IT Services Model Where Everyone Wins – And Where You Lose Big

If you’re a business owner, there’s probably a good chance you spent time figuring out the IT needs of your business. It’s not as easy as searching online and picking the cheapest option or the company with the best reviews. The cheap option may not provide the IT services you need to keep your business at the top of its game, and the best-reviewed business may be too expensive or offer services that are completely unnecessary for your business.

To put it simply, if you want to get the most out of your IT support services, you must do some research. If you haven’t spent a lot of time in the world of IT, it can be difficult to figure out where to even begin with your research. If you’ve found yourself in this situation previously or are preparing to open a new business and are interested in your IT support options, we’ve got you covered. We’ve put together the three most common forms of IT support and explain the benefits and drawbacks of each so you can confidently decide on the best option for your business.

Managed IT Services

In this option, the IT services company takes over the role of your in-house IT department for a fixed and agreed-upon monthly rate. They’ll install, support and maintain all the users, devices and PCs connected to your network on a routine basis. They will even take care of your hardware and software needs for an extra cost. If you’re trying to plan for a monthly budget or want routine maintenance and IT support, this option will work wonders for your business.

It’s my sincere belief that the managed IT approach is undoubtedly the most cost-effective and smartest option for any business. With managed IT services, your business will be protected from IT-related problems, and they will keep your systems up and running. They can prevent common “disasters” such as lost devices, hardware failures, fires, natural disasters and a host of other issues that can interrupt or outright destroy your IT infrastructure and the data it holds.

Technology As A Service

Another option that might work really well for your business is using a company that offers technology as a service. With these companies, you’ll get everything that managed IT services offer but with the addition of new hardware, software and support. This service ensures that your business is always up-to-date with the newest software and hardware. The greatest benefit of technology as a service is that you’ll avoid the heavy cost of new hardware and software when you need it, but you will be paying far more for the same hardware and software over time. You’ll also need to pay attention to the services they offer to ensure they can provide what you need and that it does not cost extra.

Time And Materials

Time and materials are often referred to as the “break-fix” method. This essentially means that you pay an agreed-upon hourly rate for a technician to “fix” a problem when something “breaks.” It’s a simple and straightforward way to pay for IT services Myrtle Beach SC but often doesn’t work in your favor and can lead you to pay more for basic services.

I would only recommend the time-and-materials approach if you already have an IT team and you need additional support for a problem that your current IT team doesn’t have the time or expertise to handle. Under the break-fix model, the IT company has no immediate need to stabilize your network because they are getting paid hourly. The break-fix model is unable to supply ongoing maintenance and monitoring, which computer networks need to stay secure.

Choosing the right IT option for your business can take time and is certainly not something you want to rush into. Take your time and do your research to find the best option to fit your needs. If you’re unsure of where to even begin – or need some help navigating the sometimes confusing world of IT support – give us a call. We would be glad to help you find the IT support you need.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if you are interested in getting expert support from IT specialists.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
(843) 420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence, Charleston

• Want to learn more about our IT Services?

  Submit this form and we'll contact you, or give us a call at 843.418.4792

• Name*
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IT Services Myrtle Beach SC

Do you want to be proactive? You should consider getting IT services Myrtle Beach SC.

It's important to not waste your time and technology.

While technology can be useful for many reasons, we believe that one thing your IT must always do is save time. It seems that there are always enough hours in a day. Good technology should help you get things done quickly and share your workload, so it flows seamlessly and is well spent.

Sometimes technology can just waste your time.

It is best to prevent problems from arising in the first place. In our years of being in business, we have seen many IT issues. Instead of fighting them every day, we developed proactive solutions to stop them from ever happening.

SpartanTec, Inc. uses best practices that we have developed in the past to ensure you do not suffer. To minimize interruptions and catch problems before they become serious, we offer 24/7 monitoring and maintenance. We can focus our efforts on improving your efficiency and productivity, so we spend more time focusing our attention.

