IT Voice

Author: seth

  • What’s your argument against an SLA with an MSP? Part-1

    What’s your argument against an SLA with an MSP? (And why it doesn’t hold water) Part-1

    Managed IT services are becoming more popular by the day. Businesses, big and small, are bringing managed service providers onboard to handle their IT requirements. The bigger IT players like IBM, Accenture, CISCO act as MSPs to larger organizations, while the typical managed service provider is often hired by SMBs. However, there’s a question that crops up time and again–Do SMBs really need an MSP? SMBs are sometimes in two minds when it comes to bringing an MSP on board and typically use one of the following justifications.

    Our IT requirements are limited

    A lot of businesses in the small to mid-size range believe that their IT needs don’t warrant a full-time service level agreement with an MSP. They believe the only times they need to invest in IT is at the start of their business or when rolling out new technology. As a result, they don’t see much value in signing a service level agreement with an MSP.

    We are tight on budget

    SMBs also tend to cut on the IT budget and invest those funds elsewhere–generally in areas where they see tangible results, such as hiring new customer-facing staff or a new advertising campaign. So, when SMBs find themselves a little tight on the budget, the IT department sees the cut.

    We have our in-house IT person/team

    Businesses with an in-house IT expert or even a small in-house IT team feel that is sufficient for handling any IT needs and an SLA is just an added expenditure.

    So, did your reason make it to the list? Stay tuned for our next blog post, where we will discuss how an SLA with a managed service provider can add value to your business.

  • Risk Assessment: The first step in disaster planning

     
     
    Risk Assessment: The first step in disaster planning

    Before you can begin making any specific plans to handle a major event which threatens your firm’s capacity to do business, an analysis of the threats and hazards in the environment needs to be put together. This first step is known as a risk assessment. It details the hazards that have the potential to damage your ability to provide your products and services in a timely fashion.

    Some possible major risks could include
    • Cyber attacks
    • Loss of key personnel
    • Labor disputes or strikes
    • Pandemics
    • Workplace violence
    • Natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, etc.
    • Fires
    • Terrorist attacks
    • Civil unrest
    It is also important to keep in mind that any of these above risks could attack a link in your supply chain, which could be just as debilitating as if the event directly hit your business. Because of the strong reliance on just-in-time inventories and lengthy supply chains, the risks are multiplied out beyond just what affects your own physical locations.

    Once you have identified all of the risks in the environment, the next step is to identify how these events, alone or in combination, would impact your business. Risk assessment is the necessary first step in developing any comprehensive business continuity plan. It is also an excellent exercise in awakening a firm’s leadership to the vulnerabilities they may have been hoping to ignore.

  • New area code coming to Alabama

     
     
    A new area code is coming that will affect your dialing, and we want to help you master it!

    On October 12, there will be a new area code, ‘659’, for the West Central portion of Alabama. This will include Butler, Birmingham, Clanton, Hamilton, Jasper, Pell City and Tuscaloosa. Current 205 numbers will not be affected in this change. The area code 659 will only be used for new assigned phone numbers, but both will serve the same region. 
     
    When this change occurs, your dialing will be affected; seven digits will not work anymore. Instead, dialing 10 digits will be mandatory because at some point, your seven-digit phone number may be assigned to someone else using the new area code. Dialing only seven digits will prevent your call from going through.
     
    At Slappey we have always had one number that allows you to consistently dial only seven digits, but with this new area code, you will be required to dial 10 digits to reach us. The phones we sell, maintain and support will now also only work with a 10-digit number.
     
     
    The overlay does not require customers to change their existing area code but will require alterations to dialing procedures. We will come out and reprogram your phone systems for you, to assure you can still operate and connect within your business and with your customers.
     
    At Slappey we want to make your life easier. We want your business to run smoothly when the new dialing code takes effect. Slappey will also offer a free analysis from us to check and see if your system is compatible with this new change.
     
    Your business is important to us. We want to accommodate your needs and help with any questions you might have about this new change as it might be confusing.  
     
    The Jefferson County EMA said this will not affect 911, 311, 211, 811 or other three-digit numbers. 
     
    If you have any questions or concerns regarding this information provided, please contact us at help@slappey.com or call/text (205) 970-4209.
     

  • Hiring seasonal staff? Here are a few things to consider from the IT

    Hiring seasonal staff? Here are a few things to consider from the IT perspective

    In many industries, there are seasonal spikes in business around specific times. For example, CPAs/Accounting firms, though busy all year, generally see a spike in business around the time of tax planning, IRS return filing, etc., the retail industry sees a boom around the Holiday Season, and so on. During such peak times, it is common practice in the industry to employ part-time staff to meet the immediate resource needs. While this works well in terms of costs and for handling additional work/client inflow, this poses a few challenges from the IT perspective. In this blog, we explore those challenges so you know what to watch out for before bringing part-time staff on board.

