Managed IT Services Can Help Your Organization Grow

For the majority of small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), finding the right technology solution is the key to growth. According to a recent study, businesses with 250 employees or less whose primary goal for 2018 is growth cited IT systems and technology applications as their top strategy for facilitating growth. However, in order for technology to provide the most ample amount of growth for your business, they must be the right selection for your individual needs. By working with an MSP, you’ll have a team of business technology solutions experts as your disposal, at a fraction of the cost of hiring an internal IT department to find and implement the IT required to accomplish your desired growth.

As we look toward the new year, here’s a look at how working with a managed IT service provider (MSP) can help your business leverage technology to drive growth and revenue.

Managed IT
The vast majority of SMBs rely on technology for day-to-day operations. From customer contact records to production blueprints, productivity and revenue generation are directly influenced by technology. Downtime and data loss ricochets beyond the affected devices and, ultimately, reduces the overall performance of the entire company. A proactive approach will help your technology maintain maximum productivity and efficiency.

• Remote Monitoring: Time is money - and downtime or other technology issues cost SMBs thousands of dollars a year. Managed IT takes a proactive approach to technology by constantly monitoring your network, looking for the warning signs of potential technology issues and remedies them before your company experiences loss of time or resources.
• Proactive Maintenance: If you take a look at data security breaches from the last six months, there is a trend among them. They could have been prevented if the victimized companies would have performed regular maintenance and applied security patches released by the software manufacturers. SMBs that are looking to expand their client base must make every effort possible to avoid the damage that results from a security breach. Think of IT maintenance in the same way that you think about oil changes for your car. It’s not a frivolous expense, it’s an absolute must-do.
• Help Desk Support: For entrepreneurs and IT decision makers, an SMB is going to be more than a 9-to-5 job. In fact, about ⅓ of US adults work for an hour or more every weekend. If you operate outside of traditional business hours, your IT support should, too! Subscribing to Directive’s 24/7 helpdesk support is there whenever you need it.

Cloud Services Continue to Dominate
A survey conducted among SMBs for Q2 of 2017 found that 92% of small businesses currently use one or more cloud-based solutions - and the number is expected increase continuously. One of the biggest advantages of cloud solutions is the flexibility it offers businesses. In general, cloud services are easily scalable and secure. Companies that have mandatory compliance and regulatory standards often find the security of cloud solutions desirable.

Unified Communication and Collaboration
One of the biggest parts of any customer service-centric business model is consistent, transparent communication at all stages of the customer’s life cycle. To facilitate desired growth, it’s equally as important to maintain that type of communication internally, as well as with vendors and other affiliates. Traditional phones are no longer meeting the needs of an increasingly digital market.

For 2018, many small businesses are looking to invest in a more versatile, comprehensive solution for both internal and external communication. Unified Communication and Collaboration (UCC) is the key to meeting their communication goals. When virtual meeting room software was first introduced, it was associated with low functionality and a high price tag. Today, there are enough choices available for any business to find cost-friendly, high performance software and applications. UCCs generally feature collaboration on documents and projects, virtual meeting rooms, internal messaging apps, VoIP telephony, and more. Often a UCC will integrate seamlessly with customer management systems and other line of business apps.

With the rate that technology changes, partnering with Directive as technology advisor and IT service provider will allow you to know that your technology is yielding you the highest rates of productivity and efficiency possible. Would you like to learn more about what managed IT can do for you? Reach out to us at 607.433.2200.