Tag Archives: managed IT services

IT Support, Managed IT Services, MSP

Will my IT provider be held accountable if something goes wrong with my IT systems?

Will my IT provider be held accountable if something goes wrong with my IT systems?

As a business owner, it’s natural to worry about the accountability of your IT service provider if something goes wrong with your IT systems. After all, your IT infrastructure is crucial to the success of your business and any downtime or data loss can be catastrophic.

You probably have enough worry about the risks your company faces as it is, you don’t then want the added stress of thinking about the risks your managed service provider (MSP) faces. Knowing where the responsibility falls when you become a victim of a ransomware attack or other type of Cyber Security incident can be confusing.

Understanding MSPs

Managed Service Providers are external entities that specialise in providing IT services and support to organisations. Their primary goal is to ensure the smooth operation and security of a company’s IT systems. MSPs work on a subscription or contract basis, offering a comprehensive suite of services tailored to meet specific business needs.

MSPs play a crucial role in enhancing an organisation’s IT capabilities. By using their expertise and resources, businesses can offload certain IT functions to MSPs, allowing them to then focus on core business objectives. MSPs provide proactive monitoring, rapid issue resolution and strategic guidance, ensuring that IT systems align with business goals.

While MSPs offer valuable services and support, it is important to recognise that despite their expertise, MSPs cannot shoulder full accountability for your IT systems.

Limitations of MSPs in Taking Full Accountability

While MSPs offer valuable services, there are inherent limitations that prevent them from assuming full accountability for your IT systems. Understanding these limitations is vital for maintaining a realistic perspective and ensuring effective collaboration. Let’s explore some of the key reasons why MSPs cannot take complete responsibility.

Shared Responsibility Model

When engaging with an MSP, it is essential to establish a shared responsibility model. This model defines the division of responsibilities between the business and the MSP. While MSPs take charge of certain aspects like infrastructure management and proactive monitoring for reliability, businesses retain ownership of critical decisions, application management and user access controls. Therefore, the accountability for configuring and maintaining specific applications or ensuring user compliance remains with the organisation.

Limited Control over Infrastructure

Although MSPs play a crucial role in managing IT infrastructure, they often operate within the confines of the systems and technologies already in place. They may have limited control over the underlying infrastructure, which can impact their ability to implement certain changes or optimisations. Critical decisions regarding hardware upgrades, network architecture or data centre infrastructure typically require coordination and approval from the organisation’s management.

MSPs have their own tech stacks and baseline software and hardware that they require their clients to adopt. This is for several reasons; the MSP is familiar with running the infrastructure and can ensure it is working as it should, and these are the best recommendations the MSP can give their clients that will actively protect them or suit their budget. For example, while Cisco is a fantastic piece of software, it is also incredibly expensive. We have found that Sophos is also incredibly effective but at a much cheaper price point, so that’s what we implement within our clients’ businesses. If you don’t want to implement these, we usually won’t take you on as a client, but some MSPs will still work with you, and if you’ve ignored their recommendations, that’s on your business.

Cyber Security

Risk is an unavoidable factor that comes with running a business, but there are ways to mitigate these risks, hence why you work with an MSP in the first place. Another way to do this is to implement effective Cyber Security practices to protect yourself from the majority of cyberattacks. If your business refuses to implement these, the MSP will continue to pressure you to pursue these methods which can cause tension within the relationship. Your business should be implementing the recommendations of the MSP as if you did your research and are working with a reputable provider, they will have your best interests at heart rather than just pushing processes on you to make you spend money. Not only that but if you don’t implement effective Cyber Security strategies, you either won’t be eligible for Cyber Insurance or your current insurer won’t pay up.

When it comes to risks, failure often leads to blame. With Cyber Security though, there’s no question of if you will be hit by an attack, but when, as the majority of the time, breaches occur due to human error within your business, so your business can’t then blame the MSP. Employees should be paying close attention to what is happening on their devices and follow best practices. What the MSP should be doing is proactively monitoring your systems to then isolate the breach when it occurs and fix issues as soon as they happen. If they fail to do this, then you can hold them accountable until they fix the issue.

You should also be monitoring that your MSP is being diligent in reducing the liabilities within your business as well as their own if your business becomes exposed to an attack. MSPs should have strict internal Cyber Security policies and should demand the same from your business as a breach on your end can impact them.