Plan for the Problems You've Never Seen

We save every solution to an IT problem that we have solved for our clients. This allows us to share our knowledge with everyone and prevents many problems from causing disruption for clients.

We will analyze your entire system to find solutions and prevent problems from arising.

Even though we may not be able to prevent all problems, we have a lot of experience with them and can help you deal quickly with any issues that arise.

So that our services are reliable and efficient, we recommend only using products and technologies we know. We can share more information the better we are able to.

Technology Maintenance at its Best

Regular maintenance is one of the most effective ways to prevent IT support issues from developing. Regular maintenance is as easy as checking in every once in a while, looking at the entire system for a few moments, then making adjustments.

Your entire system is regularly inspected for possible problems.

So that your applications and systems run efficiently and are protected from possible threats, we implement the proper updates and upgrades.

Technology refreshes are also planned for the future, in order to replace outdated technology before they disrupt your business.

Keep alert

Our proactive actions will prevent many problems. We're good at what our do. However, we cannot stop every problem. We must be alert to IT problems as quickly as possible and ready to handle them.

We monitor your system remotely 24/7 so we are notified immediately if our tools detect a problem.

IT problems are often not detected and resolved quickly.

Remote support also makes it simple to resolve problems right away without ever having to visit your office.

Cloud Security

Safeguarding your data. Security is a key part of every cloud security strategy. SpartanTec, Inc. provides the stability and security your business needs, whether you use public hosting providers or a private platform for controlling proprietary data. Our experts will work closely with you to determine the needs of your company and offer best-in class security, such as Identity and Access Management and high availability.

Office 365

It is crucial to choose the best email plan for your company. It is the foundation of all communication. It is the foundation of collaboration. It is the foundation of productivity. Microsoft Office 365 is a leading business email platform because of its powerful capabilities. Office 365 allows companies of any size to increase productivity and reduce costs in a competitive market. We are an Office 365 provider and can assist you in optimizing this platform so that your company has the flexibility, reliability, security, and efficiency it needs.

Data Recovery & Backup

Keep a copy of your data.

This is a very simple idea, but it may be difficult to implement successfully, depending on the business. You might work with sensitive information or proprietary data. Compliance-driven data may be required. Or business content must be available from many locations. What can you do to protect your data from the day and even minutes? Our team will work with you to determine mission-critical data, and then to create a backup plan that is in line with industry and company regulations. Remote backup and data security is possible, but you might need remote support. Let us help you choose the right path.

Business Continuity

Prepare for anything. You can quickly recover from any disruption in your network, business applications, or business process. A business continuity plan will help you prepare for the worst. A down system, whether it is caused by man or not, can seriously impact customer orders, vendor commitments and revenue goals, as well as your reputation. Our team develops business continuity plans that help you get back in business.

SpartanTec, Inc. can help your company benefit from its expertise and ethical standards. Contact us now to find out how we can assist you. Call (843) 420-9760 to schedule a free, no-obligation assessment of your company's systems or send us an email at info@spartantec.com.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
(843) 420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence, Charleston

• Want to learn more about our IT Services?

  Submit this form and we'll contact you, or give us a call at 843.418.4792

• Name*
• Company*
• Email*
• Phone

Related Posts

• Lenscrafters, Luxottica Eyewear Patients Had Information Breached
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• Shed The Old This Year, It’s Costing You Much More
• IT Services Myrtle Beach SC
• Businesses Are Dangerously Avoiding Critical IT Security Updates

The Best IT-Related Resolutions For The New Year

The past couple of years have been difficult for just about everyone. Business owners and entrepreneurs have had to adapt and evolve to survive in an ever-changing climate. There’s no telling when or even if things will go back to what we once thought was “normal.” As we enter a New Year, many business owners are putting their resolutions in place to survive and hopefully thrive in 2022.

People will focus on plans for growth and ways to bring more profit in for their resolution, but it’s important to include tech- and IT-related resolutions as well. Technology might not be an obvious approach to growing a business, but it goes a long way toward making your clients and employees feel more secure about everyday interactions. This can inadvertently lead to growth as you improve customer relationships as well.

