According to market statistics, the value of outsourced IT services in 2022 will be huge. And it is clear why businesses opt to improve their outsourced IT services. It leads to better software/hardware integration, gaining a competitive edge and even cutting on major costs of keeping an in-house IT team. 

If your company is currently not using them, you will do well to consider what some of the signs that you desperately need to switch to an outsourced IT service are. Here are a few examples: 

• You are currently spending too much on IT – many companies that choose to outsource IT services do so in pursuit of saving money. The reality is that running an in-house IT department takes a lot of money. With outsourced IT services, you pay a predetermined price for a service package that is suitable for you. You don’t need to consider paying an IT employee full time, which can be quite the savings. Besides, you can often save on acquiring expensive IT infrastructure. 
  
  
• You don’t train your in-house staff – IT staff employees require a bit of up-skilling on regular intervals because staying up-to-date with the modern advancements in their area of specialisation can make a world of difference. The IT industry is in constant flux and there are new developments frequently. A small business needs to keep up and without doing costly training of their in-house staff, if they have such, they cannot remain competitive. If you cannot provide your IT staff with such training, your company will prove ineffective. And that is a reason to consider outsourcing IT needs because IT service providers are always on top of major changes. 
  
  
• Your company is vulnerable to security threats – there is no denying the fact that cybercrime is no small threat in the business world. Companies are falling behind on upgrading their security systems and remain vulnerable to cyber threats. Such attacks are quite dangerous and can cause irreversible damage to companies. IT service providers are well-regarded for integrating their latest features in technology, including security. They will implement the solutions in your business and provide you with some much-needed protection. 
  
  
• Your business is growing – if you have started your business from an entrepreneur level, you want to see it grow and expand. With that comes the need to rely on more complex IT infrastructure. You may lack the skills to implement new solutions and support them. That is where IT services come into play. With a reliable partner by your side, you can grow your business and know that the IT aspect is well taken care of. 
  
  
• Your business needs new ideas – even if you want to retain some of your current IT staff, you should know that this may lead to difficulty in getting new ideas for the development of your company. When you outsource your IT needs, you get more access to professional and fresh minds, who can provide some much needed different perspectives. 
  
  
• Your IT projects require niche expertise – one of the best reasons to outsource lies with the fact that you get support for projects requiring niche expertise. Sometimes, even when you have in-house staff at hand, they may not be able to resolve issues with satisfactory success. The best solution then becomes to rely on outsourced IT solutions. 

These are all essential signs to look for and decide that it is time to outsource your IT needs. Do consider them and act swiftly, if you want to stay competitive. 

© Our Tech Team

Many small business owners believe that cyber security is a major challenge, which they cannot overcome in a cost-efficient manner. However, according to IT support experts, it is always the opposite. There are clever tips that small businesses can follow, to ensure they are safe. The following guide aims to shed some light on these tips. 

• Backing up data – as a small business owner, you probably rely on critical data – customer details, orders, quotes and payment details. Operating without them is unthinkable. That is why you need to take steps to ensure you backup your data frequently. That way you can restore crucial information in the case of fire, flood, theft or some sort of physical damage. Keep the backup separate from the main computer and consider using cloud services. An IT support company can provide further details on how you can achieve all of this efficiently and cost-effectively. 
  
  
• Protection from malware – malicious software or malware is web content or software that can seriously harm your company. You need to have anti-virus software. Office equipment usually comes protected with such software with their OS, but you may need to install it for tablets and smartphones. You need to educate your staff to not install dodgy apps. It is important to keep your equipment up to date with the latest versions of antivirus software. 
  
  
• Keep smartphones and tablets safe – speaking of these devices, you need to make sure that the data on them is safe at all times. Because they can often leave the premises of the office and the home you work from, you need more than just baseline protection for them. A complex PIN and a way to track stolen devices are two basic steps you can take in regards to protection. Make sure you don’t connect to random unknown wi-fi hotspots. 
  