MSPs cannot guarantee that nothing will go wrong with your IT systems. What an MSP does is implement mitigation measures to protect your business against the vast majority of risks out there and ensure that if something does occur, you can get operations back up and running. In that sense, there is no full accountability, other than a determination to fix issues at their root to mitigate threats in the future.

Choose a Reputable MSP

Businesses need to choose their managed service provider wisely and do some research about the provider to see if they are right for them. It’s crucial to understand your IT service provider’s track record. Check their references and read reviews online to get an idea of how they have handled issues in the past. Have they responded promptly and effectively to incidents, or have they been slow to act or unresponsive? This information can give you insight into how they will handle issues with your business’s IT infrastructure.

It is the responsibility of the MSP to use a proactive management approach when protecting your business’ systems and they must be regularly assessing their security systems as well as adding new measures to reduce both parties’ liability if an attack does occur. Cybercriminals are constantly testing new methods, so MSPs should be constantly learning and improving their defences. Make sure that your IT service provider has a clear process for reporting incidents and that they provide you with regular updates on their progress in resolving them. This communication is essential to ensure that you are fully informed of any issues and that your provider is working towards a solution.

As a business, you’re aiming to work with your MSP for as long as possible and to do that, you need to create a strategic relationship. This allows them to become invested in your business which then increases their dedication to ensuring your business is protected. The MSP should clearly be outlining their expectations of you and your expectations of them so that you both know what you are each responsible for. Doing this also allows the MSP to help plan your business’ technology and help you navigate as you grow as a business. They will take your ideas, goals and concerns as a company into consideration when they recommend software and hardware.

What Can You Do Now?

To help you understand if your MSP is doing right by your business, there are several areas you can assess them on.

  • How are they taking your concerns and needs into consideration?
  • How often are they meeting with your team to discuss priority items and long-term goals?
  • Have you experienced any additional, hidden fees outside of the MSP’s fixed costs?
  • Has the MSP been working on any projects/goals they outlined with your business?
  • Is the MSP showing you the results of their plans/actions?

If you’re truly concerned about whether your MSP will look after your business, make sure you’re asking them questions when you hear of new cyberattacks happening to other businesses to see how they are protecting yours.

The managed service provider you work with is there to look after you and if you have chosen a reputable one, they will do this with your best interests in mind. Accountability for your IT systems is on you though, as if you decide not to implement any of the recommendations the MSP is providing, then they are not to blame.

While MSPs cannot assume full accountability for IT systems, their collaboration with organisations remains essential for efficient operations and robust security.

IT Support, Managed IT Services, MSP

Why you should upgrade from Ad-hoc IT Support

Why you should upgrade from Ad-hoc IT Support

Running a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) comes with its own set of challenges. One crucial aspect that SMEs often overlook is the need for reliable and professional IT support. In this digital age, technology plays a vital role in driving business growth and competitiveness, however, many SMEs resort to ad-hoc IT support, which can prove to be a risky choice. If your business relies heavily on its computers, SMEs should not rely on ad-hoc IT support and instead opt for managed service providers that provide a solid foundation for their IT infrastructure.

SMEs are the backbone of many economies, including Australia’s — according to the Australian Banking Association, 98 per cent of businesses in Australia are SMEs — and they contribute to job creation and innovation. These businesses operate with limited resources and often face tight budgets, however, neglecting proper IT support can hinder their growth potential. By investing in robust IT infrastructure and support, SMEs can unlock numerous advantages and stay competitive in their respective industries.

Ad-hoc IT Support: What is it?

Ad-hoc IT support, also known as break/fix support, refers to a reactive approach to addressing IT issues as they arise. Instead of having a structured plan and proactive measures in place, SMEs opt for ad-hoc support on a case-by-case basis. While this may seem like a cost-effective solution initially, it often leads to more significant problems down the line.

Ad-hoc IT support lacks a comprehensive strategy, making it difficult to manage and anticipate potential issues. It is primarily driven by reacting to problems rather than preventing them in the first place. This reactive nature can hinder business operations and create unnecessary downtime.

