Introduction
Nowadays, all businesses – regardless of size – depend on their IT infrastructure to not only remain competitive but also handle day-to-day tasks. Technology has automated a plethora of tasks, from payroll administration to stocktaking. But it’s also enabled businesses to streamline their marketing and sales operations, open up new revenue streams, and make communication with new and old customers seamless. Managed IT Services can support your technology even more.
Almost all companies store sensitive information and data pertaining to their accounts and customers. And that data is lucrative. Even if you operate a small business, you can’t afford to assume you won’t be targeted by opportunistic cyber criminals that exploit vulnerabilities. You also can’t assume no other problems will affect your network – power outages and brown-outs, for example.
If you don’t think you have the time or resources to keep your IT infrastructure updated and secure, you need to learn more about managed IT services. Essentially, you can outsource all your IT maintenance and security needs to a team of experts, enabling them to deal with technical issues, cyber threats, updates and data backups remotely, whether you’re sitting at your computer or not.
What’s included in managed IT services?
At Emerge Digital, we’re one of the UK’s leading managed IT service providers, offering services ranging from software installations to remote monitoring and everything in between. Some of our most sought-after managed IT services include:
Managed cyber security
Cyber crime is on the rise, and the pandemic has only made matters worse now that people rely on their devices more than ever before. Criminals often target small enterprises with weak security systems in place. Fortunately, you can achieve the same level of protection as the world’s largest corporations with our managed web security and managed antivirus services.
Remote access
If you ever experience technical issues with your network, one of our IT specialists can address the problem without fuss. We can remotely access your systems to diagnose and fix the problem quickly to minimise downtime to your business. As a result, we could help you save a small fortune in losses.
Data backup and recovery
Your data is vital to the day-to-day running of your business. It’s essential for forecasting, calculating your ROI, reaching customers with targeted communications, record-keeping, and much more. For that reason, you need to back up your data frequently and make sure you can recover it quickly in the event of a breach. Or, you could let our experts do everything for you.
Cloud services
Thanks to cloud solutions offered by the likes of Microsoft, Adobe and Google, you don’t need to install software on onsite servers to keep your business running. You can simply pay an affordable monthly fee to access the services you need, which are stored in the cloud. If you need help migrating to the cloud, we’re the company to call.
Let us handle your digital transformation
At Emerge Digital, we can oversee, manage and secure your entire IT infrastructure and network, saving you time, money and effort while mitigating risks to your business. If you want to learn more about managed IT services and how they can benefit you, don’t hesitate to call us.
Introduction
Many business owners are starting to realise that cybercrime is a very real threat that can affect just about anybody – so IT disaster recovery is more important than ever. Stealing data from a large corporation might be extremely lucrative but hacking into vulnerable systems put in place by small enterprises is more straightforward for hackers. That’s why all companies face the risk of falling victim to cybercrime. But it’s not just criminals that pose a threat to your IT infrastructure.
Natural and man-made disasters as well as issues like power outages and brownouts can all result in the loss of data and business downtime, both of which can be costly. In fact, recent studies suggest that around 93% of businesses that experience downtime for more than 10 days go bankrupt within a year. That eerie statistic makes the fact that around 75% of small businesses have no disaster recovery plan in place especially worrying.
In some cases, small businesses neglect to implement a robust IT disaster recovery strategy because they think they lack the time and resources. Or, they assume they’ll never fall victim to cybercrime, but that’s an assumption you can’t afford to make.
So, why is implementing an IT disaster recovery plan so crucial? And how can you protect your network?
Why you need an IT disaster recovery plan
Just some reasons why you need an IT disaster recovery plan include:
Hardware can fail
Modern IT hardware may be admirably resistant to technical issues and failures, but nothing in this world is perfect. Power outages, overheating, brownouts and even natural disasters can all cause hardware problems, leading to lost data. This is why you need to back up your data frequently and be able to recover it quickly in the event of a hardware failure.
Humans make mistakes
Forgetting to save documents, data-entry issues and incorrect hardware shutdowns can all lead to data loss, and even the most cautious of us can make mistakes. With a disaster recovery plan that includes incremental online data backups, you can easily restore your files to an error-free state.
Customers expect perfection
The World Wide Web has forced businesses to be more accountable and transparent, which has increased competition in just about all industries. You don’t want to lose customers to competitors due to a problem such as a power outage that leads to data loss.
