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Your business runs on data, but so do the cyber criminals who want to steal yours

One very painful truth about running a business is that you possess data that is attractive to criminals. There is no avoiding that reality. You have data. They want data. It is an ongoing challenge to maintain data security as cyber criminals’ efforts evolve and change on a daily basis. The wall that kept you safe last week may have holes in them today. Keeping up with the latest threats is a specialized field that in-house IT support likely doesn’t have. An MSP can provide the support you need in the face of ransomware threats and other malware. Also, an MSP can provide 24/7 monitoring.

Speaking of data security, brand damage isn’t the only issue with data security breaches. In many cases, there are data protection laws that regulate how you secure personal information. In specific industries there are federal, state, and even overseas regulations that set standards for data protection. How you choose to protect data may be out of your hands. MSPs have the experience and knowledge to address compliance management. For example, there are a number of data protection laws (HIPAA, FERPA, CA Privacy Act, GDPR, FTC Safeguards Rule) out there that not only provide penalties if a data breach occurs, but also mandate specific protocols to better ensure your data is protected. Avoiding a data breach isn’t enough. Some of these protocols can be quite demanding and some require periodic testing and are subject to audits. Samples of the types of requirements mandated by some of these laws may include.

Not only do you have to set up protocols, you may have to prove they are operative and be subject to audits. All of this can be extremely distracting to a small business.

Another area related to data security is the issue of backup and recovery. So much can go wrong. There is nefarious activity: criminals actively trying to break into your data and steal it. There is human error: individuals taking actions that accidently delete or damage data. And of course, hardware can fail and software can have bugs. And, if not done correctly, backups may be infected and be of little value.

An MSP can design backups that are continual and are protected at an offsite location.

More importantly, it isn’t enough to know your data is safe if something happens. Your business is dependent on using that data. Losing a day of access can cripple your business. That means planning for recovery in case something happens. How will you transition to another mode of data access? Your customers expect 24/7 availability. An MSP can develop recovery plans that work to ensure your operations see minimal disruption in the event of a failure.

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One thing that the best MSP can do is become a strategic partner. Your expertise is your industry, business, or profession. Trends and innovations in technology aren’t your focus. However, your business can benefit from some long-term strategic planning in terms of the technology you will deploy to remain competitive. New technology will offer new opportunities. An MSP who has experience in your industry can become a partner. After taking the time to learn your business, your goals, and the competitive field in which you operate, an MSP can take a seat at the table of your business planning. At the highest level, this is where a skilled MSP becomes a significant asset as your business grows and faces new market challenges.

Additionally, An MSP can help with other parts of your IT infrastructure to protect your data as well as facilitate more effective collaboration internally as well as with clients. Here are three examples.

Backup and recovery

Another area related to data security is the process of securing your data in the event of theft, a hardware or software issue, or even a natural disaster that cuts access to your data’s physical location. Backing up your data needs to involve a lot more than running nightly backup to an external drive. That may be ok for your home laptop, but it doesn’t cut it if you want to protect your business data. An MSP can support continual data backup to offsite locations. This means at any point there is a system failure or breach, all of your data remains secure at one or more distant locations. Backup also includes recovery. Having your data safely stored in the event of a disaster isn’t enough. Your business will need continuing access to that data. An MSP can develop recovery plans that work to ensure your operations see minimal disruption in the event of a failure. Also, clean backups are critical for avoiding the consequences of a ransomware attack. Poorly handled back procedures can leave your data vulnerable,

Cloud Services

The decision to use cloud services is closely related to data security and cybercrime. Locating all of your data and software applications physically in your own location may seem like the safest thing to do, but that may not be correct. If you utilize cloud storage, you can maintain access to that data from any location. If a natural disaster or other emergency limits access to your physical locations or disables it, your business and employees can access the data from anywhere. Also, the cloud offers economies of scale. To maintain sufficient capacity to meet peak times, maintain all of the necessary hardware and software, and monitor it 24/7 involves considerable in-house labor and capital expense. Migrating to the cloud means you share those fixed costs with others. An MSP can handle selecting and designing a cloud solution most appropriate to the needs of your specific industry and business.

Unified Communications

Unified communications is a service that pulls together the different channels your employees and clients use to collaborate, sell, communicate, etc. Unified communications systems have many moving parts. Encryption, data security, ease of use, cross platform support as well as other support services can create a communications system that works for everyone, no matter what channel they choose to be using.

