Thursday 29 October 2020

7 Best Practices of Successful managed Service Providers

 The managed service provider (MSP) market is growing. In a MarketsandMarkets study, sales in 2019 were estimated at more than $ 193 billion, a compound annual rate of 12.5%.


The study also indicated that the percentage of companies using MSP increased from around 30% to 50% in the last year alone. However, these are just the macro numbers. The growth of individual MSPs varies considerably. According to the study, a significant proportion of MSP has seen their business grow 20% or more annually. However, about half of them only grow about 10% or less.


We are now four months away in 2018 and I think it is fair to say that none of us really knows what to expect in the coming months, with global changes that will have consequences for all of us. So how can we ensure that as an IT company we do everything we can to remain successful and decisively profitable? Through my conversations and discussions over the past few months with Datto MSP partners in Asia, I have been able to identify some of the important best practices that have been shared by the most successful companies and that I would now like to share with you Some Managed Services Best Practices:


1. Be the person you are going to


For managed service providers, it is important to define exactly what your company is doing, what services it specializes in, and what advantage it has over competitors in your area.


It is important to be able to communicate the value of your business to potential customers. An effective way to stand out from other IT providers is to develop a high level of experience in a specific area or areas. For example, an MSP that focuses on serving SMEs in health and finance, or an MSP that specializes in a particular service or technology (for example, disaster recovery and backup). This decision should depend on your personal preferences and potential clients in your area. By serving clients with similar requirements, you can accumulate experience over time that can be applied to all clients. Suddenly you will be the "go to" person for something.


2. Be picky about customers.


Many new IT service providers take on whatever job they may get. This makes sense when you are just starting out, but as your business grows, it is important to be more selective with your customers. The first step: identify your ideal client. This is determined in part by your specific areas of expertise, but additional factors must be considered. For example, it is important to consider the effort required to support the customer environment. When it comes to current customers, don't be afraid to cut ties. In general, if a client does not fit well, it is best to end your relationship with him.


3. Build customer trust


It is important that IT service providers strengthen customer trust by accessing and protecting their private technologies and data, on which their livelihood depends.


Always be sure to keep your promises, since without them there will be no trust or relationship. Offering unbiased technology advice to your clients will make you a trusted advisor. Of course, you must generate sales and make a profit, but that does not mean that you are selling your customers the most expensive products you can. It is more important to recommend technologies that help them succeed regardless of their costs. Providing customers with the right tools and first-class technical support builds trust and ensures a long-term business relationship.


4. Standardize technology offerings


Standardization enables you to develop expertise in the technologies you use, reducing the time and effort required to implement and manage them. This also makes it easier to manage relationships with a limited number of providers. Be sure to choose technologies that support many different IT environments. Many successful IT service providers publish a catalog of services to ensure that current and potential customers understand the options available to them. It must be so detailed that there is no confusion about what each service offers, but not so technical as to lose it in general.


5. Prize for a victory


Developing a pricing strategy is about achieving the desired and / or required margins for the services you provide. It is important to understand your own costs - look at what you need to make a margin and then make a profit. Many IT providers, especially those who are new to the business, make the mistake of underestimating their services to beat the competition on price. Instead, think about how you can make your services stand out from the competition and tell us why your service is getting a higher price. IT service providers use a variety of pricing models today, and theirs will be determined by your business needs. Many IT providers pay per user or per device, while others choose a fixed-price model or a hybrid of the two.





6. Develop a sales and marketing process.


Many IT service providers have problems with sales and marketing. In some cases, this is because they come for technical rather than commercial reasons. Others, especially small businesses, may not have time to spend on sales and marketing. If you want to grow your business, it is essential to develop a repeatable sales process.


7. go to school


Education is essential in a constantly changing industry. Peer groups are a popular choice for IT service providers who want to continue their education. These groups meet locally or online and allow members to learn from each other in formal and informal settings. Members are encouraged to network and share ideas. Another option is to request certification of certain technologies that you use to provide services. Many technology providers offer specific product training and certification programs, and there are several organizations that offer more general IT training opportunities. Continuing education and certification are essential to remain competitive in an ever-changing industry.


