

Publish Date
07/11/2023
Categories
Blogs
Is it time to re-evaluate your Managed Service Provider’s (MSP) effectiveness?
While changing MSPs might seem like a hassle, a poor relationship or lack of two-way communication with your provider can lead to bigger issues down the road, including cyber security vulnerabilities.
Here are 5 warning signs that suggest your company needs a new MSP:
An MSP should do what it says in the name – manage. This means frequently assessing and recommending improvements to your IT infrastructure. It should not just be a one-time job, just as it is not a one size fits all approach. Building a relationship with your MSP based on trust and frequent communication ensures a better understanding and personalised service for your business.
What’s one of the main reasons a company will go to use an MSP? The expertise and skill they provide. If your current MSP doesn’t meet it’s SLA (Service Level Agreement), or is slow responding to queries raised, it’s a clear indicator that you may be better served elsewhere.
Your MSP should not merely offer basic licensing and support. Instead, they should act as a strategic partner and advisor, guiding you in mapping out future services and solutions, enabling effective budgeting and long-term strategic planning.
Transparency is crucial in any MSP-client relationship. Your SLA should clearly outline:
The last thing you want is a surprise invoice or bill! Moreover, If you don’t understand some of the technical jargon used in the contact, your MSP should attend to this matter and never force you to sign into a contract which you don’t understand.
An effective MSP stays up-to-date with IT infrastructure and your company’s needs. Do you always find out the latest industry news, price increases and new offerings from your MSP? They should be there to guide you on industry changes to make sure you can plan and budget your IT roadmap.
If you’re not receiving this support and advise, it might be time for a change.
Don’t let your business be short-changed. At Cobweb, we offer highly personalised and flexible managed service options, empowering you to focus on innovation while we handle the rest. Book a free consultation with our experts to discover the right fit for your needs. Your success is our priority.
Publish Date
31/10/2023
Categories
Blogs
In the ever-evolving world of IT management, businesses must adapt to keep their competitive edge. Reacting to IT issues as they arise is no longer an effective approach and to truly keep ahead of the game, companies need to stay proactive with their technology which is why many IT directors are turning towards a managed service. But why should you invest in a proactive action? Let’s have a dive into the world of IT response types…
Not too long ago, the standard approach to IT management was predominantly reactive. Organisations would wait until an issue emerged—be it a server crash, a data breach, or a software failure—before taking action. Yes, that has us quaking in our boots too. While this approach may have provided a temporary fix, it was far from ideal. Downtime would disrupt operations, productivity would suffer, and costs would skyrocket as IT teams scrambled to resolve the problem…
We understand that the old reactive model is simply not sufficient in today’s digital landscape. The solution is clear and it’s what most IT decision makers are turning too: a managed service. Pairing with a Managed Service Provider (MSP) is one of the quickest, easiest and most affordable ways to optimise your proactive IT management. Here’s how…
Proactive: A proactive approach, means consistently monitoring IT infrastructure to catch and rectify issues before they become significant. Using advanced tools, an MSP will identify potential threats or breakdowns early, averting bigger crises.
If a business was only to address these problems as they arise, extended downtimes, disruption, and potential data loss could easily become the consequence.
With the digital landscape becoming increasingly more complex, when partnering with an MSP, you should find they prioritise cyber security. By staying updated with the latest threats and security measures, they implement and maintain robust security protocols within your IT systems. This ensures that your business’s data stays well-protected against cyber predators.
Without a proactive approach, you may find yourself having to pay thousands due to a surprise ransom attack or explain to your customers how their data was stolen…
MSPs don’t just offer solutions to existing problems. They engage in strategic IT planning, working alongside businesses to ensure that their technology infrastructure aligns with long-term goals and objectives. This proactive collaboration facilitates technological growth and drives innovation tailored to the business’s needs!
Partnering with an MSP is a cost-effective decision. By proactively preventing issues, optimising systems, and streamlining IT processes, businesses will see a reduced total cost in their IT ownership.
On the other hand, having a reactive model can result in unbudgeted spend as unexpected remediations occur.
An MSP proactively manages daily IT operations, meaning you can allocate internal resources more effectively. This allows teams to concentrate on strategic initiatives, core competencies, and other vital areas of the business.
If you were to stay reactive, focusing on the core of your business may be out of your control if your systems suffer a failure, meaning increased downtime is the consequence.
One of the key advantages of partnering with an MSP is the inherent scalability of managed services. As a business expands or contracts, its IT support structure can adjust accordingly. This ensures that your IT infrastructure remains robust and responsive to business needs, without the necessity for extensive hiring or substantial infrastructure investments.
With reactive action, you may find your infrastructure can’t so easily be altered to large expansions or team growth, resulting in a lack of time to focus on revenue driving activities, and ultimately, what you do best.
The magic of managed services lies in their ability to transform businesses from reactive to proactive IT management. By partnering with us at Cobweb, your business can harness the power of technology to drive growth, enhance security, and let you focus on innovation. With over 27 years of experience and a portfolio of satisfied customers, Cobweb specialises in safeguarding and empowering SMBs with tailored IT solutions, joining them on their cloud journey. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, embracing an MSP is not just a choice; it’s a necessity for businesses looking to thrive and reach that next competitive edge in the 21st century.
Cobweb Managed Services
Publish Date
17/10/2023
Categories
Blogs
Creating a solid cyber security strategy is crucial, especially in the face of the rising threat of ransomware which has surged by 13% in the last five years. Recent data reveals that 4 in 10 victims fail to recover their data after an attack, and 1 in 5 organisations forced to deal with ransomware had to halt their operations.
