, all of which led to the last daemon’s home: the much cozier and safer-feeling cave that the Daemon of Disaster Recovery called home. The trails to this daemon’s home, while not quite as worn and traveled as the others, still showed signs of many a traveler having bypassed the other daemons in order to pay the much more pleasant Daemon of Disaster Recovery a welcome visit.

It was not long before the Daemons believed they had a reason to dislike Santa Claus and his work, and so they called a meeting to explore why that may be.

“I’m so bored,” complained the Daemon of Phishing. “Santa Claus gives all the children such neat toys, they’re happy and satisfied… no, thrilled… and aren’t tempted by my cave and all its glory.”

“I know what you mean,” replied the Daemon of Ransomware. “It’s as though Santa has warned the children about my plans, so many are on their guard whenever I approach.”

“You’re one to talk,” scoffed the Daemon of Data Theft. “I rely on you, Ransomware, to distract and confuse all those silly children so I can take their information without them realizing. If you can’t catch anyone in your web, how am I supposed to steal from them while they’re distracted?”

The Daemon of Business Failure quietly shook its ponderous head, as none of the children were letting it into their parent’s critical data on their business laptops.

“I mean, I guess I’m a little lonely, too,” chimed in the Daemon of Disaster Recovery. “If you all haven’t had any success, there really is no need for my activities.”

“It’s all that Santa Claus’ fault!” spat the Daemon of Ransomware. “His interference simply cannot be tolerated any longer. This might be my modus operandi, but we must concoct a plan to stop him in his tracks.”

All of them agreed (although the Daemon of Disaster Recovery was a little hesitant) and started plotting their strategy. Santa Claus would be easy to find—most of his hours were spent in the workshop, collaborating with his elves to create the gifts he was to distribute on Christmas Eve. The daemons determined that their best bet was to try and use their talents to prevent St. Nick from accomplishing his mission.

The Daemon of Phishing was chosen to try first, and so the very next day, the mountain dweller descended to the workshop and approached Santa and his elves as they merrily toiled away. The Daemon, putting on his most charming smile, addressed Santa Claus:

“Oh my, look at you all, so hard at work! You know, I have plenty of toys up in my cave. I’d be happy to give you all you need to fill your sleigh, you just have to come with me.”

Santa’s eyes brightened for a moment, until a small elf whose eyes had narrowed the moment the Daemon had approached, pulled the old man’s sleeve until he could whisper something in his ear.

“Oh, that’s quite all right,” Santa chuckled. “It is a sincere pleasure to create all these toys for the children of the world, and I wouldn’t want to take any too-good-to-be-true shortcuts.”

Scowling, the Daemon retreated, returning to the anxious faces of the others. He announced, “Santa does not seem to want an easy solution, so my best trap has failed.”

The next day was the Daemon of Ransomware’s turn. Using his influential magic, the Daemon caused all of the workshop’s machinery to suddenly stop. When he saw Santa, the Daemon of Ransomware approached, feigning concern. “Oh, no, your factories! How will you ever make all the toys you need if your workshop is dark?”

Santa, however, seemed unconcerned, and in a few moments the workshop surged back to life as the same small elf from the day before emerged with a triumphant look on his face.

“Ho, ho, ho! I learned long ago that, despite the most important aspect of my work happening on a single night, all the rest needs to be protected in order for me to be ready for that night. It was long ago that I was advised to maintain a backup of all my operations, just in case something were to go wrong.

Thus a second Daemon was foiled, but the next day was the Daemon of Data Theft’s turn. The daemon went straight to the workshop and found St. Nick’s all-important list of all the good children’s wishes, written in Santa’s unmistakable script. Extending his proboscis, Data Theft began slurping, removing all the ink from the document. Once finished, the daemon sought out Santa Claus.

“Santa, wait! I have the worst news! I stumbled upon the list, and I realized it was blank! How could this have happened?”

To the daemon’s shock, St. Nick simply chuckled and gestured an elf over, her hair carefully braided and draped around her shoulders. Once this elf had seen the document, she nodded, and clapping her hands three times, produced a magical whirlwind of text that swiftly repopulated the list, not an apostrophe or suffix out of place.

Santa winked at the daemon. “Good thing I always keep a backup, eh?”

Aghast, the Daemon of Data Theft retreated in defeat, and informed the others of their lack of progress. All the subterfuge and scams they had tried were for naught. However, it was the Daemon of Business Failure’s turn, and they were even more resolute than the others.

So, when Santa next took the sleigh and his crack team of reindeer out for a practice flight, his deep laughs of joy were suddenly interrupted by a lasso that wrapped around his famous belly and jerked him from his bench.

Landing heavily in the snow with a grunt, Santa was quickly bundled away by his assailants… the Daemons, led by Business Failure as his devious strategy came to light. Hurrying to a deep and secret cavern in their mountain, the Daemons soon had Santa affixed to the wall, helpless.

