Fixed Fee IT Support

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Many companies that provide managed IT services offer fixed fee IT support. With fixed fee support, a company takes care of managing and maintaining your IT infrastructure for your business. You pay a set fee regularly that covers all services. The approach can save money and keep your technology up-to-date and functional.

What Does it Offer?

Fixed fee IT services cover the acquiring, maintenance, security, and support of the hardware and software for your business. It can include purchasing servers and computers plus setting up and administering a network. The company buys software for you and keeps it updated. You can get backup services when desired along with cloud options. Companies offer technical support either over the phone or on-site for no additional cost.

How Would my Business Benefit?

With one fixed fee based on various factors, your business has access to the latest technology and software. It is scalable and upgradable to include more users and devices as your company grows. Fixed fee IT support takes care of monitoring the daily operation of your infrastructure. It also works with your business to plan upgrades and maintenance. In the case of technology failure or disasters, your system gets restored at no extra cost.

How is it Priced?

Companies price fixed fee IT support in different ways. Usually, they charge a monthly or quarterly fee based on the number of users or the scale of your infrastructure. This fixed fee covers all your IT needs during that period. If something breaks, the company provides support during the period for which you have paid the fixed fee. This prevents surprise high expenses that could occur during this time.

What are Other Options?

While some providers offer fixed fee managed services, there are reasons to go with other types of managed services. Paying a provider a variable fee based on the amount of service they provide at a given time may save money. Depending on your business’s needs, unlimited support for a given period may not be worth the extra cost.

For information on managed services for IT support, please contact us.

3 Reasons Why your Small Business Needs a VPN

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Chances are your employees won’t always be in the office when they’re working. Even if they are, laptops and mobile devices free people up to work in small groups or in the break room if they need to meet up with someone they don’t sit next to. Your small business needs a VPN. Make sure your internet connection is secure and your business’s information is kept private by using a VPN to create secure encryption.

What are the benefits of using a VPN?

VPNs let employees access information remotely and securely. 

VPNs, or Virtual Private Networks, are like firewalls and data encryption software for traditional networks. But if your employees are working from home or accessing data from a hotel room across the country, you can’t vouch for the security of the Internet connection and who might be reading the data. But a VPN works through a proxy server and encrypts both ingoing and outgoing information, no matter where someone is or what network connection they’re using.

VPNs are good for business growth. 

Not only do third parties and clients expect you to have a VPN, they can help you organize business growth itself. VPNs are more standardized than your in-house connection might be, so working through a VPN  better allows interconnection between different offices and business sites.

VPNs can act as a step-in, two-step sign-in to improve security. 

Data security is one of the most important tenets of business, and secure log-ins are one of the key facets to enforcing good security. By making information inaccessible for remote users unless they go through your VPN client, you’re making good security a habitual step.

VPNs are one of the best ways to increase computer security. No small business can flourish with a hardline internet connection, so make your employees mobile with a secured, encrypted connection. For more security tips and IT support, go to Bluwater Technologies here.

Proven Productivity Tips from Successful People

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It’s difficult to argue with success.  Throughout history there are a number of people who have earned a place in the “highly successful” category of human endeavors.  If you are frustrated with your current (lack of) productivity tips, perhaps a few tips from some of history’s most successful people will be just the boost you’ve been looking for.

Productivity Tips

Stephen King

This world-renowned author is not only the king of horror books, as it turns out, he is also the king of consistency.  King once mused, “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”  He is able to consistently turn out successful books because he applies himself to his work on a daily basis, producing at least 2,000 words a day.

Applying the same consistent work ethic, what could you accomplish over time?  Set goals, meet them consistently and over time you should see real rewards.

Agatha Christie

Sometimes the most creative, successful people are not “desk people”.  In Agatha’s case, she never owned a desk.  In her autobiography, she states, “Plots come to me at such odd moments. When I am walking along the street, or examining a hat shop. Suddenly a splendid idea comes into my head.”

