Here’s an undeniable fact: properly functioning technology is one of the most important drivers of business success. If your computers are crashing, your servers aren’t working, your printers are jamming, and your mobile devices aren’t syncing, chances are you (and everyone you work with) are suffering in the productivity department.
Here’s another undeniable fact: that frustration you feel when your computer takes 15 minutes to boot up? Everyone can sympathize. That frozen window, that Blue Screen of Death, that PDF that won’t open, that faulty server connection—we’ve all been there, and we all know how it feels. Even Bill Belichick, one of the most successful coaches in NFL history, has been there: last week, the longtime New England Patriots coach, announced that he was ditching the league-issued game-day tablets used to immediately review plays and formations.
“I’m done with the tablets,” the notoriously tight-lipped Belichick said, devoting five full minutes to the topic. “They’re just too undependable for me. I’m going to stick with pictures, which several of our other coaches do as well because there just isn’t enough consistency in the performance of the tablets…I have given it my best shot. I’ve tried to work through the process, but it just doesn’t work for me, and because there’s no consistency to it.”
Whether you’re a New England Patriots fan or not, you have to laugh at Belichick’s statement—and you probably know exactly where he’s coming from. But consider this: Coach has an entire staff devoted to maintaining his IT equipment, including those game-day tablets. “Dan Famosi is our IT person, and he does a great job handling those things,” Belichick said, warming the hearts of IT professionals around the world. “ All are league equipment, so we don’t get them until a few hours before the game. We test it and sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. Usually, by game time, it is working, but I would say not always. And then during the game, sometimes something happens and it needs to be fixed.”
Now, if the longest-tenured coach of one of the most storied franchises in the NFL can’t get his technology to work, don’t you think small businesses might be operating at an even bigger disadvantage? After all, they can’t afford full-time IT staff. They often have to rely on an employee whose job has nothing to do with technology to stop what they’re doing and try to fix broken computers and jammed printers. Then, when a bigger problem occurs, they are at the mercy of a break-fix IT provider who may or may not answer the phone, may or may not show up on time, may or may not fix the problem, and may or may not do it for a reasonable price.
Sound familiar? At CMIT Solutions, we know how you feel—and we know how to transform it. Consider these four strategies for ending IT frustrations, once and for all.
1) Use proactive monitoring and maintenance to your advantage. In today’s frightening and rapidly changing digital security landscape, you can no longer assume that your computers are safe because you have a firewall and an anti-virus program. At CMIT Solutions, we specialize in a multi-layered approach that employs 24/7 protection, anti-spyware and anti-malware, Internet traffic analysis, content filtering, and a constantly updated database of developing cyber threats. A proactive IT solution like CMIT Marathon can do it all—without you ever having to lift a finger.
2) Back your data up regularly, remotely, and redundantly. Heard of CryptoLocker, CryptoWall, or any of the hundred other ransomware viruses that have made the news over the last few years by encrypting data on millions of machines? The only surefire way to prevent data loss if you’re struck by one of these illicit strains of cyberattack is by having reliable backups of your critical information done on a regular basis. CMIT Guardian goes beyond basic backup, as well, as mixing in other solutions like disaster preparedness and recovery, business continuity, and virtualization plans. Again, it requires multiple layers of protection to truly keep your data safe.
3) Consider the way that new technologies can help (or hurt) your business before adopting them. Recent innovations like cloud storage, mobile email, and teleconferencing have revolutionized the way modern businesses work, with employees working faster and smarter than ever before. But that doesn’t mean you should jump all over that new operating system update or discard reliable solutions that have worked for your business in the past just to latch on to the hottest new technology. This is why it’s so important to…
4) Work with a trustworthy IT provider who knows you and knows your business. The perfect IT partner should work with you in a number of ways. As a short-term problem solver and a long-term strategist. As a trusted advisor and a good listener. As a dependable technician and a high-level business partner who serves the same kind of professional role in your community as you do. No provider should ever recommend services or products that you and your company don’t need—but they also shouldn’t neglect critical security practices just because you may not be able to devote significant resources to them.
At CMIT Solutions, we are fellow business owners who understand the need to do more with less in this expensive world. We also understand the desire to work with someone willing to get to know you and the challenges you face, which is precisely what we at CMIT look for when we hire an accountant, a lawyer, a doctor, or a contractor. In short, we take our promise to stand by your side and provide the best IT support possible very seriously.
If you’ve faced a towering technology obstacle or struggled to overcome frustrations with computers or devices, we are here to help. Contact CMIT Solutions today if you’d like to put an end to IT problems, boost productivity and efficiency, and find out how to save time and money.