Predicting Major Disruptions to the MSP Market in 2019

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2019 promises to be a breakout year for the technology industry, with exciting advances in concepts such as machine learning and AI. However, 2019 is also a year that promises to exhibit some major disruptions or challenges, especially as they relate to MSP (managed service providers). 

Only the Strong Will Survive

As organizational dependency on technology continues to grow and technology itself becomes increasingly complex, MSPs that lean towards complacency will be pushed out of the market. Only MSPs committed to continually evolving to meet the increasingly complex needs of today’s small businesses will survive. MSPs who can expect to survive amid their counterparts will:

  • Make security challenges a top priority
  • Expand the types of services offered
  • Hire highly-skilled technical experts who can support their expanded line of services

Security is Paramount 

A successful MSP recognizes that small to medium-sized businesses need to be as prepared as large corporations against cyber threats. Almost 2/3 of all SMBs have experienced a recent cyber attack. It is no longer possible for SMBs (or their MSPs) to think they can fly under the radar against data breaches while their larger counterparts with big security teams (i.e. major corporations), fend off all the attacks. Both MSPs and SMBs must understand that enacting comprehensive security plans is paramount this year.

More Disruptions than Cloud 

Cloud technology may have seemed like a major disruptor to SMBs, but it was a disruptor that provided positive benefits. Including company access on the go and greater collaboration among organizational members. The disruption that cyber security issues will bring in 2019, will be very demanding both for small businesses and MSPs who are not fully prepared to meet the challenge.

Summary

Here at Bluwater Technologies, we see disruptors in 2019 especially as they relate to cyber security. We are determined to meet these challenges. If you would like to connect your business with a truly committed MSP in order to meet 2019’s disruptors head-on, please contact us.

How Can IT Support for Small Businesses Help You Improve Customer Service?

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Customer service is critical to your company’s success. Recent data reported at Small Business Trends shows that some form of poor customer service is responsible for over half the negative complaints small businesses receive.

One function of strong IT support for small businesses is to enhance customer service in a number of ways, including the following:

  • Minimizing downtime for the business website. Customers need consistent access to the site, for example to contact the business, buy products, leave comments and reviews, sign into their accounts, download forms, and look up important information.
  • Gathering and analyzing information about customers. Businesses can better serve their customers and respond effectively to concerns and complaints by having a clearer picture of who their customers are. They need to understand the customers both as individuals and as members of a larger group. IT support professionals can help your business implement powerful solutions for managing customer relationships, gathering, organizing, and analyzing data from customers. They can help you maintain databases of critical customer information.
  • Establishing reliable ways for customers to reach you (and for you to reach out to them). For example, IT support professionals can help you establish and maintain a reliable business email service and Voice over IP (VoIP) solutions.

If your business enjoys strong IT support, customers can also benefit. Your employees are able to work more productively and efficiently. Both customer and employee data are more secure and, thanks to reliable backup and recovery measures, are less vulnerable to permanent loss.

Don’t hesitate to contact us to further discuss how we can help you improve your customer service performance, along with strengthening your business operations in many other respects.

Benefits of IT Support for Small Businesses

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The probability of thriving in an environment with huge corporations and established companies is minimal if you are a small business operator without the necessary support you need. Several strategies can help small businesses surmount competition in their respective industries, including the adoption of the right marketing strategy and investment in technology.

Unfortunately, small enterprises do not have adequate resources to invest in IT services, which is a prerequisite for achieving success. Outsourcing your IT services from reliable vendors can help your small establishment achieve set objectives as it grows. Here are the benefits of seeking the help of external IT support service providers for your small business.

IT Support Reduces Downtime

Experiencing lengthy downtimes is a severe setback for small businesses that rely heavily on technology. Since systems are prone to failure on various occasions due to diverse reasons, you cannot afford to remain without a backup plan as a small business operator. Engaging a credible third-party IT service provider in offering support services for the systems within your small firm will eliminate the frustrations of unnecessary downtime.

IT support service vendors can provide several services including data backups, regular maintenance, and system updates, in addition to ensuring quick response in case the unexpected happens thus taming system downtime.

Ability to Leverage the Latest Technology

Needless to say, in the world of technology what is relevant today will become irrelevant tomorrow. The demands of customers are also changing every day, and you need to remain informed to stay ahead of the curve. As a small business operator, you may have difficulties researching the latest innovations to incorporate into your operations to promote productivity.