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Strategic IT planning for your business

One thing that the best MSP can do is become a strategic partner. Your expertise is your industry, business, or profession. Trends and innovations in technology aren’t your focus. However, your business can benefit from some long-term strategic planning in terms of the technology you will deploy to remain competitive. New technology will offer new opportunities. An MSP who has experience in your industry can become a partner. After taking the time to learn your business, your goals, and the competitive field in which you operate, an MSP can take a seat at the table of your business planning. At the highest level, this is where a skilled MSP becomes a significant asset as your business grows and faces new market challenges.

Additionally, An MSP can help with other parts of your IT infrastructure to protect your data as well as facilitate more effective collaboration internally as well as with clients. Here are three examples.<br>

Another area related to data security is the process of securing your data in the event of theft, a hardware or software issue, or even a natural disaster that cuts access to your data’s physical location. Backing up your data needs to involve a lot more than running nightly backup to an external drive. That may be ok for your home laptop, but it doesn’t cut it if you want to protect your business data. An MSP can support continual data backup to offsite locations. This means at any point there is a system failure or breach, all of your data remains secure at one or more distant locations. Backup also includes recovery. Having your data safely stored in the event of a disaster isn’t enough. Your business will need continuing access to that data. An MSP can develop recovery plans that work to ensure your operations see minimal disruption in the event of a failure. Also, clean backups are critical for avoiding the consequences of a ransomware attack. Poorly handled back procedures can leave your data vulnerable,<br>

The decision to use cloud services is closely related to data security and cybercrime. Locating all of your data and software applications physically in your own location may seem like the safest thing to do, but that may not be correct. If you utilize cloud storage, you can maintain access to that data from any location. If a natural disaster or other emergency limits access to your physical locations or disables it, your business and employees can access the data from anywhere. Also, the cloud offers economies of scale. To maintain sufficient capacity to meet peak times, maintain all of the necessary hardware and software, and monitor it 24/7 involves considerable in-house labor and capital expense. Migrating to the cloud means you share those fixed costs with others. An MSP can handle selecting and designing a cloud solution most appropriate to the needs of your specific industry and business.

Unified communications is a service that pulls together the different channels your employees and clients use to collaborate, sell, communicate, etc. Unified communications systems have many moving parts. Encryption, data security, ease of use, cross platform support as well as other support services can create a communications system that works for everyone, no matter what channel they choose to be using.</div>

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Are you a small- or medium-sized business that is in need of a more complete, dependable IT solution to support your business than you presently have? When your main focus is running your business, everything else becomes an afterthought. Other support operations tend to take a backseat. However, your business depends upon a reliable, stable “always running” IT infrastructure and you probably find that isn’t always the case. Even if you have an in-house staff, it isn’t large enough to put out fires and handle strategic planning and provide 24/7 support when something goes wrong. That is why many businesses large and small rely fully or partially on the support of a Managed Service Provider (MSP).

So what are the typical services available from an MSP? There are many different types of support that can be provided to clients. In this e-guide we will break them down.

Managed IT Services

This is the overarching set of services that define the purpose of an MSP. Generally, a business will sign a service level contract with an MSP for a set of defined IT services for a period of time. One advantage typically derived from such an agreement is that the contract provides that you get 24/7 emergency support with priority. Typically, if you have a crisis and call a provider, the non-contract clients take a lower priority. This can mean longer down times and those mean revenue losses. Also, your contract with an MSP means that you can do a better job predicting your IT expenses into the future, and predictability is always a benefit for any enterprise.

Cyber Security Services

One specific area of expertise that everyone needs, no matter how small the business, is up-to-date, ongoing protection against data theft and cyber crimes. An MSP can bring a depth of knowledge that is difficult to create in-house. Ransomware and data theft are rampant. Cyber criminals attack businesses of any size ( in fact, small ones can be more vulnerable. And smaller businesses often don’t have the deep pockets to recover from the revenue losses of a cyber attack). This is a very specialized sector of IT management where businesses frequently choose to use the services of an MSP because of its complexity. Also, keeping up-to-date with the latest malware, and handling 24/7 monitoring can be very labor intensive if done in-house.