    Security

    When you are hiring someone part-time, security could be a concern. You or your HR person may have done a background check, but their risk score nevertheless remains much higher than permanent employees who are on your payroll. Trusting a temp worker with customer and business data is a risky choice.

    Infrastructure

    Having seasonal employees is a good solution to temporary spike in workload. But, there is still a need to provide your temps with the resources they need to perform their tasks efficiently. Computers, server space, internet and phone connectivity, all need to be made available to your temp workforce as well.

    Lack of training

    Your permanent employees will most likely have been trained in IT Security best practices, but what about your temps? When hiring short-term staff, SMBs and even bigger organizations rarely invest any time or resources in general training and induction. Usually brought in during the peak seasons, temps are expected to get going at the earliest. Often IT drills and security trainings have no place in such hurried schedules.

    Collaboration needs

    Often businesses hire seasonal staff from across the country or even the globe because it may offer cost savings. In such cases when the seasonal staff is working remotely, there is a need to ensure the work environment is seamless. High quality collaboration tools for file sharing and access and communication needs to be in place.
    Having part-time or seasonal staff is an excellent solution to time-specific resource needs. However, for it to work as intended–smoothly and in-tandem with the work happening at your office, and without any untoward happenings–such as a security breach, businesses need to consider the aspects discussed above. A MSP will be able to help by managing them for you, in which case hiring temps will be all you need to think of.

  • It is Heaven! Using the Cloud to Challenge Big Business

     
     
    It is Heaven! Using the Cloud to Challenge Big Business
     
    Has anyone suggested you begin moving your business to the cloud? Cloud data storage or cloud computing? What is this, anyway? And isn’t it something for huge companies?
     
    In the last post we explained what cloud computing is. Simply put, it is the offsite storage of your data, and perhaps even the software packages you use. The primary benefit is pretty straightforward. Somebody else pays for all the hardware and support costs needed to store your data. You pack up all your own servers, wiring, etc. and take them to the recycling center, and save money. But is that all it is? There is a much stronger case for a small business to incorporate the cloud in their business model. The cloud allows you to become competitive with the big players in your industry.
     
    The traditional issue holding back small business: they do not have the capital to create the infrastructure to compete with large firms. They are too small to enjoy economies of scale. One obvious area is software and hardware. Historically, the technology used by big business has been out of reach of the little guys. Most SMBs have neither the hardware budget nor internal resources to own a network infrastructure. A small business does not have capital to buy the equipment. Take a simple example: You run a storefront, but think you might be able to sell a bit more if you went online, but you don’t know how much more. You can’t justify the capital to buy the hardware, software, and the labor to design, build, and support it all. The cost of entry to the online world is just too much.
     
    The cloud ends all of that. In simple terms, the cloud lets you rent just as little infrastructure as you need, and then lets you grow as incrementally as you like, paying only for what you use. Essentially, the cloud has become the great equalizer. The high cost of entry created by IT can be eliminated by the cloud.


  • Ransomware attacks just keep increasing: Vet practices aren’t immune

     
     
    Ransomware attacks just keep increasing: Vet practices aren’t immune
     
    This cyberattack scheme isn’t new, but it has become increasingly common over the past several years. Many of the viruses lurking out there steal data to be used for nefarious purposes. The goal has long been to access important financial and personal data that can be sold off. For example: credit card numbers that can be sold and used to buy things or social security numbers that can be sold to be used to create fake identities. In the case of many viruses, victims may never even be aware their data has been accessed. Typical malware and spyware tries to go undetected. Not ransomware. Ransomware generally does not access your data to sell off to criminals. Instead, the virus kidnaps your data until you pay ransom.
     
    Ransomware stops you from using your PC, files or programs. It holds your data, software, or entire PC hostage until you pay a ransom to get it back. When an attack occurs, you suddenly have no access to a program or file – a screen appears announcing your files are encrypted and that you need to pay (usually in bitcoins) to regain access. In some cases there may be a nerve wracking clock ticking down to the deadline for the ransom payment. Some versions are so sophisticated they even have mini call centers to handle your payments and questions.
     
