6 Reasons Why You Need Managed Services in Fort Lauderdale

a harbor filled with lots of boats next to tall buildings

The need for managed services has never been more critical as innovation in the business world is continually on the rise. A managed IT services provider based in Fort Lauderdale can help your South Florida business mitigate natural disasters like hurricanes, keep up with the pace of advancing technology and enhance your business’ efficiency.

Are you unsure if Managed Services are correct for your business?

Here are six reasons why you might want to reconsider:

1. Minimized Downtime and Increased Productivity

A managed IT service provider helps you to avoid system shutdowns and failures, thereby reducing the time spent on making complex IT decisions. When these technology-related frustrations are minimized, your team is able to focus on their work, which in turn guarantees your company a higher level of productivity.

2. Improved Compliance and Security

As technology continues to advance, cyber-criminals are also continuing to invent new malicious attack methods, which puts businesses at a high risk of data breaches. A managed service provider will help protect your business from such attacks and offer quick solutions if one happens. They are also able to supplement additional protocols, procedures, and policies to ensure compliance.

3. High-Level Support on Up-to-the-Minute Technology

One of the benefits of constant system management and monitoring is that you can rely on the most current IT systems at no financial risk or extra costs. Additionally, as a result of their many years of experience, quality-managed service providers are able to implement new IT systems within a short time, thereby saving you money and time.

4. Good Return on Business and Cost Effectiveness

Employing the services of a managed IT service provider is a cost-saving investment. It helps to control outgoing expenses, which in turn enhances return on investment.  A managed service provider is able to achieve this by minimizing hardware costs, keeping systems updated, providing expert knowledge, and sustaining high levels of security.

5. Access to a Wide Range of Solutions

Over time, your business needs various solutions such as customer relationship management software (CRM) and accounting software solutions to handle multiple individual needs that keep on rising. With accounting solutions, it becomes easy to monitor taxes, vendors, and financial information. CRM helps to gather greater business visibility through campaigns, notes, and surveys. Managed service providers are able to provide these solutions. Resulting in a more secure data-controlled system that helps your company to manage both customer and business information.

6. Regular Maintenance

A managed IT service provider offers a proactive approach to maintenance. Thus, rids you of your worries about dependability and network speed solutions. They are always on standby to detect any potential vulnerabilities, disturbances, or threats. Then, fix them as quickly as possible.

Bottom Line

As technology continues to transform the world of business, there is a need for you to streamline your business’ IT operations. Hiring a qualified managed services provider saves you money, time, and frustrations, and, more importantly, enhances your business’ productivity.

Are you worried about how to secure the best-managed IT services provider in Fort Lauderdale? Worry no more! Bluwater Technologies, a WheelHouse IT company, has got you covered. Contact us today to see the difference.

6 Helpful Tips When You are Stuck with Tasks You Hate

a man hanging from the side of a washing machine

The topic of productivity is often discussed, especially in the context of business. One of the paramount issues that stand in the face of being effective in our tasks is whether we love doing them or not. Usually, in a company, certain jobs are absolutely crucial but not inspiring at all. So, how do you ensure that the tasks you hate are done?

Well, it is a problem that can be conquered with a bit of pre-planning and a deliberate change in mindset. In this article, we discuss 6 effective ways that can help you tackle this problem efficiently.

1. Start with a Schedule

There is a reason why people swear by scheduling and goal setting. Having a plan of action in place and knowing that there is something to look forward to once the unpleasant tasks are taken care of, is a sure-shot way to trick your brain out of procrastination. Set goals every day and evaluate yourself against them to keep up. Soon, this will become a habit and the prospect of carrying out boring or unpleasant jobs will not be so daunting anymore.

2. Move Between Tasks You Love and Hate Doing

While this may sound too simple when you alternate between tasks that you love and hate doing, you can find the necessary motivation to tide over your entire schedule. The idea is to balance the good and bad in such a way that you do not get bored while tackling the not-so-favorable jobs.

3. Keep the Bigger Picture in Mind

In the world of business, it is important to never lose sight of the bigger picture. Hence, whenever you feel unenthusiastic about certain tasks, focus on the final outcomes and the reason why these jobs need to be done. There can be several factors like rewards and recognition, bonuses, productivity gains, and business bottom line.

4. Break Down Tasks

Often we bite more than we can chew and that becomes the root of many troubles. Thus, when it comes to doing a large chunk of an uninspiring task, breaking it into smaller steps and handling them individually helps. Another effective strategy to implement when feeling overwhelmed by unfinished jobs is to take a step back and regroup. Sometimes a change of approach is necessary to finish the task successfully.

5. Take Breaks

Even the best of us cannot function constantly and always be productive. Taking time for breaks is essential. It not only helps our brains to recoup but also relaxes us enough to tackle a new problem with renewed vigor and energy. This is why break times are intentionally scheduled in many workplaces, especially on shop floors and factories. 

6. Pat Yourself on the Back

Never forget to give yourself credit where it is due. Waiting for others to recognize your efforts for a job well done is not always the best thing to do. Sometimes, it is necessary to reward yourself when you know that you have achieved something worthwhile at work. Think of treats that you will enjoy like a night out or a movie or even a new book and indulge in the same without guilt.