Compliance Management

  • There are a number of data protection laws (HIPAA, FERPA, CA Privacy Act, GDPR, FTC Safeguards Rule) out there that not only provide penalties if a data breach occurs, many of them mandate specific protocols to better ensure your data is protected. Avoiding a data breach isn’t enough. Some of these protocols can be quite demanding and some require periodic testing and are subject to audits. Samples of the types of requirements mandated by some of these laws may include.
  • Designating one individual to oversee data protection and security
  • Conducting a risk assessment – This means analyzing what data you possess, where it is stored, and in what ways it is vulnerable.
  • Creating safeguards to address all potential areas of vulnerability
  • Designing and documenting tools to secure your data and tracking access
  • Tracing the location and security of all data whether it is at rest or in transit.

An MSP can be a critical resource in designing these safety measures and ensuring your company is in compliance and remains so. Handling compliance issues and audits can be a big distraction when you are trying to run your business and drive revenues.

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Can a small business use AI?

One area where AI tools can help even the smallest business is in sales and marketing. Every business is marketing and selling in the online digital world. Marketing on social media is a given for every business, and can be a game-changer for a small startup. However, a lot of the tasks of marketing on social media and through your website can involve tedious, time consuming tasks. Marketing tools that use AI can help with drip email campaigns, website visitor tracking, and understanding where each customer exists in the sales funnel at any given moment. Other digital tools that increase customer engagement and drive sales are available and are an excellent introduction to AI as a marketing tool. Using these tools, you can focus your limited sales resources on other, more critical tasks such as closing a sale with a customer that is now ready to buy and not simply exploring vague options. These AI tools are readily available and your MSP can guide you in the adoption and use of them.

An MSP or MSSP can also be a resource for data protection. As you begin using such tools, you amass enormous amounts of data about prospects as well as customers. How you hold, use, transmit and store this data is subject to some data regulations, either by your state, a federal agency, or even the European Union. Regulation is growing because of the increasing concern about an individual’s online privacy. Because so much personal data is being collected about each of us, there is increasing concern about misuse of that data, protecting it from bad actors, and other privacy rights issues. While you may not be physically located in a state that has data privacy regulations, if you conduct business in a state or country that regulates data privacy, you are likely subject to their rules. An MSP or MSSP is an important resource to determine where you are subject to those laws. More importantly, if you are subject to those laws (e.g. HIPAA, The FTC Safeguard Rules, the CA Privacy act or the General Data Protection Regulation of the EU), you may also be required to prove that you have developed protocols for the protection of data as defined under those regulations. It isn’t enough to say “everything is safe.” You may have to provide evidence you have created the specific data protection protocols specified under the regulation.

In short, AI can be a helpful tool to grow your business, but it comes with responsibilities and concerns that may not have concerned you before. An MSP is an important resource as you wade into the world of marketing, sales, and other operational areas.

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AI: Can you avoid the risks it carries?

Are there risks to AI? Absolutely! There are end-of-the-world predictions about the use of AI. For a business, many of the risks are a bit less extreme, but they are also very real. For example, in the area of content creation. There are a variety of risks that you open yourself up to. One of the key ones is the trustworthiness of the content created. You expect generative AI to create an accurate explanation or description of a topic, event, thing, or idea, However, can you, in fact, completely rely on that? The answer is probably a qualified no. The level of “qualified” depends on a variety of factors. Your AI generated content is only as good as its sources, and that can create real questions for readers. Also, an organization using AI to create any type of video, text, image, or audio content needs to be concerned that it may include proprietary information that you need permission to use. This means material created by generative AI could suddenly veer off into copyright infringement.

AI is also being used in areas such as recruitment. However, there has been research suggesting that bias can sneak into AI decisions as a result of the source data the tools are using. Bias is a concern not limited to the one example of recruitment. It can have consequences in areas where AI is making marketing decisions, and can taint medical and legal recommendations AI might provide. As a result, AI cannot go “unmonitored.” Review by humans and other tools is a best practice that is needed to improve accuracy and trustworthiness. This, in turn, may cut into the efficiencies that are perceived to be created by AI. Also, a lot of AI–Chat GPT to just take one example–isn’t going to necessarily incorporate consideration of regulation and compliance requirements. Many countries, individual States in the US, and US federal agencies are implementing data security regulations that are designed to protect the Personal Information of individuals. In many cases violations include civil penalties. In the case of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, fines are significant.

