"I don’t need to worry about cybersecurity… my business is too small for hackers to target."
This is one of the most dangerous misconceptions a small business can have. If you believe this, you may not fully understand how modern cyberattacks work. Let’s break down why this mindset can leave your business vulnerable.
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.
Technology frustrations can cause major setbacks for today’s businesses. IT challenges of all kinds can disrupt operations and impact productivity. Fortunately, managed IT services can help solve these common business IT headaches. Therefore, businesses can access a team of experts ready to tackle these issues head-on by outsourcing their IT management to a managed service provider.
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) face the challenge of managing complex IT systems with very limited resources. Enter managed service providers, or MSPs, the guardians of IT that can help your business stay ahead of the game. An MSP's approach to IT support delivery offers many benefits that traditional IT support and even an in-house team might struggle to match.
Let's delve into three compelling reasons why our innovative approach is best for your IT support needs, especially if you want to scale up and streamline operations.
With technology being so important for all businesses in at least some capacity, it’s no small wonder that effectively using it (and having someone on-hand to manage it all) is tremendously valuable for any company. This is where a managed service provider (MSP) can be helpful, even for businesses that have a dedicated IT department. All small businesses benefit from working with an MSP.
Businesses have the option to use three different cloud deployments:
Looking outside your own business to get work done can be intimidating. Can you trust outsourced talent? Will I lose control over my business? Is it really a value? These questions and many more are reasonable to ask, but if there is one sure thing about outsourcing is that there are clear financial benefits.
The decreased cost of outsourcing is the most well-known feature of the strategy. Obviously, it is extraordinarily expensive to onboard new help, purchase the resources that new hire needs to do the job you need him/her to do, and expand your benefits package (if you offer one) to another person. When you outsource, you may still pay a comparable rate in pay, but you will get someone that has the specific skills you need them for, and you’ll likely save a lot of capital by eliminating the associated costs.
Your organization may see some major operational benefits from choosing to outsource. They include:
Outsourcing can present a business’ leadership the ability to be more aggressive with their resources. There is a lot to do at the average business, giving regular employees access to trained and reliable resources can free them up to focus on operational issues while speeding up business significantly.
Typically, outsourcers come onboard with very specific skills and no long-term employment contract. This gives the organization the flexibility to find the gig-worker that fits the immediate needs of the company rather than committing to one employee over large swaths of time.
In the course of doing business, decision makers are confronted with variable risks. Outsourcing allows many of the risks to be disregarded, although it creates some others. Overall, however, outsourcing will often present a net-positive situation for any business.
Coleman Technologies offers high-value outsourced IT services and support for British Columbia businesses. If you would like to learn more, call us today at (604) 513-9428.
Like we’ve established, it isn’t uncommon for people to recruit an expert or a professional with the capability to assist them with a task that the person cannot do. There are many reasons that people do so: they may not have the skill to safely work on whatever process is required of them, they may lack the technical know-how to complete it. Sometimes, it is simply to ensure that something is done the right way.
Whatever the reason may be, bringing in an expert (often referred to as a consultant), is a great way to help reinforce your chances of a positive outcome.
First and foremost, the consultants you work with need to have a better grasp on their area of expertise than you do, and should be motivated to give you the value that you are looking for in a provider. Coleman Technologies qualifies as a consultant for managed services, working with businesses to ensure their information technology solutions are optimized.
As such, we are committed to using the experience and expertise that we have built up to deliver the solutions and services that our clients need to be successful. After all, the success of a managed service provider is dependent on the success of its clients, providing the motivation to deliver services that deliver the positive outcomes these businesses are looking for.
There are a variety of services we offer to help accomplish this shared goal through our consultation. If the technology you use could stand to see an upgrade, following through with us allows the decision makers we work with to take the data on their past and present IT strategies. As a result, we can make the best decisions for them that will help to cement their business’ future.
Here are some of the consulting services that we offer:
One of the biggest concerns that businesses come to us with regarding their technology is (predictably) the cost associated with their IT implementations. There are a few reasons that that they’ll do so… some are looking to upgrade, others will want to scale their technology to match their business’ growth without outpacing their budget. Whatever the reason, there is one fundamental motivation why they do so:
In essence, these companies want to make sure that their investment will provide them with the value they require (or really, demand) of it.
