On Site Computer Services When You Need Them

on site computer services when you need them

on site computer services

When you sit down to use your computer, you may be the expert. You may be the first to figure out how to integrate your computer with your tablet or mobile device or Bluetooth.

According to this article, things have changed considerably over the past five years, all for the better. These days, it’s more affordable for you to have your computer systems serviced on-site in your home or business.

But when the hardware itself has an issue, that’s when you need an expert to come to your site and get things running as they should. That’s also a matter of expertise: You know when to ‘not go there’ and call in someone who can navigate hardware as well as you navigate the software.

Technical failure can be frustrating and frightening if you have no experience with repairing it. Internal components, such as memory chips, are not compatible with all machines. Components may be fragile or break if installed improperly. Other components, such as hard drives, may be perfectly compatible, if configured properly, but may not work properly or may put your data at risk if incorrectly installed. In short, fixing the damage or performing an off the cuff upgrade can itself cause more damage if attempted by an inexperienced user.

Determining the Cause

Many situations can cause hardware problems. General wear and tear may impact hard drives, new equipment may need specialized installation, memory or other internal component updates may cause Microsoft Windows to not properly recognize your computer or Windows license. Many different levels of hardware go into making your computer operate, levels which normally perform as expected and which you never consider until they go wrong.

Just as you are the expert in your business, 4 Corner IT would like to be your expert with hardware. We navigate compatibility of components and installation and repair with the confidence and expertise that you navigate the details of your business.

For hardware concerns which require on site support, please contact us.

The Cost Savings Benefits of Using a Managed Service Provider

the cost savings benefits of using a managed service provider

Enlisting the help of a managed service provider lets you outsource IT tasks that would otherwise require you to hire an in-house IT specialist. Outsourcing IT support helps businesses to focus on business rather than technology support.

According to this article, a managed service provider (MSP) is a type of IT service company that provides server, network, and specialized applications to end users and organizations. These applications are hosted and managed by the service provider.

Deciding to use a managed service provider requires you to analyze the benefits and how they may help you reach your business goals. The benefits of managed IT services are many.

The following benefits impact daily operations as well as your bottom line.

Monthly Costs

Managing monthly costs is critical for any business. It is important to know how much you are spending, what you are spending it on, and what you may spend in the future. By outsourcing your IT support, you will pay the same amount no matter how much support you require each month. You will know how much to budget for IT support and you can allocate your remaining budget to other areas of your business.

Small Upfront Costs

When you outsource to a managed service provider, you automatically save on the upfront costs associated with buying necessary hardware and software. You can start with a monthly plan suited to your business needs rather than investing in costly equipment.

Scale Up or Scale Down

Managed IT services allow you to scale up as your business grows. If you need more users, it is simple to add them. If you realize your business does not need certain applications, request your provider remove them. Managed IT service is flexible in terms of adjusting to your business needs at any given time. This can save your business a significant amount of money during periods of growth.

Increased Productivity

A disruption in productivity due to IT issues can cost your business thousands of dollars. Rather than have you and your staff struggle with an IT issue, you can notify your managed IT service provider to fix the issue. They can often resolve your IT problem within minutes, saving you time and money.

Whether your business is small or large, it can benefit greatly from the use of a managed service provider. You will have consistent monthly costs, access to IT experts, and be able to scale up or down as necessary.

We have been providing Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties with word-class managed services for over a decade.

Contact us today for a free consultation.

3 Strategies to Help Minimize the Effect of Server and Network Downtime

3 strategies to help minimize the effect of server and network downtime

managed service provider

Server and network downtime can cost businesses thousands of dollars. Each time a server or network goes down, your company data is at risk. There are a lot of reasons for downtime, like power issues for example. Although issues such as hardware failures, human error, and power outages are out of your control, you can control how downtime affects your business. Below are three strategies to help minimize the effects of server and network downtime.

Have a Business Continuity Plan

A continuity plan is a plan that helps your business continue to operate should a disaster occur. You can design your plan to deal with both short-term and long-term disasters. It is essential to test your plan regularly to see how reliable it is in a crisis. Update your plan accordingly when it needs improvements.

Create a Disaster Recovery Plan

When a disaster occurs that affects your data, it is important to have a disaster recovery plan in place. This plan consists of a data backup solution which can reside on local storage or cloud storage. Cloud storage is a more convenient and flexible solution. Unlike local storage, cloud storage doesn’t require a secondary backup location. Perform backups of your data on a regular basis. Nightly and weekly backups are often the best strategy.

Test Your Plans

Testing your data backup and recovery plan is essential to help minimize downtime. Regular testing will reveal areas that need improvement, whether it is hardware, software, or human error. You want to ensure your data recovery time is short.

These three strategies are a great way to help protect your company data during a disaster. In order to create well thought out plans and choose the best solutions for your business, it is best to consult with a managed service provider experienced in data disaster recovery.

 

Contact us today to schedule a consultation. We provide services and solutions that can prevent or help you recover from the next disaster.

What Does a Typical Contingency Plan Outline Look Like?

what does a typical contingency plan outline look like

Part of running a modern business is planning for the quick recovery of your business’ computer processes in the event of an emergency. In the past, when the computers went down, they just went down.

