In thinking about technology and security there are a few perspectives and paradigms we see repeated over and over that are faulty and dangerous. A business might think that they are too small to be a target of a breach or compromise. They might think that the way they have done IT for the last 10 years will be the same way they do IT in the next 10 years because “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” They might even think they cannot afford to invest in their IT or security.
What we have seen working with businesses of all sizes and in various industries is that the size of your business has no bearing on your cybersecurity threat surface, that IT in the next 10 years will look nothing like IT that we have seen previously, and a business cannot afford to “not” invest in their IT infrastructure and security.
The main benefit of working with an external IT solutions company can be summed up in one word, “perspective”. There is an adage that says, “You don’t know what you don’t know” and in working with an outside IT solutions company you reap the benefits of a team of experts in the IT industry who can look at your company and provide insights and recommendations to help you align with the current cybersecurity threat landscape and position your business for growth into the next generation.
Another often overlooked benefit of working with an external IT solutions company is increased employee efficiency and satisfaction. We often see the role of IT internally outsourced to someone who has other core responsibilities. They are mainly responsible for bookkeeping or office management or maintenance but also IT. In bringing in someone to handle the IT strain we are freeing up employees to be fully engaged in their gifting and skillset. We count it a blessing when we can allow someone to work in their calling by taking the IT responsibility off their shoulders. Allowing a company that specializes in IT to take ownership of your IT environment will free up your staff to be more effective and engaged.
In the same way, we can help unburden a non-IT trained employee from the IT responsibility we also work hand in hand with existing IT staff to unburden aspects of their work roles. The sheer amount of work required to keep an organization working effectively often necessitates some aspects of the IT role being sent to the back burner. We often see items such as backups, patching, and security awareness training not receiving the attention they deserve. We can help overburdened and overwhelmed IT staff reclaim their time and energy. Once freed up of some of the monotonous IT tasks your IT staff is free to focus on directing IT to areas that will grow the business. We love seeing the light come on for an overwhelmed IT Manager when he realizes that we are not here to take his job but rather he will finally have time to complete that project he has been putting off.
In looking ahead to the future of IT I see many new areas of growth such as generative AI, cloud computing, and 3-D printing that will become ubiquitous and used by a majority of businesses. What will this mean for your business or industry? I have no way of answering right now but I would love the opportunity to partner with you and answer those questions together.
Article written by Nick Penhale, Director of Managed Services.