Wednesday 28 October 2020

What is a Helpdesk?

 It is full of jargon. It can be difficult to keep track of all the relevant processes, frameworks, tools and acronyms. With all the obscure IT terms floating around the world, there are three important terms related to IT support that we often see confused, confused, or misused:


  • Service desk (or "IT service desk")

  • Help Desk (or "IT Help Desk")

  • ITSM ("IT Service Management")


Does it matter if you use the term help desk, service desk or ITSM to describe IT support? This is the case, because you may be sub-selling or over-selling capabilities (to yourself or others), including your IT support technology.


What is a Help Desk?


As defined by Merriam-Webster, a help desk is "a group of people who provide general help and information for electronic or computer problems." Given this definition, it may seem at first glance that there is little difference between helpdesk and helpdesk, but the missing keyword here is "customer". While the primary goal of a help desk is simply to solve problems, the primary goal of a help desk is to provide services to its customers or users. There is a certain emphasis on service delivery and customer centralization on missing services in support services.


And although support services are often limited to a single ITSM activity (in particular, incident management or problem solving process), support services cover the widest range of activities mentioned above. In a sense, support services are therefore a subset of services.


If you are still confused about the differences between a help desk and a help desk, don't worry. It is true that the distinction may seem a bit difficult, so we have tried to clarify it by analyzing all the differences between them below.


What is Service Desk?


The ITIL definition of a service center is as follows: “The single point of contact between the service provider and users. A typical service center handles incidents and service requests, and also manages communication with users. "


This definition may seem a bit formal and vague, so here is an easier way to express it: a service center is a communication center where customers (for example, employees or other interested parties) can find help from their suppliers. IT services. As indicated by the ITIL service center definition, this assistance can take the form of incident resolution or service request processing, but whatever the type of assistance provided, the goal of a service is to provide a high-quality service to customers in a timely manner.


Service offices often also include various ITSM activities. For example, a service center generally includes ITSM activities that include service request management, incident management, knowledge management, self-service, and reporting. In general, there are also strong links to the problem and change management processes.


An IT service center helps customers resolve incidents or manage service requests, creates and manages service knowledge, provides self-service to customers who want to resolve incidents quickly and independently, and provides measurements on equipment and tool effectiveness. Service desks may include more or less than that, but the point is that they are a robust, service-oriented, customer-centric way of providing IT support to customers.


What is ITSM?


IT service management, often called ITSM, is simply how IT teams manage end-to-end service delivery to customers. This includes all IT service design, creation, delivery and support processes and activities. The core concept of ITSM is the belief that IT must be delivered as a service.


Due to their daily interactions with IT, people often interpret ITSM as basic IT support. Rather, ITSM teams monitor all kinds of technologies in the workplace, from laptops to servers and critical software applications.


ITSM generally consists of several basic processes, as defined by ITIL, the most widely accepted framework or approach for ITSM. These are some of these processes:


  • Service request management

  • Administrative knowledge

  • IT asset management

  • Incident management

  • Problem management

  • Change management


You will notice that some of these processes, such as IT asset management, problem management, and change management, are outside the scope of basic IT support. This is because the ITSM covers all the activities involved in providing IT to the company. Although the scope of ITSM is broad, help desks and help desks are defined in a much more limited way and represent only smaller parts of ITSM.



Service Desk vs help Desk: What’s the Difference?

  • The service desk is an evolution of the help desk, born out of the ITIL framework of ITSM best practices (formerly known as the IT infrastructure library), and based on the underlying concept of "managing IT as that service".

  • A help desk is born out of IT-centric computing (mainframe), while a service desk is born out of service-centric computing (the aforementioned approach taken by ITIL to provide IT as a service)

  • This may sound insignificant, but many argue that a helpdesk provides help, while a helpdesk provides a service, that is, that with a helpdesk, the goal is to provide service to end users with an appearance of customer service.

