Strata Information Technology Blog

So far, 2020 has been a bust, especially for businesses. The challenges that business owners have seen this year have been considerable to say the least: not only have there been economic and political tensions creating roadblocks, we’re now all dealing with the ramifications of an actual pandemic event. If any business is going to make it through all this, there needs to be a few shifts in how business technology is handled from this point on.

As a general rule, necessity dictates when a business upgrades the technology, they use each day. Sometimes it is because the tech they have been using can no longer support their needs, and sometimes, the solutions that are utilized simply aren’t efficient enough to keep up with operations any longer. New technologies may be adopted as a means to increase productivity, while others may actually be required by government-mandated regulations.

As a managed service provider, we realize that it may not be totally clear what it is that we do, exactly. To resolve this, we wanted to devote a blog to review what we provide to businesses like yours, and how our services can benefit you.

While most businesses need the same basic technology to support their operations, some industries have additional, more specific needs that require a more specialized tool to accomplish. As we leave this series behind, let’s briefly consider how a managed service provider can be a valuable resource for a business operating in one of these industries.

Modern businesses can now make use of increasingly powerful technology solutions… as long as they have a means of obtaining and incorporating these solutions into their operations. The services that a managed service provider can deliver include procurement assistance. To wrap up our series on the value that managed services can provide, let’s discuss this aspect.

Your business’ data is a key component to its success, and with a managed service provider on your side, it becomes even more beneficial for you to put to use. As we carry on with our series describing the value of a relationship with a managed service provider, we’ll look at a few ways that your business can benefit from the data services that this relationship can provide.

If you need to get your current IT infrastructure under control, you don’t want to deal with amateurs. You want to resolve your issues and quicken your response times, as well as grow and upgrade your infrastructure in a way that makes more profits and enhances productivity. To find out if you need an upgrade to your current IT systems, ask yourself the following questions.

“Business as usual.” This is something that people say when their time at work matches their expectations. If your staff constantly has problems with the technology you’ve provided them, the saying may be in reference to your constant IT troubles, which would be problematic on several different fronts. If your company’s “business as usual” is dealing with downtime, runaway IT repair costs, and inefficient and variable productivity, you might want to consider managed IT services.

Technology isn’t always a simple thing for small businesses, and in a world where every implementation either hampers or benefits your bottom line, there is a lot at stake. Implementing a better way of managing your IT will come with a considerable improvement to your organization’s operations. With the right method of management, you can optimize efficiency and productivity, but not before asking yourself these questions.

There is an inherent value in approaching experts regarding any services you need, whether it’s building maintenance or your technology. It really helps to have IT professionals to turn to for any and all questions or concerns you might have regarding your computers, servers, and any other technological asset your organization might need to succeed.

As a business owner, it is a great feeling when your business is firing on all cylinders. As revenue grows, the business is forced to take on more employees, and all of a sudden your once-small company is up for contracts/orders that you would never have imagined being possible only a short time ago. With this influx of success, you may find yourself looking at the innovative new technology that once wouldn’t have been practical, but now is both in your price range, and increasingly necessary.

Security threats are unfortunately common in the business world of today, and these threats are only getting more sophisticated. In response, more businesses and companies are turning to security professionals to help protect them. We’ll dive into some of the tools that a managed security service provider leverages, and how it can incorporate into a business’ IT strategy.

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

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

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

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

The small business owner has so many issues to manage that when it comes time to add employees, it can be a difficult endeavor finding the right person to fill the position. For the growing business, it’s important to find the right people for the job, but with such a shortage of trained and experienced workers on the open market, business owners need to have a strategy in place so that the onboarding process doesn’t cost their organization more than it has to. Understanding what to look for in a new hire can go a long way toward helping you make good personnel decisions, and keep the costs of training down.

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

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

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