The Risks of Ad-hoc IT Support for SMEs

  • Increased downtime and productivity loss: Ad-hoc IT support focuses on resolving issues as they occur, leading to longer downtime periods. SMEs heavily rely on their IT systems for daily operations and any disruption can have a significant impact on productivity and customer satisfaction.
  • Higher costs in the long run: While ad-hoc support may seem cost-effective initially, the accumulated costs of reactive fixes and emergency repairs can quickly surpass the budget. If the problem recurs, you then have to pay again which can cause conflict between you and the ad-hoc support provider. Unplanned expenses can strain the financial resources of SMEs, making it challenging to invest in long-term growth initiatives.
  • Limited expertise and knowledge: Ad-hoc IT support often involves seeking assistance from multiple sources that may not have the necessary expertise or in-depth knowledge of the specific IT needs of an SME. This lack of expertise can result in temporary fixes or patchwork solutions that do not address the underlying root causes of IT issues. It’s like putting a band-aid on a deep wound — it may temporarily stop the bleeding, but the problem persists.

The only real benefit of using ad-hoc IT services is that it can be a cost-effective option for SMEs with limited IT needs and generally less than five PCs in the business, as they only pay for the services they use. If you only ever have an issue every six months or so, then ad-hoc is the most reasonable option. If your business has up to ten computers without a server, you can maybe get away with using ad-hoc, but if you have a server for your data, then most ad-hoc services would not know how to deal with these issues. Ad-hoc is a quick-fix solution and oftentimes, their solution to viruses and corruption is to format the hard drive, which does no good if you need that data. MSPs, on the other hand, try and fix the root of the problem as, if they don’t, it’s more work for them in the long run and it affects their reputation, so they ensure issues are properly addressed.

The Benefits of Managed Service Providers for SMEs

Recognising the limitations and risks of ad-hoc IT support, SMEs can greatly benefit from investing in professional IT support services like managed service providers, or MSPs. Some of the advantages of using these services include:

  • Proactive approach to IT management: Unlike ad-hoc support, MSPs take a proactive approach to managing an SME’s IT infrastructure. They conduct regular system monitoring, identify potential vulnerabilities and implement preventive measures to minimise the risk of disruptions. By addressing issues before they escalate, SMEs can enjoy smoother operations and enhanced productivity.
  • Cost-effective solutions and scalability: MSPs offer scalable solutions tailored to the specific needs and budgets of SMEs. Instead of paying for emergency fixes and ad-hoc repairs, SMEs can opt for cost-effective service plans that provide comprehensive coverage and predictable monthly costs. This enables better financial planning and allows SMEs to allocate resources to other critical areas of their business.
  • Access to specialised expertise: Managed service providers comprise skilled technicians and engineers with diverse expertise across various IT domains. They stay up-to-date with the latest technological advancements, security protocols and industry best practices. SMEs can use this specialised knowledge to implement strong security measures, optimise their IT infrastructure and explore innovative solutions that drive business growth.

Small businesses with only a few computers, but still heavily rely on them, may feel they would benefit more from using a managed service provider but may struggle to find one willing to work with them due to their size. If an MSP sees room for growth within your business and you inform them of such for the future, they may be willing to take you on.

Long-Term Partnerships with IT Service Providers

Instead of relying on ad-hoc support, SMEs should aim to establish long-term partnerships with professional IT service providers. This approach offers several advantages:

  • Tailored support for business needs: Managed service providers who understand the unique requirements of SMEs can customise their services accordingly. They collaborate closely with the SME to design an IT support plan that aligns with business goals, growth projections and budget constraints. This tailored approach ensures that the IT support provided is in line with the specific needs of the SME.
  • Continuous monitoring and proactive solutions: Long-term IT service providers take a proactive stance in managing an SME’s IT infrastructure. They constantly monitor systems, networks and applications, anticipating potential issues and resolving them before they impact the business. This proactive approach minimises downtime, maximises productivity and allows SMEs to focus on core business activities.
  • Peace of mind and focus on core business activities: By entrusting their IT support to professionals, SMEs can alleviate the burden of IT management and gain peace of mind. They can confidently rely on their MSP to handle system maintenance, upgrades, security and troubleshooting, allowing them to focus on what they do best — running their business and serving their customers. This sense of assurance frees up valuable time and resources, fostering a sense of confidence and empowerment within the SME.

Where does Ad-hoc IT support fail businesses?

