For example, Google is a massive, free cloud application – the power required to search billions of web sites and content in seconds and deliver the relevant results to your screen far exceeds the capacity of your PC. Facebook is another free cloud application that allows you to post pictures, play games, and connect with your friends in real time without having to install those applications on your computer. Of course, there are also the applications such as Salesforce, Constant Contact, SurveyMonkey, etc., that you pay to use

With the introduction of cloud-based office applications like Office 365, Google Apps and thousands of other SaaS applications, it’s becoming unnecessary for some businesses to purchase and maintain an onsite server. Now companies can host one or more of their applications, data, e-mail and other functions “in the cloud.” That simply means it’s stored offsite in a highly secure, high-availability “utility” company that has far more power and resources than you could ever logically have onsite as a small business. And with devices getting cheaper and Internet connectivity exploding, cloud computing is suddenly a very smart, viable option for small business owners.

Benefits

• Eliminates the need for expensive server upgrades and allows you to use cheaper devices (PCs, etc.) to get the same work done.
• Frees you to access applications from any device and any location. All you need is an Internet connection.
• Built-in disaster recovery and business continuity.
• Only pay for what you need and use (utility pricing)

While there are a ton of benefits to cloud computing, it’s NOT right for every company. Some applications don’t play well in the cloud. You need commercial-grade Internet connectivity, and some functions, like working with big graphics files, are better kept local or the slowness will make you crazy. However, in almost every case, parts of your computer network (functions) can easily be put in the cloud to save you money and give you better service. So before you donate your server and sign up for Google Apps or Office 365, it’s important you talk to someone who can honestly assess your unique situation and tell you the pros and cons of making the switch to cloud computing.

I chalked this incident up as being a little quirky, and decided to just keep a little closer eye on how the IT support personnel were responding to the technical issues that popped up. Every organization has its personnel conflicts, but since our IT component was such a crucial part of our operations, I knew I'd have to stay alert to ensure that our support personnel were delivering the type of service we need to remain a smoothly operating enterprise.

A Breakdown in Communication
The next time I had occasion to think about our IT support guy was when I called him one day to report that the printers in our department had stopped working, and we couldn't figure out why. Told he'd look into it, I waited for about an hour before receiving an email from him. The email simply asked if they were now working. They weren't.

This began an exchange of emails that lasted two days before, out of frustration, I finally picked up the phone and called the IT guy again, and asked when he thought the printers might be working again. The IT guy said that he would look into it and email later that day with a status report. He didn't.

Who Owns This?
It wasn't too long after this that we needed two laptops configured to run with our own proprietary software so that a couple of new employees could pick them up and start working. Each of them was scheduled to fly to a training conference later that day, and they were just waiting around for the IT guy to get the laptops set-up.

After about two hours I called to see how things were going. Our IT guy was at lunch, and would be back in an hour, or so. Meanwhile, two employees were just sitting there waiting for his return to work – hoping they still would have time to make their flights. What became very clear was that the IT guy did not see their problem as his. His lunch hour was at a set time – and that's the way it was.

Creating a New Team
As it turned out, the IT guy did not finish the laptop configurations on time, and the new employees missed their flights. The rebooking fees cost the company a bundle, and could have easily been avoided if the IT guy had simply rescheduled his lunch so that he could have finished on time to get the waiting employees out the door on-time.

That was the day I fired the IT guy and started the search for a new solution. Why did I fire the IT guy? It was pretty simple actually. He had broken 5 basic rules of how to be an asset to a company, and had instead, become a liability. Our IT guy was now gone because he:

1. Showed disrespect – blocking an employees number because he thought she asked dumb questions. There are no dumb questions in my view.
2. Avoided clear communication – when the IT guy responded to my phone call with a series of emails, it slowed communication between us, and the resolution of the problem took that much longer. My rule, pick up the phone and get to the bottom of an issue.
3. Avoiding availability – When our IT guy saw his lunch hour as more important than our IT support needs, it highlighted two problems. The first was that he wasn't available when we needed him.
4. Avoided ownership – the other thing this demonstrated was that our IT guy did not see this problem as his. What we need is an IT support person who will own every problem we have.
5. Wasn't on our team – and when the our waiting employees missed flight and cost the company money – it showed our IT guy didn't consider himself part of our community.

Discovering the Tier1Tech Diamond Standard was like a breath of fresh air after such an experience. Tier 1 Techs provide a high level of expertise, a commitment to no shortcuts and getting every job done, no matter what it takes. All of that, and the first month is free.

Tier1Techs made the difference. They are honest, hard working, and will be there when you need them. And not all IT guys can say that.

This is exactly why it makes a lot of sense to concentrate most of your business efforts on your core capabilities, and to eliminate, delegate and improve all the rest.

When your business decides to outsource, it will always improve your efficiency, because it allows you to turn your focus to the tasks and functions that you and your employees do best. The experts that you hire will be responsible for the rest.

The following are reasons why your business needs to outsource its IT department:

1. The overall costs to recruit and train IT staff are usually very high. Keeping the skills of your IT personnel up to date is vital, but also an expensive exercise, especially if you only have a small number of employees.

