by Felicien | Sep 5, 2023 | Education
With the increasing number of cyber threats targeting endpoints, businesses must prioritize endpoint protection to safeguard their clients’ sensitive data and ensure uninterrupted business operations.
In this blog, we will delve into the growing significance of endpoint security and explore why you need to make it a top priority.
5 Reasons You Can’t Overlook Endpoint Security
Protection Against Malware
Endpoint security is crucial for businesses as it provides a robust defense against malware threats. With advanced detection and prevention mechanisms, it safeguards endpoints from malicious software that can compromise sensitive data and disrupt operations.
Data Loss Prevention
Endpoint security helps prevent data breaches and loss by implementing encryption, access controls, and data backup solutions. By securing endpoints, businesses can ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their critical information assets.
Mitigating Insider Threats
Endpoint security plays a vital role in mitigating insider threats by monitoring and controlling user activities. It helps detect and prevent unauthorized access, data exfiltration, and malicious insider actions, reducing the risk of internal breaches.
Safeguarding Remote Workforce
With the rise of remote work, endpoint security becomes even more critical. It protects endpoints outside the traditional network perimeter, securing devices and data regardless of their location ensuring a secure remote work environment.
Compliance and Regulatory Requirements
Endpoint security is essential for businesses to meet compliance and regulatory requirements. It helps enforce security policies, track and report security incidents, and demonstrate adherence to industry-specific regulations, avoiding penalties and reputational damage.
How To Select Your Endpoint Security
Evaluate Comprehensive Protection
Look for an endpoint security solution that offers a wide range of features, including:
Real-time threat detection
Advanced malware protection
Firewall capabilities
Data encryption
A comprehensive solution ensures holistic protection for your business.
Consider Scalability and Compatibility
Ensure that the endpoint security solution can scale with your business growth and is compatible with your existing IT infrastructure. It should seamlessly integrate with your network and support various operating systems and devices to provide consistent protection across all endpoints.
Prioritize User-Friendliness
Opt for an endpoint security solution that is easy to deploy, manage, and use. A user-friendly interface and intuitive controls will save time and effort for your IT team, allowing them to focus on other critical tasks.
Assess Performance and Resource Impact
Test the solution’s performance impact on endpoints and system resources. It should provide robust security without significantly slowing down devices or causing disruptions. Look for solutions that offer efficient resource utilization and minimal impact on user productivity.
Don’t Let Your Unsecured Endpoints Put You At Risk
As the threat landscape continues to evolve, businesses must adapt and prioritize endpoint security to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals. By implementing robust endpoint protection measures, businesses can mitigate risks, protect sensitive data, and maintain a secure computing environment.
Remember, endpoint security is not just an option; it is necessary in today’s digital age. So, let’s embrace the growing significance of endpoint security and work together to build a resilient and secure IT infrastructure for businesses of all sizes.
If you need expert assistance deploying or managing your endpoint security measures, reach out to our team.
by Felicien | Aug 14, 2023 | Education
In today’s tech-dependent world, businesses heavily rely on us to support their operations and drive growth. However, it’s not enough to simply hire us based on our reputation or services alone. To truly maximize the benefits of IT support, it is crucial to know The Miller Group on a deeper level.
Here’s a secret: IT professionals agree that you can tell how good a client is going to be by the questions they ask. So, whether you’re working with us or still getting to know us to make sure you get the answers you need to better understand what you’re paying for.
5 Questions You Need The Answers To
Does The Miller Group understand your strategy?
Understanding your business strategy enables us to align our services with your goals and objectives. By having a clear understanding of your strategic direction, we can tailor your IT solutions to support your specific needs. Whether it’s expanding into new markets, implementing innovative technologies, or streamlining operations, we fully comprehend your business strategy and can provide strategic guidance and implement solutions that drive your success.
We understand your business strategy and we can act as a trusted advisor. We can offer valuable insights and recommendations on how technology can be leveraged to achieve your strategic objectives.
