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Canada SMEs need IT strategy

IT Strategic Planning for Canada SMEs

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Canada SMEsFor Canada SMEs, IT strategic planning plays a critical role in your overall ability to support your customers, remain competitive, and be positioned to recover from a natural or technological disaster. But an IT strategy is more than just a plan; it’s a comprehensive outline of your approach to IT that ensures that your IT infrastructure supports your business goals, that you are anticipating and proactively meeting the needs of your business, and that your investment in IT is planned and predictable. 

In today’s rapidly moving business environment, most SMEs rely on their IT infrastructure to conduct most of their business. From accounting and office systems to communicating with customers, and from scheduling appointments and managing services to managing payroll and inventory and increasing efficiency, an SMEs IT infrastructure is often the backbone of the organization. Your IT strategy must be flexible and dynamic because technology does not stand still (and neither do hackers).

Your IT strategic planning process should consider the following factors:

  • Current market conditions
  • Competitive intelligence
  • Performance issues and identified areas in need of improvement
  • Customer satisfaction
  • Resource requirements
  •  Staff training and support needs
  • Compliance requirements for your industry
  • Budget requirements
  • Current state of infrastructure

IT Strategic Planning Benefits for Canada SMEs

A lack of proper IT planning will impact your employees, your customers, and your bottom line. For example, without a plan in place for lifecycle management, you may find that the operating system you use to manage your IT infrastructure is out of date and no longer supported (Windows 7 support ends January 2020!). This creates not just a disruption in your operations but also a significant security risk to your organization. An IT strategy that includes a plan for lifecycle management makes IT costs more predictable. Proactive IT strategy planning is essential for successful SMEs. Other benefits include: 

  • Improved operational efficiency
  • Increased profitability
  • Reduced risk
  • Improved business continuity
  • Increased alignment between business objectives and IT objectives
  • Ability to map future needs for better planning
  • Ensured statutory and regulatory compliance
  • Elimination of unnecessary downtime
  • Nominal disruption of operations

 Securing networks and private data is a top priority for organizations of every size in Alberta. SMEs are the lifeblood of Canada’s economy, but these organizations are only as strong as the IT strategy supporting their operations. If your SME needs help with IT strategic planning, IT infrastructure support, and IT security, get in touch.

improve cybersecurity without increasing spending

You Don’t Have to Increase Spending to Improve Cybersecurity

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improve cybersecuritySmall and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) aren’t as protected from cyber threats as they should be. Although larger corporations have more data for cyber criminals to take advantage of, SMBs are less likely to have up-to-date cybersecurity defenses, making them tempting – and easy – targets for hackers.

Because SMBs are easier targets, you may feel the need to invest heavily in the right infrastructure to protect your private information. Although cybersecurity is a must, a good strategy doesn’t have to drain your budget; managed services can be a predictable, plannable, and affordable cost. Your MSP can help protect your business and support a stronger strategy that includes:

Lifecycle management.

You’d be surprised how many systems are still running on outdated, unlicensed, or unpatched software. This leaves businesses completely open to attack, as critical upgrades to prevent data breaches must be installed to protect your organization. Hackers will take advantage of these vulnerabilities in your infrastructure.

Staff training and education.

Human error is the most challenging aspect of cybersecurity because it’s not as easily managed. The only way to mitigate the possibility of mistakes is to educate employees on an ongoing basis. Teach your staff about the latest phishing methods and implement basic policies and procedures to protect business data.

Strict permissions and policies.

Not everyone in your organization should have access to every system. Controlling access to your data to only those who must have such access can limit risk. As well, having strict policies about passwords, email security, and mobile device use can protect your organization.

Offsite backup and data recovery (BDR).

By storing a backup of your data at a secure offsite location, you will have access to the information your business needs to remain in operation, even if your facility is inaccessible or destroyed. Offsite backup and data recovery is critical to all businesses, no matter their size.

Multi-factor authentication.

Every organization should be using multi-factor authentication because password protection simply isn’t enough to protect your business. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a crucial security layer requiring more than one authentication method to verify a user’s identity.

These basic cybersecurity practices will help you protect your infrastructure in a cost-effective way. SMBs must defend against cybersecurity threats, because they are at risk, more so than larger organizations. These simple steps are the best start to securing your private networks, leaving more money in the budget for the right resources. Don’t fall victim to cyber threats when you can be prepared and remain competitive in a time when IT is your strongest asset.