Ad-hoc IT support does not continuously monitor your systems, which would enable a quick diagnosis, and offers no forecasts of potential issues and IT consultancy for your business. There are many preventative measures that MSPs put in place in your business to mitigate risks, which ad-hoc does handle, meaning the onus is on you to implement these.

When using ad-hoc services, businesses will generally have to spend more on IT infrastructure that will help sustain their systems and strengthen protection in the workplace. They will also have to look into also working with a Cyber Security specialist to determine where there are vulnerabilities in their systems, and then spend money and time on implementing these strategies.

With ad-hoc, businesses will need to evaluate the effect downtime will have on operations. Downtime can lead to security risks, loss of income, employee productivity and loss of clients/customers. This wastes your time and causes immense worry and stress for you as a business owner or decision-maker.

Ad-hoc has its place in the industry, but businesses must evaluate whether this service or an MSP would benefit the company more in the long run. If you are a growing business that relies on your computers and IT systems remaining running or you use or store lots of data, you really should be looking at using an MSP.

In today’s digital landscape, SMEs cannot afford to overlook the importance of reliable and professional IT support. While ad-hoc IT support may seem like a cost-effective solution in the short term, it carries significant risks and limitations. By investing in managed IT services, SMEs can enjoy a proactive approach to IT management, cost-effective solutions and access to specialised expertise. Building a strong IT infrastructure, coupled with long-term partnerships with IT service providers, provides SMEs with the stability, security and peace of mind necessary to thrive in the digital age.

If you’re unsure, give us a quick call here at Pronet Technology (a Melbourne-based MSP) and we can discuss your systems and what you’re looking for to determine whether we would be a good fit for each other.

FAQs

  • Can ad-hoc IT support be suitable for any situation?

Ad-hoc IT support may suffice for minor, one-time issues. However, for long-term stability and growth, a managed service provider is highly recommended.

  • How can an MSP benefit SMEs financially?

Managed service providers offer cost-effective solutions, minimising downtime, preventing costly emergencies, and providing scalability that aligns with the SME’s budget.

  • What security measures should SMEs consider for their IT infrastructure?

SMEs should implement robust security measures, including firewalls, antivirus software, encryption, regular security audits and employee training on Cyber Security best practices.

  • Are long-term partnerships with IT service providers expensive?

Long-term partnerships with IT service providers are often cost-effective, offering tailored plans that align with the SME’s budget and specific needs.

  • How can IT support providers help SMEs with their future growth?

IT support providers bring specialised expertise, proactive solutions and strategic IT planning to enable SMEs to scale, innovate, and focus on their core business activities.

IT Support, Managed IT Services, MSP

Clients Pronet Technology does not work with

Clients Pronet Technology does not work with

As a Managed Service Provider, MSP, it can be tempting to take on any client that comes your way. After all, you want to grow your business and expand your customer base. However, not all clients are a good fit for MSPs and vice versa, not all MSPs are good for certain businesses, so it’s important to know when to say no.

So, who are the clients that we at Pronet don’t take on board? Here are a few examples:

Non-Compliant Clients

Clients who refuse to comply with industry regulations and standards can be a major liability for MSPs. These regulations are in place to protect sensitive information and failure to comply can result in hefty fines and legal consequences. It’s important for MSPs to thoroughly vet potential clients to ensure they are compliant with all relevant regulations, which usually happens in the initial assessment stage.  

As cybercrime becomes a prevalent issue, it is incredibly important that businesses improve their systems, servers and Cyber Security processes. We now only take on clients who are willing to improve their systems and implement strategies like the Essential Eight framework to help protect themselves.

DIY Clients

Some clients may be inclined to handle IT issues themselves, using online tutorials or advice from friends. These ‘DIY clients’ can be difficult to work with as they may not be receptive to the advice or guidance of an MSP. For us, it’s important to recognise when a client is not willing to let us do our job and take on the responsibility themselves.

Budget-Constrained Clients

While it’s understandable that clients may have a limited budget, sometimes clients don’t fully comprehend the costs involved when working with an MSP, which is often cheaper than working with ad-hoc IT support. Taking on a client who cannot afford the services they require can lead to resentment and frustration on both sides, so we believe it is important to be transparent about the costs involved and set realistic expectations from the outset.