  • A helpdesk is considered to be troubleshooting (what ITIL calls incident management), while a helpdesk is there to help not only with troubleshooting but also with service requests (requests for new services ) and requests for information (such as "how to do X?"). Although there is no reason why a help desk cannot offer these additional features (aside from IT terminology trends).

  • A help desk was an addition to existing IT operations, while the help desk is part of an ecosystem of IT service delivery and IT support based on something called "the service life cycle". This is probably a great reason why the term helpdesk was used in ITIL helpdesk.

  • Those familiar with ITIL will state that a help desk is tactical, while a help desk is strategic. Of course, this will vary from one organization to another.

  • A help desk may be viewed by some as offering a subset of help desk capabilities, or may be described as limited in scope by statements such as "the evolution of help desk service 'support".


The Importance of Service Desk and Help Desk Tools

 

If your team takes the service desk approach, choosing the right service desk software for your organization is critical, as it is a foundation of ITSM. The service desk serves as the interface between customers and the IT team. Of course, features like knowledge management and reporting are critical in a service desk solution, but you’ll also want a service desk that's easy to use and set up, enables collaboration, and adapts to your needs. That way, your IT team can deliver excellent support - and value to the business - quickly.

And even if your team takes the help desk approach, having a tool that helps you keep track of what issues come up and who is solving them is crucial. With a dedicated help desk tool, your IT team can be more transparent, collaborative, and efficient.

 


Tuesday 27 October 2020

4 Hints to Enhance your Office Range Network Infrastructure

 Albeit numerous business capacities move rapidly to the cloud, it is as yet not a commonsense alternative for some organizations to move totally. As a matter of first importance, the specialized skill required may not be promptly accessible, particularly in independent ventures. Furthermore, it is likewise valuable to keep information and procedures inside. 

In the event that you can enhance your office arrangement, you will find that your staff can store and process information rapidly and productively, which will bring about better generally speaking business effectiveness and higher benefits. Be that as it may, everything relies upon the best possible working of your Network Optimization and here are a few hints for doing it.


Check your system


Prior to undertaking any significant improvement or even update work, it is basic to see precisely where there are issues in the system. Are your PCs the genuine bottleneck or does your staff need preparing to exploit the offices you gave? On the off chance that this is one of these things, you should find a way to determine these issues, paying little heed to any system improvement. 

In the event that you find that your system is the issue, you should distinguish precisely which parts of it should be fixed. To do this, take care of the issues and test all the various parts in confinement.


Retrain workers on best practices


Having top of the line gear is a certain something and another is that your representatives can utilize it at full limit staying away from botches that could mess up them and different laborers. Try not to accept that your representatives are now well informed. Set aside the effort to deliver an agenda and survey it routinely. 

A typical error is a point at which a few workers possess organized assets, making the association unreasonably delayed for other people. Now and then the representatives being referred to can plan something totally irrelevant for your business. While it might appear that a few people who communicate Netflix over lunch ought not to be an issue, each extra individual can expand the weight impressively. Sending enormous records as opposed to utilizing cloud drives is another basic region where a brisk arrangement can be given.





Segment your system utilizing VLANs 


Not all system demands are made equivalent, both as far as direness and need. The most ideal approach to guarantee that higher need demands get more network is to execute VLANs on the system. While this can be an entangled procedure, the idea is basically that it is conceivable to make separate systems inside the system of the individual office. 

These systems can share assets and framework, yet are intended to permit demands from at least one virtual systems to take need in case of a lack. This is critical to permit the C-Suite to effectively make a pivotal video gathering with the main customer, for instance. It is additionally valuable from a security point of view, as infringement in a VLAN would be simpler to contain than those that enter a solitary system.


Screen and keep up


Regardless of how you streamline your system now, it won't remain splendidly upgraded until the end of time. You should watch out for organizing execution and measurements to ensure things are murmuring as they should. To do this, you may need to utilize particular devices or contract a specialist on the off chance that you don't have a huge inside IT office. 