By staying informed about your business goals, we can proactively identify opportunities for improvement, suggest innovative solutions, and help you stay ahead of the competition. This partnership fosters a collaborative environment where The Miller Group becomes an integral part of your business strategy, working together toward shared success.
When we understand your business strategy, we can effectively support your initiatives, scale your services, and onboard new users during mergers or acquisitions. We can align our solutions with your goals, provide strategic guidance, and act as a trusted advisor. This level of understanding and collaboration ensures that technology becomes an enabler for your business strategy, driving growth and success.
What’s Our 5-year plan?
This is a simple concept, but it’s almost always overlooked by IT clients. Have you ever asked us what our macro business plan is?
You may be surprised by what you find out. Some companies are simply seeking more and more clients in order to grow their value and seek a buyout. Others are looking to rapidly expand and diversify. Often, our business plan, if realized, can affect the quality of service the clients receive.
Make sure to keep this in mind, and keep an eye on us as we grow and develop. It may give you insight into changes in service quality, or potential new offerings we may be able to make available to you.
How do we handle renewal/termination of service?
Always have an exit strategy—there’s a chance that you’ll find managed services in general, or we, in particular, aren’t right for you. Or, the opposite could happen: you’ll be perfectly satisfied with the services and will want to renew them.
That’s why it’s smart to know how the renewal/termination process will work ahead of time:
Should the managed services contract terminate, or does it require a monthly or annual renewal?
Will you incur any penalties for ending your service before the expiration date?
What is considered acceptable, in the contract, for us to cancel the agreement on our end?
What is their track record?
Whether this is The Miller Group you’re considering or your current partner, it’s important to look at the capabilities in the most exact terms available.
Do they have KPIs, benchmarks, scorecards, or other qualitative trackers available for review?
What is their CSAT, and how has it changed over time?
What stats can they provide on your service ticket resolutions over the past quarter?
What do our other clients say?
No matter how great a company may seem, remember that you can’t take their word for it; or, not entirely. It’s important to seek testimonials and case studies about a potential partner before you sign on the dotted line.
Furthermore, where available, it’s a good idea to talk to our other clients. Whether it’s a peer group, a monthly happy hour get-together, or an annual appreciation client social, this is a great opportunity to find out how other clients are benefitting from our services and whether you could change your approach to service usage.
It’s Never Too Late To Know More
The bottom line is that you should always be striving to make better use of the investment you’ve made in IT services. The Miller Group doesn’t disengage clients to pay hundreds or thousands a month just for the occasional password reset or workstation installation. When you pay attention, the better ROI you’ll get.
by Felicien | Aug 11, 2023 | Education
IT blogs are usually about determining the pedigree of a given IT company. What do they offer? How do they perform? What makes them different?
It’s easy to overlook your role in the process. Here’s the hard truth: you may not be getting the best ROI for your monthly fees in IT support, and part of the problem might be you.
If you want to be a better IT client and maximize the return you get on your investment in IT services, make sure to keep the following four best practices in mind.
4 Best Practices For Ideal IT Clients
Are you doing your homework?
Ideally your IT company will take care of 99% of the work involved with maintaining and optimizing your IT environment. However, from time to time, you may have to perform a task here and there.
This is especially important at the very beginning when you are being onboarded. You generally have to fill out a lot of documentation to capture critical information such as passwords, domains, licenses, etc.
Did you keep up with that homework? Even if your onboarding period is long past, are there still questions you haven’t answered?
It’s important to keep in mind that this may allow your IT company to justify a lower quality of service, or otherwise impede them in critical situations. Without all that information, they won’t be able to do their jobs as effectively as they’d like to. That’s why you need to be sure you’ve done everything you’re supposed to, and can let your IT company work the way they need to.
Are you using all of their available services?
By fully engaging with the services they are paying for, you can unlock the full potential of your IT investments. IT companies offer a wide range of solutions beyond the help desk, such as IT consulting, managed services, cloud solutions, cybersecurity, and more. Each of these services is designed to address specific business needs and challenges, providing tailored solutions that can drive growth and efficiency.