Part of this comes from us having our own tech stack that we work with and that we expect our clients to also work with, such as using Sophos MDR and UTM. We’re not an enterprise-level MSP so we don’t expect our clients to use Cisco which can be incredibly expensive, but we still require all new clients to upgrade their software and systems to our tech stack so that they are adequately protected, which may not be cheap.

Unresponsive Clients

Clients who are unresponsive or slow to respond to requests can be frustrating for MSPs. It can lead to delays in resolving issues and make it difficult to provide effective support. Through the initial assessment and proposal stage, we can recognise whether a client is unresponsive and take steps to address the issue, whether it’s through better communication, informing them of the need for using MSP services or not going forward with the relationship altogether.

Large-scale businesses

At Pronet Technology, we used to work with large-scale clients but after some time, we realised small to medium-sized businesses were being left behind and neglected as MSPs grew larger and focused primarily on their larger, more profitable clients. For that reason, we now only deal with SMEs, generally businesses with between 15 to 150 computers and have found we enjoy working with businesses of this size more than with larger businesses.

While it may be tempting to take on any client that comes your way, it’s important to recognise when a client is not a good fit for an MSP. Non-compliant clients, DIY clients, budget-constrained clients, and unresponsive clients can all be challenging to work with and may not be worth the time and effort. By being selective and choosing clients that are a good fit, MSPs can provide better service and build stronger relationships with their clients.

Businesses with limited computers

Small businesses with one to five computers, unfortunately, might struggle to find an MSP who finds it worthwhile to take you on as a client. While at Pronet Technology we’re not an enterprise-level MSP who caters to medium to large-scale businesses, we’re not one that deals with very small businesses either. Our clients are small to medium, ideally with between 15 to 150 computers.

A good MSP should not be turning every query into a client. Sometimes, an MSP might not have the right services and budgets for your business and other times, your business might not be one that the MSP finds value in taking on or one that meets its criterion. Like your business researches and gathers proposals from MSPs, likewise, an MSP will do an initial assessment of your business and work out your needs to both see if it can help you and if it can take you on.

Don’t be offended if an MSP declines your request. The majority of the time, it’s because they’re just not right for you.

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.

IT Support, MSP

What is IT Outsourcing?

What is IT Outsourcing?

IT outsourcing involves hiring an external company to provide IT services and support. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), outsourcing IT services can be a cost-effective way to access specialised expertise, improve efficiency and free up time and resources for other areas of business.

There are a few different types of IT offshoring, as well as various models offshore companies use, so this article will give you an explanation of these and when they are beneficial.

Onshore outsourcing involves hiring an external company located within the same country as the SME. This can be advantageous because the outsourcing company is familiar with local laws and regulations, and communication is often easier due to shared language and culture. Onshore outsourcing can also provide opportunities for face-to-face meetings and collaboration, which can be beneficial for building relationships and ensuring quality service.

Offshore outsourcing involves hiring an external company located in a different country than the SME. This can be advantageous because offshore outsourcing can be more cost-effective, as wages and operating costs may be lower in other countries. However, offshore outsourcing can also present challenges related to language barriers, time zone differences and cultural differences, which can impact communication and collaboration.

The two can overlap when you have an onshore outsourced IT service provider who then outsources internationally their after-hours, 24/7 support.

Another outsourcing option is nearshore outsourcing, which is when you outsource your IT systems to a neighbouring country that shares the same time zone as the one your business is located in. This allows for easier communication, however, it’s not always cheap.

Both large companies and start-ups utilise the benefits of outsourcing their IT systems, especially since COVID-19 removed the idea that physical location is needed to develop a trusting relationship in the workplace. IT outsourcing removes the need to hire an in-house IT person, or even a team, making it a cheaper alternative that also brings in industry experience to your current team.

Why is outsourcing beneficial?

Other than outsourcing your entire IT systems, like you would with a Managed Service Provider (MSP), outsourcing can also be beneficial for specific projects. You could be an industry expert with a new idea and it’s imperative you enter the market and test the idea fast. You could be an early-stage start-up that needs to reduce costs by outsourcing a team of professionals for project development before hiring a full-time employee for the role. You could also already have a solution to your problems but just need technical improvements, such as backend problems, adding new language, integrations with apps, UX & UI design, patches or app or website creation.

