We are living in a digital world, of that there’s little doubt and as far as business is concerned, IT can assist in so many ways. The smart entrepreneur invests in managed IT services, as they know the many benefits that come with making the best use of IT, which we outline in this article.
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Migrating to the cloud –
The list of benefits is indeed long; having all your critical business data stored on remote servers enables you and your staff to access data in real-time and from any location. It’s a bit like having everything on your mobile device, except you can use any digital device to access your data. You create your own permission hierarchies and your staff no longer need to visit the filing cabinet every time they need a document, a few mouse clicks is all it takes to bring the data upon the workstation screen. All paper documents should be digitalized (your managed IT service partner has you covered) and stored on the cloud, which makes access easy.
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VoIP Communication –
Forget those high phone bills; using a VoIP program like Zoom or Skype for Business will dramatically reduce your communication costs. All staff wear special headsets and communicate via your secure cloud network from a leading managed IT service provider such as Orchestrate, who are leaders in their field. They will even train your employees to use the system, which is relatively easy for the average person, and you can call video conferencing at any time. This brings you an unprecedented level of global connectivity; you can arrange video conferences with people all over the world, using your secure cloud network. Salespeople in the field can call their next customer and they can also bring up the customer’s data, to prepare for the visit.
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State of the Art Cyber Security –
Every workstation computer and the network are protected 24/7 using the latest anti-hacking software and this service can be activated almost immediately by a visit of an IT technician. The provider can carry out penetrative testing, using ethical hackers who do their best to penetrate your defenses and any weaknesses can be quickly plugged. If your customers’ financial data were to end up in hackers’ hands, it could be disastrous! Hackers employ state-of-the-art software to find weaknesses in networks and that means your cyber-security needs to be updated all the time. Click here for information on effective digital advertising, which every business needs.
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Office 365 –
This unique business software package is the foundation for every office and for a small fee, the managed IT service provider will set up Microsoft Office 365. The powerful suite includes MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Publisher, to name but a few and your staff are all familiar with the programs. No one wants software license issues and hooking up 365 allows you to make full use of the suite and cloud solutions make it very affordable, while employees can work on their files in real-time.
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Wireless Connectivity –
Installing several Wi-Fi routers brings you wireless connectivity; no more printer cables and wires to hide, and wireless connectivity really does boost productivity. While this might seem a complex step, your managed IT service provider has you covered and any issues are quickly dealt with. With your headset on, you are able to contact anyone at any time, and with voice command software, you can effortlessly communicate on the move.
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Hardware Support –
All your workstations need maintenance and the latest anti-virus program needs to be updated often; Printing issues, drive failure, and troubleshooting resolves any issue. When hardware components need to be upgraded, you have a full IT support team at your disposal to deal with any hardware (or software) problems that might arise. Many businesses operate IT hardware that has no more warranty, which makes no difference to your IT support partner.
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Cloud Storage –
Business data never stops and secure storage is essential; managed IT service providers can give you as much secure storage space as you need. Every single piece of data needs to be backed up and this is done automatically by your IT support team.
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Multiple User Capability –
The system can handle up to 50 users, which is more than enough for most businesses, while staff training is another service; a half-day introduction to cloud applications is usually enough for office workers to be competent.
The administrator control panel is very user-friendly and once you understand how to use it, you can:
- Monitor voice calls
- Manage business call recordings – Know who called who, and with recordings of all calls, you can easily resolve conflicts.
- Manage cyber-security
- Move and copy data
- Add to data in real-time
If you would like to learn more about managed IT services, a simple Google search will bring up a list of providers and you can take it from there. Here is some UK government information about managed IT services, which might prove to be useful.
