20 Jun How Cloud Based IT Support Can Enhance Your Business Performance
If your business uses technology in any way, you need dedicated IT services to provide critical support for the system and the end users. Most companies use IT departments to be the frontline managing help desk and on-boarding. Your department of tech-savvy wizards are always just a phone call away when someone can’t log in or a customer is struggling to get access.
The IT staff is also expected to monitor the hardware, update the software, and keep the entire network operational. Conscientious IT staff are stress testing the system against internal and external threats as well as maintaining the devices that keep you in business.
But what if there were a way to successfully outsource part of the IT department’s responsibilities in a way that reduced operational costs while improving the efficiency of the company’s applications and workflows?
Here a few ways a reliable cloud service provider can support your IT staff:
1. Monitoring and Security
If any aspect of your business deals with sensitive information, you can’t leave monitoring to chance. If your database is protected by credentials, it’s vulnerable to attack. In fact, cyber criminals target small businesses that handle financial and health data because they know that most small businesses lack the expertise or resources to fend off even an unsophisticated cyber attack.
Regardless of your network size, you need access to comprehensive security solutions. A cloud services provider can support your IT staff by protecting your network with targeted security features that include:
• Antivirus and malware
• Protection from phishing and social engineering attacks
• Protection from ransomware attacks
• Next generation firewalls
• Endpoint protection
• Multi-factor authentication
• Establishing policies and procedures to protect the network from unauthorized access or devices
Having a dedicated set of eyes can be the difference between a prolonged exposure or a quick resolution in the event of an attempted breach.
2. Data Storage and Backup Services
Most businesses work with enough data that storage and backup is an ongoing consideration. It can be hard to put your data in the hands of a third party, but maintaining data onsite also comes with risks and vulnerabilities.
The hardware required to keep up with your data needs can be expensive to maintain or challenging to acquire due to ongoing supply chain issues. And, if your data needs tend to change over time, meeting growing demands – or paying for unused capacity – gets expensive.
A cloud service provider can supply increased storage capacity when you need it and reduce it when you don’t which keeps costs in line. The secure data centers where your data will be housed have safeguards and built in redundancies that you may not have the resources to provide.
Data storage isn’t your only concern. Most businesses require regular, reliable backups of data. You may have data you need to archive for compliance purposes that you don’t need to access on a daily basis. Or you may need regular backups of data to protect from downtime in the event of hardware failure or a natural disaster.
With a cloud partner who has a robust storage infrastructure, your data is protected and accessible when and where you need it.
3. Managed IT Infrastructure assistance
Depending on the tech structure of your business, you may have multiple systems that require IT oversight. It might make sense to hand off certain aspects of your infrastructure to a third-party provider. This frees up your IT staff to handle more critical tasks without the interruption of day-to-day support tasks.
By reviewing your needs, you may discover that it’s worthwhile to hand off:
• Data storage
• Device management
• Network management
• End user access, onboarding, and off boarding
With your cloud provider handling the basic aspects of your infrastructure and support services, your IT team can be dedicated to creating new innovations that meet the needs and demands of your industry, organization, and clients.
If there’s a program or product your IT team believes could streamline your operations, a cloud provider can help them quickly test new applications without risks to your operations.
Managed IT produces better outcomes and with costs that are being managed more effectively
The Benefits of a Cloud Supported IT Department
“At CyberlinkASP, we understand that a lot of cloud service providers pitch their products as a replacement for the traditional IT department but we see opportunities to partner with IT professionals to improve outcomes while reducing expenses,” said Mason Cooper, CIO.
When you hire a third party to handle specific tasks related to your IT needs, you ultimately free up internal resources. IT departments are able to tackle more challenging aspects of their workload if they don’t face interruptions for operational reasons.
Costs come down when you no longer have to invest in hardware and software related to IT support. You only pay for the services you need so costs are levelized.
With a cloud supported IT department, you have the peace of mind that comes from consistently operating at the highest level of efficiency.
Every business can benefit from having a cloud supported IT department that operates at peak efficiency.
If you’re looking to maximize business outcomes while keeping your operational expenses in check, reach out to one of our specialists to discuss your unique needs.