Your Managed Service Provider Wants You To Know These 3 Things

your managed service provider wants you to know these 3 things
What To Know About Managed Services

Do you need an MSP? Or maybe you already have one. Regardless, to truly benefit from your relationship with an MSP, you need to work as a team to achieve the business goals you have in mind.   

Listen

IT providers, good ones, take their work seriously. When you hire a managed service provider they should treat your business as if it were their own. That is why it is key to listening to them, as well as trusting them when they discuss suggestions or changes. Also, an advantage of having an MSP is that they are there to help with third party vendor partnerships. Let them take the lead when dealing with technology providers in VoIP, cable, or internet. This will allow you to concentrate on other things and not have added stress.  

Be Available 

While it’s great that you may outsource your IT completely to your managed service provider, they still need to get together and talk. From changing business needs to updates and safety checks, your MSP doesn’t need to be caught off-guard. Being available to discuss your challenges and needs is important and requires communication every month or at least every quarter. 

Communicate

A managed service provider needs to know everything about your business so as to properly handle the technology side of it. Just as you would share everything with your doctor regarding your health, you need to do the same with your MSP. Below is an overview of topics that need to be discussed in order to help with your businesses IT needs. 

  • What does your business so?
  • Who are key clients to your business?
  • Which industry verticals does your business serve?
  • Does your business experience busy seasons?
  • Any core regulatory codes applying to your business based on industries you work for?
  • Will your business expand, and if so what are those plans?
  • What are your future goals for your business?

Most often clients do not want to delve into discussing all these things. This is generally because there is a lack of trust between the MSP and the business owner. From fear of sharing business plans to passing along confidential information to competitors, most do not have a solid relationship with their MSP. It is imperative the managed service provider you choose is not only knowledgeable but trustworthy.

For 17 years 4 Corner IT has been Long Island and NYC’s premier IT services company. With over 60 employees, let us help you with your technology needs. Contact us today or fill out a contact form to speak to a technical adviser.

A Partner is More Than Just a Product Vendor

partner is more than just a product vendor
Partner is More Than Just a Product Vendor

Your partner is more than just a product vendor. They are a business associate you can rely on to bounce ideas off of and make tough decisions. After all, two heads are better than one. Having a partner you can depend on really makes all the difference. 

A Partner is More Than Just a Product Vendor

A partner can really boost your productivity, but you have to find a partner with the right qualities first. 

Finding a Partner

  • Experience is everything. An experienced partner can bring crucial insight to the table. Their prior experience in the industry is exactly the outside perspective you need when brainstorming or fleshing out ideas. 
  • Staying goal-oriented is a must. Many businesses lack the drive to flourish. Setting clear and concise goals keeps you on track and encourages you to stay focused. Realistic business goals are also rewarding and incredibly motivating. 
  • Organization and communication are key. Organization and communication become even more vital in joint business ventures. With multiple minds working away at a project, it’s very easy to become overwhelmed by ideas. Keeping proper documentation, keeping lists, adhering to schedules, and regular communication will keep both you and your partner on target. 
  • Service with a smile. Research has proven that a positive attitude contributes to positive outcomes in the realm of business. Picking a partner who keeps their head above water, even as it’s rising, can keep you calm and centered.  
  • Pick a Proactive Partner. Time and time again, businesses find themselves victim to outdated technology. Their biggest downfall? Not being proactive enough. You and your partner should be bold, brave, and unafraid to get your hands dirty keeping up with the latest tech. However, it never hurt to exercise a little caution. Before committing to any major changes, do your research. Efficiency and effectiveness should always trump the curb appeal of new software and equipment. 

A partner you can rely on really makes a world of difference. Your partner is far more than just a product vendor, they’re another mind to bounce ideas off of and get insight from. Two heads are better than one, especially with a partner who is experienced, organized, positive, and proactive. 

For the latest IT news and trends, head on over to our blog. To learn more about 4 Corner IT and our IT support services in Florida, please contact us.

We provide onsite consultations, 90-day trials, as well as free network audits. For over 17 years, 4 Corner IT has been proud to provide top-quality IT support and services throughout South Florida.

IT Service Management Companies: Help Your Business Run More Efficiently

it service management companies help your business run more efficiently

How efficient is your company? You probably have plenty of systems and procedures in place to maximize productivity but it’s possible that you are overlooking one vital aspect of managing a business: IT service management companies. Having strong IT service management in place can significantly increase efficiency and boost productivity. Let’s take a look at why that is.

IT Service Management Companies

IT service management companies free up your time for bigger picture concerns

Let’s face it, you can never have enough time to do everything that running a business demands. However, there are ways to free up your time to do more. One of the greatest benefits of having good IT service management in place is that it frees up your time to worry about bigger picture concerns because you are leaving the technology issues to the professionals. Let’s be honest, you don’t want to have to think about that stuff anyway.