    Ransomware stands out from most viruses in that you really have no option once an attack has been made. You either pay up, or lose the data. The only sure answer is a safe, clean backup. In that case, you are stuck with the nuisance of restoring your data with the backup, but you aren’t out any money. However, this comes with a caveat: your backups have to be clean. The problem with ransomware viruses is that just making backups may not be sufficient to protect your data, as the backups can be infected also. The only answer is to be aware that these viruses are out there and that you have to make careful, specific plans to protect your data. It is important that your backup and disaster recovery plans are designed with a ransomware attack in mind. When it comes to making data security and disaster recovery plans you should consider bringing in experts with a strong background in this field. Lost data is not something any contact center can easily recover from.

  • Click, Click, BOOM – You’re in Business But Is Your Technology Ready?

     
     
    Click, Click, BOOM – You’re in Business But Is Your Technology Ready?
     
    It’s a fast business world. Brilliant business ideas can be conjured up at some hipster-filled vegan coffeehouse, a website is thrown together, and poof… in no time at all there is a living, breathing, small business venture accessible from anywhere in the world.
     
    But as your head hits the pillow at night, with visions of becoming the next Mark Zuckerberg dancing in your head, understand that many obstacles will greet you on your road to entrepreneurial success. A fresh innovative idea is merely a start. For every successful startup like Groupon, there are even more that have faltered. Some great, even revolutionary, business concepts that just faded into obscurity; leaving behind nothing but tales of what could’ve been and insurmountable debt.
     
    Failed business technology is often a big reason for this. Many startups think big but tend to operate small-minded to keep overhead and costs down. They then find themselves completely unprepared to meet the demands of growth, particularly when it comes to their IT infrastructure. There is no one-size fit all approach to how to manage technology for optimal efficiency, uptime, and profitability. Especially given the challenges of limited budgets and the need to keep overhead down.
     
    So exactly how do SMBs make sound decisions regarding their technology infrastructure? Choices that are cost-effective enough to get their business off the ground and running without screwing them over once it truly takes off?
     
    Combine On-Site and Off-Site Support for the Best of Both Worlds
     
    Over 45% of SMBs have no dedicated in-house IT staff and no contracted IT consultant regularly monitoring and managing their technology. Roughly only 7 percent of SMBs have a full-time onsite IT technician on payroll. The rest rely on third-party on-call IT companies who appear only when technology goes haywire and disrupts business. These on-call companies can sometimes take a day or two to even show up, which means issues aren’t resolved in a timely and efficient manner. And did we mention they’re expensive?
     
    Most SMBs say they simply can’t afford full-time in-house support. Even those who do budget for it face overwhelming challenges. They often experience a revolving door of on-site help who leave for a larger company and better salary once they’ve beefed up their resume. And those hires that do remain loyal often feel as if they have no reliable help and become overworked and frazzled as the business and their responsibilities grow. Discontent may even set in if wages aren’t raised proportionately to the added responsibilities, or if they grow bored of doing the same mundane repetitive work everyday.
     
    But today’s SMB has access to technology that won’t drain resources. In particular, the evolution of cloud computing and managed services can either automate or re-assign a lot of the day-to-day caretaking of technology to remote employees, leaving onsite support available for more meaningful and potentially profitable projects.
     
    Better yet, it saves money on equipment costs.
     
    Whenever possible, a mix of on-premise and off-premise IT support is the best way to make your technology scalable and prepared for growth.
     
    Contact us at Slappey Communications

  • 3 steps you can take to protect your data in the Cloud

    3 steps you can take to protect your data in the Cloud

    Moving to the Cloud offers tremendous benefits for SMBs that range from lower IT costs to any-time access to data and certainly more reliability in terms of uptime. But, data in the Cloud is also vulnerable to security threats just like the data stored on physical servers. This blog discusses 3 things you can do to protect your data in the Cloud

    Secure access: The first step would be to secure access to your data in the Cloud. So, how do you go about it? Safeguard your login credentials-your User IDs and passwords-from prying eye. Set strong password policies that are practiced across the board and educate your employees about good password hygiene. Also, do you have employees using their own devices to access their work-related applications and documents? Do you have staff working from home? Then, you also need to formulate strong BYOD (Bring-your-own-device) policies, so these devices don’t end up as the entry point to cybercriminals.

    Educate your employees: What’s the first thing that pops into your head when someone talks about cybercrime? You probably picture some unknown person, a tech-whiz sitting behind a computer in a dark room, trying to steal your data. But, surprising as it may seem, the first and probably the biggest threat to your data and IT security in general, comes from your employees! Malicious employees may do you harm on purpose by stealing or destroying your data, but oftentimes, employees unwittingly become accomplices to cybercrime. For example, forwarding an email with an attachment that contains a virus, or clicking on a phishing link unknowingly and entering sensitive information therein or compromising on security when they share passwords or connect to an unsecured or open WiFi at public places such as the mall or the airport with a view to “get things done”, but, without realizing how disastrous the implications of such actions can be.