Engaging with a broader range of IT services allows you to access customized solutions that align with their unique business goals. While the helpdesk provides immediate support for technical issues, other services can offer strategic guidance, proactive monitoring, and long-term planning. By leveraging these additional solutions, you can optimize your IT infrastructure, enhance security measures, and align technology with their overall business strategy.
Furthermore, technology is constantly evolving, and businesses need to stay ahead of the curve to remain competitive. By fully engaging with IT services, you can tap into the expertise and knowledge of IT professionals who are up-to-date with the latest industry trends and advancements. This enables businesses to leverage emerging technologies, implement innovative solutions, and gain a competitive edge in their respective markets.
Who is your point of contact?
It sounds simple, but we’ve had a lot of clients that can’t answer this question. Sure, you may have the direct number for the CEO of your IT company, but is that the most efficient way to get the help you need?
Probably not. More likely, your IT company has assigned a staff member as your point of contact. If you’re circumventing this person, whether out of convenience or otherwise, you’re likely adding minutes or even hours to the support process.
The point is that if you engage with your IT company in the way that’s dictated by their core processes, everything will function more smoothly.
Do you follow their processes and procedures?
A key aspect of fully utilizing your IT company’s service suite is ensuring you know how to use their service suite. Case in point: do you know how to submit a ticket to the helpdesk?
While there is almost certainly a standard operating procedure for support requests in place, it could be that you and/or your staff members are sending emails directly to IT personnel and asking them to address issues and questions for them on an informal basis. Will this get the problem solved? Sure, it probably will, but that’s not the point.
The issue is that your usage of IT services won’t be properly tracked by the support system, which can lead to inconsistent follow up, inexact resolutions, and virtually zero reporting after the fact. That’s why you should ensure you know how to make use of the systems your IT company makes available to you.
Don’t Be A Bad IT Client
Fully engaging with the services provided by IT companies is essential for you to maximize the value of your IT investments. By going beyond the help desk and exploring the full range of solutions available, you can unlock tailored solutions, stay ahead of the curve, maximize efficiency, and proactively address potential challenges.
Embracing a holistic approach to IT services enables businesses to leverage technology as a strategic asset, driving growth, and achieving long-term success in today’s digital landscape.
by Felicien | Aug 9, 2023 | Education
In today’s tech-dependant world, businesses heavily rely on IT companies to support their operations and drive growth. However, it’s not enough to simply hire an IT company based on their reputation or services alone. To truly maximize the benefits of IT support, it is crucial to know your IT company on a deeper level.
Here’s a secret: IT professionals agree that you can tell how good a client is going to be by the questions they ask. So, whether you’re looking at new IT companies or still getting to know the one you’re with right now, make sure you get the answers you need to better understand what you’re paying for.
5 Questions You Need The Answers To
Does your IT company understand your strategy?
Understanding your business strategy enables the IT company to align their services with your goals and objectives. By having a clear understanding of your strategic direction, they can tailor their IT solutions to support your specific needs. Whether it’s expanding into new markets, implementing innovative technologies, or streamlining operations, an IT company that fully comprehends your business strategy can provide strategic guidance and implement solutions that drive your success.
An IT company that understands your business strategy can act as a trusted advisor. They can offer valuable insights and recommendations on how technology can be leveraged to achieve your strategic objectives.
By staying informed about your business goals, they can proactively identify opportunities for improvement, suggest innovative solutions, and help you stay ahead of the competition. This partnership fosters a collaborative environment where the IT company becomes an integral part of your business strategy, working together towards shared success.
When an IT company understands your business strategy, they can effectively support your initiatives, scale their services, and onboard new users during mergers or acquisitions. They can align their solutions with your goals, provide strategic guidance, and act as a trusted advisor. This level of understanding and collaboration ensures that technology becomes an enabler for your business strategy, driving growth and success.
What’s your IT company’s 5-year plan?
This is a simple concept, but it’s almost always overlooked by IT clients. Have you ever asked your IT company what their macro business plan is?
