Keeping up with changing and emerging technology requires business owners to gain a level of expertise in IT that many simply don’t have time for-they have businesses to run. In turn, that means they have to rely on the IT expertise of others if they are to use technology to remain competitive and efficient.
When you consider all the technology and trends swirling around, it gets cumbersome and expensive to hire experts in each area that IT affects. Not to mention, you run the risk of spending a lot of money on technology that was implemented without taking into consideration the whole picture.
This is when a managed IT service can mean the difference between a smart IT investment that accelerates your business and one that’s a problem on many levels from day one. Managed IT service gives you the benefit of having an expert on hand who knows IT trends, where they’re heading, what problems they bring, and most importantly how to solve them. These experts, like Invision’s, have worked for businesses like yours, as well as in other industries, bringing you the best, proven solutions for the results you need.
Your Business is Moving to the Cloud
Your business is moving to the cloud, and it’s probably already done so to some degree because your service providers have. Microsoft 365, G Suite, Dropbox, etc. are in the cloud, which means your business is, too.
The migration to the cloud is staggering, making it an inevitable certainty for business owners. Predications indicate over the next few years that the vast majority of global data center traffic will be cloud traffic. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) will be the majority of total cloud computing.
Going to the cloud demands expertise in migration, maintenance, security, compliance, and troubleshooting. Of course, data migration automation tools and software are available plenty. If you are opting for such tools, you should probably do some research at https://serp.co/top-picks/best-data-migration-software/ or similar resources to select the right software. Migration automation tools can easily move data from one system into another without manual support. However, many small businesses struggle to maintain even the daily IT operations and support activities. Cloud migration might be a lot overwhelming whether an internal IT team is available or not. Having an outsourced IT support firm handle the process means your migration will be performed based on your company’s unique needs, such as industry type, operational processes, security, and compliance requirements.
Bring in your managed service provider early on during the research phase if possible. Their broader expertise means that you have all the right answers from the start and are positioned to best take advantage of cloud services.
Your Business is Most Likely Going to Experience a Cyberattack
On a scale from 1 to 10, where do you rank cybersecurity as a business priority? Tech giant, HP, announced that the threat of cyberattacks is high. Reports indicate cyberattacks are overshadowed only by a worldwide financial crisis as far as business leaders are concerned.
It appears the faster the business world adopts new technologies, the more opportunities hackers see to exploit security gaps. Cloud services, account passwords and smart devices are the most vulnerable for businesses.
The rapid migration to the cloud has brought a large amount of sensitive business and private, personal data to data centers. Cyber-criminals have ramped up their efforts to get their hands on the data. One misconfigured setting or weak password is all a hacker needs to encrypt that data by ransomware, siphon it off, corrupt it or delete it.
As you move more of your business to the cloud, a managed service provider helps protect your data with expert initial setup and on-going security updates and support should you need it in case of a successful attack. Your managed service provider can establish multi-factor authentication protocols for your employees, adding a second layer of protection for your data assets.
Smart devices are a growing security challenge and their numbers are multiplying. From smart locks and thermostats to Siri and Alexa voice assistants to video surveillance cameras and more, smart devices represent a huge security challenge. A managed service provider can set up smart devices with the strongest security protection to help fight off attacks and malware.
READ MORE: How are Businesses Preparing After Experts Predict More Targeted Cyberattacks for 2021?
You’re Going to Have to be Compliant
The scalability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of moving to the cloud is undeniable for many business owners. But just as you must protect data under regulations, like HIPAA and SOC2, in the real world, data must be protected in the cloud. Your managed service provider should be skilled in helping your business be in compliance with the regulations of your industry and privacy and data security in general nationally and worldwide. As more data moves to the cloud, we can only expect stricter regulations to follow.
Your Business is Going to be Ready for the Future
One of the most effective ways to stay relevant and competitive in the marketplace is to adopt new technologies. However, new technology when not chosen, implemented, secured, maintained, and supported can just as easily create serious issues. For instance, enterprise software integration solutions from companies like MuleSoft would take experts’ help. Not every business has an internal team to carry out their integration solutions, and providers like mulesoft services australia (or where your business is based) can easily implement it. Thus business owners need a managed service provider with proven expertise not only in their industry but also in emerging technologies.
Choosing your managed service provider is no different than choosing your physician or auto mechanic. You want experience when you need it, but you only pay them when you use their services. The right managed service provider can mean all the difference to your company’s success in choosing and using technology to your advantage, avoiding problems and solving your biggest business challenges now and in the future.
To learn more about what Invision can mean to your business, contact us for a technology or IT security evaluation.