    Choosing the right Cloud service provider: If you are putting your data in the Cloud, you need to make sure that it is in safe hands. As such, it is your Cloud service provider’s responsibility to ensure your data is secure and, accessible, always. But, are they doing all that is needed to ensure this happens? It is very important to choose a trustworthy Cloud service provider because you are essentially handing over all your data to them. So, apart from strengthening your defenses, you need to check how well-prepared they are to avert the threats posed by cybercriminals.

    Complete Cloud security is a blend of all these plus internal policies, best practices, and regulations related to IT security, and of course, the MSP you choose to be your Cloud security provider plays a key role in all this.

  • HOW YOUR COMMUNICATION AFFECTS YOUR ABILITY TO SELL


    It’s crucial for you to consider how your customers communicate and create solutions that are customizable to them. If your target audience is heavy on Pinterest, then consider creating Pinterest boards that cater to their interests. LiveChat may be another. When’s the last time you answered a cold call on your lunch break? It’s becoming less and less effective. More people are inclined to message a business rather than answer an unknown number.

    Do you pay attention to your Google, Facebook, or YELP reviews? We are living in an economy where user-generated content dictates buying behaviors. To improve customer satisfaction, you need to be able to address both ends of the experience, good and bad. The power of referrals is stronger than ever because consumers are making decisions on your products and services without even talking to one of your reps. Make it your goal to create Raving Fans and not detractors because those detractors will go out of their way to make it known to not do business with you.

    To help improve customer service satisfaction, we’ve created a Communication Diagnostic for you to complete. It’s 10 questions asking about your communication strategy, both internally or externally. At the end of the diagnostic, we will email your score and give praise for what you’re doing well, but also offer feedback on areas of improvement. Complete our Communication Diagnostic and receive your Communication Effectiveness Score!

  • 5 BEST METHODS OF EFFECTIVE CUSTOMER COMMUNICATION


    The field of business telecommunication is quickly changing to reflect our dependence on mobile devices and our demand for instant answers. In just the last few years, more companies are depending on text, chat, and email-based customer service than ever before. Customer’s willingness to wait on hold for a live representative has dropped off drastically during this same period.

    ADD CHAT

    The inclusion of chat-based customer support has increased by nearly 26% since 2010. Customers who have used chat support report just over a 70% satisfaction rating. There can be many explanations for this, but typically, customers experience shorter wait time through chats, are not faced with the infamous language barrier that is so common across customer support call centers, and are able to communicate more clearly in writing. Transcripts of the conversation can be saved and used for reference later, and customers are better able to get a resolution.

    USE SOCIAL MEDIA

    In just the last two years, social media has also seen a giant spike in uses for business. Many customers are happy to relate to their favorite brands through Facebook, Twitter, and other social sites. While these sites may not be aimed at the same problem resolution funnel as call and chat centers, they do provide a positive way for customers to interact with your company when they are not having trouble with their service or product.

    ONLINE ANSWERS

    Many companies have also taken a proactive step toward resolving customer complaints by offering comprehensive troubleshooting and FAQ pages through their websites. This gives users the ability to search for their problem on their own time and try to reach a resolution without ever picking up the phone. In many cases, customers are relieved to see that you are aware of the problem already and that you have a quick fix.

    ADVANCED PHONE SYSTEMS

    Despite all of these advancements in technology, centralized phone systems remain one of the most effective ways of interacting with the customer. Using the latest version of VoIP technology allows you to link your customer account information with your phone system to reduce wait times in and out of calls. Advanced routing to free agents and the ability to automatically open the user’s account based on the phone number they are calling for offer small improvements in workflow that add up over time. Incremental improvements in your business telecommunication system can drastically reduce the amount of time you are spending on the phone with each individual customer, maximizing your efficiency.

    CENTRALIZED CONTROL

    While you may be wondering how you can possibly manage social media, phones, and chat rooms all at one time without hiring a ton of new staff, the answer is simple. Today’s technology provides a streamlined interface that combines all of these communication avenues into a single program, which also has access to your calendar for scheduling and a shared reporting system. This way, all of your agents can keep up with changes in a customer account and respond in whatever way the customer prefers without missing a beat.

    Going forward, your business telecommunication strategy needs to be inclusive and built to meet your customers where they are. That’s why it is so important to move to an upgraded system that can support multi-channel integration of phone calls, chat rooms, and even text-based responses that provide immediate value to the customer in real time.