You may be surprised by what you find out. Some companies are simply seeking more and more clients in order to grow their value and seek a buyout. Others are looking to rapidly expand and diversify. Often, the IT company’s business plan, if realized, can affect the quality of service the clients receive.
Make sure to keep this in mind, and keep an eye on your IT company as they grow and develop. It may give you insight into changes in service quality, or potential new offering they may be able to make available to you.
How do they handle renewal/termination of service?
Always have an exit strategy—there’s a chance that you’ll find managed services in general, or that IT company, in particular, isn’t right for you. Or, the opposite could happen: you’ll be perfectly satisfied with the services and will want to renew them.
That’s why it’s smart to know how the renewal/termination process will work ahead of time:
Should the managed services contract terminate, does it require a monthly or annual renewal?
Will you incur any penalties for ending your service before the expiration date?
What is considered acceptable, in the contract, for the IT company to cancel the agreement on their end?
What is their track record?
Whether this is a new IT company you’re considering or your current partner, it’s important to look at their capabilities in the most exact terms available.
Do they have KPIs, benchmarks, score cards, or other qualitative trackers available for review?
What is their CSAT, and how has it changed over time?
What stats can they provide on your service ticket resolutions over the past quarter?
What do their other clients say?
No matter how great a company may seem, remember that you can’t take their word for it; or, not entirely. It’s important to seek testimonials and case studies about a potential partner before you sign on the dotted line.
Furthermore, where available, it’s a good idea to talk to other clients of your current IT company. Whether it’s a peer group, a monthly happy hour get-together, or an annual appreciation client social, this is a great opportunity to find out how other clients are benefitting from the company’s IT services and whether you could change your approach to service usage.
It’s Never Too Late To Know More
The bottom line is that you should always be striving to make better use of the investment you’ve made in IT services. A lazy IT company loves a disengaged client that pays them hundreds or thousands a month just for the occasional password reset or workstation installation. The more you pay attention, the better ROI you’ll get.
by Felicien | Aug 9, 2023 | Education
IT blogs are usually about determining the pedigree of a given IT company. What do they offer? How do they perform? What makes them different?
It’s easy to overlook your role in the process. Here’s the hard truth: you may not be getting the best ROI for your monthly fees in IT support, and part of the problem might be you.
If you want to be a better IT client and maximize the return you get on your investment in IT services, make sure to keep the following three best practices in mind.
3 Best Practices For Ideal IT Clients
Are you doing your homework?
Ideally your IT company will take care of 99% of the work involved with maintaining and optimizing your IT environment. However, from time to time, you may have to perform a task here and there.
This is especially important at the very beginning when you are being onboarded. You generally have to fill out a lot of documentation to capture critical information such as passwords, domains, licenses, etc.
Did you keep up with that homework? Even if your onboarding period is long past, are there still questions you haven’t answered?
It’s important to keep in mind that this may allow your IT company to justify a lower quality of service, or otherwise impede them in critical situations. Without all that information, they won’t be able to do their jobs as effectively as they’d like to. That’s why you need to be sure you’ve done everything you’re supposed to, and can let your IT company work the way they need to.
Are you using all of their available services?
By fully engaging with the services they are paying for, you can unlock the full potential of your IT investments. IT companies offer a wide range of solutions beyond the help desk, such as IT consulting, managed services, cloud solutions, cybersecurity, and more. Each of these services is designed to address specific business needs and challenges, providing tailored solutions that can drive growth and efficiency.
Engaging with a broader range of IT services allows you to access customized solutions that align with their unique business goals. While the helpdesk provides immediate support for technical issues, other services can offer strategic guidance, proactive monitoring, and long-term planning. By leveraging these additional solutions, you can optimize your IT infrastructure, enhance security measures, and align technology with their overall business strategy.
Furthermore, technology is constantly evolving, and businesses need to stay ahead of the curve to remain competitive. By fully engaging with IT services, you can tap into the expertise and knowledge of IT professionals who are up-to-date with the latest industry trends and advancements. This enables businesses to leverage emerging technologies, implement innovative solutions, and gain a competitive edge in their respective markets.