Here are a few tech-related resolutions that we think can greatly improve any business.

Use Multiple Layers Of Cyber Security Protection

There is no security approach that covers every hole or flaw that cyber security threats are looking to exploit. The best way to keep your defenses protected is to put in place multiple approaches to cover every possible gap. By using multiple programs and layers, you will ensure that every individual component of your cyber security program has a backup to counter any issues.

Your first line of defense should be a firewall. Firewalls help monitor incoming and outgoing traffic and work as a barrier between networks you trust and don’t trust. They essentially shield you from malicious or unnecessary network traffic. Multifactor authentication is an important layer as well. This prevents cyber-attacks that come from weak or compromised passwords. With multifactor authentication, you and your employees may have to receive a text to your cell phones to prove that the correct person is trying to access the network. This will help prevent the use of employee passwords to gain access to sensitive information.

Back Up Your Data And Replace Old Equipment

Unfortunately, preventive measures don’t always work. An unexpected disaster could cause your network to go down or someone could accidentally delete some important files. Plus, if your data is not backed up, you could lose sensitive information as well as time and money down the road. Customers will also be upset if you lose information pertaining to them. This could devastate your brand’s reputation and cost you customers. If you do not have a backup plan or program in place, you should definitely get one for 2022.

In addition to backup plans, it’s important to have equipment that is up-to-date. Using slow and outdated technology can take away from productivity and will make your job more difficult. If some of your equipment goes down, think about replacing it with something new rather than repairing it. While it might be more expensive at first, this decision will save you time and money in the long run.

Employee Security Training

If you want to run a cyber security-aware business, you’ll need to train your employees in security awareness and create a culture that ensures information security. Providing your employees with training related to information security can make them more comfortable and confident in their decision-making and overall employment. This rubs off on your clients and makes them feel more comfortable about doing business with you. According to information from the UK Information Commissioner’s Office, human error is to blame for 90% of cyberdata breaches. Getting your employees trained in cyber security awareness can help reduce the chance of human error.

As you lay out plans to make your business more successful throughout 2022 and beyond, ensure that your tech and information security practices are updated. There are simply no downsides to improving your technology and cyber security. Adopting these practices can go a long way toward making your employees and customers feel more comfortable and confident in their decisions.

SpartanTec, Inc. would like to partner with you in the new year to ensure your business, your employees and your customers data is secure. Call us today for a complete consultation on how we can give you peace of mind.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
(843) 420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence, Charleston

Making This One Mistake With Your Network Can DESTROY Your Business

Protect Your Company Data Webinar
June 25 1:00 EST
Register Here

A lot of businesses wait until something breaks before they fix it. And even then, they may take a “patchwork” approach to fixing the problem. They are reactive rather than proactive. Sometimes taking a reactive approach is fine, but other times, and depending on the circumstances, it can lead to even bigger problems.

When it comes to network security, for example, being reactive to problems can be downright dangerous. It’s not just hackers you have to worry about. There are power outages, data loss, equipment failure and more. In IT, a lot can go wrong. But if you’re proactive about cyber security, you can avoid many of those pitfalls.

Reactive IT support used to be the norm. Most network security specialists went to work after something went wrong. Unfortunately, some businesses still have this reactive mindset when it comes to their IT and network security. They have an “it won’t happen to me” attitude. The truth is that these are the people most at risk. It’s not a matter of if, but when. Hackers and cybercriminals are more active than ever.

Thankfully, proactive support is now the norm. More and more IT services and security firms have the tools and resources to protect you BEFORE the worst happens. So, why partner with an IT services company?

There are many reasons why it’s a good idea. One great reason that doesn’t often get talked about is that working with an IT services company is an added value for your customers. When they know you’re taking IT security seriously – and when they know their data is safe – their trust in you is boosted.