As per Peter Di Stefano, Senior Director of Product Marketing for AppOptics, "It is basic that tests are performed routinely and that any recognized disappointments and bottlenecks are redressed at the earliest opportunity to maintain a strategic distance from decay. Regardless of whether you need to pay cash, the advantages as far as business proficiency would be more than balance. " 

With everything taken into account, the basics of having a well-oiled system for your business can't be exaggerated. At times, this can have the effect of progress and disappointment, however in any event, when it's not lethal, an inadequately enhanced system will affect your organization's proficiency and benefit. Utilize the tips above to change your Network Optimization and ensure your organization is on track.


Monday 26 October 2020

7 Best Practices of Successful managed Service Providers

 The managed service provider (MSP) market is growing. In a MarketsandMarkets study, sales in 2019 were estimated at more than $ 193 billion, a compound annual rate of 12.5%.


The study also indicated that the percentage of companies using MSP increased from around 30% to 50% in the last year alone. However, these are just the macro numbers. The growth of individual MSPs varies considerably. According to the study, a significant proportion of MSP has seen their business grow 20% or more annually. However, about half of them only grow about 10% or less.


We are now four months away in 2018 and I think it is fair to say that none of us really knows what to expect in the coming months, with global changes that will have consequences for all of us. So how can we ensure that as an IT company we do everything we can to remain successful and decisively profitable? Through my conversations and discussions over the past few months with Datto MSP partners in Asia, I have been able to identify some of the important best practices that have been shared by the most successful companies and that I would now like to share with you Some Managed Services Best Practices:


1. Be the person you are going to


For managed service providers, it is important to define exactly what your company is doing, what services it specializes in, and what advantage it has over competitors in your area.


It is important to be able to communicate the value of your business to potential customers. An effective way to stand out from other IT providers is to develop a high level of experience in a specific area or areas. For example, an MSP that focuses on serving SMEs in health and finance, or an MSP that specializes in a particular service or technology (for example, disaster recovery and backup). This decision should depend on your personal preferences and potential clients in your area. By serving clients with similar requirements, you can accumulate experience over time that can be applied to all clients. Suddenly you will be the "go to" person for something.


2. Be picky about customers.


Many new IT service providers take on whatever job they may get. This makes sense when you are just starting out, but as your business grows, it is important to be more selective with your customers. The first step: identify your ideal client. This is determined in part by your specific areas of expertise, but additional factors must be considered. For example, it is important to consider the effort required to support the customer environment. When it comes to current customers, don't be afraid to cut ties. In general, if a client does not fit well, it is best to end your relationship with him.


3. Build customer trust


It is important that IT service providers strengthen customer trust by accessing and protecting their private technologies and data, on which their livelihood depends.


Always be sure to keep your promises, since without them there will be no trust or relationship. Offering unbiased technology advice to your clients will make you a trusted advisor. Of course, you must generate sales and make a profit, but that does not mean that you are selling your customers the most expensive products you can. It is more important to recommend technologies that help them succeed regardless of their costs. Providing customers with the right tools and first-class technical support builds trust and ensures a long-term business relationship.


4. Standardize technology offerings


Standardization enables you to develop expertise in the technologies you use, reducing the time and effort required to implement and manage them. This also makes it easier to manage relationships with a limited number of providers. Be sure to choose technologies that support many different IT environments. Many successful IT service providers publish a catalog of services to ensure that current and potential customers understand the options available to them. It must be so detailed that there is no confusion about what each service offers, but not so technical as to lose it in general.


5. Prize for a victory


Developing a pricing strategy is about achieving the desired and / or required margins for the services you provide. It is important to understand your own costs - look at what you need to make a margin and then make a profit. Many IT providers, especially those who are new to the business, make the mistake of underestimating their services to beat the competition on price. Instead, think about how you can make your services stand out from the competition and tell us why your service is getting a higher price. IT service providers use a variety of pricing models today, and theirs will be determined by your business needs. Many IT providers pay per user or per device, while others choose a fixed-price model or a hybrid of the two.