“Aha,” cackled four of the daemons, with Disaster Recovery hanging back, obviously conflicted. “We have him. We have him! No longer will he be able to distract the children of the world from our efforts, and they will grow up to be so vulnerable to all forms of cybercrime! Phishing Attacks will be more effective than ever, leading to Ransomware and Data Theft! Business Failure will be at an all-time high, despite everything that Disaster Recovery tries! We, the Daemons of the Caves, have finally won!”

“Eh, not really.”

Shocked, Phishing Attacks, Ransomware, Data Theft, and Business Failure spun toward the unexpected voice. The Daemon of Business Failure was the first to speak:

“It’s… you.”

Standing at the entrance to the cave was the elf who had produced the backup of Santa’s list. She arched one eyebrow at the huddled group of Daemons.

“Yep. It’s us.”

Us? The word hardly had the chance to register with the daemons before their own lasso arced over and looped around them. Somehow, the Daemons turned, only to see a freed Santa holding the other end of the rope, along with the other elf and—instilling no small amount of rage in the hogtied daemons—the Daemon of Disaster Recovery. This time, the Daemon of Ransomware spoke first.

“You, you traitor.”

Rather than shrinking back, the Daemon of Disaster Recovery fired back. “Yeah, maybe I am. Or maybe I’m just the guy who’s sick of cleaning up the messes you all make as you try to interfere with the happiness of a whole world of children.”

Scowling, Disaster Recovery stepped forward. “Every year, I watch you interfere with the joy and good tidings of people around the world. I see you influence people with little choice to convince them to spread their own misfortune through scams and cyberattacks. I observe as you four treat the world as though it's your own little sandbox of cybercrime.”

Disaster Recovery continued to advance upon his neighbors.

“I’m done watching. From now on, I’m going to do whatever I can to help Santa and his elves here prevent these kinds of issues, teaching those in the workshop the signs of threats of all kinds.”

Disaster Recovery stopped, looking to Santa and the elves. “If that’s okay with you all, of course.”

Santa grinned, and the elves snapped up a quick salute. “Welcome to the Laughing Valley Cybersecurity Defense Squad, friend. I’m sure your expertise will be a great help.”

Now, while we here at Coleman Technologies aren’t the Laughing Valley Cybersecurity Defense Squad, we’d like to think that we can serve a similar purpose for the businesses of British Columbia. Have a very happy holiday, and don’t hesitate to reach out to us at (604) 513-9428 as your resolution for the new year.

The Cloud
The cloud has risen in popularity over the years, and it’s because the benefits are simply too incredible for businesses not to adopt the cloud. Many of these benefits are a result of the cloud improving productivity. For example, cloud computing’s flexibility makes it great for use on mobile devices. Users are no longer limited to being in the office, and as long as they can access resources in a secure way, they can get just as much work done while out of the office over the Internet as they could if they were in-house.

Outsourced IT Management
Technology is only worth the investment if you have the time and resources available to properly manage it, as if you fail to take proper care of your technology, it could fail much sooner than you expect it to. The problem is that not all businesses can afford to hire a full-fledged in-house IT department to properly maintain their IT infrastructures. Thankfully, businesses like Coleman Technologies provide outsourced IT management to businesses with limited budgets who want to turn IT from a capital expense to an operational expense. Even if you have in-house IT resources, you can supplement them with outsourced IT to save time and make opportunities for other employees to get more value out of their employment with your organization.

Collaboration Solutions
There are many solutions out there that are designed to help your organization be more effective at collaboration. Whether it’s Voice over IP, hosted email, or instant messaging applications, your organization can use them to collaborate and share experiences in a way that facilitates cooperation and productivity.

Does your business want to implement technology to focus on improving productivity? Coleman Technologies can help. To learn more, reach out to us at (604) 513-9428.

When times get tough, businesses are pretty quick to start cutting costs wherever they can…and frequently, the business’ IT is the first thing to hit the chopping block.

While we contend that IT is the last thing you want to cut back on when times are tough, you may not have a choice. Therefore, we wanted to take a few moments to explore how you can resist some of these cuts—and if not, what you need to prioritize.

Let’s begin with why you should avoid cutting your IT spending if you can help it.

Let Me Ask You This: Would You Fire Your Most Effective Employee if You Were Downsizing?

Cutting your IT spending is effectively doing just that—for modern businesses, IT can often be seen as another employee, and one who accomplishes a considerable amount for your business each and every day. If you were to really take a deep dive into the benefits that your IT provides to your business, we’d be willing to bet that your IT does a lot more than you might have considered without taking that deep dive.

Therefore, if you “fire” your business’ technology by cutting down on its budget, you’re quite literally hindering one of your most effective business resources. So, what do you do if you have no choice but to downsize your IT budget?

