Tag Archives: ITservices

Cybersecurity, IT Support, Technology

Why Should My Business Use Penetration Testing?

Why Should My Business Use Penetration Testing?

Businesses of all sizes face a variety of security threats that can compromise their sensitive data and cripple their operations. To ensure protection against cyberattacks, organisations must adopt proactive measures. One such measure is penetration testing, a vital component of a comprehensive security strategy.

Why should my business use penetration testing?

In an era where cyberattacks are rampant, it’s crucial to take pre-emptive action to identify vulnerabilities in your systems before malicious actors exploit them. Penetration testing, also known as ethical hacking, allows you to simulate real-world attack scenarios and uncover weaknesses that could be leveraged by cybercriminals. By proactively identifying and patching vulnerabilities, you can prevent costly breaches and protect your valuable business assets.

Benefits of Penetration Testing

Comprehensive Security Assessment

An effective penetration test provides a thorough evaluation of your organisation’s security posture. It goes beyond basic vulnerability scanning and examines the resilience of your network, applications and infrastructure. By emulating the techniques used by real attackers, penetration testing uncovers hidden weaknesses that may otherwise go unnoticed.

Early Detection of Vulnerabilities

Identifying vulnerabilities at an early stage is crucial to mitigating potential risks. Penetration testing allows you to detect weaknesses in your systems before they can be exploited. This enables you to address vulnerabilities promptly, reducing the window of opportunity for attackers and minimising potential damage.

Protection of Customer Data

Businesses have a responsibility to protect the personal information entrusted to them and the large amounts of data they hold. A single data breach can lead to severe reputational damage and legal repercussions. Penetration testing assists in identifying vulnerabilities that could expose sensitive customer data, allowing you to then implement the necessary safeguards and ensure compliance with data protection regulations.

Proactive Approach to Security

Taking a proactive stance towards security is important in the ever-evolving threat landscape. Penetration testing allows you to stay one step ahead of potential attackers. By regularly conducting tests and addressing vulnerabilities, you demonstrate a commitment to strong security practices, giving your customers, partners and stakeholders confidence in your business.

Validation of Security Controls

Implementing security controls and measures is not enough if they are not effectively tested and validated. Penetration testing provides an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of your security controls and determine their vulnerability to various cyber threats. This allows you to fine-tune your defences and ensure they are capable of withstanding real-world threats.

Cost Savings in the Long Run

While investing in penetration testing may seem like an added expense, it is a wise investment that can save your business substantial costs in the long run. By proactively addressing vulnerabilities, you mitigate the risk of data breaches, system downtime, legal fines and loss of customer trust. The cost of remediation and recovery from a breach far outweighs the expenses that come with conducting regular penetration tests.

These days where cyber threats are constantly in the news, businesses must take proactive measures to safeguard their data, systems and reputation. Penetration testing offers a powerful solution to identify vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors. By conducting regular penetration tests, businesses can enhance their security framework, protect sensitive customer data and demonstrate a commitment to robust security practices.

Investing in penetration testing is an investment in the long-term success and resilience of your business. It allows you to stay one step ahead of potential attackers, detect vulnerabilities early and save costs associated with data breaches and recovery efforts. So, why should your business use penetration testing? The answer is simple: to fortify your defences, protect your valuable assets and ensure the trust and confidence of your customers.

FAQs about Penetration Testing

  • What is penetration testing?

Penetration testing is a proactive security assessment technique that simulates real-world attacks on a company’s network, systems or applications. It aims to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses that could be exploited by malicious actors.

  • How often should penetration testing be conducted?

The frequency of penetration testing depends on various factors, such as the nature of your business, industry regulations and the level of risk you face. Generally, it is recommended to conduct penetration testing at least once a year or whenever significant changes are made to your systems or infrastructure.

  • Can’t we rely on automated vulnerability scanners instead?

While automated vulnerability scanners have their place in a security strategy, they cannot replicate the ingenuity and creativity of human attackers. Penetration testing involves skilled ethical hackers who employ manual techniques to uncover complex vulnerabilities that automated scanners might miss. It provides a more comprehensive assessment of your security systems.

  • Will penetration testing disrupt our business operations?

Penetration testing is carefully planned and executed to minimise disruptions to your business operations. Ethical hackers work closely with your organisation to ensure that testing is conducted at convenient times and in a controlled manner. They prioritise the security of your systems while minimising any potential impact on day-to-day activities.

  • How long does a penetration test typically take?

The duration of a penetration test varies depending on the size and complexity of your systems. It can range from a few days to several weeks. The ethical hacking team will provide you with a clear timeline and keep you informed throughout the process.

  • What happens after the penetration test is completed?

After the penetration test is completed, you will receive a detailed report outlining the vulnerabilities identified, their potential impact and recommended remediation actions. This report serves as a valuable roadmap for improving your security posture. The ethical hacking team can also provide guidance and support in implementing the necessary measures to address the identified vulnerabilities.

IT Support, Managed IT Services, MSP

The difference between small and large MSPs

The difference between small and large MSPs

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often face the challenge of managing their IT systems and infrastructure without specific in-house resources. This can result in IT issues that disrupt business operations and impact productivity. To address these challenges, SMEs can choose from a variety of IT support options, including ad-hoc support, small managed service providers (MSPs) and large MSPs to improve their IT system optimisation. Each option has its advantages and drawbacks, and the choice depends on the specific needs and budget of the SME.

A separate post will detail what ad-hoc IT services are and why, for a company reliant on its computers and that has more than five computers, this should not be how they manage their IT. This post will focus on the difference between smaller, established MSPSs and larger, enterprise-level MSPs.

Established MSPs

Established MSPs are on par with large MSPs in terms of their services, resources, expertise and cost. They just have a smaller team (under 30 staff) and typically work with small and medium-sized businesses rather than larger ones. This is where Pronet Technology falls. We are not a large MSP but we’re established with immense managed service experience as well as Cyber Security experience, the latter being something many larger MSPs don’t even specialise in. In terms of cost, we go in and evaluate the needs of your business and base your package around that. If you don’t need all the services we provide, we don’t offer those, so the price will be different than what our other clients are paying. This means the price could also be more, or less, than what other MSPs are charging, it just depends on the needs of your business.

Enterprise MSPs

Large, enterprise MSPs, like Brennan IT and Powernet IT Support, typically have a broader range of services, resources and expertise than smaller MSPs, and may offer 24/7 support and specialist solutions. Large MSPs can provide SMEs with comprehensive IT solutions and greater scalability, but may also have higher costs due to overheads and less personalised service. SMEs may have to navigate complex service contracts and may not have direct access to the same technicians or engineers each time they require support.

The differences between the two

Personalisation

One of the big drawbacks of working with a large, enterprise-level managed service provider is that they offer less personalisation for their clients. A smaller MSP can look at your company and systems and tailor a plan that works for you, ensuring you’re receiving adequate security and service while also not trying to ‘over-service’ you with technology you don’t need. They can offer customised service plans that meet each client’s specific needs, rather than offering a one-size-fits-all solution.

