The Impact Of Automation On Managed Services

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As technology evolves, the demand for automation of IT services to promote efficiency in operations is increasing steadily.

Since Managed Service Providers (MSPs) interact with current trends in technology regularly, they need to adapt to such changes to remain afloat. Striking a balance between cost, accuracy, and time when resolving incidences is critical for all MSPs and that is only possible through the automation of IT infrastructure and services.

IT Process Automation (ITPA) yields a significant impact on managed services and here is what MSPs can expect.

Managed Control

The notion that automation will deny management the opportunity to remain in control is not true. On the contrary, automating IT processes promotes managed control to allow managers to make decisions at various levels of the workflow. This is possible by deploying human checkpoints that access real-time information on different procedures through IM, phone, SMS, or mail.

The implication, in this case, is that process owners assume the responsibility of taking necessary action for the process to continue. Hence, they remain in control of all operations.

Enhances Cloud Transition

Cloud services are improving the way businesses operate, and for that reason, most companies are considering transitioning from conventional setups. The challenge is that this process can prove complex for some enterprises and that can affect their service delivery. By embracing ITPA as an MSP, you can overcome some of these difficulties. As a result, you will experience a seamless cloud transition and enhanced relationships with your clients.

Automation Promotes Customization

The focus of most entrepreneurs is understanding how they can align automation of their operations with their business requirements. Therefore, MSPs should ensure that this is part of their considerations in their service provision. ITPA allows you to automate workflows for common IT functions and create custom applications for complex procedures in line with specific business operations.

As a result, that will encourage profitability and maximum use of available resources since the emphasis is on core processes of the company. If you need more information on the impact of automation on managed services, contact us today!

How Cloud Technologies Can Streamline Your Business Processes

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Companies probably notice there is frequently a lot of buzz about the cloud in the technological world. However, there are good reasons as to why a business would want to investigate cloud technologies further, mainly because the cloud allows companies to accomplish more while using fewer resources such as their time and money.

Companies who want to always stay a step ahead of their competition are wise to research the tech world’s increasing promotion of cloud technologies.

So what kinds of advantages do cloud services really offer a company? A few of the advantages include concepts like:

  • Availability 24/7 – Support teams for cloud services are available 24/7, meaning employees working on a task late at night don’t have to wait to get help from the more traditional 9-to-5 IT center as in years past.
  • Accomplish Work Tasks Anywhere – Many employees work at home or on the go or spend most of their work day with clients at their offices. As this trend continues, employees and their managers will increasingly expect higher levels of mobility from their technology. Cloud services are delivered anytime, anywhere.
  • Greater Connectivity – Businesses, especially those who are taking advantage of the newer IoT technologies available, find vital information from scanners, smart meters, phones, etc., all working together to create instant information connections through the main access point of cloud services.
  • Increased Collaboration – Having instantaneous information connections allows employees to collaborate with each other at any time and from anywhere. An employee working on a report at their corporate headquarters can work directly with another employee halfway across the country in real-time on the same report.
  • Reduced Storage Costs – Companies also find that cloud services are simply more practical from a hardware perspective. As businesses grow, it can become quite expensive to house all the hardware necessary to support their increased data. Cloud technologies cut down on these storage costs so businesses can use their funds for other purposes.

Want to know more about what cloud services can do for your organization? Contact us.

How to Keep Your Business’s Mobile Devices More Secure

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Security is both an online and physical concern, even for mobile devices. More and more employees have laptops, tablets, and phones for their business tasks, and this is even truer for small businesses. If you’re worried about how secure your company’s devices are, here’s how to cover both angles.

What’s the physical threat to mobile devices’ security?

Phones get stolen. They also get lost. No matter how vigilant your employees you are, eventually a phone or tablet will go missing; up to 95% of security attacks are through stolen mobile devices or proximity-based phishing, which makes the devices themselves the weakest point in any defense.  This means you have to protect more than your business’s network: you have to protect what’s tapping into the network, too.

How can you protect your data from physical break-ins?

One option is to use a mobile device as a connection point only. Keep all of your files in a cloud that doesn’t require any downloading. Additionally, make sure all work is done through online portals. If your employees can comfortably get their work done through a browser or a protected app without turning to local storage or offline programs, then there’s nothing on the phone to steal.

Another option is to use security as a service program. Using sign-in systems that use devices in tandem makes a single stolen device useless. You can also use programs that allow you to remotely wipe lost devices once they’ve been reported. Thus, any cookies, caches, and data are out-of-reach.

Physical security of technology used to be easier when you had a single office with a privately owned server and desktop computers.

Mobile devices and working on the go are all but required to keep up with your competitors. So go to Bluwater Technologies to get started on closing gaps in your security.

Warning Flags – Does Your Organization Need Better IT Support?

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As the field of technology continues to grow exponentially, the tools and services it offers to organizations to help grow their own business are increasing exponentially as well.  More and more, organizations are finding creative ways to use technology to reach more customers, expand their production capabilities and provide better service to their own clientele. So when the company they rely on for IT support is not performing as well as expected, there are often significant repercussions to their own bottom line.  In this post, we will discuss 3 warning flags that often signal it’s time to find a new IT support team.

Poor Communication Channels

You have a problem or a question so you attempt to contact your IT support company by phone or email.  You either experience lengthy waits while on hold, or they do allow you to leave a message, but they never respond back to you.  Email isn’t any better.  They either send an automated email acknowledging you right away and promise to get in touch with you, or they do eventually respond to your request, but their response time was very slow.

More Inactive than Proactive

You find yourself contacting your IT support company with information about your latest security concerns, or perhaps a new technology trend that sounds as if it could be useful for your company, rather than the other way around.  In other words, your organization seems more on top of the latest technology threats and trends than the company you rely on for your IT support.

Increasing Downtime

Perhaps initially you were satisfied with the level of downtime your company experienced, but lately, it seems you are experiencing more and more IT issues, which is affecting your ability to do business.  Perhaps your IT support company has taken on too many clients or they are experiencing personnel issues.  In any case, a support company that doesn’t respond promptly to their own issues, probably can’t respond quickly to your organization’s IT issues either.

Here at Bluwater Technologies, we understand the importance of providing prompt, proactive, and effective IT support to our clients in order to provide the essential underlying support required to grow their businesses.  Please contact us today to learn more about our commitment to supporting excellence.

Why Your Company Needs Data Encryption

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Data Encryption

Are you doing enough to safeguard your company’s data from cyber threats? According to a report published by Panda Labs, approximately 18 million new malware threats were identified in Q3 2016, which translates into roughly 200,000 threats per day.

Of course, you can protect your data from hacking and other cyber threats with encryption services. It’s often viewed as the single most effective way to protect data. So, what is it and how does it work?

What is Data Encryption?

Encryption is the process of encoding information so that it’s only “readable” by the intended user or users. This doesn’t prevent unauthorized users from accessing the data — nor is that the intention. Rather, it prevents users from reading the data unless they have the corresponding key.

Encryption works by using an algorithm to convert the data into a special code. Once encrypted, only users with the associated key can decrypt and read it.

Benefits

The single most common reason cited for data encryption is protected from cyber threats. Firewalls, spam blockers, and anti-malware/virus software are all effective safeguards to protect data from unauthorized use, but encrypting it adds another layer that companies can use to further strengthen their internal security.

While there’s no law specifically requiring you to encrypt data, it’s often used to reinforce compliance, such as in the case of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. HIPAA Security Rules require doctors and other covered entities to implement technical safeguards to protect their data from disclosure — and there’s no stronger technical safeguard than encryption.

To learn more about data encryption and how it can safeguard your business from disaster, contact us today.