Small Business IT Archives | Page 2 of 3

The Benefits of Microsoft Azure

February 2, 2017/0 Comments/in Azure, Small Business IT /by James Wagner

Microsoft’s cloud platform, Microsoft Azure, is available in Canada through partner MSPs like The ITeam.

The advantages of Azure include attaining a Gartner rating as a leader for infrastructure as a service (IaaS).

As Azure gains momentum here in Canada, the benefits have become more apparent.

These three benefits stand out:

Simple Integration

If your organization already uses SharePoint, Office 365, or Outlook, then using a cloud platform designed for perfect integration makes sense.

Familiar operating systems, such as Windows and Linux, work in Azure, so it solves many compatibility issues.

Speed and Scalability

Not only is Microsoft a reputable tech provider, but the deployment of Azure is rapid.

We help clients deploy Azure and scale up and down as needed.

In addition, we help clients test various features.

By having the ability to test different features without making a large investment in infrastructure, our Azure clients are able to be more agile and innovative, and therefore more competitive.

Lower Capital Output

We have been encouraging clients to consider the cost versus ROI of investing in their own infrastructure (capital expenses) as opposed to leasing equipment or relying on us to provide infrastructure for them.

Azure is an expansion of this idea, turning costs into more-predictable monthly expenses rather than unplanned, unexpected capital costs.

Microsoft Azure provides organizations with a reliable, scalable, and secure infrastructure environment, allowing organizations to improve customer experience, drive innovation, and manage costs.

With the availability of Canada-based data cloud services and storage, it is worth considering shifting your organization to the cloud and evaluating solutions like Microsoft Azure.

The ITeam is a Microsoft Certified Partner committed to helping Calgary- and Alberta-based businesses develop proactive IT strategies that keep them competitive. Contact us to learn more.

Network Assessment: A Tool for Your Business Growth

December 12, 2016/0 Comments/in Asset Management, Small Business IT /by James Wagner

Evaluating IT systems is no simple task.

However, it is essential to the success and health of your business that you have a sense of what is required to keep your IT infrastructure efficient and secure.

Think of an IT systems evaluation as you would a routine physical or checkup.

Just as you would visit a dentist every six months for a cleaning and x-rays, simply to make sure your teeth are in good health.

A network assessment ensures that your IT infrastructure is in good working order and capable of meeting the demands of your organization.

These assessments not only help you maintain IT security but they also help you remain competitive, by maintaining your efficiency and productivity.

A network assessment is also a powerful tool for growth, allowing you to leverage available technology to make smart investments for your organization’s capabilities.

Preparation for the future

As an essential piece of your business blueprint – conducted through the lens of your organization’s goals and objectives – a network assessment can help you prepare for the future.

A network assessment assures that you have the technology and infrastructure in place to meet your goals.

By working with a managed IT partner who understands your organization’s unique needs, you can develop and implement new tools that help you remain flexible, competitive, and secure.

A network assessment provides you with the insight you need regarding your organization’s ability to:

Expand,
Deliver new products and services, and
Improve customer experience

You’ll also understand how to prevent issues, such as security breaches and unanticipated downtime.

The offer of an outside perspective

Many opportunities to discover deficiencies and improve your IT infrastructure are missed simply due to a lack of information.

A network assessment from a managed IT partner will ensure that your business understands the options available and the solutions that are most relevant to your operation.

An expert from outside of your organization can conduct an assessment of your IT infrastructure to help you detect glitches that may not ordinarily be detected internally.

Risks can be addressed proactively – certainly more cost-effective than reacting to an issue after the damage has been done.

You will be provided with recommendations about the most recent tools and solutions necessary to keep your data secure and achieve business objectives.

Small changes can make a big difference

Each intricate piece of your IT infrastructure should be operating at maximum efficiency.

A network assessment can pinpoint even small issues that may have a big impact on that efficiency and your productivity.

Sometimes a small adjustment to the servers, communication tools, productivity tools, security and data solutions, and the infrastructure that keeps everything running can have a profound impact on the overall success and profitability of your business.

