PCSOFT Blog

Two weeks ago we had a look at the flagships. Last week, we took a look at the new foldable and flippable smartphones, but what if you don’t have $1,000 to buy a device? Are your options severely limited? Let’s take a look at some of your options.

Cloud solutions give businesses the ability to find value in applications that were previously limited by needing to be hosted on-site. If you implement cloud services, your business can take advantage of several benefits that otherwise aren’t possible, including more reliable file storage options.

There can be no denying the opportunity that comes from using managed IT services, particularly in regard to how much you can save in both time and resources. Before managed IT services, businesses would often have to settle for unreliable and expensive IT assistance, but there are better alternatives these days that businesses cannot just benefit from, but flourish with. In other words, managed IT is capable of creating immense value for your business.

Cloud computing is taking the business world by storm. Despite this, not every organization has made the switch. While every company that hasn’t yet migrated to the cloud has their reasons, one big reason often tops the list: the perceived lack of cost savings. Thanks to a new study, this perception is now proven to be inaccurate.

There seems to be a shortage of IT skills in today’s job market. Unfortunately, there has never been a worse time for this to happen, as cyber security threats are more prevalent today than ever before. In response to the demand for highly skilled IT management experience, outsourced IT is a great way to take advantage of the latest security solutions without the burden of hiring an in-house IT department. Here are three ways that outsourced IT is the way to go to resolve the problem of the IT skills shortage.

Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency used for anonymity on the web, was once the hottest thing on the cyber market. Everyone thought it was a great innovation that allowed for improved online privacy for transactions. Thanks to some rather complicated matters, though, Bitcoin took a nosedive and has needed some time to get back on its feet. Now, it seems people are finally using Bitcoin again, and in a never before seen quantity.

Technology management is a major pain point for small and medium-sized businesses. Some organizations might have an in-house team dedicated to handling all of the technology maintenance and management while others will choose to outsource this responsibility to a managed IT service provider. While going with an MSP for your business’s IT needs has its advantages, it also presents a unique set of challenges that must be overcome.

Putting together an IT budget that’s a recipe for success is much more difficult than it sounds. Every year you run the risk of encountering crippling technology issues if you don’t take the proper precautions. If your budget isn’t prepared for problems with your IT infrastructure, it could have disastrous results. Here are five ways you can avoid skipping a beat when planning for your business’s IT budget.

Consider Your Long-Term Goals
While it’s definitely important to consider the short-term goals of your IT budget, it would be foolish if you didn’t start planning for long-term investments. It’s no mistake that organizations are continuously turning to services like cloud computing and Software as a Service-type investments. Businesses are turning their standard capital expenses into operational expenses because it’s cheaper and easier to manage than the heavy investment of up-front costs. It’s easier to scale and change in the event that something doesn’t go according to plan further down the road.

Invest in Your Staff’s Training
It’s one thing to have the latest IT solutions ready to use for your business, but another entirely for your staff to understand how to use them. Some businesses don’t invest in the training of their employees longer than they have to, and this is proving to be a big concern. If employees don’t know how to use your technology solutions, they will waste time that could be better spent elsewhere; or worse, they could be making mistakes that you need to fix somewhere down the line.

Consider Your Storage Options
Again, it’s important to consider the long-term ramifications of your business’s data storage techniques. Is there one centralized location for all of your data? If so, what would happen if you were to lose access to it? How do your employees access this information? Do they need continuous access to your business’s data, or only in-house? These are the questions you want to answer. Having a fool-proof backup and disaster recovery solution can help protect your data from being lost due to a freak disaster or hardware failure while cloud storage increases your employees’ access to the data and allows them to work remotely from any approved device.

Always Anticipate Hardware/Software Upgrades
Hardware failure can completely derail your IT budget if you don’t plan to accommodate it. Hardware and software complications are difficult to deal with if you don’t explicitly plan to resolve them as quickly as possible. Your budget should always have assets allocated toward mitigating and replacing technology that’s critical to the success of your business. Otherwise, you could be dealing with huge expenses that will, without a doubt, break your budget, and force you to come up with funds from elsewhere.

Use Outsourcing and Consulting Services When Possible
Outsourcing certain responsibilities of your IT management (or even all of it) can have a positive effect on your budget, time that could be spent managing and maintaining your technology would instead be devoted to managing your business and ensuring its efficient operation. You can enjoy the benefits of being a business owner without worrying about constantly managing your technology.

For more ways to improve the functionality and return on investment of your business’s technology, give us a call at 02 98730080.