Working with you as your Virtual CIO, we can oversee your complete IT strategy. Our seasoned professionals will evaluate your current technology, identify which products and services will serve your needs best without breaking the bank, and work with you to strategize your approach to your IT from top to bottom. As a result, you aren’t saddled with the responsibilities to research and come to decisions - duties that you probably have neither the time nor the practical experience to take on.
One of the major benefits of any business technology is the positive effect it has on efficiency. When working to streamline your processes, your in-house resources may not have the perspective to see the big picture and come up with an efficient and effective plan. An outside resource, like a managed service provider, has that needed perspective. Pair that with the experience they have in optimizing business resources, and you have a winning combination.
By working with a partner who is committed to equipping you with the processes and tools from start to finish, you can shift your productivity/waste ratio in the right direction - and the better your productivity, the higher your revenue.
How much time has your business sunk, in total, into working with your vendors? How much has that cost the business? You need to keep in mind that vendors are - in most cases - effectively salesmen. Not to say this is a bad thing, but it does mean that the majority of vendors will prioritize making a sale over ensuring you get what will serve you best. However, with Coleman Technologies, you will no longer need to deal with vendors … we’ll do it for you. Anything you need, you’ll be able to call us and get it, simplifying and streamlining your procurement.
By working with a managed service provider, a company has a simpler means of handling their crucial technology. Whenever they need a problem solved, they simply lean on their provider to see to what’s needed… whether that’s support, resource management, or a representative to speak to vendors. Coleman Technologies can be that for your business.
To learn more about our consulting services, reach out to us at (604) 513-9428 - and don’t forget to check back here on Wednesday for part four of this series!
Almost every industry has some form of office setup. Manufacturers, retail, and service delivery all need their offices to handle the procedural aspects of the business. Some people work from a home office that’s just a laptop computer, while others have multiple floors of a high-rise dedicated to office workers. It’s not an overstatement to say that the office is where a majority of western workers work. The office is where productivity happens.
This is all made possible through the use of technology. The modern office features all types of technology. From servers to workstations to networking equipment, peripherals, security and signage, and much, much more. With the deployment of all this technology, there needs to be some coordination with the way it is integrated, and with the way a company’s human resources utilize it.
This is especially true now that:
In these three variables, you can find a lot about how organizations are utilizing IT.
Things cost more today, that can’t be denied. For the business, this creates some tough situations. One way that a business can keep these shrinking profit margins from ruining their business is by leveraging customized IT solutions designed to transfer cost. Some examples of these technologies include:
Every action your business makes and every interaction it has with vendors, customers, and prospects can be tracked. This data can be used to help businesses see what works and which of those actions are more cost effective for the business to implement as process. In order to integrate this kind of analysis for your business, you first need to understand what data you need to use in order to get the information and what technologies you may need to make your data analytics efforts work effectively.
The threats that the modern business has to deal with from outside their computing network puts strain on the users inside their computer network. An organization’s IT administrator typically sets the tone by developing a plan for the business to maintain data and network security, but those efforts can be undermined at any time if the business’ staff isn’t trained in how to confront situations that are coming from outside the network designed to undermine the security platforms that have been deployed. Here are two tools that Coleman Technologies can offer to help you thwart threats:
The modern office has a lot of places that technology potentially fits. If your business can use any of these solutions to improve the look of your bottom line, call Coleman Technologies today at (604) 513-9428.
Which scenario which would you prefer to be in:
You take your car to a shop for a tune up. A technician calls to inform you that your engine has hardly any oil in it due to a leak. However, he replaces a gasket and tops your oil off. The simple fix has cost just $80.
OR
You notice your car is leaving dark black stains in your driveway, but after a quick google search determine that your car is probably fine, and the money you could be spending on a tune up could be better spent on an iPhone. Once all the oil is gone, your motor has completely seized due to the lack of lubrication, and you have to use your brand new iPhone to call a repair shop. The new motor will set you back $3,000.
Your answer to the question should be obvious, but how can you take the same proactive approach with IT? The strategy most businesses choose is one that has proven its worth -- managed IT services.