Companies use various IT outsourcing models that will define how you work with them, each with its pros and cons, so make sure you know what you’re hiring before you sign a contract. Here are three common models:

Project-Based Model

This is when you hire a team to work on a project that you already have planned and a project manager from the outsourced team is accountable for the goals and quality of the project. This works for uncomplicated projects.

Pros:

  • Saves time for your in-house team
  • Provides clear timelines for the project
  • Fast hiring process and a fast result
  • No micromanagement needed
  • The project manager takes full responsibility

Cons:

  • The company has less control over the project
  • Lack of flexibility
  • The result may not meet industry standards as the project manager might not be experienced in your industry

Dedicated Team Model

This model involves you hiring an entire outsourced IT team to work solely on the project where the team acts as your technical and product advisor and can offer suggestions and ideas. This model is great for start-ups that have a lot of growth ahead of them and who may not have the knowledge to deal with complex and long-term IT projects. For example, if you outsource to create an app from a company that specialised in that, they will have a dedicated team for project management, design and engineering.

Pros:

  • More control over all stages of the project
  • Work with a wider team of industry-specific professionals
  • More flexibility
  • No micromanagement needed
  • The in-house team can work on other projects

Cons:

  • Long hiring process
  • Your business has more responsibility for the project

Outstaff Model

This model is available for times you don’t need an entire team, just individual specialists to fill gaps in your team’s experience. This works great for short-term projects.

Pros:

  • No need to hire an entire team
  • Fill expertise gaps in your projects
  • Flexibility to hire as many professionals as you need

Cons:

  • Can be a long search and recruitment process
  • More time spent onboarding
  • Not suitable for long-term projects as outstaff may turn over during that time

Ultimately, the decision to outsource IT services for SMEs will depend on a variety of factors, including budget, expertise and business needs. SMEs should carefully consider their options and choose an outsourcing provider that can meet their specific requirements and provide high-quality service.

Whatever work or software your business is looking to outsource, make sure they are implementing Cyber Security processes while they do so. Also, make sure you are communicating constantly with the outsourced team and ask as many questions as you need to ensure you know what you’re receiving and whether this benefits your business goals.

IT Support, Managed IT Services

How to find a good MSP for me?

How to find a good MSP for me?

While as a business owner or decision-maker in your business, you might not have the time to conduct thorough research on Managed Service providers (MSPs) near you, it’s a good idea that someone does, and does it thoroughly, as this is a company that will be maintaining your IT systems and working with you for years to come.

You’re going to want to know exactly who you’re working with, such as their service and their features, as well as how these features benefit you.

When passing on the task to someone, make sure you give them a list of exactly what you’re after, whether that be working with local providers only, whether you need 24/7 support and whether they are knowledgeable in the systems you use to run your business.

From there, you’re going to want to find out what sets them apart from others. This might not be any specific feature, as MSPs generally offer the same package, but there will often be something. Keep in mind that there are features that some providers will advertise boldly that all MSPs have, such as that they’re Microsoft Certified. Some will also feature an ‘award’ on their homepage, but this often isn’t a nationally given award, simply one given by someone or a business in the industry who has done a thorough review of all MSAs. They’re a good indication it’s a great MSP, but keep in mind that it’s generally not a regulated award.

A feature that might separate an MSP from others could be that they specialise in Cyber Security, as many MSPs only have limited Cyber Security measures in place and require your business to work with a separate company for those issues. Security and Cyber Security are two separate topics and many businesses confuse them as the same. Security mainly focuses on virus protection and firewalls, whereas Cyber Security digs deeper with Two-Factor Authentication and surveillance systems, among other things. With Cyber Security constantly evolving, your business must be up-to-date on the latest trends and practices in the field.  

It’s also important that the MSP you’re searching for is knowledgeable in your industry and your systems. While they won’t be experts in your systems, such as in SAP or Microsoft Dynamics, they should be familiar with them so that they can be the middle-man between the vendor and your company when something goes wrong with the system. You cannot expect the MSP to configure the entire system to your business though, that’s the role of the software vendor and, unfortunately, an expensive role. The MSP should be used to working with clients of your size too, as working with a large MSP as a smaller business, you might find that you’re pushed aside in favour of their larger, more profitable clients.

Market Research

Once you know what you want from an MSP, it’s time to do some market research.

