Tag - IT Service

When Is Your Business Ready For Managed IT Services?

Business Readiness

Are you a small business owner? And are you considering whether or not Managed IT Services will benefit your company? Well, the answer is almost always- yes. There is little doubt that most small businesses can benefit from Managed IT Services. Yet that in itself does not always justify the cost. Accept that they can offer solutions to common problems. So, the real question is: when does it make sense to switch from in house IT solutions to the next level which includes Managed IT Services? Managed IT Services

The Time Is Near

There is a good chance if you are already considering Managed IT Services the time might be near when you are ready to make the switch. Small business owners do not have the luxury of a never ending IT budget, therefore it is very important to recognize when your current IT management is no longer cost effective. For most small businesses this occurs when the business grows to the point of needing either a contract with a local service provider who is "on call" for IT needs or hiring a full time IT person to remain on staff. There is of course another option for small business owners to consider and that is hiring a Managed IT Services Provider to oversee their IT needs.

How To Decide

If you are still unsure that your business is ready for the switch, ask yourself the following questions:
  • Do you find IT costs are continually increasing?
  • Is it difficult to find and retain quality IT staff?
  • Is your network and workstation performance and speed decreasing?
  • Are your employees spending more time dealing with IT issues than focusing on job they have been hired to perform?
  • Do you have problems with viruses, spyware and other security issues that could threaten the confidentiality of proprietary information?
  • In the event of a natural or man-made disaster, would your network be at risk? Would recovery be a concern?
  • Do you find network downtime is increasing?
If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions, then your business is ready for Managed IT Services.

Find the Right Provider

Now that you have determined Managed IT Services are right for your business, the next challenge is finding the right provider of these services. This is a decision that should not be made lightly or rushed as the wrong provider can end up costing your company more money than your current situation. Before you begin the search for a Managed IT Services Provider you should first consider your IT budget as well as issues or problems you want to be addressed. It is important to remember that Managed IT Services are not a one-size-fits-all type of solution to business problems. Each business and industry has their own issues to contend with and a qualified Managed IT Services Provider will work with you to find the solutions that will benefit your company the most. Is a potential provider is more intent on selling you services and not listening to your needs? Then move on to another provider. The point of outsourcing your IT management is to save money and while free up your time. So you should find the best provider to oversee your technology needs. Click here to learn how your business will benefit from Managed IT Services from Profulgent Technology.
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How to: Hide Google Chrome address bar auto predictions

Google has been putting pressure on Firefox and IE by having great success with their Chrome browser. It has only been available for a short while and has already surged in usage. Chrome is sleek, fast and free. One of the features they offer is a search bar integrated into the address bar. This makes searching a breeze and it even offers predictions on what search terms or web address it thinks you are entering. To some, however, the prediction feature is more of an annoyance than a benefit. Thankfully, Chrome makes it very easy to enable and disable this feature. Below is a "How to" from Google Chrome support that explains these simple steps in detail.
When you type in the address bar, Google Chrome can use a prediction service to help you complete the web addresses and search terms that you're entering. For example, typing new york in the address bar could bring up http://www.nytimes.com as a predicted site or [ new york city ] as a predicted search. To help you differentiate between web addresses and searches, a search icon appears next to searches in the address bar menu; a suggested sites icon appears next to web addresses. Unless your default search engine uses a different prediction service, the search terms that show up are the same ones that would show up if you were searching on Google. Learn more about Google's autocomplete algorithm
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Small Businesses Benefit From Managed IT Services

Managed IT Services

From start-ups to multi-billion dollar businesses, everyone is looking for ways to cut costs while turning a profit. In fact, many companies are just trying to keep things in the black, however that does not eliminate the need for practices that will improve and grow these businesses. Since few people have the expertise to manage much of today's technology, a certain percentage of their budgets should be allocated to IT and software applications maintenance. Here are ways that Managed IT Services benefit small and medium businesses.

Benefits of Managed IT Services for Small Businesses

  • Increased productivity - Businesses are established to fill the need for a product or service while providing a livelihood for the business owners and their employees. In order to do this, businesses have to ensure they are working at full capacity at all times. Downtime or work performed at reduced levels is time and money wasted. Managed IT Services can help businesses not only quickly repair problems when they occur but also act as a proactive measure to spot and treat potential problems before they have an impact on productivity.
  • Supports in-house IT - Many businesses do not want to relinquish all IT maintenance control to an outside party, and small businesses do not always have the resources to support the type of IT department needed to keep their business running at full speed. A majority of businesses can benefit from adding the expertise, tools and availability of a Managed IT Services Provider to help support in-house IT departments.
  • Remote services - Managed IT Services Providers work from a remote location, providing desktop, email and back-up and recovery support services without adding to the actual number of "employees" on site. The services provided are unobtrusive and in the majority of cases, have no impact in the day-to-day activities of current in-house employees.
  • Affordable - Generally when you bring on a Managed IT Services Provider, a consultant will perform an onsite assessment of the company, its workflows and processes and the current state of its supporting technology to determine what services are needed to meet organizational goals. Business owners often have a choice between several different levels of service, making it possible for a company with a limited budget to choose a package that best suits their needs.
Security is a big concern for business owners and individuals alike. In the past, business owners have been reluctant to entrust secure or private information to a third party, offsite vendor. As Managed IT Services Providers continue to prove their value, more companies are realizing the benefits and value of their services. Managed IT Services Providers continue to improve technology to provide secure, quality services for businesses of all sizes. As a result, smaller businesses which operate with leaner budgets find themselves in a position to reap the benefits of these services. Business owners often have to make difficult decisions regarding how they will improve their business while sticking to the budget. As the market for Managed IT Services experiences continual growth in the next few years, this method of IT maintenance and service delivery will likely become the "norm" for small to mid size businesses looking to reduce costs and improve uptime and business continuity. Companies that recognize the benefits of Managed IT Services will have a jump on their competition. Click here to learn how [contentblock id=company] can help you save reap these benefits and more with our Managed IT Services program for your business in [contentblock id=location].
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