With a larger MSP, your point of contact is often an account manager whose service depends on how many other clients they manage. If they leave, you’re then stuck in limbo until another account manager is assigned to you, who may or may not offer the same level of service as the previous one. Larger MSPs may have a larger client base, which can make it more challenging to provide individualised attention to each client.

Flexibility

Due to the large size of enterprise-level MSPs, escalations are often slower as they have to go through the channels to get to the right person. You will find that smaller MSPs generally have more flexible arrangements and can come out to your business when there’s an issue relatively quickly and within your timeframe. While not always, larger MSPs are more rigid and you have to wait on them for when they’re free.

A key difference between established and enterprise-level MSPs is that they utilise different technical standards for their clients. While the cost of the managed services between the two is on par, many enterprise-level MSPs require their clients, no matter their size, to utilise higher grade hardware, such as CISCO, for their security, which may cost about $30,000, compared to an established MSP, like Pronet Technology, requiring their clients to use Sophos, which is about $3,000.

Our technology stack, that is, the software, hardware and applications we use, are more focused on small to medium-sized businesses as they’re the clients we take on, whereas a larger MSP will often require all their clients to use enterprise-level technology, regardless of their size and whether the tech is right for their business. Working with a larger MSP isn’t always beneficial, even though they may seem better and more experienced since they’re larger. You have to work out whether the MSP is right for your business.

Expertise

Large MSPs have the advantage of high-level, specific expertise in certain fields, so they have more experts and engineers within their company than smaller MSPs, so they’re fantastic for specific technologies and projects. This raises the question though, of whether those experts also know other areas of managed services. In a smaller MSP, while they might not have the in-depth expertise about a specific technology you’re after, they have general knowledge of the whole managed service industry to help give you recommendations and look after your systems. Due to the scale of the larger MSP, it may take your business longer to get access to those experts though, as your call goes to the help desk who have to ask you a range of questions before you can ever gain access to that specialist. Kind of like calling your telco or bank. Established MSPs like Pronet are smaller but with a broader knowledge span. Bigger, more specific MSPs might not be what you need unless you have a specific project or problem.

For example, an enterprise MSP might have an SAP specialist, whereas a smaller MSP, who takes accountability for your systems, takes over the issue and contacts the SAP vendor themselves. The pros and cons of this depend on the problem your business is facing. By the time the larger MSP gets onto the problem, if it’s a less complicated issue, they can deal with it right away. If it’s a complicated issue, they then have to escalate the issue further and contact SAP directly, which, by that time, the smaller MSP could already have worked the issue out with the vendor. This hierarchy system, while organised and beneficial for a larger company to manage, doesn’t always work for the client as with smaller MSPs, where all tech staff, no matter their level, are working together, then can just turn to another tech employee and ask for help.

Smaller, established MSPs are generally more invested in your business and longevity as they take on the responsibility to fix the problem even though they may not be direct experts on the issue.

24/7 Support

Most large, enterprise-level MSPs provide 24/7 support, compared to smaller MSPs who may only offer extended work hours support, such as between 6am and 11pm. This might be necessary when you run an international business, but bear in mind that this support is outsourced overseas and the help desk associates generally only have Level-one knowledge to help you. If you need more expert support, you will have to wait until normal trading hours to get the help. These days, even some trading hours help-desk support is also being handled overseas. You will find that this is not the situation with smaller established MSPs as most believe in local service and, while outsourced service is cheap to provide, we have found that most clients don’t want it. At Pronet, even though we provide extended-hour support, we have found that we rarely get called anyway, with a lot of the after-hours work driven by us when our systems inform us that there is an issue in your business, which we then fix remotely.

Geographic Coverage

Another difference between the two, due to their size, is their physical reach. A large, enterprise MSP will often have more than one office across Australia and can handle large-scale projects and clients. This means that if a client in Perth needs a hardware upgrade, such as a router, someone from their Perth office can head out to install it. For smaller MSPs, while they may have clients in other cities, many will rely on strategic local partners to fix on-site issues. This is beneficial for smaller MSPs as they can work with more clients, but since the staff are not from the MSP, they cannot control the level of service provided to the tee. If it’s a large-scale issue that needs on-site fixing, the client will often fly the MSP’s employee/s out. Since most problems can be fixed remotely, this is not often an issue, and you will find that enterprise-sized MSPs will often use partners for regional work too.

Buying Power

Enterprise-level MSPs have more buying power to purchase computers and hardware at lower costs, and larger clients are often happy to bulk buy computers to receive those discounts, which they then have stored at the MSP. Enterprise MSPs don’t have any buying power when it comes to licences and services, like Microsoft 365 and internet service, as those prices are outside their control. Keep in mind that just because the MSP can receive a discount on hardware, that doesn’t necessarily mean those savings will be passed down to the client, and definitely not for their smaller clients.

Business Structure

Larger, enterprise MSPs take longer to plan and get started on projects due to their size and hierarchy of operations, whereas smaller ones, due to having less staff and formal procedures, have shorter lead times. Having more processes and procedures to follow does make operations smoother for both the MSP and your business though, so that is an advantage. It can also, however, be a disadvantage as these processes mean the MSP is more rigid and won’t change, whereas a smaller MSP can offer more flexibility and use their judgement on projects and issues. Large MSPs may be slower to adapt to changes in the IT industry or changes in a client’s needs. They may have a larger management system and processes in place that can make it difficult to respond quickly to changes.

When MSPs begin to get incredibly large, they tend to start becoming more sales focused, which is where you find differences in cost between them and smaller providers. A smaller provider, while on par with a larger provider in terms of managed service costs, tends to be more affordable due to them not trying to sell you all their services and new technology which your business might not need. Most established MSPs are technical but operational-focused as, due to being in the trade for many years, understand business and risk management for business longevity. Newer MSPs maybe not as business inclined and are quite technical in their work and communication with your business, while larger, enterprise-level MSPs are often technical but with a sales focus where they try to push more services on you to get you to spend more.

Writing this post, we understand it might be skewed more towards the positives of smaller, established MSPs and that’s because we are one. At Pronet, we used to work with larger clients but then scaled back as we knew that SMEs were being left behind and, ultimately, we enjoy the level of service we can provide these businesses. We understand the frustrations of SMEs as we’ve had clients who have come to us who were left behind as their previous MSP grew and were, essentially, forgotten. Due to this, we’ve tailored our services and technology stack to suit small and medium-sized businesses.

That’s not to say enterprise-level MSPs are bad or unneeded, because they are certainly needed for larger businesses with 200 to 300 computers and up as they’re too large for smaller MSPs to handle. The same thing goes for small businesses with one to five computers. Unfortunately, while you might need the services of an MSP, you might struggle to find one who finds it worthwhile to take you on as a client.

Ultimately, SMEs should carefully evaluate their IT needs, budget and goals when choosing between smaller but established MSPs or large, enterprise-level MSPs. Smaller MSPs can provide ongoing support and personalised service for SMEs with more modest needs. Large MSPs can offer comprehensive IT solutions and scalability for SMEs with more complex requirements but may come with higher costs and less personalised service. Seeking advice from an IT advisor or consultant can help SMEs evaluate their options and find a provider that can deliver the right level of service and support for their unique needs. When gathering proposals from IT providers, ask them questions relevant to your business to ensure they’re the right fit for you.