IT service management companies will help with cost savings

Hiring a competent IT service management company will provide you with significant cost savings due to the consolidating of your technology systems. A good IT service company will be able to identify problems with your current arrangement and will help you find a more efficient and cost-effective way of running things.

IT service management companies will provide you with unparalleled support

If you have good IT service management in place you can spend less time trying to troubleshoot technology issues and more time focusing on big picture issues. This will free up your time and help you become more efficient and productive in the day-to-day aspects of your company.

If you have any questions about other ways we can help your business, contact us.

Virtual Desktop vs Web Apps: Which Should You Choose?

virtual desktop vs web apps which should you choose for your company

virtual desktop vs web apps

Companies face the challenge of fostering greater collaboration and increased productivity among employees. New or updated software applications keep emerging, with promises of improved security and fast performance.

Employees may work from different locations and with different types of devices, while needing to stay in sync with each other. What kinds of software solutions are best for addressing these issues?

Virtual desktop vs Web apps: Which is better for your business?

A basic and important decision companies need to make is whether to opt for virtual desktops or Web apps. For structuring your employees’ work environment, which works better?

Instead of getting stored on hardware in your office, virtual desktops run off of remote servers. Compared to traditional desktop environments, they generally offer greater flexibility and reliability; they’re also easy to manage and update across different devices.

Web apps are Internet-based, and to use them, you’ll also need to download some data from the Internet to your computing device (for example, the apps you install on a tablet or iPhone). There are a number of popular Web apps, ranging from Google Drive to Twitter. They can help you accomplish a variety of important work tasks.

When deciding between virtual desktops and Web apps, the following are some key questions you should consider:

  • How much control do you want? With virtual desktops, you can achieve greater control over your system and its accessibility to employees and third parties. With Web apps, you have less control; for instance, you may not always know how a company like Google or Twitter is sharing your data with another party.
  • Is security a major concern? If you manage your virtual desktop well, you may be able to ensure a higher level of security for your system overall than if you use Web apps.
  • How much time and money do you have? Virtual desktops are more expensive than Web apps and require more time for maintenance. Web apps are generally less expensive, easier to install and more intuitive to use.

Whatever decision you make, you should rely on experts to help you manage your IT set-up and come up with solutions that best suit your company.

To figure out whether you should choose a virtual desktop vs Web apps, don’t hesitate to contact us.

3 Signs Your Small Business Needs a Managed Service Provider

3 signs your small business needs a managed service provider

Are you currently researching about managed IT services for your small business? It is a common dilemma for many small business owners. You may wonder what exactly managed IT services is and if your business really needs it.

As this article states, an MSP is essentially your IT department. If something technology-related breaks, they help fix it. If you need an app devised or want to upgrade hardware and software, or take a look into virtualization, they can often help in these complex areas too.

Managed services is the outsourcing of daily IT administrative tasks in order to improve business operations. You can help determine if your business can benefit from managed services by comparing your current IT maintenance costs with an estimate from a reputable managed service provider.

Below are a few signs that may help you decide if managed services is right for your business.

There is No IT Professional On Staff

Many small businesses do not have an IT professional on staff. Often times, IT administrative duties fall into the lap of an employee who is tech-savvy enough to keep things working but not operating smoothly. Business owners then find themselves balancing technology issues while running their business. The employee who is managing IT tasks becomes unproductive in terms of their regular duties and does not have the knowledge or experience to prepare your IT infrastructure for future growth.

Your IT Person is Overwhelmed

Whether you do have an IT professional on staff or you have delegated the work to another employee, this person is probably overwhelmed with work. IT management requires various tasks on a regular basis such as software and security updates, hardware upgrades, and more. Not to mention the everyday management and monitoring tasks that need completion, even the most experienced IT professional can find this type of workload overwhelming. If your IT person is overrun with work, managed services can serve as a great resource for additional support.

You’re Being Reactive Rather Than Proactive

Many small business owners respond to IT issues from a reactive approach rather than a proactive approach. Meaning, when an issue arises, you call an IT company to send someone over to fix the broken issue. The problem with this approach is that these broken issues continually need fixing because they were not detected earlier nor fixed at the root level.

You can avoid these types of hassles by outsourcing your IT management to a managed services provider. They can continuously monitor and detect problems 24 hours a day. When issues occur, IT professionals receive notifications and they are able to troubleshoot and resolve issues before they become major problems.

Do you experience any of the above? If so, managed IT services is an ideal solution for your business. Contact us today to learn more about our pro-active IT support services.