Turning Technological Inefficiency into Efficiency with Managed IT Services

turning technological inefficiency into efficiency with managed it services

To small businesses that are faced with a tight budget, managed IT services may seem like an unnecessary expense. Yet the reality is that many small businesses that make this decision are unknowingly choosing inefficiency, especially with their technology infrastructure.

While businesses think they’re saving money by using their old hardware, they’re actually losing money every day because of a lack of efficiency. Many businesses that have an outdated technology infrastructure are losing money because of old desktops, under-rated server hardware, outdated software, and dated networking equipment.

recent Philadelphia Business Journal article discusses this paradox and explains why it’s so common yet so damaging. The article asserts that businesses that stick with old technology will not be in business for long because over time, the technological inefficiencies will add up against them:

“What’s holding them back? It’s a reluctance to change the way processes are managed and a concern that adopting new routines will upset daily operations and resources. What a shame! Too many businesses today feel it is easier to maintain business operations by adhering to the status quo, regardless of its numerous drawbacks. The reality is, businesses that maintain a low tech philosophy will not be in business for long.”

In other words, businesses have to first pay to have efficiency. Purchasing new plans or software may come with an upfront cost, but it saves money later down the road.

Consider how managed IT services can take many of the technology inefficiencies mentioned before and transition them into modern, updated efficiencies. With managed IT services businesses can get rid of their old desktop and switch to the Cloud. They get to enjoy the better quality hardware of the managed services provider and profit off of their software recommendations. All of these changes lead to more efficient business operations and long-term cost-savings.

If you would like more information about managed IT services, contact us.

Is Your Outdated IT in Fort Lauderdale Driving Customers Away?

is your outdated it in fort lauderdale driving customers away
Help Desk Technician

4 Corner IT Can Help!

When running a small or medium sized business, you may be comfortable doing things the way you’re accustomed to.  If your IT infrastructure is a bit outdated, maybe you see no problem with that, as long as your business keeps functioning well.

However, letting yourself become outdated not only hurts your efficiency and your ability to recover from tech-related disaster; it also affects your customers’ or clients’ perceptions of who you are and whether or not they want to do business with you.

When Microsoft recently conducted a survey among hundreds of consumers, they found that 91% see outdated technology as a reason to turn away from a particular business.  Customers need the reassurance that your business is being served by the most up-to-date IT solutions.

What are some of the conclusions potential customers and clients may reach about a business operating with outdated technology?

  • Their data won’t be secure.  The business will be vulnerable to cyber-crime and the loss of sensitive personal information, including credit card info, home addresses, and Social Security numbers.
  • The business isn’t making it convenient for them to conduct transactions.  For example, if a business hasn’t adapted its online presence to mobile devices, customers could be more likely to disengage with it.  If they have trouble easily purchasing a product or making an appointment on the web, they’ll turn to another business that gives them greater Internet convenience.
  • The business is run in a lazy fashion.  If it can’t bother to invest in its tech, then maybe it’s cutting corners in other ways.  In any case, customers will generally prefer businesses that don’t seem tired and outmoded.

If you live in or around Fort Lauderdale, get IT support from local experts who can help you make sure your business is up-to-date using cost-effective and efficient solutions that will make you more attractive to consumers.

Don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss your concerns and have your IT needs met.

In the Market for a Managed Services Provider to Support Your Business Computer Network?

in the market for a managed services provider to support your business computer network

If your business is growing faster than your local IT infrastructure can reliably accommodate it, you may be in the market for a managed services provider.

It’s not so much a matter of logistics and expertise. It’s more about economical access to an extremely rich and eclectic mix of ready-to-use software, platforms and support services. Knowing what to use and how to use it requires the discerning judgment of a provider whose real-world and big-picture experience makes the whole of the service somewhat more than the sum of its parts.

That all may sound somewhat nebulous, but connecting the dots is what turns experience into competence.

Speaking of Nebulous

The word nebulous, by the way, means indistinct or hazy and its root comes from the Latin word for cloud. The more modern connotation of the word cloud as regards IT managed services, is anything but hazy, and the cloud has taken enterprise IT by storm — pun intended.