Who is your point of contact?
It sounds simple, but we’ve had a lot of clients that can’t answer this question. Sure, you may have the direct number for the CEO of your IT company, but is that the most efficient way to get the help you need?
Probably not. More likely, your IT company has assigned a staff member as your point of contact. If you’re circumventing this person, whether out of convenience or otherwise, you’re likely adding minutes or even hours to the support process.
The point is that if you engage with your IT company in the way that’s dictated by their core processes, everything will function more smoothly.
Don’t Be A Bad IT Client
Fully engaging with the services provided by IT companies is essential for you to maximize the value of your IT investments. By going beyond the help desk and exploring the full range of solutions available, you can unlock tailored solutions, stay ahead of the curve, maximize efficiency, and proactively address potential challenges.
Embracing a holistic approach to IT services enables businesses to leverage technology as a strategic asset, driving growth, and achieving long-term success in today’s digital landscape.
by Felicien | Jul 11, 2023 | Education
In today’s fast-paced digital world, businesses heavily rely on technology to streamline their operations and stay competitive. However, managing and maintaining an efficient IT infrastructure can be a daunting task for many business owners.
While having an in-house IT person may seem ideal, it can be costly and unnecessary. This is where outsourcing IT support comes into play, offering a cost-effective, time-saving, and overall better solution for businesses.
Why Outsource Your IT Services?
Cost-Effect
Hiring and maintaining an in-house IT team can be a significant financial burden for businesses. By outsourcing IT support, businesses can save on various costs, including recruitment, training, salaries, benefits, and office space. IT companies specialize in providing comprehensive support at a fraction of the cost, allowing businesses to allocate their resources more efficiently.
Expertise and Access to Latest Technology
Outsourcing IT support enables businesses to tap into a pool of highly skilled professionals with extensive knowledge and experience in various IT domains. These experts stay up-to-date with the latest technological advancements, ensuring that businesses have access to cutting-edge solutions and best practices. By leveraging their expertise, businesses can enhance their IT infrastructure, improve efficiency, and stay ahead of the competition.
Time-Saving Processes
Managing IT support in-house can be time-consuming, especially for businesses without dedicated IT personnel. Outsourcing IT support allows business owners and employees to focus on their core competencies, rather than getting bogged down by IT-related issues. With a dedicated IT support team, businesses can rely on prompt assistance, quick issue resolution, and proactive monitoring, minimizing downtime and maximizing productivity.
Scalability and Flexibility
Outsourcing IT support provides businesses with the flexibility to scale their IT services based on their evolving needs. Whether it’s expanding operations, implementing new technologies, or downsizing, IT companies can quickly adapt to these changes. This scalability ensures that businesses have the right level of support at all times, without the hassle of hiring or downsizing an in-house team.
Enhanced Security and Data Protection
Cybersecurity threats are a growing concern for businesses of all sizes. IT companies specialize in implementing robust security measures, monitoring networks, and protecting sensitive data from potential breaches. By outsourcing IT support, businesses can benefit from advanced security protocols, regular system updates, and proactive threat detection, reducing the risk of data loss or unauthorized access.
24/7 Support and Reduced Downtime
IT issues can occur at any time, and businesses need immediate assistance to minimize downtime and maintain operations. Outsourcing IT support often provides round-the-clock support, ensuring that businesses have access to help whenever they need it. This proactive approach to IT support reduces downtime, increases productivity, and enhances customer satisfaction.
Don’t Miss Out On The Benefits Of Outsourced IT Support
Outsourcing IT support offers numerous benefits for businesses, including cost-effectiveness, access to expertise and the latest technology, time-saving, scalability, enhanced security, and reduced downtime.
While having an in-house IT person may seem desirable, outsourcing IT support allows businesses to focus on their core competencies while leaving the IT management to experts. By leveraging the services of IT companies, businesses can streamline their operations, improve efficiency, and stay ahead in today’s technology-driven world.