During a conversation with a client, we started talking about how to find a company that you can trust and they said:

“Like most things, you go by recommendation. That’s always the first one. So, if you can’t go by recommendation, then you want to go by, ‘Who’s this company dealing with and what are they saying?’”

If you’re recommended an MSP, that’s always a great start, but when you’re not, it’s hard to find out who to trust, especially with possible fake reviews online. That being said, the place to start with is reviews as you can generally tell through reading when a review has been manufactured. Read what you can find on Google and CloudTango and then read through the company’s reviews and comments on their social media pages like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. An MSP will often have case studies or client reviews on its website to give proof of its track record too, so the clients can give you an understanding of what to expect. If you like, feel free to give the company a call to learn about their experience with the MSP.

Join Facebook, Reddit and Discord groups to see what people are saying about the MSP as well as who they are recommending in your area. While not always the case when it comes to business, many people don’t let their full opinions known about a product or service. It’s only when they’re anonymous or feeling comfortable that they can reveal their deeper inconveniences or desires, so browsing forum groups will often tell you these opinions. Even search on Quora or read through blog posts about the pros and cons of certain MSPs so that you’re adequately informed before you make your decision. 

Contact MSPs

Once you have settled on a few MSPs to sit down with, you should have a list of questions to ask them that will help you narrow down your choice. We’ve written an article about questions to ask when switching IT service providers, so have a read of that to get an idea of some questions. Find the article here. The post also details what to look for when searching for an MSP, such as responsiveness, proactivity and communication.

We hope this has given you an understanding of where to start when searching for an MSP for your business. It can be an incredibly daunting and frustrating process, as well as one that you probably don’t have time for. By now, though, you should know why it’s crucial to have a good MSP working with your business because as your business grows, so does your IT, and that IT needs to be managed efficiently. Feel free to read through the other blog posts on our website to learn of the risks posed to your business if your systems are not managed sufficiently as that might be just the push you need to get started in your search.  

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].

Cybersecurity, Managed IT Services

Quick Tips for Employees to be Cyber Safe

Among all the components that a business needs to operate successfully, cybersecurity has now become one of those essential components. In the wake of COVID outbreak, businesses have stepped up their digital adoption, and threat actors are ready to grab the moment by going after companies of all sizes and industries. The year 2021 will go down in history as one of the most successful in terms of both security breaches and cyberattacks.

No matter what industry you’re in, attackers have no limits on what they may do. They just care about the data they can get their hands on and the money they can get for it. Even now, the attacks are getting more aggressive and smarter. If you are an employee of the company, then you must understand that you are on the front line of information security. Therefore, it’s important to stay on guard to help assure your company’s data is safe and secure. This article will focus on the best practices that employees should try to follow as human factors remains the primary reason for most of the cyberattacks happening in the world. Silly mistakes can bring devastating results and even complete closure of businesses in many cases. So, it is the duty of the employer and the employee too to be aware of cybersafe practices and follow them to remain safe. Let us start with these quick things:

Credit: Pronet Technology

Never Use the Company Email Outside of Work
For the sake of having all the updates in one single email, it is commonly seen that people use their work email for personal use, like for shopping, dining, etc. While it makes life easier, it’s also one of the riskiest things a person can do. Doing so unintentionally can put a business or corporation at risk. Your email can reveal confidential information about your company, which could cause the business to fail.

For instance, Australia’s one of the big universities, i.e., Deakin University was also a victim of cyberattack recently when an attacker used a staff member’s username and password to access student information via one of Deakin’s third-party providers. So, if you’re going to use your business email for personal purposes, think again about it.

Mind Your Clicks
It is human nature to click on pop-ups, links, and ads if we personally receive them to know what value they offer. And, hackers savagely target this weak point of humans, and just with one click, they get access to your company data in a matter of seconds. These can be delivery emails pretending to be from DHL or Amazon, amazing offers, and so on, all designed to entice the reader to click the link. So, if you ever get an email with a link in it that doesn’t pertain to you, I suggest avoiding forwarding or clicking on it, and only notifying your company’s security staff. This would allow your company to put a halt to the attack and prevent it from spreading further at the time it occurs.

For instance, this is the phishing email we received a few days ago where the hacker portrayed himself as the shipment company DHL, but our employees are well-educated about the cyber safe practices and no one clicked on the link. The catch here was that the email i.d. that was used to send did not belong to the DHL company and all our employees realised the same.