Finally, if you are considering stepping into AI, your MSP can provide guidance. Our recent list bears repeating: Eight ways an MSP can help you approach an AI solution.

Step one: Assess potential uses of AI. Your MSP should have a solid understanding of your entire business and how AI might contribute. They can help you start with small steps and move from there.

Step two: Understand your KPIs and organizational goals, from the top down. Before jumping off and adopting AI just because it is there, evaluate your KPI’s. Where do you perceive you need a boost?

Step three: Propose a possible range of AI solutions. An MSP will be knowledgeable about the variety of applications out there and lead you to select those most appropriate for your goals. Remember, they should be directed toward assisting KPI improvement.

Step four: Estimate the solution’s ROI. Remember, measurement is important. And you can not do everything. So identify each potential AI solution’s ROI. As mentioned above, AI isn’t just a trendy tool to adopt just “because.”

Step five: Ensure compliance: For example HIPAA, PCI. HITRUST. ISO27001, SOC1, SOC2 or similar legal and industrial standards. AI is a powerful and potentially intrusive tool. Compliance is critical.

Step six: Implement the solution. An MSP can implement the solution for you. Most business owners do not have the resources available for what can be a time-intensive project.

Step seven : Manage tool-related risks. As noted, there are best practices available. Monitor to ensure your outcomes with AI are accurate, trustworthy, defensible, transparent and meet regulations.

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Staffing should address risk first and foremost

 

Staffing should address risk first and foremost

For any business, but especially a smaller one without deep pockets, the consequences of some disaster may mean the end of the business. As a result, risk evaluation becomes critical. There are an endless variety of events, from mishaps to major disasters that challenge your viability. Risk management inventories all of the possible risks that could befall the organization and places them in a hierarchy of significance. At the top are single points of failure disasters or extreme events that would shut down the business, at least temporarily. Risk management then works to channel limited resources toward mitigating the most serious risks. Here are some examples of risk in the IT area that could be especially damaging if left unprotected

  1. Data Security and Cybercrime –
    1. Loss of data – Failed backups or human error can lead to lost data. Every business needs to have the IT expertise to ensure that quality backups are maintained, preferably in real-time
    2. Data breaches – More significantly, data is constantly at risk from crime. From malware to ransomware, viruses and cyber attacks can destroy a small business. Consequently, quality IT support is most critical in this area. It should be an issue of highest priority.
  2. Hardware redundancy – Your entire physical IT infrastructure represents a vulnerability. Single points of failure could shut down your business. Proper design of your infrastructure, and 24/7 monitoring of it is, again, a risk mitigation factor. How much evaluation has been done to determine your level of risk?
  3. Natural and human-made disasters – How prepared is your IT infrastructure to continue operations in the event of a flood, fire, or natural disaster that prohibits access to your physical location? How would you handle a long-term power of broadband outage? IT professionals skilled in disaster recovery can help you mitigate the risk in the face of a major event.The point here is not to list all the possible risks you face, but to recognize that IT support should be focused on the most critical areas. Whether you bring them in-house or use the services of an MSP, resources should be directed first at areas where the risk is greatest.

How can an MSP help support a risk-focused IT strategy?

  1. Hiring individual in-house support can be expensive and slow – Given the tight labor market, finding ideal candidates can be exceptionally difficult, and as a consequence, too expensive. An MSP represents a faster way to bring on support and can be utilized only when and where the most critical services are needed.
  2. Up-to-date support – Over-worked in-house IT staff in a small company may be too busy putting out fires to keep up with the latest developments in specific corners of their field. As a result, you may lack the knowledge depth needed on narrow but critical areas. IT is a very broad field, and only a diverse IT team has the depth to cover all of the different areas. With an MSP, you don’t have to worry about how technology is changing. A good MSP will not only be up-to-date with the latest in tech but also advise you on what tech changes you need to make to stay ahead.
  3. Scalability – The size of your in-house IT support staff is, in the short term, static. If you experience peak demand times, resources can be stretched to the point of being overwhelmed. .Choosing a managed services provider, however, provides the flexibility to scale up or scale down your IT investment to suit your business needs.
  4. 24/7 monitoring and availability – Until your organization gets big enough, an in-house IT staff cannot be available 24/7. Nor can it provide 24/7 monitoring for that part of your business that must be functional all the time. An MSp has the resources, because of economies of scale.