The ITeam provides essential IT support to Calgary– and Alberta-based businesses, with fully managed and customized services designed to meet the needs of virtually any business. The ITeam will work with you to customize a cost-effective solution and help you develop a comprehensive IT strategy that will help you survive economically stressful times. Contact us for a free consultation or schedule a network assessment today.

3 Resolutions for Economic Recovery in 2016

December 16, 2015/1 Comment/in Business Continuity, Small Business IT /by James Wagner

3 Resolutions for Economic Recovery in 2016 As oil and gas prices continue to slide here in Alberta – where we tend to rely on the industry to help strengthen our whole economy – the outlook heading into 2016 isn’t as positive as we’d like it to be.

Even so, we have confidence that the oil and gas industry will recover and that Calgary and Alberta businesses will thrive.

The economy is predicted to begin modest recovery, even in Alberta during 2016.

Organizations, regardless of industry, tend to have five primary areas in which they experience the most financial difficulty.

Addressing these financial areas are what we consider the three most important “New Year’s Resolutions” for every Canadian business.

Improve cash flow.

Cash flow is the lifeblood of any organization, and there are several ways to improve cash flow, even when times are tough.

One of the quickest ways for businesses – especially small to midsize businesses – to improve cash flow is to improve receivables.

If you offer net 30, consider reducing it to net 10. You’re not a bank; you’re a business. Collect regularly and don’t overextend your business by carrying receivables for too long.

IT strategy to improve cash flow: Rather than make capital investments in IT equipment, lease servers or enlist the services of a hosted service provider.

Take control of your operating budget.

Successful business owners are very aware of their operating budgets and maintain tight controls.

This requires running regular financial reports, identifying where cost overruns are occurring, and developing a meaningful, achievable, and realistic budget under which their organizations can successfully operate.

IT strategy to improve your operating budget: Reduce the cost of IT infrastructure by shifting risk away from your organization.

Replace outdated systems and process.

State of the art equipment and systems allow you to operate more efficiently.

It’s a matter of getting the most out of your assets and your people by making everything work well.

Assess your policies and procedures, eliminate redundancies, and tighten protocols.

IT strategy to improve the

process: Address IT and security risks now, before they become an issue, by including IT in your procedural updates.

The economy will recover. But until it does, we’re dedicated to helping Calgary- and Alberta-based businesses make changes now to remain competitive, flexible, and ready to face whatever challenges come their way. We do this by providing essential IT support and customized services designed to meet the needs of your business. The ITeam will work with you to develop a cost-effective and comprehensive IT strategy that will help you survive economically stressful times. Contact us for a free consultation.

Reduce Business Costs with a Better IT Strategy

November 18, 2015/1 Comment/in Managed IT, Small Business IT /by James Wagner

Reduce Business Costs with a Better IT Strategy Canadian businesses of all sizes have been forced to adapt to major IT trends in order to remain competitive on a global scale.

Services such as cloud computing, mobile device management, big data, and IT security have transformed the way almost every industry manages their business.

Technology is a necessary part of virtually every industry, and IT is a bigger portion of nearly every business budget.

While large corporations can often absorb increasing IT costs, small and mid-size businesses struggle to stay up to speed with limited IT budgets.

Unfortunately, in today’s tight economy, large and small businesses alike must find ways to reduce costs.

Reduce Costs without Sacrifice

Most businesses are faced with the dilemma of needing to have access to robust IT infrastructure and support while at the same time being challenged to reduce their overall operating budgets.

According to recent research, cost reduction is one of the top priorities of all mid-market Canadian businesses in the coming year.

The only priority more important to these businesses?

IT security and risk management.

Rather than remaining mired in the doom and gloom of unenthusiastic economic predictions facing Canadian business leaders, savvy leaders are recognizing the opportunity that exists within the advancing technology, to be able to proverbially have their cake and eat it too.

Improved IT ROI

Advancements in technology allow businesses to increase agility and improve competitive advantage while simultaneously reducing costs and streamlining IT services.