When you build trust, you build loyalty, and customer loyalty is getting harder to come by these days. Plus, happy, loyal customers are much more likely to refer you to others who may be in need of your services. That alone makes investing in proactive IT security worth it.

Here’s another reason why working with a proactive IT services firm makes sense: it’s MUCH easier than trying to do it yourself. Many small businesses simply don’t have the resources to hire an internal IT specialist or a team. Not only can that be very costly, but it’s also rarely practical. Think of it this way: if you hire an IT specialist to handle your network security, manage cloud backups and provide general IT support, then what happens when they take a day off or take a vacation?

Having a dedicated IT specialist on your team isn’t a bad thing, but they can be stretched thin very easily. You could be left with gaps in your support should anything go wrong. Suddenly, you don’t have anyone you can call. Working with a dedicated IT services firm solves these problems.

To take that a step further, good IT services companies are also great at catching problems before they become problems. They can catch things that might not have even been on your radar. For example, if your cloud backup service isn’t backing up your data correctly, or is backing up the wrong data, they’ll catch that. Maybe you’re saving data that’s not properly encrypted. They’ll catch that. Maybe you have an employee using software that’s months out-of- date. Again, they’ll catch that.

When you call up an IT services company and say you want to take a proactive approach to your network security, they should be willing and able to provide just that. An experienced firm will have a team with the training, certification and experience required to tackle today’s cyberthreats, while managing your network’s day-to-day needs.

They know IT because they live IT. They help with data recovery should anything go wrong; they are your help desk when you have questions or concerns and they keep your onsite malware protection up-to-date. They are tailored to your business’s specific needs. And as you grow, they adapt to your changing needs.

Put an end to the outdated way of thinking about IT security. It’s time to be proactive and to recognize your company’s vulnerabilities before they become vulnerabilities. You just have to make the call. Get in touch with SpartanTec, Inc. now and let us help you.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
(843) 420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/

New T-Mobile Data Breach Compromised Customer Info

Recently the US branch of the global telecom company T-Mobile disclosed a security breach that impacted a small percentage of its customer base.

Specifically, the breach revealed certain information belonging to a small number of the company's prepaid cellphone users.

The exposed data included customer names, billing addresses, account numbers, rate plans, plan features and user phone numbers. The company stressed that no payment card information or passwords were compromised.

T-Mobile has contacted and has begun working with law enforcement agencies to further investigate the matter. If you were among the impacted users, you should have already received an SMS today from the company.  If you haven't received a notification and you're concerned that you may have been impacted, you can get a definitive answer from T-Mobile by contacting them at privacy@t-mobile.com.

The FBI has reported an increase in ransomware attacks and has put in place a plan to combat this crime. Once a server has been determined to contain ransomed data, the FBI is taking down the server. Companies need to be aware that even if they pay the ransom they may not get their data returned because the server was confiscated by the FBI.

This has been a fairly good year for Telecoms in general.  Other than Sprint's data breach earlier in the year, this is only the second data breach in 2019 involving a major Telecom company.

As breaches go, this one is quite minor, and odds are quite small that you have been impacted by it.  Again though, if it's something you're worried about, the company has made it easy to get peace of mind.  Overall, T-Mobile's handling of the incident has been better than average. In the weeks ahead as the investigation draws to a close, if there are new details to be learned, the company will no doubt disclose them when and as they are able.

With 2019 rapidly drawing to a close, it seems unlikely that we'll see a spate of Telecomm data breaches. 2019 is likely to be remembered as a year where the Telecomm companies dodged a bullet. Overall, the total number of data breaches continues to surge higher, a trend which is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

Contact SpartanTec, Inc. if you have any doubt that you data may be compromised.  Complete this form for a FREE online audit of your network.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
843-420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/

Are a small to medium size business that is in need of better security for your computer systems and client data? Maybe you have been searching for a local IT company that can provide the support you need. The first search term you may think of is probably not Managed IT Services.  Managed services, is by far one of the most poorly developed search terms on earth. Although managed services is used mostly in the technology arena, the name does not effectively represent managed services, what they have become and why you need to select a provider of managed services for your business.