Overall, SMEs need to understand that just because an MSP is larger, doesn’t mean they’re better for your business. You need to determine the needs of your business to see what is best for you.

Managed IT Services, MSP

Problems you might find working with Pronet Technology

Problems you might find working with Pronet Technology

While a strange topic to discuss as a business, ensuring your SME is properly informed about our services is crucial to our interests.

Problems

Size

Pronet Technology is an established Managed Service Provider, not a one-man or enterprise-level MSP. This may or may not suit your business needs so it is essential to understand how each size works and what you will be receiving with each.

  • Ad-hoc IT Support: Involves hiring a technician or consultant on an as-needed basis to address specific IT issues. This can be a cost-effective option for SMEs with limited IT needs, but it may not provide the support or expertise required for more complex systems or ongoing maintenance.
  • Established MSP: Larger than one-man ad-hoc IT support service but not as large as ones dealing with over 200 or 300 computers, established MSPs typically provide a range of IT services and support such as help desk support, network management and security services. Established MSPs are on par with large MSPs in terms of their services, resources, expertise and cost, they just have a smaller team and typically work with small and medium-sized businesses rather than larger ones.
  • Enterprise-level MSP: Large MSPs typically have broader resources and expertise than smaller MSPs and may offer 24/7 support, comprehensive IT solutions due to hiring niche employees — an SAP expert, for example — and greater scalability, however, they may also have higher long-term costs due to their industry technology standards and sales-focused approach, and less personalised service.

Working with Tech Staff

When dealing with IT problems in your business, one concern you might have is that the tech staff you’re dealing with might not answer your questions in ways you completely understand. Tech staff are very technologically minded and are not as eloquent with their words when speaking with those who are not so. You may have faced situations in the past where you have felt as though you were being talked down to with all the technical jargon and have left the conversation feeling even more confused than you entered it. While this is quite stereotypical, many tech staff are often quite introverted also, meaning when you do talk to them, you find you’re not quite getting all the answers you need. While not the case with Pronet, if your IT support is outsourced overseas, you also might come across heavy accents and different explanations due to colloquialisms and cultural words used.

For this reason, Pronet Technology hires by motivation, eagerness to learn and positivity. We believe that, while a technical education is essential, skills can be learned but it is the attitude of the individual that makes an employee valuable. This is our way of ensuring our IT staff can work effectively with clients while also fixing the issues you need fixing.

24/7 Support

In our over 20 years of working in the industry, we have found that most small and medium-sized businesses don’t need 24/7 support. Even clients with busy Christmas periods rarely need emergency support, but that’s not to say it’s not for you.

Even then, after-hours support is usually outsourced overseas, such as in the Philippines. MSP tech staff are either Level 2 or 3 trained whereas outsourced are mostly Level 1, so when you have an after-hours emergency, they don’t have the training required to help. This means they then need to call a local Level 2 or 3 trained staff member to come out who they may not be able to get in contact with as they’re asleep.

For that reason, Pronet Technology offers after-hours emergency support over the weekend and between 6:45am and 10:30pm to cover the early start by manufacturers and the occasional after-hours work by staff. As long as the issue gets solved quickly the following day, it’s generally not a big deal.

As one of our clients said:

“If you’re a manufacturing facility, in reality, does 24 hours really matter?”

If your current provider offers 24/7 support, it is worth asking what level those support staff are trained to see if you’re getting value from the service.

Website Security

A question to ask your MSP is ‘Do you deal with website security.’ While on our Platinum Plan, we offer website hosting and website management services, Pronet Technology doesn’t directly deal with website publishing and design. Passwords and network security are areas we work with, so this is often looked after, but website design and copywriting are often outsourced so the onus is on those working on the site to have secure networks. As a website is a function of marketing and sales, it’s best to leave this to professionals who know what they are doing

As a business owner or executive in charge of growing the company and its IT systems, it is necessary to know the pros and cons of IT providers before signing contracts. We hope this has answered any questions or lingering fears you had about our services, but if not, contact us at the number above to have a chat to see how we can help.

Cybersecurity, IT Support, Managed IT Services

What should I look for when replacing my IT service provider?

What should I look for when replacing my IT service provider?

Choosing the right Managed Service Provider (MSP) is critical for businesses to ensure that their IT systems are managed effectively and efficiently.

Do you find yourself asking, ‘How do I keep my IT systems running without any issues?’ Business owners have too many day-to-day tasks to complete and think about to want to then deal with IT issues that they don’t fully comprehend. Hence why they then delegate these tasks to others.

Working with an MSP is just that, delegating the accountability of your IT systems to experts who know what they are doing and who can handle the technical aspects of the job. As decision-makers, we know that a major sentiment is that you want IT systems that work, that the whole team is happy with, and, most importantly, systems that look after themselves. You need a provider to manage the whole system and ensure it’s running smoothly so that your staff don’t stress and waste time trying to work around it.

Ideally, unless your service provider grows and you now feel as though they don’t care about you anymore due to your business being too small, or you simply aren’t receiving the service you require for your business, you don’t want to have to change MSPs. The time and effort of researching new providers or people to help fix system issues is a hassle, which is the primary reason business owners simply stay with their provider, even though they are receiving poor service. You may feel guilty for wanting to move on or have built ties with the provider and its staff, but your IT provider should be looking out for your best interest and if they’re not, you need to start looking elsewhere.

After talking to our new clients, especially within a month of working with them, we’ve learned that many of them wish they’d changed providers years before something happened that triggered the change. So, if you’re in a similar situation, on the search for a new MSP or your business has simply grown in size that you now require one to handle your IT systems, here are some factors that separate a good MSP from a bad one.

Responsiveness

A good MSP should be responsive to their client’s needs and provide timely support when issues arise. They should have a dedicated help desk and clear escalation processes to ensure that issues are resolved quickly and that they address them in a way that reduces your business’ downtime while keeping the business running and your staff working. The MSP should have a Service Level Agreement (SLA) in place which outlines the services provided to you, response times, support constraints and your business responsibilities.

Proactivity

A good MSP should take a proactive approach to IT management, monitoring systems for potential issues and implementing preventive measures to avoid downtime and security breaches. This behind-the-scenes work from the MSP is essential for your business’ success as your company should not be reaching out when it has a problem, which is what happens with Ad-hoc support; it’s about prevention and responsiveness when an issue does end up occurring. 

Expertise

The MSP you’re changing to should have a team of skilled and experienced IT professionals with specialised knowledge in a variety of areas, including your server platform, network management and cabling, firewall, Sophos, Cisco networking and cloud computing integration, and they should be Microsoft Certified.

Expertise in Line–of–Business (LoB) Application

Line of Business applications refers to the set of critical programs that are vital to the day-to-day running of your business. These are usually large programs that contain a vast amount of capabilities integrated into them that then tie into the rest of your databases and management systems. Some examples of these are SAP, Sage and Microsoft Dynamics and each of these vendors has support systems that are separate from your IT service provider. Unfortunately, a LoB support doesn’t necessarily care about your business, just their base software, and when all your systems need to work in conjunction, you need to ensure you choose an IT provider that has exposure to your LoB. Keep in mind that most won’t have expertise in the LoB, as it’s not their field, but they should have exposure and they should be willing to take on the technical jargon and be the middleman between your business and the LoB support team. As a business, you don’t want to be the trouble-shooter, so if, for example, you have a printer problem in SAP, your IT support will then work with SAP with the technical how-tos and fix the issue. Make sure your MSP is willing to take this on.