How to Downsize Your Budget without Hurting Your IT

First, you need to properly identify which IT metrics should be focused on, as there is a huge difference between suspending a potential technology after a failed stress test and suspending a reliable and proven function that provides measurable value. Otherwise, you could potentially create what is called a false economy—perceived savings that result in higher costs later on.

It’s also important to acknowledge that some costs simply should not be cut, like technology refreshes. While it may be tempting to do so, the relative value that these investments bring make them too valuable to sacrifice.

If You Need to Minimize Your Budget While Still Getting the Most Value, Consider Managed IT Services

I know, I know… the advice for trimming a budget being to add another service may sound crazy, but there are a few ways that working with an MSP can prove to be a great cost-saving investment.

First of all, you need to consider that signing on with a managed service provider is effectively the equivalent of hiring an entire IT department for a predictable monthly cost. An MSP also gives you easy access to better deals from vendors and more advanced IT tools that allow you to accomplish more with less. Cloud-delivered services, virtualized tools and software, and remote-enabling technologies can all have a positive impact on your expenses.

My team and I would love to discuss this with you further, so if you need assistance in streamlining your IT to better fit your available budget, please give Coleman Technologies a call at (604) 513-9428.

There are significant benefits to be had by businesses that choose to seek out IT services and assistance from a managed service provider like us. We’re very aware that our word isn’t going to be super convincing on its own, of course, so let’s review what a managed service provider can do and how working with us can help your business.

Let’s begin by breaking down what we are as a managed service provider, and what we provide as such.

What are Managed IT Services, and What Makes Them So Different Than Typical Computer Support?

Managed services are the handling of a company’s assorted IT needs by an outsourced consultancy, staffed with subject matter experts who work proactively to prevent any possible IT issues before they interfere with a client business’ productivity. On top of this, true managed services also involve the active optimization and improvement of the business’ technology—not just preventing issues, but actually counteracting them through increased productivity that’s supplemented by on-demand technical support for a business’ employees.

Just a few short years ago, the term “managed services” was relatively niche. Today, the various attributes that MSPs—managed service providers—offer as an element of their business model have proven beneficial enough that the idea has become more noticeable, if you know where to look.

How to Spot an MSP

First of all, if you’re reading this, you’ve found one of the best options for managed services in British Columbia. However, if you’re one who likes to do their due diligence, a real MSP will generally offer some version of the following services:

• MSPs commonly work remotely, only coming onsite when there’s a need that requires hands-on mediation. This not only cuts down on in-office distractions and interruptions, it allows your issues to be resolved much more quickly.
  
  
• While many traditional IT companies would operate on a piecemeal basis, the ongoing services of an MSP make the subscription model a much better option. Not only does this allow you to more confidently predict your IT maintenance costs and budget appropriately, it also gives the client clear expectations through a pre-arranged service level agreement.
  
  
• Relatedly, rather than offering their services in catch-all blocks, an MSP can customize their services and prices to more exactly fit the needs of a client. Then, if those needs ever change, the MSP can adjust to meet them. This eliminates the tendency for companies to either overinvest beyond their needs, or miss out on clearly beneficial services because the price is too high.
  
  
• Critically, most MSPs offer all-hours support and remote maintenance services, so regardless of when an issue needs to be resolved, someone is there to work toward a solution.

In addition to these services, many MSPs can step in and actively boost your existing in-house IT department. Let’s say you have a few legacy systems that are on their way to being replaced and upgraded, but still need to be supported in the meantime. An MSP is motivated to keep their team educated so they will be able to offer that support if you lack a team member with the required knowledge.

Alternatively, your existing team may not be sufficient to handle both the maintenance of your existing systems and also serve their equally important function of strategizing improvements for the future. With the help of a managed service provider, either one can be taken off your internal team’s plate, allowing them to more effectively serve their role.

Plus, MSPs regularly communicate with assorted vendors to obtain services for their clientele. In these cases, you and the rest of the MSP’s clients effectively join the MSP as part of a cooperative, as an MSP often has access to better deals due to their regular business that can then be passed to you. 

Do the Services of an MSP Sound Beneficial to You?

Now, I know you likely have options to consider, but my team and I would love the chance to talk to you more directly about your needs and challenges so we can better roadmap an approach that would work best for you. Of course, if you aren’t ready for that yet, we’re also here to answer any questions you may have regarding our services.

In either case, give us a call at (604) 513-9428 to learn more.

Times have changed.

Today, the professional services industry is experiencing somewhat of a makeover. The effort-based expectations of the past are being replaced with outcome-driven expectations, leaving many professionals looking to technologies to help their businesses manage this shift in expectations. Typically, businesses begin their quest for efficiency by automating mundane portions of the business. This creates cost savings and promotes speed. The problem this model presents for professional services firms is that they don’t have many parts of their business that can be automated.

Since the front office and the back office of many professional services firms have some form of disconnect, and much of the work dictates that a person handles the intricacies of that work, automation isn’t really an option. That doesn’t mean there aren’t ways for professional services to utilize new technology to promote faster, more accurate, and more efficient operations. One way that professional services companies can improve is by making a digital transformation.