2. For many businesses, IT is definitely not their main concern, so it can be difficult at times to know what you need to look for when you need to hire IT staff. It is almost impossible to know that the specific skills your business need are offered by the candidates.

3. In most small businesses the IT support demand often come together around certain events, such as office moves and upgrades. It is surely not viable to pay an employee on a full time basis just to be around in case something happens.

4. Most individuals tend to be very familiar with the systems that they work with daily. When the time comes to replace such systems, you usually want the type of equipment that is going to be the finest for your business. You would not only want what your IT staff is comfortable with.

5. There should always be a person that monitors your particular marketplace. The newest ideas, software and hardware have to be considered. On some occasions, you will find that suppliers will withdraw their support for the software version or product, which you need to include in your planning. An outsourcing company often builds great relationships with various suppliers that can then provide early advice.

6. If your business relies on your IT staff to handle all the IT issues, it could easily lead to more problems instead of benefitting your business. This will cause your IT staff to be away from their main responsibilities as well, while they are attempting to correct the possible problems.

7. When you outsource your IT, you also outsource all your security headaches. Virus screenings, disaster recovery and backups can easily be managed off-site by people who truly understand the various threats and who has instant access to updated tools that can handle it.

8. Experts will handle all your risk management as well. Servers, hardware and networks can be tested and monitored on a regular basis with the use of diagnostic tools. They help identify problems and weaknesses even before they are able to cause downtime that will negatively impact your business.

9. Your IT staff can be extremely committed and motivated, but they will always apply for leave or be off work due to illness. When your business’s critical systems suddenly fail, it could easily lead to priority battles among departments in your business.

10. All the top outsourcing companies in the IT industry are used to building great, lasting relationships within the IT industry and they are used to negotiating huge purchases of IT equipment too. If you are not an IT expert, you will never be able to know if you are buying the best available equipment or negotiating the best possible deal.

As soon as you start outsourcing your IT department, you will experience improvement in your response times, the quality of your service and the availability of support. Outsourcing is extremely cost effective as well, especially when you take into account the loss of sales, the wasted staff time and what customer service costs you.

1.   Install antivirus/anti-malware software – Antivirus and anti-malware software packages scan your computers and servers to ensure they are clean of adware, viruses, trojans, and other types of malware. Hackers use hidden code strings to gain access to your computers.As long as your antivirus software catches the attempted intrusions you do not have to worry about most attempted hacks.

2.   Keep your protection software up-to-date – Outdated antivirus software has holes that hackers exploit. Make sure you have your software set to auto-update on a regular basis. Also be sure to update your Internet browsers regularly to help with data protection. They also incorporate data protection software, and when out-of-date, put your systems at risk.

3.   Perform deep scans – Your antivirus software will scan incoming content to filter out potential attacks, but it can miss things. After a security update it is a good idea to run a manual scan of all files on the computer to identify any viruses or malware that slipped in.

4.   Develop and implement an email safety protocol – All the security in the world does not help if your employees invite the malicious code onto your servers.Educate your employees about potential email attacks and how to identify them. Also, discuss the potential issues with downloading from untrustworthy sites. Get your employees onboard by informing them that their computer activity is monitored.

5.   Set up auto-saving on all compatible software packages – Microsoft Office applications offer an auto-save feature that can save hours or employee time. A critical error at the wrong time can cause an employee to restart a project from scratch. Auto-saving allows employees to only ever risk a few minutes of work, rather than hours.

6.   Save local and to servers – Frequent saving to the hard drive of the computer you are working on helps minimize risk, but if something were to happen to that machine, that data would still be lost. Make sure you save copies of work to both the local machine and a remote server.

7.   Use backup software – Install and run a backup software that creates a copy of your servers on an external device. Make sure that the external device is not stored in the same place as the servers to minimize the risks.

8.   Use backup and disaster recovery services – BDR services maintain a copy of your data on a cloud server, ensuring it is always safe, regardless what happens at your physical place of business. In the event of a fire, flood or other natural disaster, your data will be safe and protected in off-site storage. Plus, you will have expert help in recovering your data, often the most difficult part of the backup and recovery process.Many software programs make a backup, but when it comes time to recover the information problems ensue. A BDR service removes the uncertainty by offering a more guaranteed recovery process.

9.   Contact an IT services company for a security assessment – Many Managed Service Providers are more than happy to evaluate your current operations for weaknesses and make recommendations on how to fill the gaps. A quick phone call nets you a free security assessment.

10. Outsource your IT needs – Staffing a department is too expensive for most small businesses, but with many providers offering as much or as little coverage as you need, you can outsource your IT services at a very reasonable price point.

Data protection encompasses much more than simply protecting against cyber attacks. Computer crashes, software incompatibilities, data corruption and a whole host of other problems put your data at risk. By implementing these 10 simple strategies, you take proactive steps to ensure your data protection.

Despite decades of innovation and upgrades, modern computers are still rather prone to failure, even those designed for business professionals. Resulting from careless activity, malicious software, accidental damage, or downright theft, computer users experience a loss of data every hour of every day, costing their companies millions. Fortunately, the market provides plenty of methods for secure and reliable backup and recovery in the private sector. Some solutions involve keeping your data on an external hard drive in the same building while others store your information on their own, off-site, servers. It's important to seek the best backup and recovery method for your specific situation and business goals as soon as possible.

