Welcome to the First Column IT Tech Blog

Many small and medium-sized businesses have serious difficulties when they try to balance their technology needs against the limited resources at their disposal. Fortunately, this serious issue can be resolved effectively by working with a managed service provider (or MSP). The approach that these professionals take outpaces the value that more traditional forms of IT support have been able to offer—whether that support is through an external provider or even an in-house team.

We are passionate about showcasing how technology can fuel the growth of businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMBs) with significant potential but constrained by budgetary limitations. That's why we specialize in offering managed IT services tailored to drive business expansion for SMBs. If you haven't yet explored outsourcing your IT requirements, you could be overlooking a valuable opportunity to mitigate many of your organization's daily challenges.

Every organization depends on its information systems to be up and available when needed. Some businesses simply can’t function at all without them. When a business inevitably needs to patch its software or perform other maintenance, it can cause problems when employees need these systems to be available. This month, we’ll talk about the strategy behind proactive IT maintenance and how it helps businesses avoid downtime in multiple ways. 

Your IT team plays a crucially important part in your business machinations. However, many small and even medium-sized businesses may not have the in-house resources to effectively cover their needs. If this could easily describe your business, you might want to consider outsourcing some of your technology management needs to a managed service provider. 

Cost is a massive issue for nearly every single business out there. You have to have a measured approach to investment to maximize the ability to create returns. One of the best ways for companies to do this in technology is to partner with a managed services provider. “Why?” you may ask. We go into three ways we can bring value in today’s blog. 

Making IT decisions while balancing the user experience—including their complaints—can be exhausting. As a decision maker for your business, you have a budget to consider, as well as a timeline to manage. You’ll have to say no, which no one likes to hear, but it’s a necessary part of running your organization effectively.

A company's IT strategy plays a pivotal role in shaping its entire operational approach. This underscores the critical importance of meticulously crafting your organization's IT strategy. Beyond merely aligning your IT resources and support with your business objectives, a tailored IT strategy empowers you to adapt to the specific conditions in which you operate and devise practical solutions to your unique business challenges. But the advantages don't end there; let's outline several compelling reasons why businesses should consider customizing their IT strategy to harmonize with their core business initiatives.

Businesses are increasingly reliant on technology, and effectively managing IT support costs has become crucial. With approximately three to six percent of a company's revenue allocated to technology expenses, exceeding the monthly budget can have adverse repercussions on the ability to allocate funds elsewhere.

The other day, we talked about an assortment of security issues that could very well cause harm to your business if you aren’t prepared for them. We wanted to continue that conversation and discuss the things that you need to be sure are done so you are, in fact, prepared.