Partnering with IT Support - Paying for Peace of Mind Pays Off

Partnering with IT support provides big-business solutions

The reality for SMEs is that training and maintaining IT personnel can be quite expensive. Business owners must pay for a full-time team even when they do not have technology issues that may need to be addressed. By outsourcing an IT solution network, business owners can trust technicians will provide solutions similar to those provided to big businesses. Not only are they paid through a contract or as-you-go service, but most IT support companies have been through the gamut of technology and cybersecurity issues. Their experiences range from server malfunctions to identifying external threats or unauthorised attempts at hacking.

Leaders in the space

The security of any business’s information is of the utmost importance, and the reliability of the IT support partner should be a primary decision when identifying potential support companies to work alongside. Leaders in the space should be considered as well as determining the needs of the business. The best IT support companies will provide cloud computing, backup services, technology relocation, network services, and cybersecurity services.

Because IT support companies are becoming extremely efficient and streamlining solutions, increasingly more business owners are turning to an IT support partner like Prosyn for guidance. These types of companies have the expertise to keep business networks safe from cybersecurity issues, which leaves the owner free to grow the business on the front end. Professionals that can assist in establishing a plan for relocating sensitive data without compromising that information, or a company that can troubleshoot issues before they arise, are both solid reasons why any business owner should consider outsourcing IT support.

The basics of cybersecurity

But what is cybersecurity, and why should any business owner pay attention to cybersecurity advances? To answer these questions, let’s start with what cybersecurity, or information technology security, is.

Essentially, it’s the protection, tracking, and preventative actions information technology technicians take to stop the infiltration or unauthorised access of a business’s internal systems, data, or any other sensitive information. Many companies hire highly trained individuals to determine where weaknesses may be in order to eliminate any potential points of entry for would-be criminals. These men and women who identify the weaknesses before cyber attacks are what are known as hackers.

The term ‘hacking’ originated in the 1960s, but does not mean what many people know it to be today. Today’s term carries a negative connotation and, many times, people may think of someone using a computer to breach a system and steal sensitive data in order to then turn around and sell it to a high payer.

The idea of cybersecurity began in the 1970s and has become a very sophisticated field today. Understanding the intricacies and nuances of cybersecurity is essential when selecting an IT support company to work with. With ever-evolving technological advances, experts in IT can better support a small or midsize business because they are more familiar with the legal aspects and can identify potential security issues much more readily than individuals outside of the cybersecurity field.

What cybersecurity is not

Alternatively, cybersecurity is not a problem with the technology. The idea that cybersecurity as a technology will fix any problem a company may have is unrealistic. The reality is that the people who interact with the technology every day are what makes a system strong or weak. While an IT company may be outsourced, the bottom line is that the employees must understand how the technology works and work through the processes put in place.

Cheap IT support may cost more in the end

The old adage “you get what you pay for” rings true when it comes to IT support. Hiring a company that will be proactive and identify potential issues before they arise is extremely crucial to a smoothly operated business. Sure any IT support system will be able to troubleshoot a slow processor or what to do when Office crashes, but will all IT support networks understand what to do if a firewall goes down, or if a disgruntled employee compromises data? These setbacks could result in even larger financial hits.

According to a recent study conducted by Deloitte, more and more businesses are turning to outsourcing their IT solutions. In fact, outsourcing is providing businesses with a more competitive edge, especially when the IT solutions network have a team of industry experts who know what to expect and can think outside the box in terms of information technology and how to make tech work for any business.

The study also had another interesting conclusion. The number one response for what business owners would consider differently next time was to take a longer, more thorough look when selecting the IT company they work with. Specifically, the business leaders identified the need to spend more time in the RFP stage.

Any small or midsize business owner can gain a competitive edge when they outsource IT support, because it leverages them with expert IT security engineers while providing more time for the business owner to work and grow the business. With a team of highly trained IT support engineers, cybersecurity can be stronger and issues are more readily predicted.

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