Credit: Pronet Technology

Educate Yourself About Phishing Scams
Phishing scams are the most common scams that result in a security breach. Hackers or phishers lure employees to click on links that ask you to enter personal or company information, and once the information is entered, the whole network of the business is exposed to the hackers. It is very crucial to understand the difference between a genuine link and a corrupted one. If you are unsure of the link or email you have received to fill in the details, I suggest you immediately consult your I.T. department to verify. This will help prevent any cyberattacks.

Use Strong Passwords
So, again, to make our lives easy, we all use the same passwords or common passwords at work and in our personal lives. It simplifies our lives and even the lives of hackers too. Keeping common passwords gives an open invitation for hackers to compromise all the accounts using that password and, through them, give access to your company’s or business data. The last thing anyone would want is to be held responsible for such a devastating setback for a firm. So, just be mindful when creating passwords for the tools and software you use at work.

Never Share Passwords
So, another human trait is to have passwords written somewhere or to share them with someone trustworthy (according to you), which is not at all a good practice. Being humans, you never know when a person’s intention changes and it might be too late before that person misuses the information you have shared. It is a good practice for both personal and professional life not to share passwords with anyone. 

Use 2FA While Logging into Devices, Software, etc.
An extremely safe option to use for staying safe in the present unsafe digital environment. You can try using different apps to have the authentication turned on for all of the logins. This will keep everything safe and even alert you instantly when there is an attempt to hack the accounts.

Make Sure all the Updates are Followed
Another thing that most of us ignore is the pop-up messages that come on our screen to update certain software, applications, etc. Usually, we all ignore or delay updating the installed software or applications, and this opens the gate for hackers to compromise the system from your machine, using your identity passwords, and have access to all your company’s sensitive data. If your company sends out instructions for any security updates, it is wise to install them all right away. Cyberthreats often take aim at your data. I am sure no one would want to be the reason for a cyberattack at their workplace, so next time when you see the update message on your screen, take the necessary action immediately.

Talk to Your I.T. Department
It is a good idea to learn more about the best practices to follow to be safe from cyberattacks online without any hesitation. Your I.T. department or I.T. partners will always advise you the best when it comes to cybersecurity. Reaching out to the I.T. department or person to alert them of any possible warnings is also advised to keep away any threats.

Use the Latest & Relevant Technology
Another major thing to keep in mind is to use the latest versions of tools, software, and technology in the workplace. If the licence of the software, applications, etc. you are using has expired or needs an update, do take the necessary action immediately as these outdated versions are most commonly used by hackers to attack. It is usually the duty of the I.T. department or external I.T. partner to suggest the best technology, but the employees should also be aware of putting forward any demand or need they have when it comes to technology they are using.

You Can Avoid a Data Breach

Having the right knowledge about how to identify spoofed content, links, emails, etc. is very crucial for strengthening your company’s defence against cyberattacks. Always remember: one corrupt click by you could let in a hacker and a single delay or failure to fix a flaw in time could become the primary reason for a cyberattack. So, take it as a part of your job to engage in safe online behaviour.

IT should be the backbone of every business and to help businesses leverage the same, Pronet Technology has been offering the best IT solutions along with cybersecurity tailored to your business needs and budget for more than 25 years now.

CALL US today at 03 9069 2188 to get a free consultation for your business IT requirements.

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References:

Graham, J. and Carey, A., 2022. Deakin University cyberattack: Hackers get details for 47,000 current and former students. [online] Theage.com.au. Available at: <https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/hackers-get-details-of-47-000-current-former-students-in-deakin-uni-cyberattack-20220713-p5b16v.html?fbclid=IwAR23ya2lPoU0L7_ZxQhFipMEtbQLzlS8hw0sbhU3OuYtiKYriSNnBJps3w4> [Accessed 24 July 2022].

2018. Silver Magic Keyboard. [image] Available at: <https://www.pexels.com/photo/silver-magic-keyboard-1109543/> [Accessed 25 July 2022].

Cybint. 2020. 15 Alarming Cyber Security Facts and Stats. [online] Available at: <https://www.cybintsolutions.com/cyber-security-facts-stats/> [Accessed 24 July 2022].