On-Demand IT
Technology for Peace of Mind and Improving Bottom Lines

By Jon Owens

With today’s web-based technologies allowing remote access and a growing number of on-demand teams of Information Technology (IT) experts, it is safe to say that sourcing out IT functions is a timely strategy for improving business productivity and increasing profitability.

Whether you have an IT team on payroll or your upper-management is scrambling to run your computer and data systems, now is the perfect time to entertain the idea of contracting those time-consuming chores to a third-party service provider.  IT outsourcing, also referred to as Managed Services, essentially means that your company has contracted professionals to proactively monitor and maintain your IT environment from a distance.

IT service providers work for a fraction of the cost of an in-house employee’s pension contributions, paid vacations, and health benefits.  They will typically only charge a flat monthly fee depending on selected services and number of business computers.  Due to the flat rate, it is in their best interest to have things running smoothly.

In contrast to the break-it-fix-it days, the IT service provider’s ultimate goal is to ward off issues before they occur.  An IT service provider would complete an initial analysis and audit to ensure peak performance levels are in place when installing the monitoring and managing software.  The entire process only takes a few hours to propagate the installation throughout an office of 10 to 100 computers.  Once launched, your on-call experts are ready to deal with any potential problems with your computers, e-mail systems, Internet connections, data storage, or server. Top-quality IT service providers can offer cross platform support (PC and MAC), guarantee a 4-hour response time, and can often provide a 24-hour turnaround on resolving workstation issues.

Best of all, IT professionals can fix most computer problems via remote access to your systems using highly efficient software like Kaseya’s web-based platform, which virtually runs in the background and is invisible to your computer users.  The software allows the IT service provider to manage desktop computers, data, and computing environments of businesses without the need to work on-site.  Translation: they have cut out those costly service calls of yesteryear.

In addition to routine system checks and repairs, crucial functions that IT service providers can automate and remotely manage under a flat monthly contract include:

•  Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware: install tracking software, actively perform computer scans to monitor for threats, remedy firewall issues, and detect and remove Spyware, Adware, Viruses, Trojans, and Worms.

• Backup/Disaster Recovery: maintain system back-ups, perform data recovery, and produce detailed system reports.

• Computer Audit and Discovery:  maintain computer updates, perform diagnostics, monitor systems memory capacity, complete disc cleanup, and prevent computer slowness.

• Intrusion Prevention and Security: ensure password protection, avert hackers, set up spam blockers, secure wireless connections, and help businesses adhere to mandated compliance and confidentiality requirements in the medical, financial, and legal industries.

• Patch Management: test and install appropriate patches to administered systems, perform Windows updates, and prevent pop-ups luring unauthorized employees to administer updates or downloads.

• Power Management: evaluate energy use, designate system on/off times, and orchestrate nightly shutdown for green business practices.

• Secure Remote Assess: set up authorized employees to connect to a business’ secured network via laptops and mobile devices.

In this age of frequent updates and security threats galore, it is comforting for business owners to know that experts are proactively protecting their data systems and that all of their technology investments are running at optimal levels.  When you develop a successful IT outsourcing partnership, your business will reap the benefits of more time and resources for revenue generating activities.

About the Author
Jonathan G. Owens is the CEO of Ybor Technology Group, LLC, Ybor Technology Group provides full, on-site, IT support for small and medium-sized businesses as well as large medical facilities.  Owens has over 10 years experience working with businesses throughout the Tampa Bay area.  Contact Owens at 813-868-5900 or jowens@ybortech.com.