Posts

Easy ways to continually assess your IT service

/in /by

Do you know how well your IT equipment is performing? If you don’t, now may be the time to start checking in.

Evaluating your IT services ensures they’re performing well on the tasks they’re set to execute. It’s also a reliable way to make sure you’re getting value for money and avoiding potential security flaws. If you’re not yet continually evaluating your IT service, here are some ways to do so.

Why you should monitor your IT services

Like most business owners, you’ll probably find that your IT services are the cornerstone of your day to day operations. This makes periods of downtime potentially disastrous. Continuous monitoring allows you to see how well your systems function and identify any flaws before they cause significant problems.

You should also monitor your IT services for potential vulnerabilities. Vulnerabilities include security flaws that could result in data being stolen or processes that may inadvertently introduce malware or ransomware to your systems. Ransomware is a particularly big problem. So big that research anticipates a business is attacked by a cybercriminal every 11 seconds, and damage costs from these attacks will hit around $20 billion by 2021.

How continuous IT monitoring works

Continuous IT monitoring is adapted to fit your particular organization. Many companies will monitor how their servers are operating and look for ways to make them more efficient. Such monitoring looks at your IT systems’ overall health and helps you find ways to make it better. It gives you the chance to spot problems at the earliest opportunity. Once you’re aware of them, you can act to reverse the damage.

You can also use vulnerability threat management to keep your IT systems safe. This type of management identifies threats as they arise, assesses the potential damage, and then remedies the issue. Usually, this type of monitoring is automated. You do not want to skimp here. According to some statistics, cybercrime is the biggest threat to every company. Cybersecurity Ventures predicted that cybercrime would cost the world $6 trillion annually by 2021.

Mobile device management

In addition to monitoring the IT systems at your premises and any cloud-based services you use, you should consider mobile device management. As the name suggests, mobile device management monitors any mobile devices you and your employees use. It allows you to operate a BYOD policy without putting too much strain on your existing IT workforce.

Mobile device management can also help you oversee issues such as access control and the type of data your employees have on their phones. You may want to use it to control what your employees can and cannot access remotely. In doing so, you make it easier to remove data and revoke access once an employee is no longer with you. Additionally, you are preventing your employees from introducing security flaws to your network.

Continuously monitoring your IT services isn’t about wielding too much control. Instead, it’s an opportunity for you to keep your systems safe and ensure they’re reaching peak efficiency. By outsourcing IT monitoring to another organization, you can achieve 24/7 cover without over-burdening your IT staff.

3 Things your managed service provider should do every month

/in /by

Your business relies on IT to survive and thrive. It’s nearly impossible for a modern business to survive without properly leveraging technology. Unfortunately, many business owners choose to neglect their technology needs. Some justify this course of action by saying state-of-the-industry IT is too expensive or that hiring a managed service provider is an unnecessary substitute for hard work and elbow grease. This is a dangerous philosophy, especially in an increasingly digital economy.  The paradigm is shifting. In 2019, 52% of small business owners planned to outsource a business practice, including IT services.

Excellent IT is about working smarter, not harder. It’s about cutting down on the legwork your employees have to do so that they can focus on their most important tasks. Great technology helps your talent shine so that your business can compete against larger, more connected competitors. Not too long ago, it was difficult for smaller companies to access these solutions. Thanks to the emergence of managed service providers specializing in IT outsourcing, excellent IT is accessible and affordable for businesses of any size, and the market is growing.  According to a recent study, the global managed services market is forecast to reach more than 200 billion U.S. dollars by 2020.

You may be considering working with a managed service provider for the first time. If that’s the case, you’re probably curious about what kind of service to expect from the partnership. Beyond the initial project, you can expect several ongoing services from your managed service provider. Here are three things you should expect from your service each month.

1. Network performance updates

Every reputable managed service provider should offer ongoing maintenance and network monitoring for their clients. Network monitoring shouldn’t just be a silent feature that you pay for and never reap its benefits. A responsible managed service provider will have a proactive attitude toward network monitoring and keep you apprised of your network’s strengths and weaknesses.

Knowing how your network is doing enables you to work with your managed service provider to remedy pain points and optimize your processes to take advantage of your network’s strengths. It’s also important to stay informed of threats to your network, like emerging phishing and ransomware trends.

2. Current tech trends

It’s a managed service provider’s job to stay informed of the latest trends in technology. In a traditional setting, upgrading software and hardware is a huge hassle and expense for most companies. Part of outsourcing IT is knowing that your technology is as current as possible. That means your managed service provider should take the necessary steps to inform you of emerging technology solutions and how they can help your business. Having expert counsel a phone call away means that your business never has to lag again.