Communication

MSPs should maintain open and transparent communication with their clients, providing regular updates on system performance, service level agreements and other important metrics. While as a business owner or manager, you’re looking to outsource your IT systems and management so that you don’t have the added stress of understanding how to fix or prevent problems, it’s still essential that you know what is happening, especially considering IT is such a crucial element of your business. You should be communicating with your MSP in a broader sense and their recommendations should be used in the long-term planning of your business.

Flexibility

You don’t want to go into partnership with a rigid MSP that have you stuck in a fixed price plan. An MSP should be able to customise its services to meet its clients’ unique needs and requirements. Every business is different and a one-size-fits-all approach won’t cut it, so the MSP should be willing to work collaboratively with you to develop customised solutions that fit your budgets and objectives.

Reliability

A good MSP should have a track record of reliability and stability, with a strong reputation and positive reviews from clients. Oftentimes, you will find this listed on their website or socials, such as testimonial quotes or videos, but make sure to check out review sites like Google and CloudTango, or even read through the comments on their socials, as well as through forums like Reddit and Quora. You might even want to read through employee reviews on Seek as this can give you an indication of how the business runs, like whether they are understaffed and taking on too many clients, meaning your company may not receive the level of service you require. 

Cyber Security

More and more companies are realising the importance of Cyber Security, so when looking to switch MSPs, make sure the provider has the practical expertise in Cyber Security and the necessary technology stacks. Traditional security such as antivirus, firewall and monitoring are just not enough when it comes to Cyber Security. If an attack occurs, Cyber Security, such as browser isolation technology, can isolate the threat within half an hour of detection into a secure computer or network, preventing it from accessing the rest of your systems. This technology is incredibly efficient so make sure the IT service provider you’re looking into has this type of technology in its systems.

Questions to ask when contacting MSPs

When searching for a managed service provider, small and medium-sized enterprises should consider asking variations of the following questions, based on the factors listed above, to make sure they are suitable for your business:

  • What services do you offer? It’s important to understand the MSP’s core offerings and whether they align with your business needs. For example, if you need help with Cyber Security or cloud computing, you’ll want to find an MSP with expertise in those areas.
  • What is your pricing structure? Make sure you understand the MSP’s pricing model, including any additional fees or charges that may apply. Ask if there are any discounts or package deals available based on your specific needs.
  • What is your level of experience? Find out how long the MSP has been in business and what types of clients they have worked with in the past. You may also want to ask about their certifications or other credentials that demonstrate their level of expertise. Other than this, ask if they have experience in or exposure to your line of business (LOB) application/s, i.e. SAP, Sage or Microsoft Dynamics.
  • How do you handle security and data privacy? Cyber Security is a major concern for SMEs, so it’s important to ask about the MSP’s approach to security and data privacy. Find out what measures they take to protect your data and what protocols are in place in case of a security breach.
  • What is your response time for support requests? Make sure you understand the MSP’s response time for support requests and whether they offer 24/7 support. Many smaller MSPs don’t offer 24/7 support as it’s often not needed, but if you operate internationally, you might need this. Ask about their escalation procedures in case of an emergency.
  • What is your onboarding process? Ask about the MSP’s onboarding process and what steps they take to get to know your business and its unique IT needs. This can help ensure a smoother transition and better service in the long run. Also, ask them if you will be the middleman between the old and new providers or if they deal directly with the old MSP to get passwords and access to systems.
  • Can you provide references or case studies? You might want to ask the MSP for references or case studies from past clients. This can give you a better sense of their level of service and expertise and help you make a more informed decision. MSPs often have this on their website, but if not, see if they’re willing to give you references.
  • Do you have any service level agreements in place? This will often happen when signing on with the provider and details expectations in your partnership. This allows you to hold the MSP accountable and ensures they take ownership of their work as they’ve agreed to it in advance.
  • Does you outsource your support to overseas call centres? We’ve found speaking that English alone is not enough, the people you are speaking to need to have familiarities with your local culture and local knowledge, such as with nbn and local terminology.
  • Can the technical staff that I will be dealing with speak in layman’s terms? You may have experienced the frustration of dealing with a technical person who speaks technical jargon and with technical terms that go way over your head. Sometimes it can seem as though they are talking down to you, even though they don’t mean to, so double-check that the MSP’s technical staff are approachable and can ‘dumb down’ issues to you.
  • Do you offer any backup and disaster recovery services? Data backup and recovery solutions are critical to ensure your business’ continuity in the event of data loss, hardware failure, natural disaster or cyberattacks. Also ask where they keep the backups, whether it’s a combination of on-premise and cloud backup or just one of the two.
  • What reporting and monitoring capabilities do you have? An MSP has access to your company’s data and should remotely monitor, update and manage your services while reporting on quality and performance of the service. While this is standard among MSPs, double-check with the one you’re receiving a proposal from to see how they are monitoring your data and whether they can proactively stop future problems from happening.

Finally, it’s incredibly important to discuss the list of problems and frustrations you currently have with the provider you’re looking at working with to see what solutions they have for you.

These questions will help you understand the MSP’s capabilities, experience, and approach to customer service. It’s important to choose an MSP that meets your specific needs and can provide the support and services necessary to help your business succeed.

Overall, choosing a good MSP is critical for businesses to ensure that their IT systems are optimised and managed effectively and efficiently. Costing is often one of the last considerations, as long as you see value for your money. Therefore, businesses should evaluate potential MSPs based on these factors to ensure that they choose a provider that meets their needs and expectations.

IT Support, Managed IT Services

10 reasons why you should think about changing your MSP

10 reasons why you should think about changing your MSP

Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are essential for businesses in managing their IT infrastructure. As a business owner or decision-maker, you most likely already have your IT systems managed by a provider. There are times, however, which you may have already encountered, when it may be necessary to consider changing your MSP. Considering an IT provider should be driving your business forward with the latest technology and expert resources, you both should be on board with developing a long-term relationship as you really should not be switching providers every two years.

It can be a hassle for a business to change, which is the main reason many companies stick with providers that they are unhappy with. There’s also the worry of the new provider not being any better than the old one, but if you do your research and find a reputable MSP that works with companies of your size, you will find that the level of service is well worth the switch and will have you scratching your head thinking about why you didn’t change earlier. If you’re perfectly happy with your provider and have a great relationship with them as well as a detailed and collaborative action plan for the future, then feel free to skip this article.

If that’s not you, though, here are ten reasons why you should think about changing your MSP:

Poor communication

You should know what is happening in your business, even if processes are outsourced. Your MSP should provide reports on what is happening and respond whenever you have questions or concerns. Importantly, they should be responding quickly, especially in cases of an emergency. When time is money in business, you don’t want to be waiting on an unresponsive IT provider when all systems are down. Make sure your provider values communication.

