The Connection, Inc Blog

Try as we might, we can’t prevent all computer issues from occurring—for instance, there’s not much that we can do if a stick of RAM dies, at least, not remotely. However, if you’re stuck with a broken computer and need to bring it in for repair work, there are a few things we recommend you do.

How often have your operations been disrupted by technology troubles that could have been spotted a mile away? Chances are it’s a little too often for your liking, especially if your business wants to remain profitable. When your operations suffer, so too does your bottom line, leading to losses across the board. How can your organization spot technology troubles before they become detrimental to your organization’s future?

When a computer is on the fritz it can really destabilize a person’s ability to produce consistent work. Most users today will try basic troubleshooting techniques, for better or for worse, to get the machine to run properly. Let’s look at the results of failing technology and how it can cost businesses in different ways. 

Cloud computing is a monster of a topic in and of itself, perhaps more so than most people might expect. Let’s define what cloud management is and take a closer look at what goes into properly managing your cloud-based resources.

When it comes to implementing new technology solutions for your business, there is always a desire to solve some sort of problem. Maybe you are not as productive as you would like to be, or perhaps there is an operational inefficiency that you hope to address or streamline through the use of the technology. Either way, the end result is the same; you are trying to make progress and move forward, not over-complicate your infrastructure.

Finding talent can be difficult for businesses, especially for those that are challenged by variables such as their geographic location (not as big of a problem thanks to remote employment), but more often than not, budget will be the key holdup for small businesses seeking top talent. Thankfully, even small businesses can hire top talent through the process known as outsourcing, which is particularly helpful for acquiring talented and qualified IT professionals.

IT support is a major pain point for small businesses. While they understand that technology is not something to be trifled with, they often have to pass on getting the most comprehensive service out there in favor of saving capital for other parts of business. 

What makes a small to medium-sized business so different from a large, enterprise-sized one? The amount of people and moving parts, of course, but if you really consider it, there isn’t all that much. This is why when looking to control your small business’ IT support costs, choosing managed IT services is a good option. This month, we thought we’d take a look at some of the other benefits managed IT can bring your organization:

All businesses, in some way, shape, or form, exist to generate revenue—whether their profits are retained for their own benefit or dedicated to supporting some other cause. Either way, this balance makes the difference between the investments a business makes and the return these investments see a critical consideration. By using modern technology, today’s organizations can tip this balance to be more in their favor.

Your business relies on technology to keep operations moving, but your technology relies on you to stay functional. While many small businesses will choose to forsake an in-house IT department in favor of a self-service model, this is a costly maintenance practice that could put your IT in jeopardy. Instead, your organization should invest in our managed IT services, which have the possibility to show your business an entirely new way of managing technology assets.

In today’s business, technology seems to be advancing at an alarming rate. Just when you think you’ve got the latest and greatest tech; something is developed that makes your new tool seem antiquated. Nowhere is this more evident than in the management of your IT.

Every business has the occasional computer problem. Like any other machine it needs constant maintenance to work as intended. When you are working in a productive environment, IT problems can really damage your business’ ability to conduct business. One solution to what seems like endless computer issues is the presence of an IT support help desk. Let’s take a look at a couple of benefits that having a help desk solution in place can have for a small business. 

When you feel under the weather you visit the doctor, they examine you and prescribe a remedy. It’s a pretty simple process; and a relationship that is important to maintain your health. A managed service provider functions the same way for a business. Let’s take a look at the similarities.

A business’ budget is the biggest authority over it. As a result, each business needs to spend some time adjusting their operational investments to put itself in the best position to reach its goals… a process that a managed service provider’s help can make much simpler. Let’s review some ways that an MSP can help a business get that much more out of its investment into its IT.

It’s nice to do something and feel good that you’re the one doing the work. This DIY approach provides you the satisfaction that you’re doing the job yourself, and that you’re doing it right. If you’re the kind of person who gets nervous about others handling tasks, you fully understand how stressful it can be to have someone you don’t know or trust working on important initiatives; particularly working with your company’s technology.

This is the main advantage of working with The Connection, Inc to outsource your business’s technology maintenance. We are willing to put in the extra effort to build a solid working relationship with your company, just so you can rest easy knowing that your IT projects are being done as per your specifications. While this might not feel like DIY, once you’ve grown to know us and trust the quality of our work, you’ll know with confidence that you can count on us to get the job done properly. Plus, if you’re trusting us with your IT projects, you won’t have to invest precious time into the project yourself, meaning that it will likely be resolved faster and with less incident.

In other words, outsourcing your IT is like having a trusted friend help you with an important favor. We treat your technology like it’s our technology, so you know that the quality of the service received is of the utmost importance.

The average break-fix IT company won’t provide this kind of care and attention your business needs to ensure the proper functionality of your organization. A break-fix IT company is only going to look at your broken technology as a paycheck, when in reality it’s your business’s livelihood at stake. You want someone who understands the importance of technology to your business’s workflow, and that’s something that only The Connection, Inc can offer.

By having us manage your technology, we want you to know that we’re invested in your business’s success. When your business succeeds, we succeed, too. This type of working relationship is a far cry from anything that a break-fix IT company can provide.

Basically, The Connection, Inc provides a DIY experience for your business’s IT, without the need for all of the labor and work on your part. Our proactive approach to IT means that we can remotely monitor and maintain your systems to prevent a major catastrophe from striking. By keeping an eye out for warning signs, we can effectively eliminate key issues that could result in wasteful downtime.

