Reducing Downtime: How IT MSPs can Help Keep Businesses Running

Illustration

Category: Employee Experience

Reducing Downtime: How IT MSPs can Help Keep Businesses Running

Posted on by Steve Wilde

Reducing Downtime: How IT MSPs can Help Keep Businesses Running

Downtime can be a major problem for businesses of all sizes, causing lost productivity, missed deadlines, and lost revenue. IT MSPs can help businesses reduce downtime and keep their operations running smoothly. :

The Impact of Downtime on Businesses

Downtime can be caused by a range of factors, including hardware failures, software issues, and human error. The impact of downtime on businesses can be significant, with lost productivity, missed deadlines, and lost revenue being just a few of the potential consequences. In fact, according to Aberdeen Research, small businesses of less than 500 employees with up to $50M in annual revenue experienced downtimes costs of up to $8,600 per hour in 2016.

The Importance of Proactive Maintenance and Monitoring

One of the key ways in which IT MSPs can help businesses reduce downtime is through proactive maintenance and monitoring. By regularly monitoring your systems and addressing potential issues before they become major problems, IT MSPs can help prevent downtime and keep your business running smoothly. This might involve regular software updates, hardware inspections, and performance monitoring, among other things.

The Role of Cloud Services and Disaster Recovery Planning

Another important way in which IT MSPs can help reduce downtime is through the use of cloud services and disaster recovery planning. By moving some or all of your business operations to the cloud, you can ensure that your data and applications are accessible from anywhere, even in the event of a hardware failure or other issue. Similarly, by developing a disaster recovery plan that outlines the steps you’ll take in the event of a downtime incident, you can minimize the impact of downtime on your business.

In conclusion, reducing downtime is essential for businesses of all sizes, and IT MSPs can play a critical role in achieving this goal. By providing proactive maintenance and monitoring, implementing cloud services, and developing disaster recovery plans, IT MSPs can help businesses keep their operations running smoothly and avoid the consequences of downtime. If you’re looking to reduce downtime for your business, partnering with an IT MSP could be a wise investment.

How would MSP be beneficial for remote workers?

Posted on by Steve Wilde

How would MSP be beneficial for remote workers?

Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can provide numerous benefits to remote workers, including: 

Access to Expert Support

MSPs provide access to a team of experienced IT professionals who can provide technical support and resolve issues quickly. This is particularly important for remote workers who may not have access to on-site IT support.

Proactive Maintenance

MSPs can perform proactive maintenance on remote workers’ devices, ensuring that they are up to date, secure, and running smoothly. This can help prevent issues from arising in the first place

Scalability

MSPs can quickly scale up or down their services based on the needs of the remote workforce. This can be particularly important for businesses with fluctuating demand or rapidly growing remote teams.

Cost-Effective

By outsourcing IT support to an MSP, businesses can often save money compared to hiring an in-house IT team. This is because MSPs can offer economies of scale and specialized expertise that may be difficult or expensive to replicate in-house.

Flexibility

MSPs can offer a range of IT support services that can be customized to the specific needs of remote workers. This can include help desk support, network management, data backup and recovery, and cybersecurity services, among others.

In summary, MSPs can provide remote workers with access to expert support, proactive maintenance, scalability, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility. By partnering with a trusted MSP, businesses can ensure that their remote workforce has the IT support they need to be productive, secure, and successful.

Are companies successful after outsourcing their IT Support?

Posted on by Steve Wilde

Are companies successful after outsourcing their IT Support? 

Outsourcing IT support can be a successful strategy for many companies, but it is not without its challenges and potential pitfalls. Some of the factors that can contribute to the success of outsourcing IT support include: 

 

Choosing the right provider

The success of outsourcing IT support depends largely on choosing a provider that has the right skills, expertise, and experience to meet a company’s needs. A good provider should have a track record of delivering high-quality IT support and should be able to offer a range of services that are tailored to a company’s specific requirements. 

Setting clear expectations and goals

Before outsourcing IT support, it’s important for a company to set clear expectations and goals for the relationship. This includes outlining the specific services that will be provided, the level of support that will be expected, and the metrics that will be used to measure performance. 

Effective communication and management

Successful outsourcing also requires effective communication and management. This includes ensuring that there are clear lines of communication between the company and the IT support provider, and that regular status updates are provided. It also includes monitoring and measuring the performance of the provider and making any necessary adjustments to the relationship. 

Having a back-up plan

Even the best providers may experience issues with service and performance. Therefore, it’s important to have a back-up plan in case of provider’s failures or issues, to minimize the impact on the business operations. 