Limited expertise

Part of working with a client is understanding their business’ technology needs as, this way, they’re able to provide your business with the most effective and customised solutions for your industry. This is an ongoing process as technology changes but if you find your MSP not educating themselves and adapting their services to your business needs, you might not be with the right provider. So, while your MSP might lack expertise in specific areas that are critical to your business, they should have at least some knowledge so they can give you guidance and IT consulting. If they have very basic expertise or none at it, you might want to consider a provider with a more comprehensive skill set.

Inflexibility

Your relationship with your provider should not feel transactional. It should be one where they are fully immersed in your business to allow them to understand what exactly your business requires. This allows them to meet these needs over time and change these as new opportunities arise that will help your business grow further. Technology is meant to help your business evolve and as your business grows, so does your tech, so they should be collaborating with key stakeholders to ensure you’re receiving the full benefits of an MSP.

Poor performance

When you initially began working with your IT support services provider, you would most likely have established a service level agreement (SLA) with them which holds the provider accountable for meeting the agreed expectations and meeting the agreed outcomes. If your MSP fails to deliver the promised level of service or doesn’t meet your expectations, the SLA will help you identify where they are falling short which then gives you a framework to pull them up on it.

Outdated technology

Technology is constantly changing and the fact of the matter is, sometimes, you don’t need the latest stuff. Despite that, while the technology needs of each business are different, there are core technologies that are crucial in this day and age. Your company should long ago have switched to Microsoft 365 as it’s essential in optimising workplace collaboration, and your MSP should be discussing the possibility of shifting systems to the cloud as it’s an easy and cost-effective way to access business tools. If you’ve heard of other companies in your industry working with technologies that are immensely benefitting their business operations, it might be time to find an IT provider that is looking out for your best interests in the long run.

Lack of scalability

For most businesses, your long-term goals often include growing and expanding, and alongside this, you need to ensure your IT strategy is growing with you. You can’t be trying to work around software that caters to only a dozen users when you now have 50. Even if your IT provider focuses on specific areas in both their business and yours, they should be working alongside you in your growth and updating your systems and needs as you go. An MSPs services must stay relevant and show strong results but if they are unable to scale their services to meet your business’s growth, it may be time to consider a provider that can handle your changing needs.

Hidden costs

As a Chief Financial Officer or decision-maker in your business, budgets and managing costs is a regular part of your role. Your MSP should be transparent about its fees, which should be a fixed-fee pricing model which has been tailored to the services and deliverables your business needs. You should not be receiving additional fees for services you thought were included or be receiving constant pricing increases. If this happens, the MSP may no longer be tailoring its services to your business needs and its lack of communication with you is a sign you might need to switch providers.

Lack of security

Sadly, it’s now part of life that scammers and hackers are trying to infiltrate your business. Your MSP must be implementing effective security and Cyber Security measures into your business, especially since last year the government implemented new legislation that means companies can face fines of $50 million if they fail to adequately protect people’s data. Your MSP should be having ongoing conversations with you about security and Cyber Security that are integrated into your long-term planning.  

Lack of backup and disaster recovery

Data loss can have a devastating impact on your business, such as reduced productivity, lost revenue and even lost customers and reputation. With risk management an essential part of running a business, it goes without saying that your IT provider must have processes in effect that regularly back up your data, whether that be daily, weekly or monthly backups and you should know where those backups are stored. If your MSP doesn’t have a robust backup and disaster recovery plan, it may be time to switch to a provider that can ensure your data is protected.

Poor value for money

This should have been a part of your research at the proposals stage when searching for an IT service provider in the first place, but if you have been in partnership with your provider for some years and feel as though you’re not receiving services that correlate with the amount you are paying, it might be time to browse other providers and see if you are receiving what they are offering. Cost should not be the only reason you change your MSP as you will generally find others with similar pricing. You might even be happy to throw money into your IT as long as issues get fixed, but when you’re seeing no outcomes, it may be time to consider a provider that offers better cost-benefit.

Changing your IT service provider can be challenging, but ensuring that your IT systems are in good hands is crucial. Hopefully, these ten warning signs are that final push over the edge to get you to switch your provider if you’re experiencing fluctuating levels of bad to good service, because really, what’s the point of having an MSP if you’re not receiving the benefits?

Managed IT Services

Critical Steps to Safely Change IT Service Providers


Changing IT providers can be a daunting task. It might seem impossible when they are so heavily integrated into business operations. Unfortunately, you’re here for a reason though… and after one too many computer problems, it might be time to change.

Lucky for you, changing IT providers is nowhere near as complicated as it used to be. Believe it or not, when changing service providers, they’ll do all the heavy lifting for you, seriously! But it doesn’t hurt to be proactive and 100% guarantee the right fit before pulling the trigger.

Here are 4 steps I highly recommend you take to change IT service providers safely. So you don’t find yourself in the same predicament again.

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1. Document All the Problems… and Positives

It’s essential that if decide to pull the plug, you know the exact reason why. In the lead up make sure you are taking notes of every issue that arises and how it’s negatively affecting your business.

Having these documented will help you ask the right questions when talking to providers. Ultimately these are the key issues you want to raise, if not, you may be met with some nasty surprises after all the effort of changing providers.

It’s just as important to highlight things that your provider does well. While they might do more bad than good, it’s important you don’t stop receiving the services that you did find helpful. Asking the right questions will ensure a new provider will continue doing the things you like and rectify issues you weren’t fond of.

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2. Ensure a Good Fit (Obviously)

With the reliance on technology, IT providers are more integrated into businesses than ever before. When looking for a new company it’s important to consider aspects aside from their technical ability. You must clearly define your business goals, company culture, and values.

These IT experts will be interacting with your business and employees on a daily basis. It’s important they are willing to integrate seamlessly. This may be the cause for future conflict when both parties butt heads and don’t see eye to eye.

If the new provider isn’t on the same page in terms of your business goals it may cause further confrontation. If an MSP is continuously suggesting ideas that go against your business values, it will cause more frustration than intended.

That’s why it’s important to evaluate whether the new provider will be a good fit on all company levels. Make sure they get to know you’re business so you both can properly assess whether it is the right fit.

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3. A Transition Plan is Key

Having a plan of transition is a crucial step in ensuring a safe changeover. Make sure your new IT provider outlines how it will take over your systems with minimal interruption.

In the transition plan, your new IT provider needs to outline the different stages. The transition timeline, the tools and systems involved, and how the process will be implemented are all important parts. It’s important to discuss this because when the time comes you don’t want to be faced with any unexpected downtime.

Delays in switching IT plans can be costly to your business. Your new IT provider must understand the importance of a good transition plan and place a high emphasis on one. If not, it could mean they aren’t taking your business seriously.

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4. Be the Bearer of Bad News

Breaking up with your IT service provider can be difficult, but it’s important to be honest and give them enough notice. In this situation, the earlier the better.

It may be a hard pill for them to swallow, but with enough time to sit on the decision, come time to change they should be accepting. To be extra careful, before ending your contract check the notice period or exit clause.

It’s also helpful to introduce your new provider to your current one and conduct a meeting to ensure a smooth transition. Keeping things on good terms is important. Your current provider has key information about your systems that is necessary to pass on to the new provider.

Your current tech limitations and any hang-ups on your infrastructure are important points. Make sure to clarify as this information is crucial to making the transition process seamless.