In the end, don’t think of IT support as “IT Hiring” instead, think of it as staffing. What is the best use of limited resources to meet your most immediate vulnerabilities? That is the best perspective to take on IT support when resources are limited.

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Leveraging your business data to drive better business outcomes

Smaller firms may hear about AI and how data is driving the big corporations of the world, but they often don’t realize that they can do the same. The size and age of your business doesn’t have to be a limiting factor in whether you use data. Today’s blog is a quick look at data management for the small firm.

The first lesson is: don’t take your data for granted. The basic business model for some large IT companies is monetizing the data that they collect. While this may not be your goal, you probably collect a great deal of data about your customers, prospects, and operations. An MSP can help you make better use of that data. Here are just three examples:

Marketing

Data tells you who is interested, when they’re interested, and in what they are interested. Data can tell you where each individual prospect sits in the sales funnel, so your marketing messages reach them exactly where they are. It can also track the performance of your online marketing initiatives.

Forecasting and Sales

Customer Relationship Management applications exist because of the data that can now be collected. They monitor sales efforts, nurture leads, and work to improve customer engagement.

In-house and Operations

Data can track all manner of things in your production of goods or services, identifying where resources are being spent in each step of the process. Data can also be used in scheduling and pricing, although these tools can have human resource and customer relations implications that need to be carefully considered.

Planning and the Future

Technology is more than just something to run your business today. It can be a source of innovation for the future of the business, pushing it in new directions. You should be taking a proactive view of technology as a strategic tool for the long-term growth of the business. How can new technology help with in-house software development, infrastructure upgrades, digital transformation, and product innovation? Questions to ask in this context would be “can technology improve the delivery of products and services, or improve qualitatively the nature of the product or service itself?” As part of C-suite plans to stay competitive and thrive in the market, leadership needs to understand what new technologies are available for future innovation. However, that means you need technology support that is focussed on strategic planning; understanding new technologies that can move the business forward. For an SMB, Managed Service Provider can be the CIO/CTO that understands your business and helps plans for the future.

In summary, most SMBs are limited in how they can make use of technology in their strategic planning. As a result, this may compromise their capacity to remain competitive in the long-term. Consider using an MSP as a strategic partner in your long term planning.

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An MSP can help you prepare your business for tomorrow’s market

 

Many small businesses tend to view an MSP as the local fire truck. Available when an emergency happens, they rush in, put out whatever tech fires broke out, and then leave. This is also known as the “break-fix” approach to technical support. However, an MSP can bring many types of value to a small business. In particular, an MSP can function as a strategic partner for a small business. Technology needs to be part of your long-term strategic planning. MSPs have the ability to devote energy to understanding emerging trends that can help your organization develop a “technology roadmap.” This is a long-term strategy document that outlines how and what technology should be used going forward. The roadmap takes a proactive view of technology as a strategic tool for the long-term growth of the business. Individual parts of a technology road map will address specific aspects of the company’s “technology” such as software development, infrastructure upgrades, digital transformation, and product innovation. A technology roadmap that includes product innovation is especially important. Questions to ask in this context would be “can technology improve the delivery of products and services, or improve qualitatively the nature of the product or service itself?” The roadmap may also include research and development initiatives. As part of C-suite plans to stay competitive and thrive in the market, leadership needs to understand what new technologies are available for future innovation.

Here are just a few examples of how an MSP’s specialized staff with expertise can help.

Software Development – Strategic IT should be evaluating the present software applications and addressing improvements and re-designs that will address potential customer demands.

Infrastructure Upgrades as the Business Grows – There are many examples, but a simple one is redundancy. As a business grows, it becomes increasingly important to address redundancy. The larger the business, the more complex the infrastructure becomes. It is important that businesses look throughout the infrastructure and identify the single points of failure that need to be addressed and developing real-time work arounds and disaster recovery plans is an increasingly complex task that requires significant resources and attention.

Digital Transformation – Digital transformation refers to taking tasks and using digital tools to improve efficiency and response. This can mean anything from moving from in-house servers to the cloud, using SaaS, creating online portals for sales and marketing, to just about anything you can imagine. A new example is the use of AI, especially machine learning which can be used to develop more effective inventory planning and offer more precise marketing responses to individual prospects.