This brings us back to how the cloud has been the quiet revolution that has totally leveled the playing field on line, especially for small businesses willing to outsource the IT support they need to grow and stay competitive.

What’s Out There For You

In a word: everything. In a phrase: everything from disaster protection to ready-to-use and cleverly robust customer resource management software.

Disaster recovery means state-of-the-art backup and instant recovery that guarantees your data survival when the clouds open and flood your servers. Scalable, use what you need and pay for what you use, enterprise applications slim down the “bloatware” and flatten the user learning curve.

And It’s On the Cloud

The good news is that it’s all out there and ready. The scary part is the decision to let go of your infrastructure and release your precious data to the custody and care of others.

The better news is that the cloud is maturing and well protected. You can choose to go totally or partially to cloud services — actually, if you subscribe to any off-premises web service, you’ll already a charter member of the hybrid cloud.

And the best news is that we at 4 Corner IT can help you elevate and customize your IT management. We’ve been doing that for years.

Contact us and see how our managed IT services can be a great fit for your business or organization.

How Do I Choose the Right MSP Managed Service Provider?

how do i choose the right msp managed service provider

You know that choosing the wrong managed service provider can result in a company not only not growing at its projected pace, but can actually take a firm backwards.

So, extensive research into the types of support and management available is essential, as is some way to make sure the decision results in obtaining everything necessary, but not a bit or a byte more.While your needs are unique in many ways, there are some things that all companies in need of a managed service provider have a lot in common.

Do Some of These Issues Sound Familiar?

You’re working within a complicated web of vendors, whose individual components may or may not “play nice” with each other.

You have your own proprietary products, designed to interface between various pieces of purchased software and/or equipment, as well as some created to do specialized things required for the production of your specific product or service.

Every day you seem to need faster ways to diagnose and resolve different types of challenges. Your company keeps growing, which creates a constant need for vigilant assessment of areas of strength to work with and areas of weakness to compensate for.

The levels of complexity in your specific industry and in the world of IT seems to be increasing exponentially. Budgets are constantly shrinking, requiring you to constantly ask more and more of your already overworked IT teams. So how do you as the CIO or head of IT make this essential decision?

According to Pat Patterson there are seven essential questions that need to be asked and answered by any potential partner:

  • Will the proposed service partner support your business strategy now and in the future?
  • Do you trust them to have the necessary expertise and bandwidth to provide maintenance, deliver support services or assume managed-services responsibilities?
  • Will they become trusted advisers that stay engaged and serve as an extension of your IT organization and business?
  • Do they provide a portfolio of offers that span the entire service continuum and have the necessary flexibility to ensure a smooth deployment of managed services?
  • What applications, diagnostics checks or analytic tools do they leverage to anticipate any problems or hidden issues?
  • Do they provide a single point of contact that can quickly swarm experts to resolve an issue in your network?
  • Do they really know you? Understand your solution?

Now that you know what types of questions to ask you can rest easy because we have all the answers.  We’re dedicated to helping you make the right decision for your individual company’s distinct needs both for today and tomorrow.

Contact 4 Corner IT and we’ll help you design and implement an infrastructure that works for you. 

Alcatel-Lucent: Sunrise Terminates MSP Contract

sunrise terminates managed services contract with Alcatel-Lucent

Swiss mobile network, Sunrise Communications has terminated its seven year managed services contract with Alcatel-Lucent after just three years.

Sunrise issued a statement that dropped plenty of hints without stating outright why it terminated the contract. Saying that for some months now it has been placing greater focus on improved customer satisfaction and quality services.

The company added that the prerequisite for this is a state-of-the-art network that optimally functions both during operation and maintenance. Sunrise aims at having the greatest possible flexibility in choosing its service partners in the future

Sunrise said that its future plans require ” innovative solutions, quick implementation and optimal operation of the entire network infrastructure”, which it presumably was not getting from Alcatel-Lucent, otherwise they would not have ended the contract.

The original contract, signed in June 2008 was valued at approximately EUR340 million (US$530 million) over 7 years, depending on the final scope of the project and included the transfer of 290 employees from Sunrise to Alcatel-Lucent.