The Types Of Managed Services

Generally speaking, managed services are provided by an IT service provider or what they refer to as managed service provider (MSP). However, that does not always need to be the case. There are power MSPs, waste MSPs, as well as supply chain MSPs. But in most cases, the term refers to computer security and other Information Technology (IT) projects. If you want to better understand what a MSP does, it makes a lot of sense to understand how the MSP model came about.

The History of Managed IT Services

Before a Fortune 500 list, many small businesses, had IT equipment such as switches, routers, and servers that would periodically go down and need maintenance. If Ford’s production line were to shut down due to a router linked to one of their suppliers, they could not get the parts in a timely manner (often referred to as Just In Time Inventory). Imagine what that will cost in terms of dollars, productivity, and time. There’s also no means to determine if something was broken or was about to break, you learned that the internet was down when the production line ceased to function. Businesses (and the government) soon determined there had to be a better way.

Network Monitoring & Management and SNMP

Now, there’s SNMP or Simple Network Management Protocol. Developers and manufacturers seeing this require built in SNMP into their software and hardware which permitted a few users to easily and quickly control a lot of devices rather than relying on internal organization support to scale. The idea of Network Monitoring and Management came to be. Technicians can see all the log files from every router in a single location and check errors before a device instantly stopped. This solved the problem with scale, however, the issues still remained. Reliability. Things still malfunctioned with SNMP. The Break/Fix or Things Break/We fix it model was every common and it had to be improved.

What’s Wrong With The Break/Fix Model?

Developing automobiles is the primary business of Ford and not to manage internet connections between different locations. Despite the ability to scale, firms realized that they required to outsource to professionals, however, they also required a method to control the costs and lower the outages. On one hand, having a dedicated team for things that may break a couple of times would be expensive and on the other hand, an outage of just one day could blow the budget for the whole year. Additionally, even if they spend all of this money to redo the network with SNMP, they lacked the expertise to manage it properly.

Service Level Agreements Come Into Play

Companies required a way for the IT Managed services provider to feel the burden when something malfunctioned and that’s when the idea of “Service Level Agreements,” came to be. Ford need to spend money to have these intricate networks set up, however, the MSP will be responsible for servicing it, monitor it, and in case of an outage, fix it within the period specified in the contract, because if not, the service provider will be liable for the outage, hence, the term, managed services. Other services were included as time went by, such as Backup and Disaster Recovery, Server Management, Help Desk, Network Security, and more. It went beyond more monitoring. It became a bunch of bundled services that are managed by a service provider. It is easy to translate that specific model to power outages, subpar water quality, or a problem in the supply chain and how the manage services term makes a lot of sense.

SpartanTec, Inc. is your local Managed IT Services provider. We work with small to medium size businesses in North and South Carolina to ensure your computer systems are functioning and safe from outside intrusion.

Call us today or complete out Contact Us form to schedule a time for an in-depth review of your systems.

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What You Need To Know About Managed IT Services

Posted by spartansue On October 31, 2019

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IT Support

Are a small to medium size business that is in need of better security for your computer systems and client data? Maybe you have been searching for a local IT company that can provide the support you need. The first search term you may think of is probably not Managed IT Services.  Managed services, is by far one of the most poorly developed search terms on earth. Although managed services is used mostly in the technology arena, the name does not effectively represent managed services, what they have become and why you need to select a provider of managed services for your business.

The Types Of Managed Services

Generally speaking, managed services are provided by an IT service provider or what they refer to as managed service provider (MSP). However, that does not always need to be the case. There are power MSPs, waste MSPs, as well as supply chain MSPs. But in most cases, the term refers to computer security and other Information Technology (IT) projects. If you want to better understand what a MSP does, it makes a lot of sense to understand how the MSP model came about.