Thankfully, today many work environments are becoming more flexible and mobile.  If you are one of those people whose creativity and ingenuity are not well-served by the proverbial 9-to-5 environment, don’t try to fit your square peg into a round hole.  Find an environment where you can flourish.

Benjamin Franklin

It is important to find a work culture in which you feel comfortable.  In Ben Franklin’s case, he was known to spend the first hour of his day working at his desk. In the nude.  Of course, no one is suggesting that you try to find a company that will accept nudity.  However, as in the case of Mark Zuckerberg and his famous tennis shoes and hoodies, if you don’t fit into a power suit culture then find another environment where you can be successful.

Beethoven

According to historical records, Beethoven insisted on drinking a morning cup of joe containing precisely 60 coffee beans.  While this certainly seems excessive, the lesson to derive from Beethoven’s habit is, that consuming a morning cup of joe or energy drink, going on a morning run before work, and/or eating a power breakfast helps you to feel physically more productive, then let it become a habit.

Want to know more about how to elevate your productivity levels?  Contact us.

 

How IT Slips Through the Cracks in Most Small Businesses

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Large corporations often have entire departments dedicated to IT, network security, and compliance, but small businesses can’t afford that luxury. But if you don’t have a dedicated IT staff or support through another company, some IT concerns can slip through the cracks and end up causing your small business time and money later on. Here are some of the top concerns a small business can face without an IT plan in place:

Small Businesses

Poor network security.

When you have your customers’ and your employees’ personal information on your computer, malware is your biggest threat. Whether it’s through an everyday virus, a dedicated attack, or even just a systemic bug that comes in through your business software, you need more than just an anti-virus program in order to secure your data.

Cyclical problems.

If you own a personal computer, you’ve probably noticed an occasional blue screen and a message that your computer has to reboot, and most of us just let that happen instead of rooting out the underlying cause. But when it comes to your business hardware, signs of some technological slowdowns and forced reboots are now signs of a coming crash later. Without an IT support team, those and even less visible errors could lead to slower processing, an occasional day or two with the system down, or, worst of all, a complete loss of information.

Having small businesses lets you innovate and change courses faster than with a larger corporation, but a small staff means IT can slip through the cracks. If you’re looking for an affordable solution, try an IT support team that can find those bugs and systemic errors before they block up your business. If you want to learn more about different types of IT services to see what best fits your business and what Bluwater Technologies can do for your company, browse our site here.

What Are Managed Services And Why Do I Need Them?

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As a small business owner, you have a lot on your plate. From sales to marketing, nearly every aspect of your company will need your involvement at some level or another. That doesn’t mean you should take on everything yourself, as your IT functions require more expertise than the average person has. Therefore, you need managed services to provide you with a level of support that will keep you competitive-here’s why.

Managed Services

What are Managed Services?

Generally speaking, managed services refer to specific IT operations that are performed by a third-party service provider such as Bluwater Technologies. These services are overseen by our professional staff members, who take on the responsibility of monitoring and troubleshooting them on your behalf. This frees you up to manage your other day-to-day operations and guarantees you will have someone available to take care of problems when and where they arise.

What is Included?

Managed services are customized for each business and are provided on a subscription basis. Thus, you only pay for the services you need. Managed services can include things such as:

  • Running backups
  • Security patches
  • Software updates
  • Data recovery
  • Network maintenance
  • Network and server support

Benefits

In addition to cost savings, there are a few other benefits:

  • More time to focus on growing your business
  • No need to learn new IT skills
  • Continuous, ongoing support 24/7
  • Ensuring continuity for your business in case of a disaster
  • You maintain full visibility and control and will never have to wonder what your managed services provider is up to

The success of your business largely depends on your ability to remain functional at all times. A managed services provider is the most cost-effective way to maintain the continuity of operations, which is why we invite you to contact us today to get started.