6. Develop a sales and marketing process.


Many IT service providers have problems with sales and marketing. In some cases, this is because they come for technical rather than commercial reasons. Others, especially small businesses, may not have time to spend on sales and marketing. If you want to grow your business, it is essential to develop a repeatable sales process.


7. go to school


Education is essential in a constantly changing industry. Peer groups are a popular choice for IT service providers who want to continue their education. These groups meet locally or online and allow members to learn from each other in formal and informal settings. Members are encouraged to network and share ideas. Another option is to request certification of certain technologies that you use to provide services. Many technology providers offer specific product training and certification programs, and there are several organizations that offer more general IT training opportunities. Continuing education and certification are essential to remain competitive in an ever-changing industry.


Sunday 25 October 2020

NOC Engineer

 IT organizations are substantially more mindful of the essentials for development and the arrangement of assets that drive integral exercises and should go at the speed of business, not at the speed of outdated IT. The CNO engineer is along these lines no less significant in the IT field. 


NOC Engineer is a specialist who principally chooses huge PC systems and the server to identify issues from an incorporated or satellite area. They break down issues, execute investigating, respond to occurrences on the framework, and speak with an expert in the field for better goals so as to accomplish the organization's objectives or destinations. 


The core of the NOC engineer: their duties are gigantic. The aptitudes required for a NOC or system tasks focus incorporate system organization, arrange help, the board, exchanging and steering. 


Difficulties experienced by the system tasks engineer: 


Due to the troubles experienced with existing systems and framework administrations, especially considering the acknowledgment of cloud arrangement and SaaS arrangements, organized tasks face numerous difficulties. 


The basic difficulties confronting the NOC engineer are as per the following: 


  • Coordination shortfall between divisions 

  • Because of changes in arrange innovation, some industry groups are retaining the idea at a slower pace. In this way, the documentation is for the most part not refreshed to determine issues 

  • Investigating requires some serious energy because of the intricacy of the system 

  • Main driver examination ought to be improved future usage


Job Description


To accomplish his fundamental objective of system observing and investigating of PC and media transmission systems and frameworks, the NOC engineer plays out a few assignments. A NOC engineer guarantees the best possible working of the system for the necessities of the organization and keeps personal time at an insignificant level. The expected set of following responsibilities of the NOC Engineer Job Description.




To guarantee most extreme accessibility and administration execution. 


Screen frameworks: screen the exhibition and capacities of PC frameworks utilizing an assortment of instruments. They find the disappointment of equipment, programming and ecological alerts. At the point when an issue is perceived, NOC engineers perform main driver examination (RCA). 


Tackle issues: they work to sort or take care of issues, in characterized territories. NOCs by and large have standard working methodology (SOPs) which the NOC specialist will intently follow. This may incorporate coordination with outsider merchants, client contacts or other IT groups for a total arrangement. 


Follow-up issues: because of mishaps, the NOC engineer should cautiously screen and record in detail all issues and goals. This enables you to build the master base of the NOC and keep the wellbeing records of the framework. Frequently the NOC has a ticketing framework which the NOC engineer is liable for refreshing. 


Mishap announcing: When specialized issues are intricate and require prompt reaction or investigation, NOC engineers must report the issue to the executives as indicated by their Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). On the off chance that essential, they may incorporate other IT assets, outsiders or sellers for quicker goals in the wake of getting the suitable endorsements. They keep up the suitable correspondence channels inside inward or outer groups so all invested individuals are educated ahead of time inside a restricted time.


Network Engineer Responsibilities


  • Support and organization of PC arranges and related processing situations, including framework programming, application programming, equipment and designs. 

  • Perform debacle recuperation and information reinforcement if essential. 

  • Ensure information, programming and equipment by organizing, arranging and actualizing system safety efforts. 

  • Investigate, analyze and resolve equipment, programming, and other system and framework issues. 