While these statistics might seem daunting, having a plan in place is your best defence. The prospect of an attack becomes even more dangerous when you lack a comprehensive response strategy.
At our most recent networking event, Cobweb Connect, we had the privilege of hearing insights from Sarah Armstrong Smith, Microsoft’s Chief Security Advisor for Europe. She delved into incident response and crisis management, stressing the importance of preparing your employees to handle breaches. It’s safe to say our attendees absorbed a lot from Sarah’s experience, underscoring the need for decision makers to grasp the potential consequences of not having solid plans or incident response protocols in place.
So, how can you effectively prevent, detect, and respond to a ransomware attack?
Understanding how to safeguard against ransomware risks is essential, and a Managed Service Provider (MSP) can help ease these concerns. With Cobweb as your MSP, you can concentrate on your core business while we manage and monitor your IT systems, enhancing security. Our proactive approach shields your devices, endpoints, gateways, and cloud services from potential threats. Contact Cobweb to explore how our MSP solutions can fortify your cyber defences and become part of a community dedicated to a risk-free digital future.
Publish Date
10/10/2023
Categories
Blogs
Navigating the fast-paced evolution of the IT landscape can be daunting for any IT team, often diverting their attention from core responsibilities. Amid juggling various internal roles, certain critical IT operations may unintentionally be overlooked.
So which IT processes in your business could be being missed out?
Aligning IT with business strategic initiatives is crucial for ensuring that technology is being leveraged effectively to achieve organisational goals. This can drive productivity, enhance customer experience, and provide a competitive edge. Having time for regular training ensures the IT team understands business processes, while key performance indicators help measure alignment. Effective change management processes and an emphasis on innovation further ensure that IT initiatives not only support but also drive business goals. By removing the mundane tasks, businesses can accelerate the rate they are able to work towards these objectives.
As cyber attacks persistently threaten businesses, frequent vulnerability assessments are vital to identify software flaws and potential risk factors. In fact, 97% of IT decision makers moved to a manged service due to being a target of phishing attacks. Vulnerability assessments should be second nature to your IT team, ensuring your business remains one step ahead of these potential attackers. However, faced with an abundance of responsibilities, consistently managing these assessments can become increasingly challenging.
Patching is one of those jobs a lot of technicians think about as ‘I’ll just do that later’. And that may be because the flaw in the system isn’t seen as that serious, or there are more pressing needs elsewhere. But fixing these flaws may be the only barrier in the way between your business and a large data breach. It should never be left as a ‘later’ job as it could leave you and your business at serious risk.
If any of these processes are being overlooked due to overwhelming workloads in your business, it might be time to consider a Managed Service Provider (MSP). At Cobweb, we prioritise making our customers’ lives easier by offering comprehensive solutions:
Expert Talent at Your Service: No need to expand budgets or hire new IT members; our team has all the expertise you require.
Proactive Vulnerability Assessments: We constantly monitor your systems, recommend improvements, and implement measures to keep attackers at bay.
Patching Made Simple: Your workstation, server, and security appliances receive regular patching, minimising security risks.
Staying Ahead of Technology: We keep up to date with the latest technology and implement it into your systems.
Focus on Innovation: With Cobweb managing your tech systems, you’ll have ample time to focus on your business’s innovation. Simply put, we are just an extension of your team!
If your IT team is stretched thin, there’s a viable solution. Get in touch with our team today for a free consultation, and let’s tailor Managed Service options to suit your unique needs. Your IT team might lack time, but a feasible solution is within reach!
Publish Date
26/09/2023
Categories
Blogs
In the face of IT challenges and risks that frequently plague SMBs, reactive solutions often fall short of meeting immediate needs. Recognising this limitation, businesses are now shifting their focus to the future of IT solutions: partnering with a Managed Service Provider (MSP).
Much like any essential business expense, an MSP operates on a subscription model, offering continuous remote management and monitoring of IT systems, often coupled with 24/7 support. This modern approach to IT is reshaping the business landscape, evolving into a strategic partnership—an extension of your team. By alleviating in-house costs, driving growth, mitigating security vulnerabilities, and reducing downtime, MSPs empower you to concentrate on your core business activities.
As the business world navigates a tech-driven era, the adoption of hybrid technologies is becoming ever-present. Cloud-based software, in particular, has become the lifeblood of many operations, requiring ongoing maintenance. The lessons learned from the pandemic in particular highlighted to us all the essentialism of technology. It urged us to embrace software updates proactively to stay competitive, safeguard our cyber environment, and ensure data confidentiality.
Yet, robust cybersecurity still remains a diverse challenge to many businesses, which is one reason as to why 90% of IT and Business leaders are considering moving to a managed service. MSPs pave the way to the future, guiding businesses through the complexities of compliance and GDPR regulations. With cyber threats on the rise and data protection becoming a greater responsibility, businesses need a strong line of defence. Collaborating with an MSP lightens this load, allowing them to shoulder the responsibility while you channel your efforts into innovation.
The role of IT infrastructure is rapidly evolving, and those who fail to adapt may risk falling behind. The ability to attract new business may hinge on how well a company aligns with these changes. The integration of an MSP streamlines operations, enhancing customer experiences and service quality, setting the stage for sustainable success.
Embrace the opportunities of tomorrow—contact Cobweb today for a complimentary consultation. Discover how our Managed Service can be your launchpad into the future of IT solutions!
We’re Your Team, Extended.
Recent Comments