The History of Managed IT Services

Before a Fortune 500 list, many small businesses, had IT equipment such as switches, routers, and servers that would periodically go down and need maintenance. If Ford’s production line were to shut down due to a router linked to one of their suppliers, they could not get the parts in a timely manner (often referred to as Just In Time Inventory). Imagine what that will cost in terms of dollars, productivity, and time. There’s also no means to determine if something was broken or was about to break, you learned that the internet was down when the production line ceased to function. Businesses (and the government) soon determined there had to be a better way.

Network Monitoring & Management and SNMP

Now, there’s SNMP or Simple Network Management Protocol. Developers and manufacturers seeing this require built in SNMP into their software and hardware which permitted a few users to easily and quickly control a lot of devices rather than relying on internal organization support to scale. The idea of Network Monitoring and Management came to be. Technicians can see all the log files from every router in a single location and check errors before a device instantly stopped. This solved the problem with scale, however, the issues still remained. Reliability. Things still malfunctioned with SNMP. The Break/Fix or Things Break/We fix it model was every common and it had to be improved.

What’s Wrong With The Break/Fix Model?

Developing automobiles is the primary business of Ford and not to manage internet connections between different locations. Despite the ability to scale, firms realized that they required to outsource to professionals, however, they also required a method to control the costs and lower the outages. On one hand, having a dedicated team for things that may break a couple of times would be expensive and on the other hand, an outage of just one day could blow the budget for the whole year. Additionally, even if they spend all of this money to redo the network with SNMP, they lacked the expertise to manage it properly.

Service Level Agreements Come Into Play

Companies required a way for the IT Managed services provider to feel the burden when something malfunctioned and that’s when the idea of “Service Level Agreements,” came to be. Ford need to spend money to have these intricate networks set up, however, the MSP will be responsible for servicing it, monitor it, and in case of an outage, fix it within the period specified in the contract, because if not, the service provider will be liable for the outage, hence, the term, managed services. Other services were included as time went by, such as Backup and Disaster Recovery, Server Management, Help Desk, Network Security, and more. It went beyond more monitoring. It became a bunch of bundled services that are managed by a service provider. It is easy to translate that specific model to power outages, subpar water quality, or a problem in the supply chain and how the manage services term makes a lot of sense.

SpartanTec, Inc. is your local Managed IT Services provider. We work with small to medium size businesses in North and South Carolina to ensure your computer systems are functioning and safe from outside intrusion.

Call us today or complete out Contact Us form to schedule a time for an in-depth review of your systems.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
843-420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/

Since the introduction of open source office applications a few years ago, people have been making the switch from Microsoft Office. There are a number of reasons why people would go the open source route and one is the cost. Open source office applications lie OppenOffice and LibreOffice are free to download and use unlike MS Office where you need to obtain a license to use the software. Since it is free to use, some businesses have made the switch over to these applications. However, turning over to open source can have its drawbacks, which is why businesses must have reliable managed IT services to secure themselves against vulnerabilities.

Recently, Austrian researcher Alex Infuhr found a loophole that’s present in both the said applications. Attackers could infiltrate the code of both OpenOffice and LibreOffice through a method called path transversal, which moves code from one directory to another. This leaves users of the said open source application vulnerable to attacks. What’s even more alarming is that the only interaction with the user hackers need to accomplish was a single hover over an invisible link, which is easily triggered by an unsuspecting user.

LibreOffice has been quick to address the issue and has already been patched. OppenOffice on the other hand, has still yet to release an update to prevent users from possible vulnerabilities. This gives more reason to businesses who use open source software to hire credible managed IT services Myrtle Beach from reputable providers.

The bottom line here is that no software is perfect. Computer code can be broken into and it’s just a matter of time before some random hacker makes a malicious attempt to reverse engineer code and inflict damage to users and businesses alike. That is why if you’re running a business, it is good practice to hire reputable IT services as a first line of defense.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. today to protect your business from hackers and attacks over the internet.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC  29577
843-418-4792
https://www.spartantec.com/