By Rachel Noe
Searching for a managed services provider and determining exactly the services your business needs is an easily overwhelming process. There are many options available to you. We have been asked many times what different
managed services there are and how an organization might employ them. As an entry in our Q&A series, we take a look at a few of the different managed services options available to you through a provider like Claris.
Managed Computer Support
Let’s say you have the IT hardware but lack the time or technical staff to maintain it. This is a common experience among growing businesses, and is the point where managed computer support comes into the picture. This service ensures that each issue that affects your company’s devices is handled by a competent technician with experience resolving issue. This can also include remote monitoring of computers (and other hardware), which enables your provider to resolve many issues remotely, minimizing the effect on your workday and productivity.
Guest Post by Jason Graf
When I started in IT (late 90’s), the way technology in business was implemented was pretty straight forward. A company has a need, so they go buy something and do their best to implement and support it. When companies partnered with someone to help them design and implement a network, long-term support was often the responsibility of the company. Over time, as companies have gotten leaner, they have learned to lean more heavily on 3
rd party providers to accomplish their goals. Often, this leaves IT professionals wondering where exactly we fit in the picture. How do they show value to an employer if everything the company needs is provided by someone else? The point of this article is to discuss where the value of IT professionals is in an organization, and what that means for businesses.
Seriously, this cloud computing stuff is amazing.
Thanks to a hefty gust of wind and some rickety old trees, the power will be out at the Claris Networks building all day. For a group of 50 people that rely on computers, phones and a connection to the internet to do their job, that could be devastating. Thankfully, we drink our own Kool-Aid here at Claris Networks.
With our core applications hosted in the cloud and VoIP office lines rerouted to cell phones, we haven’t missed a beat. More importantly, those clients we support haven’t either.
Ironically, a prominent reason many small and medium-sized business are joining the cloud is the same reason many are hesitant to: security. A common myth is that as a company transitions to a cloud solution, they take a hit in the security of their data assets. In fact, the opposite is true. It’s a simple economies of scale argument: a specialized IT provider has more resources to devote to security than a small business. Instead of a single IT guy/Jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none, your business receives a team of masters.
A
September article in the Wall Street Journal points to other reasons for the transition. “Basic security tasks that often don't get done at a small enterprise—updating antivirus programs or applying patches to software—are usually part of the plain-vanilla package in the cloud.”
Who is Microsoft’s greatest competitor? Exact numbers on market share are difficult to come by, but many would say Google, with Gmail and the Google Apps suite. Ted Swanson, CEO of
IT Solutions, says “Google’s market share in the email market with Google Apps is estimated around 6%, with some people estimating around 1-2%.” Despite the common perception, Google hasn’t quite succeeded in taking over the world.