5 Signs Your Company Needs Help From an IT Service Company
Modern businesses rely on technology more than ever. That’s why it’s so vital that your business has the resources in place to plan, maintain, and monitor your technology and support your team when technology seems to get in the way. So, the question is, at what point do you start to invest in the resources to support your technology? In this article will explore the top 5 signs your business needs help from an IT Services Company.
1. You don’t have a cybersecurity plan
Cybersecurity threats are, unfortunately, very real. Over the last decade, we’ve seen all kinds of high profile cases where seemingly professional and well-run organizations (like Yahoo) suffer massive data breaches. While we see the high-profile cases on the news, the reality is that small businesses are being targeted everyday by cyber criminals.
Today’s hackers have a vast array of disruptive tools available to them. These tools can not only bring down your IT systems but cause your customers to trust you less too – a nightmare for your brand.
- Ransomware. Ransomware is malware that attempts to lock you out of using your data until you pay a ransom to hackers. In the past, company data wasn’t particularly valuable, but now, many organizations rely on it to run their business. Without their data, they’re helpless.
- Phishing. Hackers want to get access to your usernames and passwords so that they can gain access to your IT network, disrupt your operations, and generally cause havoc. Encryption and anti-virus software, however, has made it much more difficult for people to delve into the communications themselves. Many hackers, therefore, have turned to phishing. Phishing uses confidence tricks, usually in the form of official-looking emails, to get people in your organization to hand over sensitive information voluntarily, believing that they are doing so safely.
- Malware. Malware is not only a security risk, but also slows down your entire network. Getting rid of it can help to speed up your internal communications and boost productivity.
Not having a cybersecurity plan can put your business at risk. Not only do cyberattacks interrupt operations, but they can also lead to distrust of your brand and costly litigation. Putting cybersecurity measures in place with the help of an IT service company is vital for securing your data, protecting customer information, and keeping your business operational, helping to avoid monetary loss.
2. Troubleshooting technology is getting in the way of running your business
Managing and running a business is complicated enough on its own. But when you throw constant IT troubleshooting issues into the mix, it soon becomes an organizational nightmare. You can’t function properly. Common troubleshooting issues include things like software incompatibilities, network connection issues, system limitations, performance issues, and hardware failure. If you experience these issues regularly, then you stand to benefit substantially from an IT service company.
Outsourcing IT troubleshooting to an IT service company brings all kinds of benefits to your business. The main advantage is that you no longer have to dedicate staff to dealing with IT problems – that’s all dealt with by the third-party IT team. Furthermore, you can transfer all of the administrative burden of dealing with your IT systems to somebody else, letting you focus on your core operations.
Because IT service providers have vastly more experience in implementing IT networks in business settings, you’re much less likely to run into issues. Third-party agencies can tailor your systems, preemptively install updates, and resolve incompatibility issues in the background, providing you with a seamless service. For an affordable fee, you get a full IT staff dedicated to supporting your operations and shouldering the day-to-day troubleshooting burden.
3. You have an IT guy on staff, but he’s overwhelmed
Many businesses think that they can solve their IT issues by employing a single IT professional to manage their systems. Unfortunately, one guy usually isn’t enough: managing an IT infrastructure may require a whole team.
For many businesses, hiring multiple people to manage an IT network isn’t practical. The wage bill would be too high. But with outsourced IT services, you can get the best of both worlds.
Organizations that outsource IT services to a third-party provider, get access to a network of people, each with specific IT skills. The IT service provider deploys these people to your organization as it sees fit, helping to cut down on troubleshooting time and increase effectiveness. Offices can often get a fully-staffed team of professionals through a third-party IT agency for the same price as a single, salaried employee.
4. Your growing fast and you’re not sure your network infrastructure can keep up
When your business is growing rapidly, it puts a strain on your network infrastructure. Often it’s not clear whether it can keep up with the demands you place on it.
Growing businesses need two things. First, they need IT support staff that can handle the growing demands of the company. A single IT guy might be sufficient for a team of twenty, but not forty. Most IT guys do not have the skills or experience to manage an extensive network by themselves single-handedly.
Second, growing businesses need a team of professionals who can oversee an IT strategy which aligns with the long-term goals of the business. Your business, for instance, might want to improve employee collaboration over multiple locations using a video conferencing solution. If so, then you’ll need adequate IT support infrastructure that enables you to do that – something which you may struggle to implement by yourself.
IT service providers help you to overcome both of these issues. The third-party agency provides both the practical, day to day support as well as guidance on how you can develop your IT infrastructure. Aligning your network with your long-term strategy makes it easier to deliver higher quality services to your customers.
5. You don’t have any IT Strategy implemented
IT technology has advanced considerably in the last decade. But with that said, not all organizations are taking advantage of the tools available to them. For many, the problem is that they don’t know the options available to them. They don’t understand how new technologies could help them to deliver better service for their audiences.
With technology changing so fast, it’s inadvisable not to have an IT strategy. Organizations need a roadmap showing them which technologies they could use and how they might benefit them. The purpose of an IT strategy is to figure out which technologies will help your organization achieve its goals and which ones are just a waste. If you don’t have one in place, then you could be missing out.
Businesses can implement IT strategies to help them achieve all kinds of goals.
A business group might, for instance, want to do one (or many) of the following:
- Migrate to the cloud to allow employees to connect with customers and administrative staff remotely
- Implement a telemarketing system in the cloud
- Create customer portals through the business’ website
- Grow the number of computer terminals connected to a server on the local network
- Track business data to help executives make better business decisions
- Improve the productivity of their workforce with higher performance hardware and software solutions
If a business has any goals at all, a comprehensive IT strategy is well worth having. IT service companies understand the tools and processes available on the market to align your current technology towards the priorities of your organization. Those that use technology to align with their business goals have higher productivity and efficiency and can deliver a better quality of service their customers.