What Is a Digital Transformation?

The digital transformation refers to shift from analogue systems to digital ones. Over the past twenty years many analogue systems have been retired to make way for digital ones. This includes cloud-hosted solutions for time and resource management, productivity and collaboration, and even for the archival of information. The added efficiency a professional services firm can gain from committing to digital systems--especially in the processes listed above--is sure to quicken the pace of your business’ operations. Let’s take a look at the technologies some of the most utilized professional services companies are beginning to use. 

Medical Practices

Medical practices have been improving their IT under mandate for almost a decade. How has the digital improvement gone? A study from 2018 showed that 60 percent of practices that have upgraded their information systems have had a positive experience, while 23.5 percent had (what they’re calling) positive-to-mixed results. Only eight percent reported having a negative experience implementing technology. It took healthcare officials at every level working together to achieve digital transformations that help fuel electronic health records and other technologies used to help curtail cost redundancies and promote the delivery of comprehensive care.

Law Practices

There are a lot of lawyers that like to continue to do things the way they always have. After all, it is one of the oldest professions and there is a standard of decorum that many lawyers adhere to. In many ways the legal profession remains unchanged. That doesn’t mean that they aren’t using technology. The profession as a whole may not benefit from automation as much as other professionals, but it still does benefit through other solutions like document management, mobile management, and other digital systems often utilized with remote workforces. 

Most professional services firms are, like most other businesses, using information systems to improve operations and be the best firm that they can be. If you are working in the professional services market and would like to learn more about how your firm would go about making a digital transformation, call the professional service experts at Coleman Technologies today at (604) 513-9428.

Admittedly, it can be easy to roll your eyes at statistics like these. If a method works consistently for a business, why go through the trouble of changing it? Why is it that you have to adjust how you do business, just because someone else has?

Well, there are a few reasons.

First, I want you to consider why we use computers today, rather than typewriters, or send emails and instant messages instead of carrier pigeons. It isn’t that the more traditional alternatives were inherently bad, it’s just that the technology that replaced it is better.

The technology that we all use today is still improving - becoming faster, more powerful, and more capable than what was introduced not all that long ago. 

Technology follows something called an s-curve - gradual improvement as a new method is introduced, sudden acceleration in the improvements that are made, and then it peters out as the technology reaches its limits. At this point, a new technology is presumably introduced, and the process resets.

Each time a new improvement is introduced, you have the opportunity to use a better tool than your competition does… but the same can go the other way, too. If your competition pulls too far ahead of you in its capabilities, your customer service capabilities won’t matter when compared to a service that is just better.

Using up-to-date technology solutions makes your business more efficient. When you’re dealing with a business, how long are you willing to wait to receive your promised services? 

Not only do inefficient services wear down a client’s patience, longer operations are inherently more expensive - so, in a way, you wind up spending more money to deliver a less satisfactory product or service.

Not good - but again, easily fixable with more recent solutions, like automation. Automation makes operations a lot quicker by eliminating rote processes, accomplishing this as your employees work on other things. 

Finally, you have to consider your business’ security. When so many cyberattacks are now run almost completely self-sufficiently, the protections that your business relies on will have to work far faster than any human being could.

On the other side of the coin, an increasing amount of cyberattacks are relying on human fallibility in order to take root. When phishing attacks (think the Nigerian Prince scam, but more refined and directed to your users) targeted a reported 76 percent of businesses in 2018, you need to know that you and your employees can spot them. By helping you implement the security solutions you need to protect your business on the digital side of things, and by educating your employees on how to spot threats and issues, Coleman Technologies can help keep your business safe and competitive.

Our team would be happy to talk to you about implementing the IT solutions your business really does need to remain competitive. We can also remotely maintain it for you, allowing you to go about your business without having to worry about it. Please, reach out to us at (604) 513-9428 to learn more.

Unexpected downtime can wreak havoc on businesses large and small, which is especially bad when so many paths lead to it. Let’s explore some of downtime’s causes, and equally importantly, how it can be avoided.

What is Downtime, and What Causes It?

Simply put, downtime is when your technology cannot fulfill its function, disrupting your workflow and halting operations.

With how businesses run nowadays, any level of interruption is unacceptable. Not only does it put you at a competitive disadvantage, but it often costs a lot to resolve, on top of being expensive in the first place. You’re losing money because you’re missing out on revenue generation and productivity, and you’ll end up paying—both in terms of your actual recovery and damage to your business’ reputation. Combining all these factors reveals just how damaging a given downtime event is.