Keep in mind that your current provider may not cooperate fully, if that’s the case, make sure your new IT provider has a plan in place so this doesn’t affect the transition timeline.

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You’ve got this!

Hopefully, these critical steps in changing IT service providers have given you an extra boost in confidence. It’s your business suffering and the quicker something gets done, the quicker you’ll start seeing the benefits.

If you have concerns I assure you it’s nothing new to an IT provider. So be honest, and open, and I assure you they’ll be able to help in ways that make you wonder why you worried in the first place.

Good luck and happy hunting!

Cybersecurity, IT Support, Managed IT Services

Keep Your Business Reputation Intact in Wake of a Security Breach 

Cyber attacks are outright devastating for Australian businesses. Not only causing extreme financial loss but potentially long-lasting reputation damage. With customers’ lack of trust, this could make it incredibly hard for your business to get back on its two feet. 

So how do you protect your reputation in wake of a cyber attack? 

The key is to be transparent and open to all stakeholders. No longer can businesses hide behind their office doors and customers kept in the dark until the situation blows over. People will ask questions and it’s your responsibility to answer them as truthfully as possible. When a cyber attack strikes you’ll most likely be hit by a barrage of enquiries and addressing the public may be forgotten about. That’s why your business needs to be prepared and plan ahead. 

We have created some guidelines that MUST be followed at minimum to prevent this from happening. We will outline what you need to have in place before, during, and after a data breach, to help prevent lasting reputation damage.  

Before an Attack: Not IF but WHEN

Before we begin, let’s establish why it’s best to prepare now, and there are two key reasons. Firstly, cyber attacks are so frequent that it’s no longer a matter of “if” it will happen, but “when” it will happen. The second reason is when systems are compromised, people panic, emotions run high, confusion sets in, and mistakes will get made. If the preparation has been done, when disaster strikes it will greatly reduce the chance of mistakes.  

One of the first things to do is assemble a team of in-house incident responders and equip them with the necessary tools for the job. Make sure to provide proper training on evidence collection and storage processes. When disaster strikes, they’ll know what to do and will be the ones to ensure all procedures are being followed. 

Establish a communication channel that is available around the clock. Focus on informing internal stakeholders in the event of an attack. It’s important to keep communication open to ensure trust and transparency. 

Set up a notification process that involves relevant departments, such as marketing and legal. Decide on a plan for informing customers, regulators, and law enforcement. Having this in place prior helps streamline the process of notifying parties immediately. 

Consider offering unique services to affected clients. This depends on the nature of your company and the assets at risk. One example is identity protection for customers whose information has leaked. These are a gesture to show your commitment to continuing the customer relationship. 

During The Attack: Be Strategic

Keep internal stakeholders updated on developments. As well as the steps your company has taken to ease the situation. Keep phone lines open, although sending email updates has proven to be more efficient. Be sure to create a timeline of events as you go along. 

Identify and document the following information and evidence as much as you can. These are needed when the time comes to notify clients and the public about the breach: 

  • Compromised systems, assets, and networks 
  • Patient zero, or how the breach happened 
  • Information in affected machines that has been disclosed, taken, deleted, or corrupted. 

If your company has a blog or a page where you can post company news, draft up an account of the events from start to finish.  It’s also good to include what you plan to do in the next few weeks following the breach. Be transparent and effective. This is a good opportunity to show clients the company’s initiative to rectify the problem. The Chief Marketing Officer should take the lead on this. 

After an Incident: Keep the Momentum

Notify your clients and anyone else that may have been affected by the breach. 

  • Put out company news or blog posts the company has drafted about the cybersecurity incident. 
  • Send emails linking back to the blog and social media. 

You must prepare to receive questions from clients and anyone interested in learning more about what happened. Expect to have uncomfortable conversations and receive criticism, some people will always be less understanding than others. 

Offer those extra services to clients, which you have already thought out and prepared for in the first phase. Even if they don’t wish to receive the offer, the gesture will show your commitment to amending customer relationships. 

Regain stakeholders’ confidence and trust by focusing on breach preparedness & containment strategies. Based on post-incident discussions, implement new processes. This will help prove the company’s commitment to its clients. This can turn the stigma of data breaches on its head.  

Audit the information your company collects from customers to see if any is not a necessity to do business. The logic behind this is the less data you keep on customers, the less data at risk. Make sure that all your stakeholders know which information you will not be collecting and storing anymore. 

Last, be sure to recognise the hard work of your employees and reward them for it. Yes, they’re your stakeholders and shouldn’t be forgotten. Especially after the event of a cybersecurity incident. 

Conclusion

Knowing how to manage your business’s reputation is seen as a competitive advantage. It’s one thing to know how to recover from a cybersecurity incident. It’s another to know how to keep the brand’s image intact despite the negative attention.  

Remember that a breach can happen to any company from any industry. How your company acts before, during, and after the incident is what will be remembered. Use that to your advantage. 

We hope you’ve been able to take something away from this. With cyberattacks continuing to wreak havoc for Australian businesses, it’s best to be prepared. These key steps are vital to preventing lasting reputation damage at your organisation. 

Cybersecurity, Managed IT Services

5 Crucial Cyber Security New Year’s Resolutions For 2023

We’ve all had those new year’s resolutions, we start strong for the first couple of weeks. Then quickly reminded by how busy being in business is and our priorities shift. Our good intentions slowly get forgotten about and never picked back up.

If you’re here, it’s because you want to do the most crucial thing you can for your business. Make sure your cyber security is up to snuff.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or want a fresh perspective, we’ve listed key goals you must work towards so that your cyber security resolutions will not die in spirit. Here is everything you need to get the ball rolling with your cyber security today.

Let’s be clear, this might be daunting, but let me remind you this isn’t a solo effort, cyber security is a collaborative process. Work with your IT provider, HR, and the entire team to discuss, brainstorm, and implement these tactics. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your cyber security. Take your time and get each step right from the start.

Here are 5 cyber security resolutions to prepare your business for online threats in 2023.

Perfect Your Password Policy

I get it, passwords, how boring. Listen though, I’m going to tell you something you probably haven’t heard before.

You’ve always been told for staff to change their passwords frequently, let’s scrap that. It’s obvious to both of us that getting staff to constantly change their passwords is nearly impossible, time-consuming, and annoying. Requiring frequent password changes only leads to users making small adjustments to their already simple, previous password, resulting in weaker security.

Users should have strong and unique passwords for each account. To help achieve this, only enforce password changes when there is suspicion that passwords may be compromised. Now, staff can focus on creating a stronger password, knowing it won’t need to be changed anytime soon.

A simple way to implement this? Promote the use of unique passwords by using a password manager, it will do all the hard work for you. They can create and store an unlimited amount of passwords for all staff, it’s a tool that will save your team loads of time.

If you’re a micro business there are lots of free password managers. If you have 10+ staff, you’ll need to pay for a business-based password manager. Our top business password manager recommendations are Keeper, Password Boss and LastPass. At Pronet we use Keeper for ourselves and all clients. Its extensive sweep of security features makes it one of the best options for cyber security.

Top it off with the security measure in our next resolution.