A professional IT support services provider will help your small business leverage the latest advancements in technology so that you can compete favorably with others in your industry.

It Promotes the Achievement of Core Objectives

Most small business operators lose focus on what they should pursue as the primary objective of their enterprises when they shift attention to their IT requirements. Divided attention will undoubtedly lower the productivity of your business. That is why you need to hire third-party IT support service providers.

Releasing the responsibility of IT support to a qualified vendor of these services allows you to commit more time and resources to projects requiring your attention for your company to achieve set objectives. If you need more information on the benefits of IT support services for small businesses, contact us today!

Outsourcing in Fort Lauderdale: The Advantages!

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Monetary profit is generally the highest priority in any business — it makes sense that business owners and managers would prefer to focus on that rather than “chasing tails” and spending hours managing a computer, or network of them, to achieve unforeseeable and potentially damaging results. Those who run small businesses and are at the same time computer-savvy have an advantage in that they can save some money on hiring professionals to manage their computer equipment — but sometimes professionals have better solutions than tech-savvy folks can provide — and even if a business manager is indeed tech-savvy, most likely she doesn’t want to spend time dealing with the maintenance and repair of business computers. This is when outsourcing comes in. 

Here are some points to consider for deciding whether outsourcing in Fort Lauderdale is the right path:

  • Exceptional ROI — Return On Investment
  • Better Security

Money is spent on expensive equipment. Additionally, many times, to save money, business managers will attempt to install and configure computers on their own. However, time is being taken away from focusing on how to bring in monetary profit by doing this. Also, there’s the high potential of improperly configuring the equipment which could have disastrous results, generally speaking. Outsourcing the installation, set up, and ongoing maintenance of computers will increase the ROI — return on investment — due to the equipment running at its optimal ability. In this case, managers and business owners pay no mind or worry.

Business owners and managers taking computer security into their own hands is a gamble. There are two basic vectors to be concerned about when attempting this. First — computer hackers who seek to illegally obtain and use private information using sophisticated abilities are out there, and they are waiting for just the right time to attack. Computer systems that are not secured by experienced professionals are at a high risk of being compromised by criminals. Second — computer security also encompasses the preservation of computer data. Human error or hardware malfunctions can render a business dead in its tracks with nowhere to go. Efforts have been made by the computing industry to mitigate the risks of data loss. Thus, they should be taken advantage of correctly — allowing professionals to handle the job.

Outsourcing in Fort Lauderdale will achieve optimal return-on-investment and security for small businesses. Allowing owners and managers to focus on what’s most important to them — monetary profit!  Please contact us for a consultation. 

Managed Antivirus

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In this age of the internet, the world is entrenched in various types of threats targeting computer users. It seems inevitable that most people will be concerned to some degree about whether their personal information will be stolen. Then, used as an avenue by criminals to steal identities or directly steal money, to say the least. The powers that be have enacted laws and recommended precautions to mitigate the risk of falling victim to various types of computer fraud. However, while awareness of computer crimes has risen, complacency should not prevail. A proactive approach is generally recommended when dealing with the risk of falling victim to computer crimes. Thus, sometimes it’s easier to allow third parties to help with managed antivirus.

Common sense helps a great deal to avoid falling victim to computer crimes. However, installing and maintaining what is called an antivirus security suite can pick up any slack that a computer user might overlook. Sometimes, while carrying out their busy schedules, people can get tired. Thus, cut corners, and use computers for tasks that carry higher security risks. Furthermore and typically, many people do not have the time to research how to use their antivirus suites after purchasing them. Antivirus software installed on a computer can become a heavy burden on computer users not only because they’re not familiar with the basics of how the software works but also because, if not configured properly, can “slow” a computer down and make it run sluggishly. 

Managed Antivirus Services

As an alternative to computer users installing and managing antivirus software themselves, companies can be hired. They will install and manage the software on their behalf — this is a managed approach. This way, those desiring to use antivirus software can rest assured knowing that professionals are dealing with the situation. Additionally, using more of a proactive approach to protecting computers. Rather than waiting for a computer to be “hacked”, only then to take action. 

There are various types of antivirus solutions available and some of them come in a managed type of package. Please contact us if this type of approach is desirable and assistance is needed in determining a suitable approach to computer security.