  • Supplanting inadequate system equipment segments, if essential. 

  • Support, setup and observing of antivirus security programming and informing applications. 

  • Screen arrange execution to decide whether changes should be made. 

  • Meeting with arrange clients on taking care of existing framework issues. 

  • Utilization of the primary consoles to screen the presentation of systems and IT frameworks. 

  • Organize access to and utilization of the PC arrange. 

  • Configuration, design and test organize programming, equipment and working framework programming.


Network Engineer Requirements


  • Degree in data innovation contemplates with a specialization in arrange building. 

  • Great information on arrange foundation and system equipment. 

  • Capacity to consider issues and imagine arrangements. 

  • Capacity to actualize, regulate and investigate organize framework gadgets, including remote passageways, firewalls, switches, switches, controllers. 

  • Information on application transport conventions and system framework. 

  • Capacity to make exact system outlines and documentation for the structure and arranging of system correspondence frameworks. 

  • It gives point by point data explicit to the choice of equipment and programming. 

  • Capacity to rapidly adapt new and obscure advancements and items utilizing Internet documentation and assets. 

  • Capacity to work with all staff levels inside and outside IT and outside the association. 

  • A starter who can work freely yet quiet in a group situation. 

  • Great scientific and critical thinking aptitudes. 

  • Dependable and adaptable if fundamental. 

  • System security experience. 

  • LAN and WAN understanding.


Thursday 22 October 2020

Managed Service Provider

 Managed Services The provider (MSP) is a company that generally proactively manages a customer's IT infrastructure and / or systems for end users and remotely as part of a subscription model. Today, the terms "cloud service provider" and "managed IT service provider" are sometimes used interchangeably when the provider's service is supported by a service level agreement (SLA) and is provided over the Internet.


MSP development began in the 1990s with the advent of application service providers (ASPs) that offered remote application hosting services. ASPs paved the way for cloud computing and businesses that remotely support customers' IT infrastructure. Most MSPs initially focused on remote management and monitoring (RMM) of servers and networks. Over time, MSPs have expanded the scope of their services to differentiate themselves from other providers.


While some MSPs may specialize in certain information technology segments, such as data warehousing, others may focus on certain vertical markets such as law, finance, healthcare, and manufacturing. Managed security service providers (MSSPs) offer, for example, specialized services, such as remote firewall administration and other security solutions, such as service delivery. Managed Print Service Providers (MPS) are responsible for printer maintenance and supplies.


Pricing model for managed service providers


At the price per device, MSP charges the customer's fixed costs for each device managed. As part of the user price, MSP charges a flat fee for each user, which is tailored to users who use multiple devices. As part of an all-inclusive price, also known as an unlimited model, MSP charges fixed fees for all support and management of the IT infrastructure you want to offer.


With each of these pricing approaches, the customer pays the flat rate regularly, often monthly. These pricing methods allow MSPs to sell services as part of a subscription model. This approach provides MSP with a recurring revenue stream (MRR), unlike IT projects, which are generally one-time transactions.


MRR is an aspect of Managed IT Services that differs from other business models for space IT solution providers and channel partners. For example, solution providers using the break / fix model typically rate their services based on time and material (T&M) by charging an hourly fee to repair a customer's IT equipment and for replacement parts or equipment. .


Companies that implement IT projects such as the installation and integration of IT systems can charge a fixed price for products and services. In both cases, these solution providers generate unique income with each project. Large projects with multiple phases and associated payments would be an exception. In general, however, the business of a traditional solution provider is primarily transactions. In contrast, an MSP's recurring sources of income may offer a more stable and predictable business base.


Service Level Agreements


An MSP often offers its service offering as part of a service level agreement, a contractual agreement between MSP and its client that sets the performance and quality standards that govern the relationship.


An SLA can be linked to the price formula of an MSP. For example, an MSP customer may offer a variety of SLAs, with the customer paying higher fees for higher levels of service in a multi-tier pricing structure.