 

 

All that being said, outsourcing IT support can bring a lot of benefits to a company in terms of cost savings, access to expertise, scalability and improved security. However, companies should be aware of the potential challenges and be prepared to manage them effectively in order to have a successful outsourcing experience. 

Challenges of Onboarding New starters & Offboarding Leavers for Managed-IT Services

Posted on by Steve Wilde

Challenges of Onboarding New starters & Offboarding Leavers for IT-Managed services 

Onboarding new starters and offboarding leavers can be challenging for Managed-IT Service, but with the right processes and procedures in place, it can be done efficiently. Some of the main challenges that may arise include:

 

Data security

Ensuring that data security protocols are followed during the onboarding and offboarding process is crucial to protect the company’s sensitive information. This includes ensuring that new hires sign NDAs and that proper permissions and access controls are put in place for new starters. Additionally, offboarding employees also requires revoking their access to company data and systems and properly wiping their devices to ensure data security. 

Compliance

Managed-IT Service must comply with a variety of regulations, such as data privacy laws (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA) that must be adhered to during the onboarding and offboarding process. IT-managed services must also ensure that new employees are aware of the relevant laws and that they are properly trained in the company’s policies to comply with these regulations.

Communication

Ensuring that all relevant parties are informed of new hires and leavers is important to ensure a smooth onboarding and offboarding process. This includes notifying Managed-IT Service of new hires, and then ensuring that the new hires are aware of the IT-managed services’ contact information and procedures for requesting support. Also, it’s important to notify the IT-managed services of any leavers, so that access can be revoked and data can be secured in a timely manner. 

IT equipment management

Managed-IT Service are responsible for providing and managing the IT equipment for new starters and for retiring the IT equipment for leavers. This includes provisioning and configuring new laptops, mobiles, and other devices for new hires, and then securely wiping or retiring the devices of leavers. 

Training

Managed-IT Service are responsible for training new hires on the company’s IT systems, software, and policies. This includes providing training on the use of company’s software, cloud services, and other systems, as well as training on security protocols and compliance with relevant laws. 

 

To overcome these challenges, Managed-IT Service need to have clear procedures and processes in place for onboarding and offboarding. This includes having a checklist of tasks that need to be completed, such as revoking access to company data and systems, wiping devices, and returning company property. It also includes having clear communication channels in place to inform all relevant parties of new hires and leavers and ensuring that the new hires are properly trained on the company’s IT systems, software, and policies. 

Cybersecurity Threats and How to Protect Against Them

Posted on by Steve Wilde

Cybersecurity Threats and How to Protect Against Them 

In today’s digital world, cybersecurity is a major concern for businesses of all sizes. Hackers are constantly seeking new ways to penetrate company systems and steal sensitive data. To protect against these threats, it’s important for businesses to stay informed about the latest cybersecurity trends and best practices for security. In this blog post, we’ll explore the most common cybersecurity threats and provide practical tips for protecting against them. 

Phishing Scams

These are a common type of cybersecurity threat that involve tricking individuals into revealing sensitive information by posing as a trustworthy entity. To protect against phishing scams, it’s important to be cautious of unsolicited emails and never enter sensitive information into an unknown website. 

Malware

This is a type of software designed to harm or damage computer systems. To protect against malware, it’s important to keep all software and operating systems up to date, install antivirus software, and be cautious when downloading attachments or clicking on links from unknown sources.

Man-in-the-Middle Attacks

These occur when a hacker intercepts and alters communication between two parties. To protect against MITM attacks, it’s important to use encryption when transmitting sensitive information, such as passwords and financial data. 

SQL Injection Attacks

These occur when a hacker inserts malicious code into a website’s database, allowing them to steal sensitive information or manipulate data. To protect against SQL Injection attacks, it’s important to validate user input, use parameterized queries, and limit user privileges. 

By following best practices for cybersecurity and working with a trusted MSP, businesses can reduce their risk of a successful attack and protect their sensitive data. 

IT Downtime

Posted on by John Velasco

What is IT downtime? Why is it important?

IT downtime doesn’t just mean a full system outage, such as a power cut or a broken down server.

Downtime can be due to a smaller incident that will ultimately impact your business. These can affect your overall profit and productivity. For example, slow websites and online tools can reduce the effectiveness of our service long term, for both your customers and employees.

Downtime can also occur due to:

  • Overloaded servers due to high traffic
  • Your team being tied up on IT issues rather than completing their work
  • Data breaches and data losses

Cost of downtime

Unplanned IT problems are very common, with Forbes (2022) reporting that “82% of companies have experienced at least one unplanned downtime incident over the past three years.” Of these companies, many have experienced two or more downtime incidents.