  
• Use strong passwords to protect your data – all of your devices contain important business data and information that is essential to your work. All of it needs to be available only to you and not any unauthorised user. To that end, you have to implement the proper passwords. This is a free way to make sure only the right people have access to your data. Using two-factor authentication is a good idea for any important accounts.
  
  Avoid predictable passwords and make sure you implement a schedule for changing passwords regularly. When you acquire devices for the first time, make sure you change the default passwords they come with. This should happen before you distribute the devices to your staff. Make sure you check the devices regularly, to guarantee they have not changed their passwords. 
  
  
• Stay on top of phishing attacks – phishing is when scammers send out many emails to a big number of people, in hopes of getting sensitive information out of them. They can trick the victim into sending money, stealing details or have other motives to access your company information. Regardless, you need to take some proactive steps to reduce phishing attacks. Ensure that your staff is well-educated and knows what to report if need be. Attackers typically rely on publicly available information about your company, to make phishing messages. You need to understand what your clients need to know and what details you share with them on your website, to reduce the risk. 
  
  

All of these cyber-security tips work well to reduce the impact of potential cyber-attacks on a small business. Make sure you implement them, to have peace of mind. 

© Our Tech Team

If you are a small start-up company, you will be hard-pressed to budget for all sorts of unexpected expenses. One thing you need to consider is getting IT support, no matter how restricted your budget is. 

There are various reasons why such a service is so important to any small start-up business. It lies with downtime. It can cost you a small fortune when you experience an IT failure and your operations stop till the issue is fixed. It is not a price you can afford to part with. And it is not always the case where you can address an IT issue like this with resources on your own. That is where IT support comes in. Getting professionals on the case immediately can be quite helpful. Not only can it save you money, but also give you peace of mind that when something goes wrong, you have a professional to turn to for help. There are four major ways in which an IT support company can aid you: 

• Help you with cloud services – previously, companies had to house their servers on the premises. Power-hungry and large structures had to be implemented somewhere within the office. Without a doubt, the ways of the past are behind us, all thanks to cloud technology. When you work with a provider of such a service, you can rely on a more convenient way of managing your data and storing your company’s digital assets. Cloud services always come with the benefit of remote support, and uptime at a lower cost. While you are at it, you can also take advantage of off-site storage space and/or email services. 
  
  
• Proper security for your systems – it is a mistake to think that cybercriminals only go after the big companies. In fact, they know that small businesses are more vulnerable and target them more and more frequently. Thus, cybersecurity is one aspect you can leave to an IT support company. What they can do for you is set up a secure network, install and maintain anti-virus software and use SSL to further secure your company websites. They will also do some education of your staff on security matters, such as changing passwords per regular periods. 
  
  
• Educating your staff – speaking of educating employees, there is no doubt that one of the more important aspects of a security company is to help your employees become more knowledgeable on IT matters. It is perfectly normal if they are currently not. They specialise in other areas, whereas IT professionals can share some of their knowledge to increase their efficiency. This is an important matter because if there are changes to your technology or IT infrastructure, you want your team to be up to speed with as minimal downtime as possible. 
  
  
• Providing advice on right-sizing IT support – a lot of companies, especially start-ups, require a service that can scale. This means that at first, they will need just partial help, whereas as they grow, they can properly scale the IT support service. It goes without saying that it is a great idea to seek out a company that can accommodate these scaling needs. They will offer advice on flexible contract options, which don’t overburden your budget. 
  
  

There is a lot that an IT support company can do for your small business. You need to consider all of the benefits and invest time in researching the right IT support. That is how you can make the most of the service. 

© Our Tech Team

If you have just now started your company, you will need to overcome many challenges. Every start-up faces turmoil at first, and it is important to meet these difficulties with the right aid. That is why small business needs to consider IT support right from their inception. 

You don’t need to be an expert in IT to ensure that your software, systems and all hardware components are running smoothly and without a problem. IT support companies make this a possible solution to every small start-up out there. Even without having an in-house IT presence, you can now rely on professional service, which gets the job done. Here is how to make the most of it: 

• Make sure they are flexible – one of the most important things for a start-up is the fact that their business is still growing. This means that their needs are set at the start, but start to scale and change as the company picks up momentum. Therefore, an IT support agency that provides its service to a start-up needs to be able to scale said service as time goes by. For example, they can only focus on basic needs at first, but then, as the small business expands, they can add more and extend the service further. This strategy of right-sizing will go on till the start-up company can settle on a managed service plan that works well for their size and business goals. 
  