The Causes of Business Downtime Vary Wildly

• Cybersecurity Threats: It should be no surprise that cyberattacks often result in some level of downtime, particularly throughout the event and especially when attack vectors like ransomware are involved.
• Misconfigured Devices: On a related note, devices with errors in their configurations leave doors open for these cybersecurity threats to come in.
• Hardware or Software Failure: The older and more obsolete hardware and software become, the more likely they will hang up and fail.
• Natural Disasters: Inclement weather and other such events can lead to downtime in various ways, from power outages to damaging your business’ physical infrastructure.
• Human Error: Accidents, such as inadvertent data deletion or even tripping over the wrong power cable, can easily lead to downtime.

Make No Mistake: Downtime is No Fun

Fortunately, modern businesses have various means to help minimize, if not avoid, downtime… despite its unpredictable nature. Coleman Technologies is committed to assisting the businesses of British Columbia in utilizing them, including:

Backup and Disaster Recovery
Since downtime is frequently associated with disasters, being able to recover quickly from them can significantly reduce it. Having the preparations in place to do so will not only protect your business but also its productivity.

Help Desk
A help desk is intended to give your team a resource to turn to in case they encounter an issue. If they are experiencing downtime, a professional is on hand to diagnose and resolve it.

Remote Monitoring and Maintenance
Your devices will indicate if something is wrong, but someone must pay attention. An RMM tool does this for you, alerting you to problems while they are still impending and ensuring that the little things that also help prevent downtime, like updates, are attended to promptly.

If you would like to learn more about how to avoid the consequences of downtime, contact our team. Give us a call at (604) 513-9428.

Defining Managed Services

On a very fundamental level, managed services and tech support are very different due to the way they operate.

Traditional tech support, also referred to as break-fix IT, are those that most people think of. Whenever a piece of technology breaks down or has some other issue, an IT technician is called to fix it. This was the predominant—and really, the only—option to receive any level of IT support for some time, despite the expensive repeat visits and prolonged operational interruptions that came with it. For larger enterprises, hiring full-time IT staff solved this problem. It’s still costly, and often too costly for small businesses, but it does lead to faster turnaround times and ongoing support.

On the other hand, managed services are specifically designed with the small-to-medium-sized business in mind. Instead of waiting around for a company to call with an IT issue, a managed service provider will instead proactively monitor a company’s solutions to ensure nothing goes wrong in the first place. We’ll go a little deeper into how this is particularly beneficial later on, after we review how managed services came to be.

The Development of IT Support Services

Back when computers were first made available to businesses, small regional providers known as system builders that would construct generic computers for companies to use began to pop up. Large companies soon followed suit, and as a result, the high price of personal computers was reduced significantly.

In response to this change, system builders shifted away from the labor-intensive creation of computers to simply reselling those that the larger companies made. This gave them the title of systems reseller and proved to be a lucrative approach… especially without the Internet to facilitate direct-to-consumer computer sales.

Despite this, resellers discovered that they could generate higher profits by adding to what the manufacturers were providing. This led to the development of value-added resellers, or VARs. These VARs would sell the machines to consumers, as well as help install them and add them to existing computer networks. These networks and their needed infrastructure grew in importance as the Internet became a viable tool for businesses to use in the 1990s.

It was then that the VARs became systems integrators, and commonly provided break-fix repair services.

As the 1990s approached the 2000s, IT services were common enough for providers to start to act as advisors to their clients, recommending tools and introducing best practices into the clients’ networks. It was then that the term IT consultant was used.

Finally, with businesses relying on their technology more than ever before, it was no longer sustainable to solve problems after they happened. This helped drive the idea of proactive monitoring, remote maintenance, and online service delivery forward. At this point, the managed service provider was a reality, with the security of proactive support delivered in return for a set monthly fee.

What Can an MSP Do for My Business?

Today, managed services are the right choice for a business that wants to improve its operations while managing their time and budget more effectively. With a single provider taking care of all its IT management and maintenance needs, a business subscribed to these services gets to enjoy clear operational benefits with the confidence that their technology is reliable.

Coleman Technologies is proud to be known as an MSP, delivering top-notch solutions and services to businesses in a sustainable and beneficial way. To learn more about how we can assist you in your operations, give us a call at (604) 513-9428.

The holidays are over and some of the best gifts are ones that replace our dead and dying electronics with shiny new ones. Then comes the matter of discarding your old devices. In today’s blog, we will discuss what you should and shouldn’t do when looking to get rid of your old devices. 

Why Recycling Your Old Tech Matters

Modern devices are packed with materials that can harm the environment if not disposed of properly. For example, lithium batteries, found in most gadgets today, can explode or leak dangerous chemicals if thrown away carelessly. Even small electronic items, like singing greeting cards, need special handling to avoid causing harm.

A simple rule to follow: don’t toss it in the trash if it's electronic.

What to Do with Your Old Devices

Check What You Have

Before throwing anything out, review your old tech. Could it still be useful? Consider repairing and donating items like laptops, tablets, or phones to schools, charities, or people in need. This helps others, keeps your technology organized, and reduces waste.