Enforce Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Do you know how you get a text asking to enter a 6-digit code after your login details? Yeah, that’s a form of MFA and it’s extremely important now.

So important that enabling MFA reduces the chance of your account being hacked by 99.9%. Hackers will not be able to access your account unless they are physically able to get your MFA-enabled device. Let’s be honest that won’t happen because I don’t think they’re leaving their bedroom anytime soon.

Making sure all your staff and all their accounts are set up with MFA is a MUST this year. It may not be something you can directly implement yourself, so make sure your IT team put it as a top priority. It’s on you to make it happen!

And a little bonus. Some of the current password manager apps allow you to use MFA within them. The same application can be used to enable strong passwords and implement MFA. Talk about cost-effectiveness.

Remove Old Users from Your Systems

One big cybersecurity resolution for the new year is to clean up all those old user accounts.

If your company has active accounts from old employees, it dramatically increases the potential vulnerabilities in your organisation. An attacker only needs to find one set of login details to gain access to your systems.

Let’s not waste any time with this one, start removing unnecessary accounts to reduce the risk of hackers infiltrating your network. That’s not all. If you want to stop this issue from coming back up there’s one more thing to do.

It’s even more important to change your policies to ensure the principle of least privilege is followed. What this means is that users should only have access to the resources they need to do their job. When that access is no longer needed it should be revoked.

This becomes especially important when employees change roles, leave the company, or are terminated. They may attempt to abuse their access and cause harm to your organisation through actions such as stealing or destroying data, planting malware, or other malicious actions.

Let’s get rid of those old accounts and get new policies in place to prevent the issue going forward.

Conduct A Risk Assessment

I do not doubt your business has experienced some kind of change over the year. Whether that means changes to your systems, structural arrangements, technology or more, your business is in a state of flux.

Due to that, a yearly risk assessment is so important. It gives your company a chance to take note of all of these changes and analyse the threats to your security.

Once your organisation has an updated view of the challenges it faces, it can plan successfully for the future. This may include adjusting security plans and policies to stay safe in the coming year.

Without conducting a risk assessment based on all the changes, it could cause you to focus in the completely wrong areas. Not only wasting time and resources but also leaving your business vulnerable in to threats.

Get that new year risk assessment done ASAP.

Quarterly Employee Training

This might seem daunting, but one, it’s the most important, and two, it’s not as hard as it seems.88% of data breaches are caused by employee mistakes. Human error is still the driving force for cyber security issues, you’re asking for problems by ignoring staff training.

When it comes to training staff, there are already so many resources online where the work is practically done for you! Videos, articles, and interactive quizzes are readily available and can be accessed at staff members’ own pace. All you need to do is point them in the right direction.

Be sure to make it relevant. Relate training materials to your staff’s job responsibilities and the types of threats your organisation is most likely to face. Of course, you’ll know exactly what kind of threats your business will face from that risk assessment. This will help ensure that the training sticks and that staff are more likely to use the skills they learn on the job.

Training provides a good opportunity to remind your staff of policies, but they also allow you to update them on the latest threats. Your employees are often the first line of defence in a cyberattack, so don’t underestimate their role when it comes to protecting your company.

Conclusion:

There you have it, our 5 cyber security New Year’s resolutions. 5 things that we believe are a must to implement to have the best chance of being protected this year. With cyber crimes predicted to soar in 2023, you don’t want to take any chances, especially with your business.

Remember what I said initially: cyber security is a collaborative effort. Work with others in your organisation to ensure this gets done, otherwise I can guarantee you will fall short. Tackle one at a time and get them right from the start. Good luck and I wish you a successful year ahead!

Cybersecurity, Managed IT Services

Christmas Crackdown: Why Business Owners Are Tightening the Rules for Online Shopping at Work 

It’s alarming to know that nearly half of social media users have fallen victim to shopping scams.  

It may seem like a good idea to avoid the shops at this time of year. If your employees are doing some last-minute Christmas shopping at work, it’s important to ensure that your business is protected. Online shopping scams are on the rise, especially this time of year. With the damages for business owners being so high, it’s not a risk you want to be taking. 

The Dangers of Online Shopping at Work 

Unfortunately, new research shows that 47% of people click on dangerous links. They think they’re getting a great deal, but instead, give up financial & personal details to cyber criminals. I know it’s the season of giving, but let’s not get too carried away.  

Your employees don’t only risk giving up their personal information, but risk your device and potentially exposing your company’s entire network to criminals.  

It’s not just shopping scams employees need to look out for. Phishing scams also manage to trick 36% of people into revealing personal data. Phishing scams are where you get an email that seems to be from someone or somewhere you trust, but it’s not. 

Remember that account you never made, emailing and asking you to update your payment details? You probably don’t remember it because good chance you never actually made the account. It’s just a scam.  

The same 36% have also fallen for gift card scams. Where criminals gain the trust of victims and try to persuade them to buy gift cards or online vouchers. Not in the Christmas spirit at all. 

See, with all the benefits online Christmas shopping can bring, there are a lot of nasties you and your staff need to be aware of.  Especially this time of year. 

The Damage It Can Bring to Your Company 

Let’s talk about what kind of damage you can expect, and it’s not pretty. If employees do happen to click on malicious links or download an infected file, the results for your business can be devastating.  

Cyber attacks are now so harmful that the risk goes beyond the loss of data and reputation. Once victim to attack, criminals can force you to cease your business operations altogether. The cost of downtime has proven to be enough to put people out of business for good. An astounding 60% of SMEs that fall victim to cyber attacks go out of business after the first 6 months. 

Yeah, not the kind of Christmas present you’d want, so let’s talk about how we can avoid this happening at your company. 

How You Can Lower the Risk Today  

Here are some ways to help you protect your employees, and more importantly your business this holiday season. 

While technical protections such as firewalls, antivirus, and strong password management are important, the focus needs to be on training your team. It should be known that the most effective defence is a team that can recognise a threat when they see one. Investing in your team’s training and education will help them stay vigilant and protect your organisation against potential attacks. 

Make sure your staff are aware of the latest scams and know what warning signs to look out for. At a minimum make sure all staff are  

  • Check website links are genuine 
  • Making sure websites are the real deal  
  • Being suspicious of offers that look too good to be true 

It is also important to have a plan in place that can be implemented as soon as a security breach is detected. All staff should know how to report incidents immediately and who to notify. The faster your team can respond, the more damage you can prevent and the associated costs that follow. In some cases, it may be possible to stop the breach before it negatively impacts your business altogether. By being prepared and having a clear plan of action, you can minimise the risks and protect your organisation. 

If you’re after the quickest way to make sure your team is keeping an eye out for scams, send a quick email reminder. Take the points from this article and forward them to your staff. Even better, forward the entire article! The best thing you can do is make them aware. 

There you have it, some easy ways to protect your business from online shopping scams. We hope you’ve been able to take something away or give you something to think about. 

IT Support, Managed IT Services

Hosted VoIP or Microsoft Teams Calling: Do you Know if you are Using the Right Calling Technology for your Business?

Calling is an integral part of every business’s ability to have regular and clear communication within the office and outside. From using landline phones to using VoIP calling and software like Microsoft Teams, this telephony feature in the business world has significantly changed, and for the better, Of Course!