Cybercrime is on the rise
Cybercrime has been on the rise for years, and the pandemic has accelerated the trend. Many hackers want to get their hands on your lucrative data, sabotaging your business in the process. You need to make sure you can get that data back as well as implement measures to minimise the risk of a cyberattack in the first place.
How our managed IT services can help
At Emerge Digital, we offer a fully-managed and remote data backup and recovery service so that you can concentrate on your core business without having to worry about criminals, hardware failures or human error causing costly downtime. From automatic security updates to frequent virtual backups and data archiving, we can do it all.
Call us, and we’ll let you know how we can secure your business for an affordable monthly fee, freeing up your time and resources in the process.
Introduction
Disaster recovery as part of cloud computing services offers a less labour intensive and safer way to protect your organisational data. Instead of building an off-site facility with servers onto which you must manually transfer the data you wish to protect, you can store all of your data in the cloud and fully automate your backup and recovery procedures. Once your company starts to take advantage of cloud computing and storage services, you will gain access to a range of secure backup and recovery facilities that are far more appealing from a cost standpoint than conventional disaster recovery options.
How Cloud Disaster Recovery Differs from Traditional Disaster Recovery
Disaster recovery in the cloud differs from conventional disaster recovery measures in a number of important, beneficial ways.
Cost
Before the widespread availability of cloud computing services, companies had to locate physical servers in remote locations, in order to protect their data from critical hardware failure. The costs associated with this approach to data backup and recovery are quite substantial: the cost of the servers and off-site infrastructure, must be added to the cost of the building in which this equipment is located. With cloud computing however, comes the ability to pay for storage and software as a service, which means your organisation can access the server space and connectivity it requires on a pay-as-you-go basis rather than having to use precious capital to build an off-site data backup and recovery facility.
Convenience
As mentioned earlier, the very nature of cloud computing and data storage makes it easy to automate backup and recovery procedures, obviating the need for your IT team to spend countless hours on manual data backup and equipment maintenance tasks. Furthermore, cloud storage is infinitely scalable, enabling you to increase or decrease your storage and associated costs as your needs change over time. The maintenance of the hardware and software that your data recovery strategy requires is handled by the company that provides your cloud computing services and is built into the price that you pay.
Multiple Backup Locations
A reputable cloud computing service provider will provide your company with the option to store critical data in multiple geographical locations, providing unrivalled protection against hardware and software failure. To replicate this model using conventional data recovery strategies would be prohibitively expensive for many companies but when paying for hardware and software as a service, it becomes a viable option for organisations of all sizes. Whether you are running a business as a sole trader or you have thousands of employees spread across the globe, a cloud data recovery solution will prove to be your safest and most economical choice.
If you would like to find out more about cloud data recovery in general or you are keen to talk to one of our specialists about our managed backup and recovery services, please get in touch with us whenever convenient. We offer highly-secure, scalable hybrid cloud data recovery solutions that run on our sophisticated Remote Monitoring and Support platform.
Introduction
Cloud IT Services are becoming increasingly popular with businesses of all sizes due to the perceived cost-saving benefits. But is cloud computing really cheaper than installing on-site hardware to power your company’s IT infrastructure? By switching to the cloud, you won’t need any on-site hardware or the staff to maintain it. However, you will likely need to pay a monthly subscription fee to use cloud services, where you might only need to cover the initial installation fees to get up-and-running with on-site hardware (though there are plenty of other costs involved over the long term). So, let’s look at cloud computing and how it can help you save money.
How much does it cost to switch to cloud computing?
When compared to installing on-site software, getting set up with cloud-hosted solutions can be dramatically cheaper. Generally speaking, there are no upfront costs for cloud solutions. Instead of paying an installation fee, you’ll utilise hardware stored in external data centres and pay a monthly subscription to access the services you need. You might think that means switching to the cloud will cost you more in the long run, but you should remember that maintaining and running on-site hardware can add up to a small fortune. Most studies show that in the long run, switching to the cloud helps businesses save money.
Do I need to handle software and security updates at my own expense?