Managed IT services monitor systems through the use of remote monitoring. This strategy is extremely beneficial as an IT staff does not need to be on-site at all times. By using state-of-the-art tools, managed IT providers are able to monitor your business' network and hardware, ensuring they are operating correctly. If it is not working correctly, a technician is typically able to resolve the issue remotely. This, of course, means you might not even be aware of a potential issue--and most of the time--it will be resolved before you know it.
Having a fix-it-when-it-breaks attitude has no place in any business. The value that managed IT services delivers cannot be matched. The only comparable proactive solution is having an on-site IT staff working around the clock. How much do you think that would cost you?
Imagine paying staff to sit around waiting for something to break. Now imagine paying the non-IT staff to sit around, while your IT staff tries to resolve the issue. The biggest cost a business faces with malfunctioning hardware is typically the downtime that results from it.
Coleman Technologies provides simple yet effective means which act before little issues turn into operational catastrophes. One solution we offer is a comprehensive patch management service. Not updating software leaves your business susceptible to data breaches. A data breach could put not only all of your data at risk, it could jeopardize your entire business.
To learn how easily you can adopt proactive measures into your business, give us a call at (604) 513-9428. Be sure to check for part two of this series on Friday.
The Managed Service Provider (MSP) provide an experience unlike traditional service providers’ methodology. Let’s take a look at two scenarios:
Tom is emailing his boss in regard to a company project when all of a sudden his software closes. Tom tries to re-open his email, resulting in well, no result. Tom, frustrated at his email software, spam clicks the application which causes his entire computer to freeze. He has to ask his neighbor to contact their IT department for him. Unfortunately, they are out for lunch which results in a massive amount of downtime for not only Tom but for the business itself.
Jerry, who works for a business on the other side of town, is working on a project when he too is experiencing technical difficulties. Jerry has been working on a new business logo in his graphic design software. While opening his file, he is prompted with a message informing him that his software license is not valid. Jerry wastes no time in creating a ticket with his managed service provider. Within minutes, a technician remotes into Jerry’s computer, reconciling the issue at hand. Jerry is up and working in a timely manner.
Time is money, so why not save yourself time with managed services?
Managed service providers leverage remote support simply because of how efficient it is. It doesn’t make sense for a technician to come all the way out to your business to resolve an issue that could have been resolved at their own office. However, when a situation occurs where a technician is actually required to be present, managed service providers have trained staff ready to be dispatched.
When something goes wrong, IT support needs to be present. It isn’t cost effective to have IT support present when your infrastructure is operating as it should.
Time is a business’ most scarce resource, so why waste any of it? Every moment is valuable, so you can’t afford to sit idle waiting for IT to return back from lunch or wait for them to have a free moment. To ensure you get the most out of every second, Coleman Technologies offers managed services which can greatly benefit your business.
This is far from the end when discussing the benefits of managed services. Return back to our blog page to read part three of this series. If you would like to discuss additional support options offered with managed IT services, give us a call at (604) 513-9428.
Managed services differ from the traditional method of IT management and maintenance. Perhaps you remember the old days when you sought technology repairs as needed thinking that it actually saved you money. While it may have been true to an extent in the short term, did it actually save you money for the long haul? We’re willing to bet that it didn’t for one big reason: the downtime associated with technology maintenance.
When we talk about downtime, it’s important to remember that it’s a major cause for budgets being flattened. If you are waiting until your organization suffers from technology issues before resolving them, you’re practically begging for operations to be affected by downtime. Wouldn’t it be better to actively prevent these issues from evolving into bigger, more costly problems that are much more difficult to resolve?
It is this mindset that managed service providers take on. Managed service providers and preventative technology maintenance aim to eliminate the majority of downtime and save businesses serious capital in the process.
Furthermore, managed IT makes for easier infrastructure management, as it involves outsourcing the majority of your organization’s technology management to a third party. In this way, you save time and resources from being consumed in a way that is counter-intuitive to operations. Remember, your employees aren’t necessarily learned in repairing technology, so unless they have actually been trained in how to administer IT help, you should leave it to the professionals.
Coleman Technologies can provide your business with the preventative technology maintenance and solution management needed to ensure operations are always at their maximum. Not only that, but we can also maintain your solutions and host them on our infrastructure specifically so that this responsibility doesn’t fall on your shoulders. In other words, you’ll have an easier time managing your business because you’re not bogged down trying to manage all of its technology solutions.