But, now the question is, “Are you using the right calling technology for your business?” The definition of “Right” will be different for different companies and depends on the extent to which they use it to communicate at work. But, what we can all be assured of, irrespective of the industry, business type, and extent of use, is that it needs to cut down the overall cost, improves employee’s efficiency along with providing a reliable, unified and clear channel of communication among all other benefits. According to a study done by Psychology Today, multi-tasking i.e., switching between tabs reduces the productivity by 40%. The percentage is quite shocking, but, to improve on it, we can aim to have a unified channel to conduct most operations.

Now, let us first understand what VoIP and Microsoft Teams calling are, and then, we will explore them further to know their benefits and features.

VoIP Calling

VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. As the name suggests, it is the technology that enables computers to use broadband internet connections to make calls and share multimedia content like faxes, files, etc. It is offered and managed by a third-party completely. The employees can make and receive calls using any device like computers, laptops, tablets, or smart phones with an internet connection within the office and even outside the office.

Microsoft Teams Calling

Microsoft Teams comes with the Office 365 suite. It is a collaborative and unified platform that allows all the team members of an organisation to exchange messages, files, make audio & video calls, conduct meetings, and much more. The team can make internal and even external calls to keep communication at its best through its cloud-based phone system.

Difference Between VoIP and Microsoft Teams Calling

Both VoIP and Teams offer almost similar features, but still, there are a few different features in both of them that can significantly impact the decision to choose one over the other. Again, the primary deciding factor remains constant, which is the calling needs of your business. Let’s delve into the features of the both the calling systems:

Ease of Use

VoIP systems and applications to use them have improved significantly over the years to make it easier for users to use. Once learned or given a quick demo, almost everyone can easily use these software and applications to make calls and communicate with the team members. But again, it is an additional learning process for the employees to undertake.

When it comes to giving users the best experience, Microsoft Teams is still the toughest competitor. The user experience offered by it is unparallel. Most of the employees have at one stage used one or all of the Microsoft suite’s features and are familiar with the interface and how it works, which makes it easier for them to use new features or added new tool. As a result, Microsoft remains the first choice for many multinational and small businesses. The employers do not need to give long training sessions to the team for using Microsoft Teams.

Productivity

Hosted VoIP systems enable the users to make calls, whether internal or external, through the software that all the users (employees) have to install on their devices. It allows users to access all its features using the app but, the only problem is that if you are using the Microsoft 365 Office suite, which is used by over one million companies worldwide (Statista, 2022), then it is like juggling between Microsoft apps and VoIP Software to use the telephony system to its best. This multitasking even ends up in reduced productivity for employees.

Microsoft Teams, on the other hand, comes as part of the Microsoft 365 Office Suite (free version!), which unifies everything for employees in one place. There is no integration needed as compared to a third-party hosted VoIP system to have access to the data stored in the system and in the cloud. Having easy access to everything within just one channel definitely keeps everything sorted and easy for the employees to use and benefit from.

Customer Support

Customer Support is a very crucial element of any service that is used professionally or even personally. If the service provider does not offer good customer support, it just is not worth tying up with them. In terms of hosted VoIP and Microsoft Team’s customer service offering, the decision can be a bit tricky to make.

For the hosted VoIP services, there is a need to excel over other competitors, so we can say that they’ll thrive to offer the best customer support and resolution to your problems. But, it can be completely the opposite too, as providers are not always big companies, and that can cause some significant delays in catering to your problem.

While, when it comes to Microsoft Teams customer support, being the world’s most popular company, you are likely to get connected within minutes and a resolution within a set time frame. Your request will never go unacknowledged with them.

Unified Meet, Chat, Call and Collaboration

Microsoft Teams is much more than a simple telecommunication hub. As it comes integrated with Office 365, it enables the users to have easy access to apps like Excel, Word, cloud-storage, SharePoint, PowerBI etc. all at one place.

It is difficult to achieve such an easy access to all the apps at one place with third-party hosted VoIP systems, which as a result affects the productivity of the team.

Integration

All of us are aware of the fact that most of the time, a bit difficult to integrate new technology with the existing processes. In case of using hosted VoIP systems, this can be a bit problematic for the company as integration of new technology is never easy to achieve initially.

Whereas, In the case of Microsoft Teams Calling, most organisations already use Microsoft 365 Office Suite, so no integration is required to use Microsoft Teams for internal and external purposes.

Cost

One of the deciding factors for every organisation is the cost included in any service it purchases. Basically, the cost of either Microsoft Teams or VoIP system depends upon the plan that you purchase, which further depends upon the usability of the system within your organisation.

When it comes to hosted VoIP services, the costs included most of the time are higher because of the variety of features included in a plan, which may or may not be of use to your organisation and come as a package. Whereas, in the case of Microsoft Teams, you get almost all the features in its free plan as offered by a VoIP provider. Microsoft Team’s free plan is used by many small businesses that need to conduct basic communication, sharing of media, and online meetings. You can upgrade the plan depending upon the features needed within the organisation.

What are the Core Benefits of Using the Right Phone System?

Businesses usually end up saving a lot of money by opting for cloud-based calling systems and tools as compared to traditional telecommunication systems. Any service that reduces cost, expenditure and easily connects the team to communicate is always a tremendous plus for a company. Replacing the traditional communication systems with the existing ones also results in favour of the company in many ways. It improves the efficiency of employees by providing access to all the data, files, and calling options in just one unified channel. So, choosing the right service is important to make that difference in reality and experience the improved efficiency of the team.

How MSP can Help You?

To make the right decision to have a unified communication channel, consult a professional service provider who can make the best suggestions and also provide regular support. To take full advantage of the technology, everything needs to be set up by a professional, and an MSP offers all these services under one umbrella. So, consulting an MSP (managed service provider) can be of significant benefit, as they specialise in offering the best IT support solutions to businesses.

Whether you decide to go with a third-party VoIP system or use Microsoft Teams Calling, an MSP would do it for you without you needing to contact various third parties involved. Even if you are unable to decide which service to choose, an MSP usually has an expert team to give you the best and right technology advice.

So, without any further delay, check with your IT partners whether the current system you are using to communicate is the right one for you or not.

You can also contact our team members to get a consultation on this and on all the IT solutions that are right for your company to grow.

Call us today at 03 9069 2188 or just leave your details quickly in the box at your right side & we’ll contact you!

References:

Vailshery, L., 2022. Number of Office 365 company users worldwide 2022, by country. [online] Statista. Available at: <https://www.statista.com/statistics/983321/worldwide-office-365-user-numbers-by-country/> [Accessed 8 August 2022].

Crail, C. and Watts, R., 2022. What Is Hosted VoIP? Everything You Need To Know. [online] Forbes. Available at: <https://www.futurecomputers.com.au/news/why-microsoft-teams-should-be-your-chosen-voip-solution> [Accessed 8 August 2022].

Sevilla, G., 2020. 5 Things You Didn’t Know Your VoIP Softphone Could Do. [online] pcmag. Available at: <https://au.pcmag.com/how-to-work-from-home/66810/5-things-you-didnt-know-your-voip-softphone-could-do> [Accessed 8 August 2022].