Businesses use technology to reach out to customers and promote their latest offers, products, and services; while these have allowed them to greatly expand their reach and generate more revenue, the heavy use of IT now also leaves businesses exposed and vulnerable to threats, such as malware and ransomware used by cybercriminals to extract valuable trade secrets, as well as make profit from these security breaches.
No business can afford to ignore security issues, but each business has a unique threshold for warding off threats and attacks, depending on their size and resources. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) typically don’t have the resources of large corporations to fight security breaches. Working with a managed IT service provider can help SMB owners in Toronto assess their data security in a cost-efficient manner and fight these IT issues with outsourced tech support for full service without the expense.
Why the SMB Market is Vulnerable
Many SMB owners have downplayed the possibility of security threats because they believe that their business was too small for hackers to be interested in. It’s easy to think that hackers will always want just information from big players; but because their systems are often heavily protected by state-of-the-art data security, some hackers are discouraged, and turn to smaller businesses who are more likely to be under-protected and under-funded. With the growth of the consumer market in Toronto, many small and medium-sized businesses now also rise as industry leaders, making them prime targets for data hacks.
Because SMBs operate on more limited budgets and smaller bandwidths, many business owners in Toronto benefit from outsourcing their tech support needs to a managed IT services provider to assist with their IT needs on a contingent basis. Managed IT services allow business owners in Toronto the time and freedom to focus on their products and services without worrying about their tech needs. Managed IT services also allow business owners to spend a sizable portion of their revenue on impractically maintaining an in-house IT department that only makes a convoluted organizational structure for a small enterprise.
How Small Business Owners Benefit from Managed IT Services
Understanding Your Business’ Needs
A managed IT services provider understands the unique needs of small enterprises, particularly in a market like Toronto where many small businesses thrive and succeed, as these are the reason why outsourced tech support exist in the first place. Managed IT services equate to efficiency and streamlined operations, providing businesses with the tech support they need, exactly when they need it.
To best serve the tech needs of your small business, your IT service provider starts by gaining a basic understanding of the industry you operate in, as well as the types of cybersecurity threats your business could be vulnerable to. This includes malware and possible cyberattacks that target your business’ industry and unique trade secrets. Your managed IT services provider will then decide on the types of security applications, such as firewalls and spam protections your business needs, as well as create a continuity plan in case of a breach, and identify assets for data backup and recovery.
More Value for Less
The nature of managed IT services usually involves a flat-rate or monthly plan to provide your business with routine tech support. Apart from the basic security software installation and monitoring, IT support companies now also offer additional services for improved data security, such as cloud-based and data center solutions. In this way, you can regularly backup your business’ data as part of your monthly plan, instead of incurring large IT expenses for emergency repairs and system and data recovery.
Cloud-based and data center solutions are also efficient storage solutions for your business’ information; these services also allow your team to seamlessly collaborate on projects and access vital applications, services, and data when you away from your Toronto office, without compromising data security.
Complete Security Assistance
The long-term goal of managed IT services providers is not just to provide data backup and information security; as your business grows, the demand for tech support also increases. Apart from providing security solutions, your managed IT service provider also seeks to teach you more about threat management in a market like Toronto. This enables you to keep your business secure online. For complete tech support, managed IT service providers also offer help desk support that is available around the clock, and both remote and onsite maintenance from technicians for problems with, or upgrades on the tech they outfitted your business with.