If you choose to power your IT infrastructure using on-site hardware, you’ll need to stay on top of security, software and equipment updates. This can be tricky for many business owners given the rate at which technology evolves. And, it can be expensive. Switch to cloud solutions, and somebody else will handle software and security updates automatically as well as keep their servers in top shape. Plus, the more clients a cloud provider has utilising their cloud IT services, the lower their costs become, meaning they can pass on the savings to you.
Can switching to the cloud reduce my energy usage?
Install on-site hardware, and you’ll need to spend a lot on power. You’ll likely need to power your equipment 24 hours a day, and you may not run your servers optimally with regards to energy consumption. Use cloud-hosted solutions, and you can use off-site servers that your provider pays to power. Plus, because those off-site servers power cloud solutions for lots of clients, power economy can be optimised. Again, this means cloud providers can pass on savings to you.
Can I save on wages by switching to the cloud?
If you intend to install on-site hardware, you’ll need a team of qualified and highly experienced IT technicians to keep your equipment in full working order, and that means committing to full-time wages. With cloud computing, you don’t need to worry about employing a team of IT maintenance specialists because everything is dealt with remotely.
Does switching to the cloud reduce the risk of redundancies and downtime?
Redundancies and downtime can be huge – and costly – problems for businesses of all sizes. In most cases, you can’t rely on a single item of hardware to handle all your IT requirements and keep things up and running. What happens if your main server fails? How much money could you lose as a result of the downtime? Cloud providers use multiple servers, each one being able to take over another’s role should it fail, which significantly reduces the risk of downtime.
Overall, cloud computing is much more cost-effective than using on-site hardware to power your IT equipment. If you want to know more about the cost-saving benefits of the cloud, don’t hesitate to call us.
Introduction
Nowadays, every business requires a robust IT infrastructure to maximise efficiency, boost productivity, and remain competitive in a world where the latest technology can give you a serious edge over the competition – and a managed IT service can do just that. Most businesses assume that in order to power and maintain their IT solutions and network, they need to hire a team of qualified IT technicians. But there is another option.
Instead of hiring in-house IT specialists, you could outsource all your IT requirements, from software and security updates to application upgrades, to a managed service provider. MSPs can monitor your network remotely, handling tasks automatically so that you can concentrate on your core business. Moreover, managed service providers can save you a small fortune. So, what other benefits do managed service providers offer?
How can managed IT service providers help me manage my budget?
Take control of your own IT infrastructure, and you’ll need to pay a team of specialists to keep it up and running. As your business grows, you might need to expand that team and increase your fixed expenses as a result. If you need to downsize, you could stand to lose a lot of revenue in the form of wages. Partner with an MSP, and you can pay a set monthly fee for all your IT requirements, enabling you to take full control over your budget and scale your needs as required.
Can managed service providers help me reduce business downtime?
Equipment, software and security issues can all lead to business downtime, a problem that can result in losses of thousands of pounds. Because managed IT service providers can keep a watchful eye on your network around the clock and handle software and security updates automatically, they can reduce the risk of downtime dramatically, which could save you a small fortune.
Is it better to have in-house IT technicians or outsource to a managed service provider?
There’s no denying that having in-house IT technicians can be beneficial – it’s just often unnecessary and expensive. Recruitment alone is a process that can cost thousands of pounds not to mention take a lot of time. Then, you need to train and develop your employees as well as commit to full-time wages. And given that you can’t always predict how your IT requirements might change, managing an in-house IT team can be extremely challenging. Outsource your IT needs to an MSP, and you can remove this obstacle altogether.
How can managed service providers boost productivity in my workplace?
Let’s say you already have a team of highly qualified IT specialists; you might like them to handle profit or customer-oriented tasks, but if problems arise with your network, you’ll have to utilise their skills for maintenance and repairs. If maintenance and repairs are handled remotely, you can get the most from your IT team, boosting workplace productivity in the process.
Can managed IT service providers make sure I remain compliant?
Managed IT service providers can make sure you become and remain compliant with any IT and data laws that pertain to your business. If you store, collect or use client data, you have a legal obligation to keep it safe. A managed service provider can do this for you, helping you become compliant without you having to lift a finger.
What happens if I need IT support after business hours?
In addition to helping you save money and prevent problems, managed service providers remain available 24 hours a day, meaning you can always get urgent assistance regardless of when an issue arises.
If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of MSPs, we’d love to hear from you. Simply give us a call, and we’ll explain the advantages of our services in more detail.
