Welcome to the First Column IT Tech Blog

HomeBlog
IT Has Changed and Your Business Can’t Afford to Lag Behind

IT Has Changed and Your Business Can’t Afford to Lag Behind

April 14, 2023

IT support is crucial to the success of any company in today’s fast-paced technology-focused business environment. Some organizations have an internal IT administrator, while others choose to rely on outsourced resources. Both of these are perfectly acceptable responses to the problem at hand, which is guaranteeing you have access to IT resources to keep your business running effectively.

Let’s Provide Some Context

Businesses using technology have historically had a couple of different options available to them. They could hire someone to handle their technology maintenance and management, they could wait until the technology breaks before taking any action, or they could rely on their current resources to address issues as they pop up. Let’s look at each of them and why they all contribute to the need for more affordable outsourced IT support.

Internal IT Resources

Many businesses invest in internal IT resources, like internal technicians who can handle any and all issues related to technology. This is a great investment for businesses that can afford to add another salary to the books, as the internal resource will generally always be there to help. The average IT technician makes over $50,000 per year, but those with more specialized skill sets or certifications could demand a much higher rate of compensation. Suffice it to say, many organizations cannot afford this option, and even then, only one individual managing an entire infrastructure can be difficult at best.

Break-Fix Technology Maintenance

Believe it or not, this was the preferred way of handling technology maintenance for quite some time. Technology eventually breaks down, and when it does, it needs to be repaired. Rather than take proactive measures and steps to keep breakdowns from happening, it was seen as more cost-effective to simply address problems when they occur. However, the return on investment here just doesn’t add up, as broken technology leads to other hidden costs, like downtime. Remember that any time your business isn’t operating as intended can be considered downtime, and as such, quite costly to your bottom line.

Relying on Employee Troubleshooting

This is a potentially troublesome practice, as it puts your staff—almost certainly untrained in how to handle IT challenges—in charge of their own problems, which could lead to downtime, frustration, or worse. This set of businesses is more likely than others to experience downtime and other technology problems that could get in the way of operations.

Managed IT Solutions are Just Plain Better

Let’s face it: managed IT services are just a better solution for most businesses. 

Managed IT is a model that can effectively replace an in-house IT infrastructure, or work to supplement current resources, in an effort to keep IT solutions as effective as possible. This is made possible through remote monitoring and management tools that can assist with solving issues if and when they occur, thus eliminating the downtime associated with problems while you wait for someone to address them.

Proactive IT solutions are great for businesses that want to get the most value out of their IT assets. Here are some ways your organization benefits from managed IT:

  • Expert technicians: You’ll get the same level of support and skill from a managed IT vendor, but for a fraction of the cost. You’ll work with a team of trained and trusted technicians who know how to help your business get value out of its technology.
  • Budgetable monthly payments: You know exactly what your IT help will cost you. No surprise fees or unexpected costs here.
  • Vendor management: Managing vendors can be exhausting, but with the help of an outsourced team, you won’t have to worry about all that. A managed IT team can be your single point of contact for all of your vendor needs.
  • Backup and disaster recovery (BDR): BDR gives businesses the ability to bounce back from any horrible situation with confidence that their infrastructure is redundant and protected.
  • Hardware support: If our technicians can’t resolve the problem remotely, you can count on dedicated hardware support as quickly as possible according to our service level agreement.

In short, managed IT is designed to make technology maintenance and management easier, more accessible, and more affordable for businesses. You can count on us to solve your technology challenges. To learn more, call us today at (571) 470-5594.

‍

Previous Post
February 6, 2023
Paying Attention to Your Cybersecurity Is Just Good Risk Management
Small businesses have plenty of problems as it is without the added stress that poor security practices can bring about. Small businesses often overlook security because they deem themselves too small to be of any value to a hacker, but this outlook is short-sighted and irresponsible at best. Let’s go over why you’ll need to make security a priority for your business.
February 3, 2023
What Can You Gain from AI?
AI is a major topic lately, whether it’s on the topic of new and upcoming chatbots that are capable of generating text or making art that can compete with even the most skilled of artists. AI is commonly targeted as a culprit in stealing jobs, as well, and with these applications becoming more sophisticated over time, it’s no wonder people aren’t sure how to react to these developments.
February 1, 2023
3 Factors You Need to Consider Before You Upgrade
If you consistently find that technology in your office causes more problems than it’s worth, perhaps it’s time to take a closer look at what you could be doing better with your infrastructure. We want you to look at failing or inoperable/inefficient technology as an opportunity for improvement rather than another large expense. A good hardware refresh centered around your organization’s needs can revitalize operations and improve your bottom line.

Have a project in mind?

Start with our free consultation. We will provide a detailed proposal and firm quote based on your specific IT support needs. All at a predictable monthly cost per seat.
Free Consultation - Sign Up Here