3. Personalized service

Even if a managed service provider monitors your network proactively, some things are hard to spot remotely. A reputable managed service provider will check in with their clients on an individual basis to discuss what is and isn’t working. This kind of one-on-one service strengthens the partnership and leads to superior service in the future.

Your managed service provider has many responsibilities and will help your business in a variety of ways, but these three practices, in particular, are excellent signs of professionalism and commitment. If you think your business could benefit from managed IT services, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’d love to learn about your business and discuss what AppSolute can do to change your world.

Cyber threats you don’t know about (but you absolutely should)

/in /by

The reality is that cyber crime is everywhere. It’s one of the top concerns your organization faces – information theft is now overwhelmingly the most common crime committed against a business. Even more worryingly, hackers are attacking computers at the rate of one attack every 39 seconds, which means your IT infrastructure faces countless hacking attempts each day.

While ransomware and malware are still among the most common tools used by hackers to target organizations, there are other threats emerging that every business should know about.

5 less commonly known cyber threats

Although new cyber threats are emerging all the time, there are some which you’re less likely to have heard of. But, they can be just as dangerous. Here are our top 5 obscure cyber threats that you should know about.

1. Denial of service

Denial of service is when hackers use a number of computers and devices to direct huge volumes of traffic to a single database or service. The traffic volume overwhelms the target and it goes offline.

Denial of service attacks cause serious damage to businesses because they can’t provide their service while they’re under attack, which in turn affects their bottom line.

2. Cryptojacking

Cryptojacking is all about bitcoin. With cryptojacking, hackers use someone else’s device to generate bitcoin for them. The process is known as mining. They do this by planting a malware-type program on the computer and running it in the background where the other person won’t notice it. 

3. Zero-day exploits

Zero-day exploits are an ever-growing problem. Put simply, zero-days are software vulnerabilities that haven’t been fixed yet. When a developer releases a patch to fix the problem, users soon download and install the fix. Hackers then have a limited window of opportunity for exploiting the vulnerability, hence the name “zero-day”.

4. Attack on IoT devices

IoT devices are everywhere, which makes them a prime target for hackers. They can be manipulated and taken over by hackers who might use them as part of a larger orchestrated cyber attack, or cyber criminals can harvest information from their owners. IoT devices are particularly vulnerable because they’re often running outdated software and security.

5. Man in the middle

Man in the middle, or MitM, is an alarming new threat that’s often very hard to spot. Here, a hacker positions themselves between the sender and the recipient of an electronic message. They don’t just receive the messages – they can change them, too.

While the sender and recipient think they’re corresponding directly with each other, they’re connecting through this hacker who intercepts every correspondence.

MitM is a technique often used by military and political hackers, but it can be used by hackers to target anyone, whatever sector you’re operating in.

How to protect your business from the latest in cyber crime

The good news is, there are a few steps you can take to limit your exposure to cyber criminals.

  • Partner with a managed services provider for up-to-date security information and custom cybersecurity packages tailored to your business.
  • Stay suspicious of emails and unsolicited correspondence encouraging you to click on links or provide information.
  • Back up your key business data.
  • Train your staff on how to spot common threats such as phishing and spearing attacks.

Conclusion

As hackers become increasingly sophisticated, it’s highly unlikely that rates of cyber crime will fall any time soon. For more information on protecting yourself against cyber threats and bolstering your cybersecurity, contact us now.

The 6 biggest benefits you’ll get from an ERP system

/in /by

At some point, you’re going to want to look into ways to make your business more effective and streamline your business process. You’re going to want it to be cost-effective, and able to withstand any future changes to your business. You also want it to meet the specific needs of your business, to focus on your strengths, and identify and remedy any weaknesses.

That’s where an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system comes into play. ERP management can integrate all of the different aspects of your business including purchasing, planning, inventory, sales, marketing, budgets, and human resources. 

Before installing such a system, you’ll want to ask yourself how the benefits of ERP can best serve your business needs.

1. A better view of your business process

Many companies suffer from not being able to look at all of the different aspects of their business, how they’re operating together, and then determining if what is happening is working in the company’s best interest. Decisions become more difficult. Efficiency drops, as do profits.

By centralizing business data–sales, inventory, resource allocation, and others–you can improve the “big picture” of your business to determine where bottlenecks or other problems may lie. You can uncover what conditions might be leading to customer dissatisfaction.