The simplest and most straight-forward approach to digital backup and recovery is to obtain a suitable external storage drive and manually transfer files to it. This allows the most freedom and control over what you are backing up and when but it also requires the most dedication and commitment because of the need to constantly and consistently saving important files, something beyond the grasp of the average entry-level employee. This method is preferred by many because all of the backed up data is kept privately and locally and can be physically accessed at any time. However, in the event of an extreme disaster or burglary, a backup hard drive near the main computer will be just as susceptible to loss.

To keep your files truly protected in dire situations, internet backup and recovery options exist. Similar to using a local hard drive, you can transfer crucial data to off-site servers for more reliable storage. These programs allow you to not have to be concerned with the physical backup hard drive. Also, they can grant access to your files from anywhere with an internet connection, a huge advantage for traveling executives who need to be able to access data on the road. However, for sensitive or proprietary files, there is a greater risk of leaking the information because it is being kept externally. Furthermore, in the event that the servers are damaged or hacked, you could, potentially, lose your recovery solution, though this is rather unlikely.

In both of these situations, manually transferring your backup files on a regular basis can become tedious and fall out of habit. Whatever you partition for backup and recovery use, it will be of no help if you don't actually save your files there. To alleviate this burden, some programs allow the user to set schedules to have their hard drives backed up automatically. If used in conjunction with a local external hard drive, the drive will have to remain plugged in most of the time, leaving it as undefended as the main computer. If used in conjunction with an online backup solution, an internet connection must be maintained.

These automated backup and recovery solutions are great, though, because they can register any and all changes to the computer you make, often including settings and preferences. Furthermore, they eliminate the need to worry about what is backed up and what isn't recoverable, leaving your resources free to focus on more vital tasks.

Most businesses seeking backup and recovery methods are doing so because they already lost some amount of valuable data. This is a common practice among people to only be concerned with a problem after it has damaged them. Unfortunately for these poor folk, their data is usually gone forever. Tools do exist to help aid in the emergency recovery of lost files but are not guaranteed to work even in the hands of professionals. Data has become a real-world, valuable, commodity and it's safety and protection is critical for the modern company. In general, using an automated online backup system will provide the most successful and reliable recovery but, in the event that the backups somehow fail, it can be wise to even backup your backups of especially important files and information.

Before settling for a second rate backup and recovery solution because of cost issues, consider what is invested in your files. Losing data means lost time, wasted money, lowered productivity, and damage to the bottom line. Oftentimes, these files are unable to be simply recreated and will require hefty resources to return to normal. If secure data is even a portion of your job's responsibilities, ensure the safety of your files and your job by selecting an apt and reputable backup and recovery solution immediately.

Jonah Pruitt – CFO – Miami City Ballet

Tier 1 Techs is a smart company. From the time of their audit to the implementation of new systems, hardware and applications, they designed and built for the future with a careful, very mindful attention to the cost benefit of each change they made. They became our IT company for in-house support. We have improved our total capacity and especially reliability significantly and at a significantly lower cost. We just don’t have major problems. Tier 1 Techs responds to mission critical issues immediately, and they work until it is resolved. They manage our IT resources and vendors including cloud applications and telecommunications with objectivity and without conflict of interest. They are bright, quick, honest, trustworthy and reliable. They train and work with staff to improve their skills. We value them greatly.

Robert Keesler
General Manager
Pelican Grand Beach Resort

Tier 1 Techs is truly the definition of Smarter IT solutions provider. From day one Tier 1 Techs has been a key partner increasing productivity throughout the organization. They've planned and implemented long and short term projects and goals that best satisfy our needs, protect our data, and keep our guests happy. Tier 1 Techs proactive approach has stabilized our environment and has put us in a better position to compete. These guy's aren't your average IT company.

Peggy Benua – General Manager – Dream Hotel South Beach

You can avoid this problem if you bring in an outside company to manage your IT services. You pay them to manage everything for you. They can manage all of your hardware, network, and software needs. They have a full time support staff capable of doing onsite and remote support. They offer held desk services when needed. They have specialists on their staff to handle problems of just about any sort. They know how to optimize your hardware, software, and network to keep everything running and to keep computing costs down. They can also help manage your IT vendors.

How do you make this happen? You need to find an IT services management company in the South Florida area. If you own a small or medium company, the costs of IT continue to take a chunk out of your bottom line. You may dream of joining the mega corporations housed in downtown Miami. To do that, you need to take your Deerfield office costs and bring them down to a reasonable level. Being able to control and predict your monthly IT costs is a good way to get that process started.

What do you get when an outside company comes in to manage your IT services? You get an affordable, reliable IT world that does not cost you as much as an in-house IT staff would. The IT service management team brings all the expertise you need without the need to hire someone. You get full network management from networks to desktops to smart phones. You get a 24/7/265 helpdesk without the full cost of hiring, training, and supporting the staff requirements. You get web maintenance specialists without bringing in development staff. You get all of this while being able to control and predict your monthly IT costs.