Through the increased use of cloud services, which shifts the majority of the capital costs to managed services providers, many companies are realizing an increased ROI on IT investment.

They can then be used to enhance other services such as backup and disaster recovery, off-site data storage, and better mobile-device security management, ultimately resulting in improved operational efficiencies.

In other words, a small investment in IT can have a domino effect that results in bigger cost savings, better overall data security and protection, and significant increases in risk mitigation.

Best Practices for Efficient Operations

Move from capital expenditures in IT to predictable, plannable, operational expenditures, by shifting to cloud-based services, infrastructure, and management that is scalable and responsive.
Move from in-house IT staff to a virtual CIO who partners with your business to determine the most cost-effective, customized IT solutions.
Address IT and data security risks now, before they become costly losses.
Minimize the risks of downtime with automated, off-site backups of critical data.

Doing more with less.

That is the challenge every business leader is forced to achieve to remain viable.

A more comprehensive approach to IT management can give business leaders a roadmap, to not only survive tough economic times but thrive.

The economy will recover, but until it does, we’re dedicated to helping Calgary- and Alberta-based businesses make changes now to remain competitive, flexible, and ready to face whatever challenges come their way. We do this by providing essential IT support and customized services designed to meet the needs of your business. The ITeam will work with you to develop a cost-effective and comprehensive IT strategy that will help you survive economically stressful times. Contact us for a free consultation.

Overcome the Economic Downturn with a Better IT Strategy

September 23, 2015/2 Comments/in Managed IT, Small Business IT /by James Wagner

Overcome the Economic Downturn with a Better IT Strategy While many SUV drivers are celebrating a recent drop in gas prices, most of us here in Calgary are feeling the economic stress of a much more significant economic change in the oil and gas industry.

Oil and gas is the lifeblood of our community, and the downturn affects not just energy enterprises but every other organization as well.

As business leaders seek ways to save money, one area that should be addressed is IT infrastructure and strategy.

Over the next few months, we’ll explore cost-savings measures that businesses can take to better manage IT costs, leverage IT support, and survive a tightening of the belt that may be required.

Reducing the Cost of IT Infrastructure

There are three primary ways an organization’s IT infrastructure can cost more than it should:

When it’s outdated and requires unexpected and costly repairs
When it’s owned and stored by the organization
When it is poorly managed

Outdated IT Equipment

The cost of investing in new servers and equipment can be exorbitant and possibly exceed your budget limitations.

But not replacing outdated equipment can also put your entire organization at risk in terms of significant downtime, unexpected repair costs, and a loss of customer loyalty.

Who Owns the Risk?

If you have your own bank of servers, you’re dealing with enormous costs beyond just the initial cost of the equipment.

Who are you paying to maintain the servers?

How much energy are you consuming to keep the servers cool?

What kind of maintenance costs must you expend to keep them running?

How are you handling offsite backup and recovery?

How does it impact your accounting as you are forced to treat IT costs as capital expenditures rather than operating expenses?

The Cost of Poor IT Support

Whether provided by an internal staff or a sub-par external provider, when IT support goes wrong, it can be costly.

Not only can poor IT support result in costly labour waste and downtime, but you lose the one essential factor you need when working with a Managed Services provider: trust.

Cost-Effective IT Infrastructure Solution

Organizations of all sizes and types can benefit from making changes to the way they approach IT infrastructure and support. By leasing servers or enlisting the services of a hosted service provider, significant savings can be realized, including:

Reduced maintenance costs
Reduced capital expenditures
Reduced risk of downtime
Reduced risk of lost business
Reduced labour costs

By reducing the cost of IT, you can avoid making cost cuts elsewhere (layoffs, benefit cuts, etc.).

The ITeam provides essential IT support to Calgary businesses, with fully managed and customized services designed to meet the needs of your business. The ITeam will work with your Alberta business to customize a cost-effective solution and help you develop a comprehensive IT strategy that will help you survive economically stressful times. Contact us for a free consultation.