Many a time we forget that there are tasks that we cannot complete alone. It is absolutely essential to understand when to ask for help from colleagues and team members. Another viable option is to hire the help of professionals to take care of otherwise energy-draining jobs. This not only saves you from mind-numbing tasks but also increases overall productivity. Your time and resources can be freed up to solve more important problems while professionals do the job for you.

Outsourcing IT Functions Reduces Costs and Increases Productivity

a man wearing headphones sitting in front of a computer

The  ‘Forbes Technology Council’  reminds business owners to ask the right questions before making their next IT purchase: Is that hardware, program, or application “vital, a luxury, or redundant?”

Forbes: Under-capitalized SMB faces IT challenges

In general, larger companies have the financial where-with-all to maintain an in-house IT department, leaving the under-capitalized SMB owner in a “struggle to stay afloat” during a downturn. 

“Lack of expertise” behind many outsourcing IT expenditures

Keeping up with the changes in technology can impact IT expenditures. The worst-case scenario is not knowing just how the purchase will ultimately help their business succeed. 

Consequently, decision-makers can be “overwhelmed with choices,” and an overall  “lack of expertise.”  

Budgets consume business-critical systems

In fact, according to a recent Deloitte ‘Tech Trends’ report, it is not unusual for IT expenditures to consume “as much as 70%” of the budget just to keep “business-critical systems” up and running. 

“Cheaper storage, cloud, and outsourcing have lowered…budgetary outlay(s) by 20 percent or more. Yet in an era of perpetually tight IT budgets, finding ways to redirect financial and human assets from operations to innovation remains a top…goal.“

Forbes favors outsourcing IT

Forbes recommends ‘outsourcing’ IT functions to help remedy cash-flow problems, or issues stemming from a business downturn. By offloading some, or all, of their IT operations to an experienced, MSP business owners benefit from having more time to run their business. 

Ultimately, using a  managed service provider (MSP) like BluWater Technology can not only reduce IT costs but can also add that next level of expertise to your operations. Ultimately, this leads to a “win-win scenario of saving time and money” while “improving team productivity.”

To find out how your business can operate more efficiently by using our MSP services, contact us.  We help improve bottom lines by assigning fixed costs to some—or all—of a company’s IT expenditures.

5G is About to Change How We Do Business…Maybe

a man standing on top of a tall building

Technology is always moving forward, of course, but the roll-out of 5G mobile and data communication promises to introduce an exponential shift in how people live their lives, as well as how companies will operate their organizations.

Although in 2019 the roll-outs will be limited to some select larger cities, a more comprehensive roll-out is expected for 2020. Now is the ideal time for companies to learn more about this potentially exciting technology and consider how they might want to prepare for its eventual complete distribution.

Intranet Planning

5G technology promises to at least double the speed currently found in intranet communication. Rather than relying on large, distant cell towers for communication, 5G technology employs router-like nodes spread throughout an area. For large buildings, this means nodes strategically placed on all floors, transmitting high-frequency signals simply from floor to floor, thus greatly enhancing the rate of communication speeds within connected areas. 5G is also incredibly fast on its own. With its simultaneous upload and download capabilities, data movement goes far beyond old megabyte speeds, to ultrafast gigabyte speeds.

The Internet of Things

Interconnected devices and sensors will also be able to make good use of faster 5G speeds, potentially speeding up countless automated processes. For example, air travel will become safer and less prone to glitches that annoy passengers, as every system within the airframe will continually report its status, second by second.

Later Down the 5g Road

Delivery of goods that businesses use to make their own products will become more timely, as more and more traffic control and driving features are automated. 5G nodes will enhance your ability to route traffic more efficiently by quickly reporting on:

  • Traffic jams
  • Accidents
  • Weather Conditions
  • Traffic Signal Outages

Essentially all the unforeseen things slow down the movement of both products and people.

We Know The Secret To Hiring Great Employees

two people sitting at a table talking to each other

At Bluwater Technologies, we understand employees are one of the most important assets of a company, especially when a company provides services that require a high level of commitment to corporate clients. We are dedicated to hiring employees who possess not only a high degree of technical skills and knowledge but who are effective problem solvers as well. By following a well-rounded evaluation assessment plan for each prospective employee, we are able to have an “extra edge” when it comes to hiring only those who are able to meet, as well as exceed customer expectations.

Beyond Skills

Of course, we recognize it is vitally important for any prospective employee to possess a high level of technical knowledge and skills in order to provide outstanding service to our clients. However, we go the extra mile by developing a profile of each prospective candidate in order to assess traits such as:

  • Their ability to work with a wide variety of client styles, 
  • Leadership skills, 
  • Communication skills within a team,
  • Problem-solving skills, 
  • and their ability to effectively manage stress and resolve conflicts.

By taking this holistic approach to the overall hiring process, we are able to find the team members best suited to work with our clients.

Successful Onboarding

Once we select a new hire, we know the hiring process doesn’t stop on the first day of employment. In order for new employees to succeed in meeting the needs of our clients, we need to continue investing in our employees. This process starts right away by following an onboarding plan for each new hire. We encourage open communication with our employees and actively engage with new hires early on, encouraging them to feel part of the team as quickly as possible. We convey our corporate mission to new hires, as well as our goals and expectations. As we increase our own levels of productivity more effectively through the process of active onboarding, it enables us to increase our level of service to clients. 

If you would like to know more about Bluwater Technologies and our great team members, please contact us.