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What’s your argument against an SLA with an MSP? (And why it doesn’t hold water) Part-2 In our last blog post, we discussed 3 reasons SMBs usually cite for not signing a service level agreement with an MSP. In this blog post, we suggest how an SLA with an MSP will add value to your business, irrespective of your business size, budget and the presence of an in-house IT team. Reason#1: Our IT requirements are limited IT is not a one-time thing where you can follow a set-it-and-forget-it approach. Want this to run smoothly? IT needs regular maintenance-- a service level agreement with an MSP is the answer. Regular data backups, timely security patch application, software updates, etc, are all important and won’t happen unless you have a dedicated resource working on them. Plus, there’s the issue of network latency. Services like periodic network monitoring offered by MSPs ensure that any latency issues are identified and taken care of before they result in a major system failure. Reason#...

Keylogger 101 We have all heard of hacking, virus, ransomwares, etc. as they keep coming up in the news every now and then. But, have you heard of keyloggers? In this blog post, we discuss keyloggers and how they can be used to gain unauthorized access to your system, online accounts, network and data. As the name suggests, a keylogger logs keys--it captures the keystrokes you make. In fact, use of keyloggers is not illegal. Keyloggers are perfectly legal and are often used by companies to keep tabs on their employees' IT activities during work and closer home, parents use keyloggers to monitor their children’s computer activities for safety and security purposes. But, as with all tools, even keyloggers can be misused and cause a lot of damage if leveraged by a cybercriminal. By logging keystrokes, the keylogger captures passwords and other confidential information. Imagine someone having access to all your usernames and passwords. Your bank accounts, your shopping accounts, your o...

What’s your argument against an SLA with an MSP? (And why it doesn’t hold water) Part-1 Managed IT services are becoming more popular by the day. Businesses, big and small, are bringing managed service providers onboard to handle their IT requirements. The bigger IT players like IBM, Accenture, CISCO act as MSPs to larger organizations, while the typical managed service provider is often hired by SMBs. However, there’s a question that crops up time and again--Do SMBs really need an MSP? SMBs are sometimes in two minds when it comes to bringing an MSP on board and typically use one of the following justifications. Our IT requirements are limited A lot of businesses in the small to mid-size range believe that their IT needs don’t warrant a full-time service level agreement with an MSP. They believe the only times they need to invest in IT is at the start of their business or when rolling out new technology. As a result, they don’t see much value in signing a service level agreement with ...

Social media security Social media is a great tool for SMBs to get the word out about their products and services, build their brand, and connect with prospective customers. It also offers paid marketing avenues as well, such as PPCs, marketplaces, etc., But are your social media accounts secure? Typically what happens in a business account on social media is that multiple people may have access to the account. Access could stretch across different departments such as marketing, sales, PR, HR or it could be multiple people from a single team with access rights--usually marketing. If you outsource your social media management to marketing agencies, their staff also end up having access to your social media accounts. All of these situations make your social media accounts very vulnerable. Here are a few tips to keep your social media accounts secure. Always be aware of who has access to your social media accounts. This may seem obvious, but you may be surprised to know that many SMBs are...

Equip your business with the IT foundation it needs to compete and win In a recent industry survey, it was found that one of the biggest factors holding back small and mid-sized firms from achieving their business goals was IT. One may argue that smaller businesses lack the capital that the bigger players have to invest in their business, but even with all other aspects being more or less equal, the difference brought about by their lack of investment in IT was found to be a key differentiating factor--far more than other elements such as marketing, human resources and even industry expertise. There’s no denying that IT plays an important role in keeping any business running. Ignoring your IT infrastructure can prove disastrous, but maintaining an in-house IT team to take care of it can be expensive--especially for SMBs. By outsourcing IT to a trusted MSP, businesses can benefit from significant cost savings that arise from not having to hire an entire IT team in-house. The second i...

Three things to consider when investing in new software When running a business, you will often find yourself in need of new software tools to enhance the productivity, efficiency, effectiveness and even the security of your various business processes. These software programs range across a wide spectrum of tools including accounting, finance, IT, e-commerce, marketing, sales and many more. In this blog post, we discuss the key elements you should consider before investing in software tools for your business. Whose software is it, anyway ? Learn more about the company that owns the software. Find out how long they have been in the business. Are they dealing in similar software programs across different industries, or is this their only product? Get more information about their company size and business model. How do they sell? What kind of after-sales support do they offer in terms of training, troubleshooting and product updates? You need to have answers to all these questions. This i...

Transitioning from average to best-in-class with IT Many small or mid-sized businesses don’t focus much on IT as they should. For a lot of them, the focus is on customers, ensuring they have enough staff to meet their client needs, expanding their business and driving revenue by selling. IT comes into the picture initially when the business is being set up. Once they have their IT infrastructure up and running, it tends to take a backseat. The typical mid-sized or small business owner seems to prefer the firefighting approach to IT--meaning, they reach out to an IT service provider only when they have an IT problem. Interestingly, this is the key difference between the average SMB and best-in-class SMBs. The best-in-class SMBs tend to adopt a more proactive approach towards IT. They either have an in-house IT team or sign-up with a Managed Services Provider to take care of their IT needs on a regular basis. In contrast to the average SMB, the best-in-class almost always has a Service ...

Insider threats: Not as uncommon as you think When we speak of cybercrime and data theft, we typically think of seasoned cybercriminals. But you’d be surprised to know that the cause of businesses becoming victims of cybercrime is most often their own employees--sometimes on purpose, sometimes inadvertently. Remember Bob from accounting who was let go? Or the new intern who worked for 3 days and never showed up? Yep! They could engage in cybercrime activities to ‘get back at you’. Many businesses have been victims of cyberattacks brought on by disgruntled employees, both current and ex. No matter who attacks you virtually, whether it is a seasoned cybercriminal or an employee who is simply upset with the kind of coffee your office coffee machine makes, becoming a victim of cybercrime causes you a lot of damage. For starters it erodes the trust your customers have in your brand, it affects your brand negatively. If your data is held ransom, you have no choice, but to pay up the demanded...