Armed with this information, you can determine which departments might be able to enhance their performance, reduce repetition, or improve their supply chain. Streamlining your business process will lead to a more efficient and productive business.

For mobility advantages with a centralized system for accessing information and business applications, your employees have an easier time conducting business in the field. Orders are placed more efficiently, inventory information is more quickly available, service calls are streamlined, and more.

2. Improved cooperation

While a certain amount of autonomy among the various departments within your business makes good sense, sometimes it can block communication. By centralizing how data is collected and shared between departments, you can reduce wasteful, repetitive procedures and ensure that everybody is working with the same up-to-date information.

When you add cloud computing with shared resources, you can also step up your company’s collaboration game. Projects get completed more quickly and employees have immediate access to information, no matter where they are physically located, as long as they have a secure Internet connection.

3. Enhanced inventory control

ERP systems are particularly useful when it comes to keeping track of inventory, orders, supply chains, and services. Every item and resource can be followed from start to finish. This controls situations in which orders get lost or shipped incorrectly, or when manufacturing gets held up from lack of supply or people-power.

Nothing gets lost in the shuffle. This saves you time, money, and aggravation.

4. Greater customer service

With an effective enterprise resource planning program in place, customers should be able to place orders more easily and even track the order’s progress themselves. They will know who to contact and how, should issues arise or they wish to amend their order.

ERP can be used to oversee customer interaction, information, and history. This means sales teams are better equipped to interact with customers–even preparing solutions for customers before the customer is even aware they’re needed.

5. Stronger security and regulatory compliance

Some businesses turn issues such as security and regulatory compliance into a “fix it when it becomes a problem” sort of scenario. This can end up being expensive and can lead to unwanted downtime. It would be better, perhaps, to have these issues addressed and handled at the very start. That’s something an ERP system can do.

Network security protocols, firewalls, encryption, and other IT issues related to keeping your data safe and your communications protected can be set up when creating your ERP system. If regulatory compliance is prioritized at the beginning, you save yourself headaches later.

6. Scalability benefits

ERP software systems are not a one-size-fits-all sort of thing. Rather, it can be customized to fit the unique needs of your business and, better yet, adapted to meet the changing needs of your business over time. There is no risk of starting over again in a few years after your business grows or changes focus.

Users of your ERP system can be added or removed as your staff changes. Inventory and services can be adjusted to fit the evolving nature of your business. In short, the scalability and flexibility of an ERP system can serve your needs for the long term, while delivering savings by reducing installation costs of a new system every few years.

Implementing an ERP system

There are many reasons to implement an ERP system. Most come down to improving the efficiency of your business process, the productivity of your employees, the effectiveness of your customer service, data and communication security, and adhering to a managed budget.

It’s important to do your research on ERP system providers and insist on one who treats you as a partner, understands your business’s unique needs, and feels invested in your success. At Appsolute, we are keenly interested in how we can help best express your business through technology. Contact us today if you’d like to learn more about how we can do that.

8 Business Benefits of Having Managed Services

/in /by

Operating a business is a daunting task. Ensuring that it will continue to grow and be profitable is even more daunting. But you’re not alone – you can take advantage of the many benefits of managed IT services. They can save you time and money and help your business grow.

Here are 8 you can business benefits you can leverage for yourself.

Scalable Icon

1. Ability to Scale

When your company grows, you need to have your IT support keep up with the pace. You can dynamically use managed IT services as you need them to help you through your growth process, adjusting how much help you need along the way.

You can scale to the level of support that best fits your needs and accommodates the growth stage you’re at. If you require a lot of IT support to accommodate a spike during holiday seasons, you’ve got it. If you want to go into low-maintenance, day-to-day mode, that’s okay too.

Divider

Related: What Does an MSP Actually Do?

Divider

More Item Icon

2. More Time to Focus on Strategic and Innovative Projects

With managed IT services, your staff will have more time to concentrate on projects that help enhance your bottom-line profits, including strategic and innovative projects. Since managed IT service providers act as partners rather than replacements for your existing staff, you can rely on them to take on smaller projects and processes when you need your core IT team to work on more important tasks.

In essence, your company can focus more on doing business rather than administrative tasks or training.

Processes icon

3. Streamlined IT Business Processes

A managed IT service provider can provide a streamlined process for your company to help you save time. All your problems are resolved quickly, thereby speeding up your business processes.

