Why Good Technical Support Specialists are in High Demand

a sign that says we make it easy next to a cup of coffee
Why Good Technical Support Specialists are in High Demand

Every company needs to have a good technical support specialist. Many companies want to hire a person to work in-house.

While this seems to make common sense, when it comes to technology, there are things to consider.

The technology landscape changes every year. This is especially true as we enter 2017 and companies are introducing more connected products to the IoT marketplace. Cyber security threats are evolving with the technology. Therefore, the cost to keep in-house tech talent on staff with the skills to handle each new year’s cyber threats and tech management needs is extraordinary.

Most businesses have found that relying on in-house staff is impractical.
Outsourcing IT services is the right solution for most organizations.

When you outsource your tech needs to a qualified Managed Services Provider, (MSP), with talents in every area of IT, you can relax knowing one of the tech support specialists on the team can address whatever maintenance and security needs your organization has and will have.

Your MSP Will:

  • Provide on-call support for all your technology, software, and hardware in the manner most convenient for you and appropriate for the issue (via email, phone or on-site);
  • Make regular on-site visits for specific maintenance issues like hardware and software modifications, cleaning, and repairs;
  • Speed up your system performance, eliminate connection problems, and make data more readily accessible;
  • Evaluate any situation needing repair with an on-site visit;
  • Help you test new hardware and software and communicate with the vendor to make sure it meets your organizational needs;
  • Coordinate employee training sessions for new system introductions or major revamps; and
  • Report to department managers to provide tech updates and reports along with training if necessary;

Many business owners and managers want to hire an in-house tech professional because they worry an outsider won’t understand their company’s specific needs or be able to explain technical issues in a way that management will understand. However, part of a tech support specialist’s job description is to have personality qualities like patience, the ability to simplify complex concepts, and the ability to discern a complete needs picture by asking questions and learning about an organization.

Every tech professional that works with Bluewater has the interpersonal skills you’re seeking. In fact, many got their feet wet with troubleshooting and helpdesk work, which combines tech support with customer service. We all care about the businesses we serve and their goals. As well as understand that technology is an intrinsic part of goals for modern businesses. We will never take your needs, company culture or business processes for granted.

Contact us today to get started.

IT support for small businesses can help protect you from cyber security fatigue

a man standing next to a table with a box on it

With the frequent news of data breaches, and with the multitude of cyber security warnings issued on a regular basis, some people are reporting “security fatigue”. Recent research from the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) shows that when people get overloaded with security concerns, there’s a stronger tendency to respond with apathy. IT support for small businesses can help protect you from cyber security fatigue.

This apathy may stem from a sense of futility and an inability to keep up with all the latest threats. Some people may also conclude that hackers won’t even notice them, given all the available targets out there.

IT support for small businesses

Small business owners often fall into this way of thinking. They struggle to keep up with the latest cyber dangers, doubt their ability to respond effectively to attacks, but also assume that their business won’t attract attention anyway.

Fighting off security fatigue with IT support for small businesses

Even though constant cyber security warnings can wear people out, the threats themselves remain real – including for small businesses. As reported in a recent article from Tech.Co, most cyber attacks affect small or medium-sized businesses. Not the larger companies that make the news.

Making use of IT support for small businesses is one of the best ways to keep from succumbing to fatigue. Small business owners and employees are less likely to experience fatigue if they don’t have to handle cyber security entirely on their own.

IT personnel can monitor for threats, implement various protections, and stay up-to-date on emerging dangers. They can make cyber security more simple and straightforward. It will be broken down into a relatively small number of policies for employees to follow. No one will feel bombarded by enormous quantities of cyber security information (some of it confusing and contradictory).

Small businesses can’t afford security fatigue. Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information on how we can help strengthen cyber security for your company.

Small Business Budgeting Advice To Effectively Manage Your Company

a person holding a credit card in their hand

As a newcomer in the industry, especially for someone who owns a small business, it can often be difficult to get started. Not only might you lack the resources that larger businesses have, but no doubt will you be on a tighter budget as well. In fact, that’s one of the main differences between a small/medium-sized business, and one of a larger size. With that said, what’s the best way to effectively manage your company’s budget? Here is some small business budgeting advice to take into consideration.