  
• Budget accordingly – there is no denying that outsourcing your IT needs will usually be more budget-friendly than keeping an in-house staff. Still, there is going to be a need to budget for this sort of service. If you know your needs are small, you should be able to receive only a small bit of support, to cover your necessities. But you may also find yourself in need of more services, in which case you will have to address the extra expenses. 
  
  
• Consider cloud technology – long gone are the days when your only option was to house big and expensive power servers on your premises. Nowadays, it is all about cloud technology. Such service providers often come from your IT support company, which is yet another reason to get in touch with such. Off-site file storage is a clever solution not just because it saves you a lot of hassle, but also because it is much more secure and convenient. You can access your data from just about anywhere and know that it is well-protected at all times. Getting such peace of mind is entirely possible with an IT support company. 
  
  
• Focus on security – there is no doubt that securing your systems is important in the long run. It is not that difficult either – you just need to work with the right experts for the job. They can advise you on what sort of anti-virus software you should use and how to establish secure networks. They will also work with administrating access and passwords, as well as share good practices on how to maintain higher levels of security, to keep your data safe. 
  
  
• Working with a local company – one of the important things to remember is that certain issues require on-site support. It is not always the case that the IT support company can resolve a problem without coming to see it. That is why it is a good idea to work with one that is local to your own company. That way you can rely on them when need be. 
  
  

Without a doubt, these tips will enable you to make the most of IT support for your business. Make sure you implement them. 

© Our Tech Team

If you have decided to enlist the services of an IT support company for your business, you have made the right call. Outsourcing IT needs to a company with experience is important, as it will allow you to focus on expanding your business, all the while knowing the IT aspect is in capable hands. But to reap the rewards of an IT support company, you have to ensure that it is the right one you get for the job. Look for these must-have features of the service: 

• They are reliable – reliability in regards to networks and systems are of crucial importance to the people working in the IT support business, and the clients of such companies. Therefore, a good record of their previous customers and the work they have done for them is a nice starting point to gauge reliability. It is all the more important if the IT support company has provided its services to a business similar to yours. That is how you will know they are reliable and a good fit for your company. 
  
  
• They can explain things simply – if you had to get into the technical matters of the IT industry, you will probably need a lifetime to get acquainted with everything. There is jargon and a ton of technical terms to every industry and IT probably has more than others. However, that doesn’t mean they should have difficulties communicating the needs of your business and your requirements. On the contrary, they should be able to explain what they can do for you in simple terms so that you can make an informed decision of whether to work with them. 
  
  
• They offer support based on people – yes, the service that IT support companies provide is based on technology entirely. However, the problems that they need to fix are all experienced by real people. The contact with them is valuable, and so every IT support company needs to have a great client-oriented approach. In other words, they need to work with people first, and then pay attention to technology. After all, they should understand what IT problems can create a problem, and be able to reassure their client that they can handle it. 
  
  
• They are quickly available for assistance – one of the most important factors for choosing an IT support company lies with how long it takes them to respond to your queries and to fix the issue. After all, downtime can be a major hindrance and cost you a small fortune, if it happens at a bad time. The IT support company needs to be able to respond quickly. This means not just remote support, but also sending a person on-site, if need be. Consider if support will also be available outside of the traditional office hours. 
  
  
• They provide flexible service – as with every small business, you are looking to expand and grow. It is a process, which is impossible to gauge how long it will take. As such, the IT support company should be able to accommodate flexible plans and services. If your needs are small, then perhaps a support plan that doesn’t cost a lot is right for you. If you expand your business, you may want to extend their service. That is why it is so important for them to be flexible and support your company based on its ever-changing needs. 
  
  

These are just a few of the more important features to look for in an IT support company. Make sure you do that if you want to end up with the right business partner. 

© Our Tech Team