Stay Organized

Not every device needs to be replaced. Keep a record of your tech inventory to know what’s still in good shape and what needs replacing. This will help you make smarter decisions about upgrades and maintenance.

Recycle Responsibly

Most electronics, from old phones to smart toys, can be recycled. Many manufacturers offer recycling programs, and local governments often partner with facilities that accept electronic waste. These services can safely process your gadgets and keep harmful materials out of the environment.

Need Help with Business Tech Recycling?

If you’re managing technology for a business, proper disposal is even more important. Our team at Coleman Technologies can guide you through recycling your old equipment and setting up new tools to meet your goals for the year ahead.

Call us at (604) 513-9428 to get started. Let’s make this year productive—and sustainable.

What are Managed Services?

Let’s start off with a very basic description of what “managed services” are, as compared to the common impression of “tech support.” Whenever one thinks about “tech support” or “IT,” they’re likely thinking of the break-fix version: some piece of information technology breaks or malfunctions, so IT is called in to fix it. While this proved effective enough, it also led to a lot of repeat visits… oftentimes for things that were relatively simple to fix.

Managed services are a different approach, tailored particularly for small to medium-sized businesses. Instead of waiting for something to go wrong, a company will enlist a managed service provider—or MSP—to proactively monitor their IT to help prevent issues from impacting it. This brings a variety of benefits that we’ll touch upon later. Right now, we wanted to look back and consider how this approach was first devised and deployed.

The History of Computer Support and Services

As computers were first introduced into the business landscape, so-called system builders—small regional businesses that offered “white box”, or generic computers—would offer other businesses their services. Large companies soon joined in, and this resulted in the prices of personal computers plummeting.

To adapt, system builders quickly shifted from constructing labor-intensive computer systems to reselling what the large companies would offer, making the systems reseller a lucrative thing to be. After all, before the Internet helped link the manufacturer to the end user, these manufacturers needed a go-between to get these devices into a customer’s hands. However, as time passed, these resellers realized that they needed to do more. As a result, systems resellers phased into “VARs”, or value-added resellers.

Basically, VARs were computer resellers who would not only sell the machines but would also assist with the installation and networking of these systems. As the Internet became more applicable to business needs and challenges in the early 1990s, this networking (and the additional equipment needed to support it) only became more crucial.

At this point, the VARs became known as the systems integrators, as this more accurately described their function. This point in time was also the high point for break/fix IT repair services.

As the late ‘90s rolled around, IT services were commonplace enough that providers were frequently stepping into advisory roles for their clients, making recommendations and implementing best practices. With this shift, systems integrators adopted the title of IT consultants.

Of course, as the technology used by businesses became more advanced and capable, repairing issues as they arose became less feasible. This, paired with the remote capabilities that the Internet was able to support, made the idea of proactive maintenance and online solution delivery a workable possibility.

Thus, managed services were born, with service providers delivering up-to-date and optimized solutions in exchange for a set monthly rate.

What Do Managed Services Entail?

Nowadays, managed services have risen to become the preferred choice for businesses in the know, thanks to the improvements that these businesses see to their productivity and operations. With a single provider attending to all a business’ IT-related needs, working with a managed service provider has shown to have clear operational benefits.

At Coleman Technologies, our team of professionals is proud to provide the best managed services that businesses could ask for at a reasonable, all-inclusive rate. Interested in learning more about our services? Reach out to our team by calling (604) 513-9428 today.

It’s easy to use the terms “patches” and “updates” as if they mean the same thing, and they are often used interchangeably within the same context. However, understanding the difference between the two can make a world of difference in terms of how you approach implementing each of them. We’re here to clear things up a bit and help you better understand the patches and updates you deploy on a month-to-month basis.

What is the Big Difference?

Patches and updates are critical to ensuring that your devices and mission-critical software are kept secure from potential threats. Over time, vulnerabilities or operational issues which impact security could arise, and software developers rise to the occasion to resolve them by issuing these patches and updates. The big difference between the two is scope and scale.

Patches are generally used for quick fixes to specific problems which need attention. You can think of it like patching a rip or tear in a piece of clothing. You get a piece of fabric, throw it over the problem, and sew it on for a fix.

Updates, on the other hand, are more structural in nature, and they are generally larger in scope. They might address multiple problems at once. It’s like changing the fabric of your shirt entirely rather than just patching the hole.

Why Should You Care?

In short, the biggest reason why you should care about the difference between patches and updates is that it could very well impact your ability to do your job correctly.

Let’s say you implement a new update. Yes, it solves several problems with the security infrastructure of your software or applications, but it could very well introduce new bugs or operational issues that either affect the way your team gets work done or your ability to perform specific tasks. Imagine if someone updated your operating system overnight and, all of a sudden, the user interface changes, or a critical task you need to perform no longer works the way you expect it to. You have to take the time to adjust to the update or review documentation to ensure that it’s not going to disrupt your operations too profoundly.