Security Roadmaps – A security roadmap is similar to a technology roadmap, but with a very tight focus. Ensuring your data remains safe from cybercriminals, internal error, and software or hardware breakdowns is the goal of a security roadmap. Your data is critical to your business. It is proprietary and it is also very vulnerable to theft. A data breach can be a real threat to the viability of your business. The legal and reputational consequences can take down a small business. A security roadmap can include:

  • Determining what regulations govern your data (HIPAA, GDPR, FERPA, etc.)
  • Developing access protocols
  • Training employees about human vulnerabilities to cybercrimes, such a phishing
  • Creating effective backup procedures, which are particularly important defense against ransomware attacks

Data Management: Everyone knows that data is valuable. The basic business model of some of the largest IT companies hinges partly on the value of data for advertising. But for even the smallest business, significant amounts of data can now be collected. An MSP can help an SMB use that data to tighten inventory, for example. Three ways data helps your business succeed.

Marketing – Data tells you who is interested, when they’re interested, and in what they are interested. Data can tell you where each individual prospect sits in the sales funnel, so your marketing messages reach them exactly where they are. It can also track the performance of your online marketing initiatives.

Forecasting and Sales – Customer Relationship Management applications exist because of the data that can now be collected. They monitor sales efforts, nurture leads, and work to improve customer engagement.

In-house and Operations – Data can track all manner of things in your production of goods or services, identifying where resources are being spent in each step of the process. Data can also be used in scheduling and pricing, although these tools can have human resource and customer relations implications that need to be carefully considered.

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MSPs can focus on issues you don’t have time for

Every business relies on technology to function. From simple things like email, VoIP, and the internet, all the way to predictive analytics for inventory and sales, digital technology is at the root of every business. Unfortunately, no matter how much small- to medium-sized businesses may rely on their IT infrastructure to operate, they often try to “get by” with their in-house IT staff to keep things running. In this blog, we will discuss the value a Managed Service Provider brings to an SMB: a value that cannot be replicated in-house.

First, it is important for a business owner to realize that an IT infrastructure is not a static entity. Nothing is “plug-and-play” in today’s business environment. There is no “build it and forget it.” Because everyone relies on technology that must be running 24/7, businesses need to be proactively monitoring the performance and availability of critical infrastructure, such as servers and networks. There are just so many things a business has to worry about. Cyber criminals are always coming up with new threats, so anti-virus software isn’t enough. Consequently, active endpoint monitoring needs to be happening around the clock.

So, why is an SMB limited in its ability to meet all of its technology needs in-house? One reason is management focus. Business owners need to focus on core competencies. They need to focus on running the business and producing revenue-driving goods or services in their area of expertise. Diverting focus to managing an IT team in-house may not be an ideal use of their time. It may also not be an ideal use of their skills. Additionally, resources are limited, and an SMB loses the advantages of economies of scale when it tries to do everything in-house. In a smaller operation, IT staff often need to focus on day-to-day functions, including putting out fires. This limits their time to think strategically and determine ways that technology can innovate and keep the business competitive in the longer run.

So what can an MSP offer that the in-house IT staff cannot?

A Managed Service Provider is staffed by IT practitioners whose sole focus is technology. Many focus only on specific industries. This means that your MSP organization is composed of individuals who have specialized experience and training in one specific area of technology such as cyber security, cloud computing or network infrastructure. MSPs also have the resources to invest in continuous training and professional development. That means keeping up with the latest developments in technology and emerging trends. If focused on one industry, they analyze competitive changes in that industry and how technology can provide strategic advantages for their clients. MSPs also can set aside time for attending conferences, webinars, and networking events to share knowledge and stay ahead in their field. They are also more likely to have the resources to provide their consultants with access to professional publications and newsletters.

Why is this so important? First, analyzing present problems and performing routine maintenance tasks isn’t necessarily “routine.” New threats and changes can create disruption in existing configurations. (Anyone who has downloaded a new software upgrade is aware of that!) Secondly, in-house tech staff, except for those in the largest organizations, are more task focused than strategic. This isn’t due to a lack of awareness of the value of planning and development. It is primarily a resource problem that is inherent to SMBs. Unfortunately, the result is that in-house staff may not be able to contribute at a strategic level, thus limiting the ability of the organization’s leadership to incorporate new technology into long term plans.

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