Small Business Budgeting Advice

Small Business Budgeting Advice

When owning a business, it can be tempting to buy flashy products, especially if you think it’ll make the workplace stand out. However, this is where style over substance comes into play. As a small business owner, you should only be purchasing what you need and not necessarily what you want. While buying these items, also ask yourself if they bring any value to the company, and if they’ll help to meet your business needs. If the answer is no, you can do without them.

As a small business, you should also be seeking advice from a financial advisor. Even if you think you know all the financial ropes of your business, the coach/advisor may show you that your business is in more trouble than you think. In fact, some financial advisors may even give you budget advice. Even the most experienced business owners could take to heart. Also, have you considered making a budget list for the company? It’s a great way to keep yourself organized. This way you and others know how much can and can’t be spent. In the long run, your money can be used much more effectively.

For more helpful business advice, including the benefits of our IT support, feel free to contact us today at Bluwater Technologies. We look forward to hearing from you.

How To Minimize Trackers: Computer Tip Of The Day

a man sitting in front of a computer monitor

As great as communicating over laptops, PCs, and mobile devices can be, there are also drawbacks. Learn how to minimize trackers.

minimize trackers

One is the persistent dropping of cookies and other trackers on your screen as you browse. Unless you are very computer adept, you may not realize that cookies and multiple trackers are there.

Minimize Trackers

But you see the evidence of them in the ads you see as you move through pages on the internet. Say you were shopping for shoes on a site, for example. On your next site, or when you go to your e-mail, you might see advertising banners for shoes, maybe even from the same company. Same with lawn equipment.

They’re reading your browsing interests (and making decisions about what your interests are) via trackers.

There are several ways to stop trackers. All are very simple and knowing how is one of the great computer tips of the day.

Search Engines

First, you can use a search engine that vows not to track people. Yes, despite the ubiquity of Google as a search engine and tracker, there are alternatives. One, mentioned in Julia Angwin’s book Dragnet Nation: A Quest for Privacy, Security, and Freedom in a World of Relentless Surveillance, is Duck-Duck Go. (Angwin is a reporter who writes about the commonplace tracking of Americans through computers.) It can be found at https://duckduckgo.com/. Simply set it as your default search engine, just as you would search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, or the others.

The advertisements will disappear virtually overnight. You see, the cookies and trackers are so your search engine makes money by, among other things, selling your buying behavior. It’s a marketing tactic, and your browsing history is tracked and marketed by these companies. Some, though, have been formed specifically not to track people.

Software

Second, you can install software that tells you what trackers are on a given screen and gives you the option to block them or not. The most popular is Ghostery. It can be downloaded at https://www.ghostery.com/. Go through and choose to see the trackers. A list of names will pop up in a purple balloon. You will see the option to block or unblock. You can block with a click, or choose not to block.

Both are free to use, and will give you a great sense of how many trackers there are out there.

Contact us for more information.

Working With Windows: Computer Tip Of The Day

a person typing on a laptop keyboard

Time is money so every click of your mouse is costly. Since you don’t want to endlessly waste time working with Windows. Fortunately, with this computer tip of the day you can stop doing so.

working with windows

Did you know that you can launch programs in your taskbar directly from your keyboard without ever touching your mouse?

Working with Windows

Your Windows taskbar can serve as a quick launch bar if you populate it with the programs you use daily. While you can easily click on them to open them when necessary, a faster way of launching this software is by using certain keyboard combinations. This is easy because every program to the right of your start button has its own numerical shortcut (the first program is “1,” the second “2,” up through 10, which is “0”). By pressing the Windows key and the number of the program you want to open, you open it.

In a similar way, you can quickly launch another instance (e.g. another Chrome browser along side of the one you’re already using) of the same program in a similar way. All you must do is hold down the shift button and then use the quick-launch keyboard trick again. Now you’ll have a new, clean version of the software open along side of the one you’ve already opened.

If you need help working with Windows or more computer tips, make sure you contact us. There are many shortcuts available for you to use with your computer today.

Contact us to hear more. We’re happy to share them with you in hopes of helping you save both time and money!