According to this article, organizations create contingency plans, sometimes called a “Plan B,” to prepare for something bad that could affect the organization’s ability to function. Developing an effective contingency plan is essential for any organization.

Having a system in place to restore them immediately was unheard of for small and medium-sized businesses; and even for many large corporations. Professionals mainly used computers to run programs like Excel or Word. They managed files in certain ways and receptionists played Solitaire. However, as we all know, times have changed.

Now our global business culture is somewhat reliant on technology for many things like:

  • Communication
  • Marketing
  • Customer relationship management
  • Online and offline reputation management
  • File storage
  • Business processes

Because of this, it’s now crucial to back up your entire computer system and have protocols in place, so that your business can continue to run smoothly even when your systems are down.

Having a good contingency plan in place will ensure that business interruption, data loss, and productivity loss are minimal across all the devices that your company uses.

This could include your company:

  • Desktops and laptops
  • Mobile devices like smartphones and tablets
  • Peripherals like printers and all-in-one fax machines
  • Servers
  • Websites
  • Computer networks
  • Mainframes
  • Distributed systems

Depending on the size of your business and your standard operating procedures, some contingency plans might include:

Having to relocate your primary business and IT systems temporarily to an alternate site, using alternate equipment, or having your IT team reset some systems manually to get them working properly again

Here’s a Typical Contingency Plan Outline

1. State your goals – In the event of a power outage, drive failure or even an extreme condition like fire or water damage, what goals must your contingency plan meet for your business to remain efficient and operational?

2. Define the impact on your business – How much downtime can your business really handle? Some businesses can handle 7 days, while others can only handle 3 hours. What type of overall impact financially and professionally would an outage and downtime cause? What is the scope of varying degrees?

Though this may seem like redundant step, it’s not. Yes, “it would be bad,” is an answer that could apply to any negative situation. However, you might not realize that certain departments can handle much less downtime than you realized and some might not need much investment in contingency planning.

3. Once you’ve identified your goals and the potential impacts on your business, decide what preventive steps you can take to minimize problems; so you don’t have so much to fix during an outage – This could mean using certain types of backup, cloud servers located in other states and taking other simple measures that will mean certain parts of your business wouldn’t even need resetting or restoration.

4. Next identify your list of go-to recovery strategies – You should have a list of recovery strategies to implement immediately when something happens. You should have strategies appropriate for both small and extreme emergencies.

5. Next, take time to test your plan and train your staff – Every contingency plan is different, so just like a fire drill, your company staff and IT staff should understand how your plan will work.

6. Ensure that you’re taking the proper maintenance steps daily, weekly etc.

Should your IT team routinely check servers?
Does any software or equipment need biannual upgrading?
Do you have any new staff you need to train on how to properly backup their work or behave in an emergency situation?

Contact Us

We understand that contingency planning is just as much a part of modern businesses as smartphones and color printers. We understand how to make the restoration process simple for businesses, yet effective in the case of an emergency.

Prepare Early for Hurricane Season with Continuity of Operations Planning

prepare early for hurricane season with continuity of operations planning 2

If you’re a small business recently opening here in Florida, you’re just as vulnerable to disasters as the big companies surrounding you.

Not all small businesses new to the Florida area understand that continuity of operations planning has a more dire importance because of the threats of hurricanes.

However, it goes beyond hurricanes to the point of general disaster possibilities sometimes coming out of left field.

According to this article, all businesses have requirements that are critical to their function. You may have a printer contracted to create tickets, or specialized equipment that you can’t do business without.

It’s easy to get complacent about all of the above when nothing bad has ever happened to your business. While it’s true that Florida hasn’t had a damaging hurricane for a while, it doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen this year. As we see more and more unexpected weather events occur around the nation, don’t expect anything less here in Florida where anything can occur, including sinkholes.

So if you’ve done nothing toward disaster planning based on past track record, what should you do to start planning now? Continuity of operations planning is easier now thanks to digital technology available to store your data internally rather than in file cabinets or through an on-site database.

Here at 4Corner IT, we have all the tools you need for proper business continuity so you’re prepared for any type of disaster, even if it’s caused by humans.

Replicating Your Server to the Cloud

There isn’t any smarter move than having all your data sent to the cloud every time you save something. By replicating your server, you essentially have the entire contents of your business (including online software and hardware) backed up in the cloud. This immediately helps you if the power goes out for more than a week due to natural circumstances.

All you have to do is get yourself and your staff to another location where Internet is available, and all your data is readily accessible again. If you can do this the same day, downtime is minimal if even non-existent. In this case, you already know how dangerous downtime is to the survival of businesses, especially small ones.

Your Phone Systems Work the Same Way

If you’re still using landline phones in your business, you may want to move your phone systems to the cloud as well as part of a VoIP service. When you move your phones to the cloud, you immediately have your phone service available in another location, including data on your customers.

With customer phone calls being a vital part of any business, the sooner you can get them operational again, the better.

As a result, any massive hurricane hitting us later this summer won’t shut you down like it will for so many others who didn’t prepare. It’s time you eliminated any complacency and started thinking seriously about your continuity of operations in dire situations.

Contact us here at 4Corner IT and we’ll show you how fast the implementation is to the cloud without causing any obstructions.