Make Patches and Updates Easy to Apply

We know that applying patches and updates can be a bit disruptive to your day-to-day duties and responsibilities. Furthermore, you don’t want to be applying patches and updates on a whim; you need to approach these carefully to ensure they have minimal negative impacts on your business’ operations. This is why Coleman Technologies offers remote patching and security update services. We can apply any patches or updates your systems need without the need for an on-site visit. With our management tools, you can rest assured that someone is keeping an eye out for your systems.

To learn more, reach out to Coleman Technologies at (604) 513-9428.

While your business might last into the near future, your IT is more challenging to upkeep and preserve over time. You’ll have to consider reworking and restructuring your infrastructure to ensure that it stands the test of time. Let’s review some warning signs that it might be time to do just that.

4 Ways to Know You Should Restructure Your Business IT

Fixes That Used to Work Have Stopped

Technology updates will only help for so long.

There comes a time in every technology’s lifecycle when enough is simply enough. Patches and updates are no longer released, and that’s generally when you know it’s time to give up on a solution and implement a new one. Your business’ IT is no different, and you should pay attention to when these fixes have stopped working.

In short, create a plan to move on from your business’ solutions way ahead of any end-of-life or end-of-support events for your company’s technology solutions.

Your Business Has Undergone Exceptional Change

If your business is changing, it’s generally considered a good thing, but for your technology, it can often get complicated.

Small shifts are much easier to accommodate, but major changes in services offered, operations, the size of your company’s workforce, changes to client or customer expectations, and so on can all contribute to more difficult adjustments. It’s not uncommon for businesses to upgrade their technology in response to changes in their business circumstances. Sometimes the fix is to implement entirely new systems.

Large changes to your business’ infrastructure should be discussed with your IT department so they can determine the most efficient way to proceed.

Your Business Has Stagnated

If your business has remained the same for the past 20 years, it might be time to make some changes.

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is a valid approach, but in the case of business technology, this is rarely the case. As solutions age, they also age you out of competing with other businesses that do the same thing as you. It can also stymie innovation, which is never a good thing.

Thankfully, IT can empower your business to make adjustments that could drive your business forward.

Your Business Can’t Keep Up

Putting off projects because your business can’t keep up is another sign that it’s time for a change.

Imagine that your business is always playing catch-up. When will you find the time to implement the solutions that truly move the needle in the right direction? Rather than responding to issues with your business technology, it’s time to start thinking about proactively managing it to more effectively prevent issues entirely.

This type of IT management is the accepted standard today, and you should strive for it.

We’ll Put the Power Back in Your Hands

Coleman Technologies can help your business better manage its technology, particularly during high-stress restructuring scenarios like any of the above. Learn more by calling us at (604) 513-9428 today.

Create Procedures for Both Routine and Emergency Patches

Many patches are released on a predictable schedule, so as to make it easier to keep up on patches - after all, if you know that a patch is going to be released on a certain date, you can set aside time to apply that patch. There are also emergency patches that are released when a vulnerability is discovered and remediated.

As you might imagine, both are important to maintain - one, to keep your business as free as possible from vulnerabilities, and second (and perhaps more obviously), to keep your business secure in the face of an impending threat. That’s why you need to make sure you have set processes in place to ensure that all patches are tested and applied. While it may not always be a pressing security issue, it is better to be prepared for anything that the vendor is concerned about.

At Coleman Technologies, we always build out and update our procedure, and test updates before they are applied to prevent downtime and other issues. It’s all about working smarter, not harder.

Have a Controlled, but Realistic, Environment for Testing Purposes

Let me ask you a hypothetical question: someone comes up to you on the street and offers you a pill that would make you immune to the common cold, but with no peer reviews by any medical board or the FDA. So, do you take it?

I would hope you would say no, simply because you have no idea of the effectiveness of the pill without it having been tested. Patches are the same way. Without any testing, you simply don’t know how well the patch will work, or if it will interfere with another process. Before you apply any patches to your primary infrastructure, you need to have made these evaluations in a reasonable approximation of it. An effective means of doing so is to spin up a virtualized environment and stress-test the patch there, before actually applying it - just make sure you give your tests enough time to produce trustworthy results.

Keep Track of When Patches Are Released

Depending on the hardware and software you use, patches are going to be released on a different schedule. This is because different manufacturers and vendors manage their schedules differently. Just look at Microsoft and their famous Patch Tuesday (typically the second and sometimes the fourth Tuesday of each month). In order to properly keep your patches up-to-date, you need to know when to expect them.

For assistance with your business’ patch management, you can always turn to Coleman Technologies. Give our professionals a call at (604) 513-9428.

Nobody likes getting large support bills from technology companies—especially when they are unexpected. This is the case for both the business owners footing the bill and the employees who might be held responsible for racking up the bill in the first place. This puts SMBs in a bit of an impossible situation; either spend money to keep employees productive, or save money and suffer from productivity issues.