If you can trust and rely on us to provide quality services, then we can extend this service beyond just your IT maintenance and handle vendor management services. This is where we act as a single point of contact for all of your business’s technology needs, which includes working with your vendors. If you need something that isn’t covered by our IT agreement, like repair on a third-party printer or installing an Internet connection, just contact us. We have our own network of professionals that you can trust to handle your technology solutions. If you trust us, and we trust them, then by proxy you can view them as trustworthy resources, worthy of dealing with your technology.

For more information about managed IT services and what makes The Connection, Inc so different from everyone else, give us a call at (732) 291-5938.

What crosses your mind when you think about hacking attacks and data breaches? Do you picture a hacker in a ski mask typing furiously, or do you imagine scenes made memorable like those in television and film in works like Mr. Robot or Live Free or Die Hard? In the latter, hacking attacks are perpetrated by masterminds or those with grand ambition. Yet, this trend may portray an inaccurate representation of the typical hacker.

In the natural course of doing business, an owner/operator will have to face many difficult situations, but none of these situations are as difficult as asking them to determine whether or not to close the doors of the business for good. Many problems could cause a business to fail, but it has to hurt the failing owner a little more when the solution for the problem was not only within his/her reach, it was affordable.

It’s one of the most commonly-known computer issues: infection. There are plenty of threats out there that could potentially take hold of your PC. The question is, do you know how to proceed if one does? This blog will go into just that.

But first, some terms may need to be clarified: virus and malware. In reality, a virus is just one of the many forms of malware, which also covers spyware, Trojans, adware, and many other varieties of computer threats. However, the term “antivirus” is so well-known due to some awareness-based marketing, software systems that protect against other forms of malware are still given this title.

Now that the terminology of virus/malware has been covered, it is important to know how to remove these threats from your system.

First, at bare minimum, you should call in an MSP, like The Connection, Inc, to oversee the process. Observation by a professional will help you to avoid making a mistake that only makes the situation worse. Better yet, you should entrust The Connection, Inc to handle the monitoring and maintenance of your systems, so they will take care of issues such as these. In fact, these issues can often be avoided in the first place.

The Connection, Inc will remotely access your PC and take the steps necessary to remove the malware. Removing temporary files will help the scan progress faster, and might even remove some hidden malware in the process. Once your systems have been scanned and the infected files have been cleaned out, your web browser and your operating system may need to be repaired or reinstalled. This is one reason that it is so important to keep a backup, so any local files won’t be lost with the OS reinstall.

Once your system is cleaned out and restored, The Connection, Inc will make sure that programs designed to protect against malware are installed. All of your programs should be kept up-to-date, in order to make sure they are as protected as possible against attack from viruses or other malwares. We can even provide enterprise-level antivirus that we will monitor for updates and maintain to ensure your business has optimal security.

It is also a good idea to change the passwords to any of your online accounts, as the malware may have recorded them. Once the infection has been removed, make sure your staff knows how to identify the risk factors that indicate when they may be infected.

Let us know how we can help protect your business against malware by calling (732) 291-5938.

How does your organization manage its mission-critical technology solutions? We know that most small businesses have some sort of trouble with this topic, either due to budget constraints or a lack of personnel. Either way, we know that there is a better way to manage your business’ technology, and it’s all thanks to an approach called managed IT services.

Selecting a managed service provider should be like selecting any employee. You need to make sure that your expectations are going to be fulfilled, and that your selection will be there when you need them to be. However, the criteria you examine your potential IT service provider by should be a little different than how you evaluate your other prospective team members.

To help you out, we’ve assembled four of the big considerations you should make when weighing your options when choosing an MSP.

Industry Experience
Having an MSP with plenty of experience isn’t enough. You need to make sure that your MSP candidate has experience with the information technology needs of your particular industry. Otherwise, you may find yourself stuck with a provider who doesn’t have the know-how that comes from dealing with certain things hands-on.

Response Times
It’s one thing to work with a technology resource who knows what they’re doing, it’s another thing entirely to work with one who knows what they’re doing and gets right to doing it. Your time is valuable--too valuable to waste waiting for your IT management resource to start working on your problem, and the same goes for your employees. Time is money after all, so the longer it takes to return the given resource to productivity, the more it will cost.

Scope of Service
Returning to the thought of hiring a new employee, one of the big considerations that is taken into account is how well-rounded their experience is. After all, having an employee that can serve one purpose isn’t nearly as helpful as an employee who has the ability to step into whatever function you need them for. Your MSP should be the same way. Your company’s IT covers a wide range of solutions and devices, all of which your MSP should be able to manage and repair if needed.

On-site Services
While a great many IT issues can be identified and resolved remotely, there are some that need a hands-on approach. Your MSP needs to be willing and able to visit your location and attend to your technology issues if it should become necessary. While remote maintenance is preferable for many reasons, there are occasions that call for a technician to be present. You don’t want to find yourself without a reliable resource if your hardware is on the fritz and the only way to return to production is to have that hardware functional.

At The Connection, Inc, we hold ourselves to these considerations and strive to live up to them every day, making us an excellent candidate to fulfill your IT requirements. Give us a call at (732) 291-5938 for more information.