No more waiting around for the IT guy to get to your tickets. A dedicated team of IT pros can handle your requests in mere minutes.

Divider

Related: 5 Ways Managed IT Services Help Growing Businesses

Divider

Reduce Labor Icon

4. Reduced of Cost of Labor

Employee benefits can easily consume a business’s budget. However, a managed IT service team helps to reduce labor costs through contracted services.

In practice, you won’t have to worry about funding the fringe benefits of an IT team, such as healthcare insurance. You’ll save on training costs, too.

24/7 Icon

5. IT Support 24/7

Managed IT service providers offer more flexibility because they are able to leverage a dedicated team that can provide help any time of the day, any day of the week.

That’s because many managed service providers (or MSPs) have teams at the ready that can connect to your systems remotely from anywhere at any time.

Reduce Cost Icon

6. Control and Reduce Costs

Managed IT services can provide insight on bottlenecks that may be hampering operational efficiency and provide you with control, which can help you reduce costs over time.

In other words, managed IT services team help you minimize unexpected costs.

You can use that predictability to craft better IT budgets. In turn, you can better plan out your business expenses, which gives you the freedom to reallocate capital to wherever you need it most.

Qualified Expert Icon

7. Leverage Qualified Experts With Experience

When you hire your own in-house team, it’s up to you to choose the “right” people. But what exactly does “right” entail? It’s anyone that meets your current needs, and the ones in the foreseeable future.

For example, you might want to hire a desktop support technician now to handle daily tickets. However, you probably don’t want to hire a cloud architect for a single project.

The beauty of managed IT services is that you can get both, on demand. You can have the full support of a dedicated IT team, and still get the expertise you need from a senior engineer for occasional projects.

Network Security Icon

8. Enhanced Security and Compliance

Making sure you’re in compliance with regulations and local laws can be a difficult and costly task. That’s because adhering to compliance regulations often means implementing and maintaining a robust security infrastructure and following a stringent protocol.

But, with the help of managed IT services, you can reduce these costs and ensure compliance thanks to the enhanced security expertise and tools the team uses. This helps reduce liability and security risks and their associated costs.

Moreover, if you lose critical data to a breach or leak, it could lead to huge lawsuits and a damaged reputation. That’s difficult to recover from – just look at what happened to Target in 2013.

Managed Services for Your Own Benefit

Managed IT services offer a whole host of benefits that you can leverage to enhance your enterprise. From being able to help your company quickly scale as needed to keeping up with security and compliance regulations, there is much to take advantage of when it comes to managed IT services.

While recognizing the benefits of managed IT services is important, it’s also important to consider reputable managed IT service teams.

Appsolute has the expertise and experience to unlock all the benefits of managed services for your business. By leveraging these benefits, you’ll be able to provide your business with the qualified IT support it needs and be on your way to a better bottom-line.

 

Welcome to the AppSolute Blog

/in /by

Greetings and welcome to AppSolute Consulting Group, LLC and our new blog.  AppSolute is a New York based firm that provides business management software and complementary technology solutions to small and medium-sized businesses in the tri-state area as well as around the world.  This blog site will provide valuable insights, tips and tricks, and additional guidance for companies interested in upgrading business systems or getting the most out of today’s business solutions.

AppSolute is a full-service provider of technology-based software for companies that are interested in improving productivity and profitability by replacing outdated software with modern business solutions.  We are a certified Microsoft, Sage and Acumatica partner, each of which offer powerful enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) solutions.

Our team of experts include project managers, programmers, system analysts, network engineers, and certified public accountants.  With a depth of knowledge in both business technology and the unique pain points experienced in many industries, our team can deliver knowledgeable, relevant support when providing a needs analysis, implementation planning, custom programming, help desk support, and other IT services.

Our goal is to provide businesses with the technology that they need to be successful and the support services that keeps these solutions running at peak capacity.  To support these services, we have added a blog page to our website.  Our blog posts will include helpful information about Microsoft, Acumatica, and Sage business solutions, relevant industry insights, and other IT information that you can use to strengthen your company and business processes.

Modern business technology has come a long way in recent years.  Today’s ERP and CRM solutions are no longer out of reach for the small and mid-sized businesses that compete with larger corporations.  Microsoft, Acumatica, and Sage solutions are affordable, intuitive, and can provide the control and insight you need to grow your business.   Contact the experts at AppSolute for additional information about the business solutions that can support your corporate goals and drive growth.

By AppSolute Consulting Group, LLC, Microsoft, Acumatica, and Sage Partner out of New York