But the issue is more nuanced than that, and there are valuable solutions out there to solve your IT support challenges.

The IT Support Headache

Let’s walk through a scenario that I’m sure you’re all too familiar with.

An employee runs into a technology problem while they’re going about their workday. They are hesitant to seek out help for the issue for two primary reasons: they either don’t know how to get support, or they are too afraid to ask for help out of fear they might incur a large support bill for the company. This prevents them from getting the support they need to effectively do their jobs.

The end result: significant loss of productivity as employees struggle for no good reason.

Remove Barriers to Solving Technology Problems

All of the above issues can be addressed by one simple idea: make solving IT problems easier for your team.

You need to ensure that employees not only know how to ask for help, but that they also feel supported and encouraged in their decision to seek out help. This involves having a single point of contact for all of your tech support needs, as well as actively reassuring your team that they are not going to be held responsible for issues related to billing. In other words, tell your team that you expect them to use the support, then show them how to do it.

Thankfully, there’s an easy solution, and it’s one that we can offer: help desk support.

A Help Desk is the Solution

Imagine experiencing a technology problem, then having the means to immediately solve it.

That’s what a help desk offers small businesses: an entity for any and all technology-related issues your employees might face. They can submit a support ticket at any time, which will then go through a delegation process according to the situation’s urgency. The issue is then resolved with the efficiency it deserves.

A help desk puts the power back into your employees’ hands and empowers them to seek assistance when it’s needed rather than be fearful of the repercussions for doing so.

Call Us Today to Learn More

The right help desk solution can improve your business’ productivity, and we’ve got just the service for you.

Coleman Technologies supports British Columbia businesses in countless ways, including help desk support for any and all IT-related issues. Your employees will never fear asking our team for help. All they have to do is submit a ticket or call us for help. We can even remote into your desktops to address issues that require a hands-on and immediate response.

Learn more by calling us today at (604) 513-9428.

In business, experience is always useful. Nowhere is that more apparent than when managing your organization’s IT infrastructure. The problem is that acquiring the expertise to do just that can be quite confusing for most business owners. Today, we’ll talk about how technology management experience can produce better business from one end to the other. 

Value of Modern IT

For any-sized business, the use of technology can present huge steps forward in terms of productivity and efficiency. For the business that actively tries to find the right technology to aid its operations, it can be maddening and frustrating. This is because there is seemingly an endless amount of options available, all of which promise to help build a better business. The thing is, not all technology that works for one business, works for another. 

The technology consultants at Coleman Technologies work daily with British Columbia businesses to help them get the technology to drive their business initiatives forward. This isn’t just about getting computers set up, it’s about getting the tools into a business that can work to make productivity easier, automate menial tasks, and build an efficient workforce that doesn’t have to struggle to collaborate. 

The value of modern IT can be immeasurable if it is implemented and supported correctly. That’s why having experienced technicians that understand both the fundamentals of supporting business technology and how it works to improve a business’ operational effectiveness is important. 

Experience With Business Technology

As far as delivering the right technology, technicians with experience not only understand how a business can utilize certain solutions to solve operational problems, but they also understand the potential value it has to a business as a whole. The procurement of new technology can be difficult for people that don’t know exactly what is needed to accomplish organizational goals.

Since most businesses have to be diligent about choosing prudent technology investments, having experienced perspectives is a great benefit that can go beyond dollars and cents; it can create environments where workers can be the most productive and allow business leaders to build processes that can bring a level of consistency that isn’t found in businesses that don’t have expert perspective driving their IT investments. 

In business today there are a lot of considerations to be made about IT. Does your business use remote workers? Does it have systems that need more security or more transparency? Most important of all, can it build the dynamic IT infrastructure you need to forge ahead confidently? With Coleman Technologies consultants working to help build your business’ technology, you can gain the peace of mind needed to know that you are getting the IT you need affordably. This makes for a more reliable technology environment. 

Experience with Support

Getting the right technology is only half the battle. If it isn’t supported, managed, and maintained correctly, you might as well flush money down the toilet. The key to a reliable IT infrastructure is expert support. This means experienced IT technicians that know what they are looking for/at and that are able to reliably keep your technology up and running efficiently and securely.

Today, there are more threats than ever, and that is before you consider that technology breaks. To ensure that your business doesn’t grind to a halt with technology problems, having experienced IT experts actively working on keeping your IT running effectively is more important than ever. Of course, you can hire IT staff to accomplish this, but if your business can’t afford the thousands of dollars a month that a professional IT technician would command, considering a managed service provider like Coleman Technologies is your best option. Not only can you have experienced IT technicians at the ready if something happens, they work proactively to ensure that you don’t have to deal with productivity-sapping downtime. 

Business IT can get complicated, but at Coleman Technologies we pride ourselves on being a solution to our clients’ IT problems, not another problem. Give us a call at (604) 513-9428 today to talk to one of our consultants about how we can help you get the most out of your business.