Challenges for managed service providers


Regardless of the pricing model, one of the biggest challenges for MSP management is setting prices low enough to entice clients to buy its services, but high enough to maintain a reasonable profit margin.


In addition to prices, the MSP pays special attention to specialists' operation and maintenance costs. The job is usually the largest edition of an MSP. To control labor costs and improve efficiency, most MSPs use Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) software to track customers' IT capabilities. With RMM software, MSPs can remotely troubleshoot problems with servers and terminals. With RMM, MSPs can simultaneously manage the IT systems of many clients. MSPs can also use automated scripts to manage normal system administration functions, such as hard drive troubleshooting without human intervention.


Another challenge for MSPs is the widespread adoption of cloud computing. As more and more components of their customers' IT infrastructure migrate to the cloud, MSPs had to find ways to manage hybrid cloud environments. MSPs also want to provide their own cloud services or resell the capabilities of other cloud providers, with Backup and Disaster Recovery (DR) being a common access point.


It can also be difficult to become an MSP. The MRR perspective has taken many companies from traditional solution providers like VAR to the MSP business model. However, potential MSPs struggled to establish themselves in the market. The MSP division invites companies to adopt several key performance indicators, technology infrastructure components, and sales compensation programs, to name just a few challenges. As a result, many MSPs earn in sectors other than Managed IT Services, p. B. when working on IT projects, during business interruptions / repairs, and during onsite support. Pure gaming MSPs are relatively rare in the IT services industry.


What are MSPs for?


Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are typical customers of the PSM. Many small businesses have limited internal IT capabilities, so they may want to consider implementing MSP services to gain IT skills. However, large companies can also sign contracts with MSP. For example, government agencies facing budget pressures and recruitment constraints can hire an MSP to integrate internal IT staff.


Wednesday 21 October 2020

Discover The Many Benefits Of partnering Up With an IT Managed Service Provider

 Today, many companies work with IT-managed service providers. 60 percent of companies use IT-managed services, and this number is expected to continue to grow. And that is due to the many Managed Service advantages offered by these professionals. Here is a list of the benefits you should consider.


Control IT costs

Paying internal IT staff is an expensive task. With managed IT service providers, you get fixed IT costs at variable costs, allowing you to budget efficiently. Companies only pay for what they use and can use it when they need it. Outsourcing IT tasks only saves companies money.


Reduces labor costs

Not only does it cost money to have internal IT staff, it also costs money to hire and train them. And temporary workers don't always meet expectations. Outsourcing enables companies to focus on the human resources that are most needed in other areas.


Certified, trained, qualified and experienced

How can you be sure that the IT employee is truly qualified for the position? With an IT managed service provider, you get a certified, trained, qualified and experienced specialist. If you want to train an IT employee, keep in mind that certifications like Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) are very expensive.


Qualified does not mean experience

Regardless of how much you train an IT professional, this training is isolated and the employee may not have the proper experience. A managed IT service provider sends an experienced IT expert. When you see a doctor, you want an experienced one, right? The same applies to IT.


Increase efficiency and competitiveness.

When companies try to do all of the IT themselves, it is inefficient and costly in the long run. Much more time was spent on implementation, research and development. And all these costs are only transferred to the clients. Save operating costs and keep your service and product costs more accessible to customers and more competitive to your competition.


Deploy the latest technology quickly

Technology is changing as fast as lightning today. Few companies have the resources and the ability to use the latest technology and implement it quickly. Working on a project internally with the latest technology can take months to train IT staff. IT professionals at a managed provider have the skills and knowledge to quickly implement the latest technology. That saves time and money.


Focus on business

It is important for companies to take care of business every day and not be distracted by complex IT decisions or problems. Trying to fix a security breach or a hardware crash means that managers no longer have to focus on their core business. Valuable time and money are also lost here.


Lower business risk

Regardless of what business it is, there is always some risk. State regulations, technologies, market conditions, and competition are changing rapidly. IT vendor outsourcing reduces and controls risk through industry-specific insight, including compliance and security issues. Correcting these kinds of problems can cost a lot of money, not only for fines but also for downtime. IT-managed vendors can use their expertise to help avoid risk.