As a top-rated IT security firm in Canada, we are committed to helping Calgary- and Alberta-based businesses develop proactive, cost-effective IT strategies that minimize risk, maximize efficiency, and build trust with Canadian citizens. Contact us to learn more.

digital transformation and IT security

Without IT Security, Digital Transformation is a Waste of Time

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IT security and digital transformationEver-changing technology is revolutionizing how organizations conduct business, but IT security must be more than just an afterthought during these changes. There is considerable push to meet consumer demand and adapt technologies for higher productivity and better customer experiences, but it all means nothing if your network isn’t secure. As technology catapults business into the digital era, organizations must consider how to make security a part of every step.

Organizations are adapting technology but leaving IT security behind.

The cloud, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and mobility are all driving business initiatives. Many organizations consider these adaptations priorities for remaining competitive. Unfortunately, every technological innovation reveals a new vulnerability that can be exploited by hackers. It takes more than patchwork protection to effectively secure your changing infrastructure, and as your network expands, so does the attack surface.

Everything is connected.

Hackers only need to gain access to one of your perimeters to reach the depths of your network. Improving visibility can mitigate risk, but sophisticated attacks are becoming harder to see. Continuous monitoring and diligent maintenance are required to protect your data. Organizations are now expected to offer all consumers better risk management, heightened privacy protections, and acknowledgment of fault if a data breach occurs. If businesses fail to meet compliance guidelines, they could face severe fines from governing bodies and an overall loss of business from a disappointed consumer base.

IT Security first.

Although businesses are eager to implement new tools that improve their processes, attract new customers, and retain loyal customers, that same technology will be their downfall if security isn’t a priority. Organizations must act immediately to mitigate risk and prevent data breaches, and with every technology innovation adopted, a comprehensive cybersecurity solution that protects you should also be implemented and updated. To do otherwise leaves your organization vulnerable to attack and financial ruin.

IT managed services can help immensely in securing all end-points, ensuring compliance, monitoring for data breaches, and other challenges related to a digital transformation. If cybersecurity is not a part of the conversation as you innovate and update, you’re wasting your resources.

As a top-rated IT security firm in Canada, we are committed to helping Calgary- and Alberta-based businesses develop proactive, cost-effective IT strategies that minimize risk, maximize efficiency, and build trust with Canadian citizens. Contact us to learn more.

The ITeam named on of 50 best managed it companies in Canada

The ITeam Named One of Canada’s 50 Best Managed IT Companies

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Calgary-based managed services company, The ITeam, named one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed IT Companies

50 best managed IT companiesCalgary, Alberta – February 2019 – We are pleased to announce that The ITeam Ltd. has been recognized as one of the Top 50 Best Managed IT Companies in Canada by TechnoPlanet, who hosted black-tie gala at the Old Mill in Toronto to celebrate the winners.

Top 50 Best Managed IT Companies in Canada is an award of excellence to recognize 50 Value Added Resellers (VARs) or Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in Canada. Of the over 1500 Canadian IT companies that qualified, only 50 were ultimately selected to receive the award.

What It Means to Be One of the 50 Best Managed IT Companies

“The ITeam is honored to be recognized with this prestigious award. I am proud of my entire team for their hard work and contribution to this.” – James Wagner, President of The ITeam Ltd.

This award is based on an analysis of over 200 data points covering 12 different business categories such as sales process, marketing, operations, financial and leadership. The award also takes into consideration an analysis of several public areas, such as the strength of our digital presence including our website, social media, search engine results and marketing campaigns as well as other activities such as charity, community work, customer testimonials and other achievements. Eight judges review and audit each company.

Julian Lee, CEO and President of the North American technology channel marketing and communications specialists TechnoPlanet, launched the 50 Best Managed IT Companies Awards program to recognize the VARs, MSPs and ITSPs who truly operate their businesses effectively. “The primary goal is simply to help all VARs, MSPs, ITSPs, MSSPs and ISVs to benchmark their best business practices and hopefully improve. Our big mission is to help the entire channel to become bigger, better, stronger and smarter so it may remain vibrant, well into the future.” – Julian Lee, CEO of Technoplanet.

ABOUT TECHNOPLANET & THE 50 BEST MANAGED SERVICE COMPANIES AWARD

TechnoPlanet is an international channel marketing and communications company that specializes in the technology industry. Since 1993, TechnoPlanet has been developing best-practice channel solutions that help technology manufacturers develop and manage their channel partners.

Over 1,800 nominees from 4 countries worldwide were evaluated in their business practices including Business Vision & Strategy, Operations Processes, Financial Management, Leadership & Management, Sales & Marketing Processes, and Customer Satisfaction. Winners were selected based on a rigorous review of the best practices that are used to run their business.

Award winners are amongst the best-of-the-best in the IT Channel in their country when it comes to running their businesses. They have the best business leaders in the IT industry, are poised to have sustainable success in the future, offer superior customer service, and attract and retain the top talent in the IT industry.

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