Category

Managed IT Services

Sep 24
0

Outsourced IT: The Auto Mechanics of the Business World

By | Managed IT Services | 3 Comments

If you’ve ever owned a classic 60s or 70s automobile (or if you’re old enough to remember them), you’ll remember how much easier it used to be to change the oil, replace the spark plugs, and complete other basic maintenance yourself. Now some car manufacturers make it complicated to open the hood, let alone handle any of the maintenance on your own. As cars become more computerized and complex, we rely more heavily on trained, certified mechanics to provide even the most routine maintenance. Your IT infrastructure has likely become just as complicated, requiring the same level of expertise to keep it running efficiently and safely. Sure, you can do it yourself. But at what risk – and at what cost?

In-House IT Is Costly

Would you always keep a mechanic on standby just in case your car broke down? That’s an expensive proposition, but it would ensure that you were never without a ride. You could do the same for your IT – hire a CIO and staff an IT department – but when you consider the cost of one or more full-time IT employees (and the difficulty in retaining tech employees in a tight talent market), you can see the cost benefit of outsourcing your IT needs to a managed service provider (MSP) that can keep you up and running for a fraction of the cost.

Outsourced IT Reduces Risk

The unemployment rate for IT professionals in the Columbus area is zero. Even if you want to have your own IT staff, finding talent – and keeping it – is costly and time-consuming. What happens when you’re relying on your own IT staff and someone quits, or when you can’t keep the position filled? Your security and infrastructure suffer. When you work with an outsourced IT firm, they assume the risk of keeping an experienced team of experts available, and they assume the financial and operational risk of having the 24/7 staffing you need to keep your business safe.

Outsourced IT Makes Planning Easier

In addition to reducing labor costs, outsourced IT allows you to control operational costs more effectively, converting variable costs into a fixed, predictable monthly cost you can plan your business around. By outsourcing IT to an experienced managed services provider, you secure access to a pool of experts who will partner with you to assess your operational needs and align your IT infrastructure and security to meet those needs, help you grow, and keep you profitable.

Proactive Response

When you outsource your IT to a company that is focused only on IT infrastructure, IT security, managed IT services, and the technology that makes businesses run efficiently and safely, you obtain access to experts who can help you stay one step ahead, not only of hackers and threats, but of your competition, too.

Competitive Advantage

Partnering with an outsourced IT company is like having an entire IT department at your disposal, with a variety of professionals and decision-makers that would be extremely costly to keep on staff. This extended reach levels the playing field for smaller businesses who could not easily afford to hire their own IT staff and provides a distinct competitive advantage.

Peace of Mind

It can be hard to quantify the value of peace of mind, but when you’re running a business – or are in charge of a nonprofit, a government agency, or a school – the last thing you want to have to worry about is whether or not your organization is compliant, protected, patched, licensed, updated, monitored, backed up, and secure. You can rest easy knowing your outsourced IT partner has it covered.

thinkCSC has more than 20 years of experience helping clients exceed their goals. We understand that business and technology are so intertwined that you can’t be strategic about one without the other. We offer customized and bundled outsourced IT services you need to achieve your objectives; increase efficiency, productivity, and agility; cut down on IT costs; and ensure you have a competitive edge. Whether you want to outsource most or all of your infrastructure management, or if you simply want to optimize the systems already in place, thinkCSC provides personalized IT expertise that saves money and provides the manpower that ensures your infrastructure is always an asset – never a liability.

We would be happy to talk to you about how we can help you harness the power of our IT services in Columbus to maximize your reach, impact, and bottom line. Contact our business development manager today for more information.

May 15
0
vCIO

Improve IT Security with a vCIO

By | Managed IT Services, Managed Security, vCIO | No Comments

Unless you are a major corporation, hiring a full-time CTO or CIO is often beyond your means, as the average salary of a CIO in the U.S. is over $200,000 per year. But going without an IT security expert at your disposal can potentially cost you even more, depending on the severity of the inevitable breach that will occur if your IT security is not up to speed.

A vCIO can Offer You the Best of Both Worlds

A virtual CIO – or vCIO – on the other hand, gives you the C-level expertise you need to operate your business with the best risk management tools available without spending $200,000 or more plus benefits for another C-level executive. Our vCIO service is an integral piece of the managed services we provide our clients, and it comes at a fraction of the cost of hiring your own Chief Information Officer.

vCIO ROI

Having hands-on access to CIO-level expertise, without the cost, means you not only have top-notch cybersecurity protection for your business, but you also have the funds necessary to invest in comprehensive cybersecurity for your organization.  From investments in infrastructure to better employee training, you can more effectively manage risk.

What Does a vCIO Do?

We remove the stress from your risk-management efforts by providing support and insight about risk management, remediation efforts, and the general effectiveness of your cybersecurity program.  Our virtual CIO role exists so that we can help your organization achieve the proper cybersecurity governance within your organization.

If we’re all honest with each other, a business could go just about anywhere to obtain cloud services or implement IT security. You can click a link and buy services online and never even meet the people who store your valuable data. And many businesses often choose their IT services based on who offers the best price at the time. But smart business leaders see the growing role IT plays in the everyday operation of their organizations and seek something more than break-fix solutions.

– Tom Hastings, thinkCSC President

C-Level Guidance without C-Level Costs

vCIO services level the playing field for small- and medium-sized organizations that can now have access to the same level of expertise as large corporations, without bearing the cost of a full-time CIO. In today’s globally competitive, rapidly transforming environment, small and midsize businesses must find ways to remain as competitive as possible, and when it comes to business IT, the vCIO solution is a great equalizer.  At thinkCSC, our vCIO is a free service that is provided as part of our managed services. Your vCIO will:

  • Take time to understand your business and industry
  • Understand your vision and provide solutions
  • Solve problems and ease pain points, proactively seeking solutions that keep your organization ahead of the competition
  • Demonstrate business acumen and a commitment to delivering customized solutions that align with your business goals and strategy
  • Provide regular, comprehensive reviews of your infrastructure and security and follow up with strategic guidance and solutions
  • Partner with you on the implementation of customized tech solutions designed to help your organization more effectively meet business objectives
  • Align IT infrastructure, applications, and security to organizational needs

The net results are proactive insights and informed decisions. Uninformed choices often result in irreparable damage. Our team does the legwork and research for you to ensure you make IT decisions that are strategic and cost-effective. We identify IT issues before they cost you time and money, by conducting a network assessment, inventorying your IT systems and licenses, identifying potential risks, and tagging obsolete systems for replacement.

What Can thinkCSC Do for Your Business?

thinkCSC has more than 20 years of experience helping clients exceed their goals. We understand that business and technology are so intertwined that you can’t be strategic about one without the other. We offer customized and bundled outsourced IT services you need to achieve your objectives; increase efficiency, productivity, and agility; cut down on IT costs; and ensure you have a competitive edge. Whether you want to outsource most or all of your infrastructure management, or if you simply want to optimize the systems already in place, thinkCSC provides personalized IT expertise that saves money and provides the manpower that ensures your infrastructure is always an asset – never a liability. We can partner with your Columbus-region organization to develop a unique solution designed to fit your business model. Contact us today to learn more about our managed security and vCIO services.