To learn more about managed services and everything we can do for your business, reach out to us at (604) 513-9428.
Breaking Down Managed Service Providers (Also Known As MSPs)
First, our title throws a lot of people. What are managed services, and why do you need a provider at all?
In a lot of ways, we’re just like the internal IT team that you may or may not have. We look over and manage your technology solutions as a part of the service we provide.
Again, just a part.
Yes, part of our role is that of a remote monitoring service, but we can provide much more than that. We can advise you on your technology solutions, assist you in procuring and maintaining them, help you implement technologies like cloud computing, help keep your data secure and your solutions compliant to industry requirements, and a lot more than just that.
We Won’t Replace In-House Staff (Or Vice Versa)
When they learn the extent of what we do, many business owners (and eventually, their staff) may start to wonder if they can outsource all of their IT responsibilities to us, essentially eliminating the need for an internal IT resource. While we appreciate the confidence, we wouldn’t recommend that, unless you don’t currently have an IT resource.
The truth is, we work as well in tandem with an organization’s IT staff as we do as a standalone management solution.
Most internal teams or resources face the same problem: an overwhelming workload. Between day-to-day problem mitigation, managing your current technology, and planning for your business’ future strategy, there isn’t enough time for them to do everything that they have to… and that’s where we come in. Our job is to pick up the slack, wherever it may be, so that all responsibilities are attended to.
However, if you don’t currently have an in-house resource and have been entirely relying on the services of break/fix by-the-incident providers, we can replace those, adding much more value than you could expect otherwise.
We Can Handle Most Anything You Throw At Us
Finally, you might be hesitant to reach out to us because you’re anticipating that your particular industry has needs that we just couldn’t keep up with. Compliances and minutely specialized solutions may be a key factor to your success, and you don’t want to risk it all on the expertise of an outside source.
We have one thing to say to that:
Try us.
It is our job to assist businesses with their solutions. This means that, as these solutions evolve and develop, we have to continually educate ourselves. How does this problem need to be handled? Is there a better option that we should learn more about?
As a result, we’re pretty up-to-date on most things IT.
To discuss your particular needs further, reach out to us at (604) 513-9428, or read some of our other blogs to learn more about how we can help you.
First, we’ll talk about how managed IT can provide value for your organization’s project management efforts, and then we’ll tackle how project management software specifically can aid in this.
Managed IT for Project Management
You can’t make progress on a project if your technology solutions are constantly experiencing problems. For example, if an employee is trying to work with Microsoft Office, but the license runs out for the solution, you’ll be unable to get work done with that solution. The same thing could happen for just about any software your business relies on to get the job done, as well as just about any other asset that your project management team needs.
Coleman Technologies can help your business manage its IT so that your assets are always available when you need them most (like in the middle of a project implementation). This means that you won’t have to worry about your technology experiencing any inefficiencies while you’re focused on the project’s implementation. In essence, by effectively doing our job, we can help you get your job done as smoothly and efficiently as possible. This means that instead of focusing on keeping your technology solutions working as intended, you’re focused on getting the job done as quickly as possible, meaning you experience less downtime and save more money for other endeavors.
Project Management Software
Project managers have the responsibility of managing all of this information and connecting the implementation team with all the resources they need to get the job done. This is often easier said than done, but thanks to project management software, your organization can take advantage of a central hub-like interface to connect all resources to users in a centralized fashion.
In essence, project management software helps your team communicate and access resources in the most convenient way possible. Project managers can take a look at progress, assign tasks to specific individuals, check the current state of the project’s budget, and so much more, all through a single software solution. This helps to make sure that projects are completed in a timely manner, keeping your business from having to redo the implementation process multiple times (because we all know that doing something twice wastes time and money better spent elsewhere).
Coleman Technologies can help your business get started with managed IT and project management. To learn more, reach out to us at (604) 513-9428.
Coleman Technologies has been serving the British Columbia area since 1999, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses. Our experience has allowed us to build and develop the infrastructure needed to keep our prices affordable and our clients up and running.
20178 96 Avenue, C400
Langley, British Columbia V1M 0B2
Mon to Fri 9:00am to 6:00pm