The same competitive conditions

Many small businesses simply do not have the funds that fit the internal IT services of large companies. IT outsourcing helps smaller companies improve the competitive environment with Mr. Big. The economies of scale and affordable cost structure of IT-managed service providers offer small businesses in need of competitive advantage.


Security and compliance

Businesses can get the security they need with bank transfers, electronic checks, credit cards, and gift certificates. Fraud is common today, and companies can lose a lot of money and reputation through fraud. IT-managed service providers are very familiar with PCI compliance standards. Organizations can minimize risk by managing confidential information along with credit card and customer information. They also make sure that your firewall is up to date and that a DMZ has been installed. "The Health Insurance Liability and Portability Act, the Family Education Protection and Rights Act, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act they have strict regulations on retail health and the financial industry. "


24/7/365 support

Today many companies work 24 hours. And their networks too. Help is always available from managed service providers, regardless of whether it is day, weekend, or holiday. Companies can always provide support. Overall, there are simply too many benefits of partnering with an IT-managed service provider for companies to ignore today. New technologies offer companies great opportunities, but they also pose daily challenges. Professional IT service companies can help your company overcome these challenges.


Tuesday 20 October 2020

Skills to Run a Network Operations Center

 A NOC is designed to help monitor a company's network and to make sure everything is stored, backed up, and working properly. The only way for a NOC to be effective is to have a team of engineers, technicians and supervisors on duty responsible for ensuring that it works and works in optimal conditions. Different positions have different roles and responsibilities to ensure that a NOC operates efficiently and that the company using the NOC is properly notified and supported.


For example, ExterNetworks is successful because its engineers, technicians, and supervisors on duty know what they are doing and what they are responsible for. They work together to ensure that the NOC works correctly for their clients. A NOC network operations center needs qualified engineers and conscientious shift managers to function properly.


How does communication flow through a NOC?


Two central employees make up the staff of a NOC: the supervisors on duty and the engineers. There are three important parts to this flow, each of which is specifically managed to ensure proper operation of the NOC.


Network Operation Center Job Description


1. Incident management

NOC engineers and technicians manage this part of the communication flow. They take care of all the company's complaints about your network to see what happens. They also process requests for updates, new orders, reports, and other NOC-managed company information.


2. climbing

A NOC engineer or technician generally handles the escalation, but a shift supervisor can handle the escalation at the request of the company that owns the network. An escalation generally occurs when standard troubleshooting does not help, but must be corrected in a timely manner.


3. Prioritization

Prioritization is managed by shift supervisors. They monitor all tickets and incidents entering the NOC and assign them according to importance and priority to ensure the most critical tasks are completed as soon as possible. This ensures that there are no minor problems on a company's network.




Skills required to run a corporate network operations center.


As with any job, there are specific skills that NOC employees must have to make sure it works properly at all times:


Incident management: mastery of the management of any incident that occurs in the NOC or in the company network

Documentation: must be competent in documenting problems, reports, etc. to make sure things work out quickly.

Monitoring infrastructure: You must know the internal workings and functionality of the NOC infrastructure to be able to accurately monitor problems.

Use experience: must be competent in NOC experiences

Understand routing / change very well - you must know how to route information and be able to change the route if necessary

Monitor Systems: Must be proficient in how to monitor systems and what to look for

Reports: you must be able to correctly report the different aspects of a network

Understand SAN Basics - Competent to understand SAN basics

Follow-up problems: competent to follow / follow up on the problems that appear in the NOC

Troubleshooting: Competent and knowledgeable about networks and how to properly solve various problems

In general, a NOC must function properly to be effective. Shift supervisors, technicians, and NOC engineers must have a thorough understanding of technical issues and procedures to perform their work effectively for the companies that use them. They must be available to monitor networks 24 hours a day, to ensure they continue to function optimally for their customers.