When these problems strike, your overall profits can decrease. Unplanned downtime can increase costs as productivity within your team grinds to a halt. This can go on indefinitely until the problem is fixed, and can effect your ability to make more sales and provide services.

Keep costs low with managed IT support

Forbes (2022) reported that “predictive and preventative methods are better at boosting uptime and keeping production running.”

You can’t know what a downtime incident will actually cost you until it happens. By outsourcing your IT support to a team of specialists you can be sure your business is supported 24 hours a day. Productivity will be maintained. Your team can stay on task, instead of sorting out IT problems. Their expertise can be put to better use to improve your company.

With a managed IT infrastructure you can also plan ahead and budget to cover the monthly subscription or usage fees, to ensure low costs.

Effective Onboarding Experience

Posted on by John Velasco

Did you know 83% of employers use an employee onboarding process? (CandE 2021). That means it’s time for you to implement an effective onboarding process within your company this year.

A great onboarding process is structured and scalable. And this doesn’t just mean administrative paperwork. You want your new employee to feel valued and a successful member of your team.

But having a strong onboarding process can be difficult, especially to manage consistently as you scale. Read the points below to find out why it is important to develop and improve your onboarding experience.

Why it is important to onboard new starters properly:

– Establishes a good, supported workplace culture

– New starters feel fully prepared to work with equipment and team support

– Help to prioritise and improve your company’s overall employee experience and workplace well-being

Ensure your team has the correct fundamentals for onboarding, to grow your staff and improve the overall employee experience.

At NVOY Technologies we can help to improve your new starter onboarding experience. We provide bespoke new starter remote bundles which ensure employees have everything they need to work, from whatever the location. The bundles include a pre-configured laptop, company welcome, and home work environment (keyboard and mouse). These are delivered in a single package branded with your company logo.

We can also recommend virtual meet and greets with your team and new employees, to ensure your team is supported from the beginning. This will help employees get settled into the company and make introductions.

Contact us on 020 3965 9631 or visit https://lnkd.in/d5pUb7Hh to find out more about how we can improve your new starter onboarding experience today.

Why is 24 hour IT support important?

Posted on by John Velasco

Speak to a member of our team on 020 3965 9631 or visit https://lnkd.in/d5pUb7Hh if you’re thinking of outsourcing to a trusted, remotely managed IT service provider today.

Out of hours operation

You can’t know when IT problems will occur. With round-the-clock help, you can be sure problems are fixed whatever the time. This will help to keep your business running smoothly, without having to wait for help. Support will be there whenever you need it.

Problems get fixed quick

With IT problems, especially large ones, we understand you may not be able to wait until the morning for the problem to be fixed. That’s why with our 24 hour helpdesk, we can offer a faster solution compared to ones only available during office hours. This will help to get your business back to normal quicker, saving time and costs.

Remote and in person support

With 24 hour support, your business will benefit from remote and in person solutions. You can improve employee experience from wherever the working location, with both remote and in person support. This can also be used to develop a global culture while embracing local differences conducted by a team of multi-faceted specialists.

The Laptop, The Scale Up and The Kitchen Table

Posted on by John Velasco

Your company is scaling up and you’re now reaching the next stage of business maturity. Now the focus is how to keep up with the challenges that business expansion brings with that.

Unfortunately, pre-built laptops often don’t come with the software and features that your company and employees need, not to mention having to source and pay high street prices for the right laptop.

It is here, where The COO / CTO / IT Director, whomever it is that is responsible for your IT management, meets the kitchen table or spare desk in the office. Evenings spent procuring another unconfigured laptop online or even from the local shop, then ensuring it’s set up with all the company’s software, apps and logins ready to be delivered to your newly on boarded employees.

Delighted and proud of your company’s growth it is crucial to keep this exciting expansion realistic and manageable. By taking care of the IT Infrastructure, your company remains sustainable ensuring growth at a pace where you can continue to deliver excellent standards and services at all times.

Get in touch today with NVOY Technologies who can help take away the stress of expansion, providing your growing business with trusted, remotely managed IT services that support the day-to-day running of your business and keep all operations efficient.

NVOY procure, set up & deliver globally laptops and all other essential hybrid working equipment that are specifically customised to your company’s standards. Equipment is delivered to any location with a fully branded welcome pack.

NVOY Technologies specialise in the IT industry and is here for you and your business 24/5 days per week. Scalable IT solutions for fast growing companies.