Running an IT department probably wasn’t your top reason you started your business. But the more you try new digital tools to connect with customers, keep your financial records, planning, marketing and process sales or a hundred other opportunities, the more you realize managing technology is like a full-time job.

And with the news filled with cyber hacks and ransomware reports, you are probably more aware and more worried about security threats than you ever thought possible. A recent survey found that 62% of small and medium-sized businesses lack the skills necessary to protect themselves, or recover from, security issues — 52% felt “helpless” to defend against new cyber attacks.

Managed IT service providers can relieve the burden and the stress. It is our responsibility to secure, monitor and maintain your technology, allowing you to focus on your business.

We’re giving you five MORE reasons companies like yours are choosing managed IT services.

1. Can we say IT Rock Walls?

Businesses face more cybersecurity threats than any time in history. It’s hard to keep up as threats evolve — or be confident you’re protected. With an IT services arrangement, an IT services company like Metis can implement security processes that are proven and always up-to-date solutions keeping your business safe and compliant with data protection laws and regulations.

The approach makes us a top managed service provider. We can cover everything from endpoint protection for your devices to patch management for your applications, password management processes for your team, firewalls, external vulnerability audits and more.

BUT WITHOUT MANAGED SERVICES, IT’S LIKE ROCK CLIMBING WITH NO ROPE
If you neglect a managed service arrangement, you can be at risk of a data breach, ransomware attack, or loss of data, resulting in damage to your reputation, lost time and revenue, regulatory fines, and legal action. We’re not trying to scare you, but we’re a little scared.

1 Accessed Oct 2020: VansonBourne, 2019. Underserved and Unprepared: The State of SMB Cyber Security in 2019.

2. Predictable costs, Predictable results

An IT managed services provider can result in more control over your IT expenses. A cost structure tailored to your business billing means you can budget with confidence instead of incurring unexpected costs when something breaks down. Scheduled maintenance helps prevent breakdowns in the first place.

A trusted IT partner managing your IT environment creates more time to focus on your business and less dealing with IT issues. We are experts in all things IT, so that gives us the opportunity to advise you on technologies that will best meet your business goals. You can plan for those expenditures in advance.

3. Efficiency Creates Business Growth – the Experts Say it, so it Must Be So.

Metis is considered one of the top IT companies in the area, and we help ensure you get full value from the technologies you’ve invested in. This means we help you maintain your hardware’s peak performance, enhance software ecosystems you already own, reduce or eliminate downtime, and strategize on the tools and systems that will best serve long-term needs. This 360-degree approach helps improve productivity and efficiency so you can foster and experience business growth however you choose.

4. Protect Your Data as If Your Life Depends on It…. Your Business Life Does

There are many threats to your data, from nefarious IT hackers to natural events like power outages, floods, fires – and let’s not forget about pandemics! Any unexpected event can disrupt your business in the blink of an eye.

You have to get back up and running as quickly as possible. You need a well-designed data backup and protection plan designed by a respected and knowledgeable managed IT services provider. They don’t even have to be near you! We can craft business recovery measures to protect your company against all types of data loss.

5. Getting Ahead is Always Better Than Being Behind – Get Proactive

Managed IT services are all about being proactive – anticipate problems, don’t react and keep your technology working at its best instead of waiting for it to break down. This results in greater security, productivity and return on your technology investments — let’s not forget peace of mind.

Without Managed IT Services, well, It Can Be Fixed, I Guess If something breaks, we can fix it. But we can’t get you back the time lost while your IT system is “in the shop”. We call this “break/fix”, and it’s not a good way to run your business.

Call Metis to get ahead of your managed IT needs today.

Over the past year and a half, businesses and employees across the globe have grown accustomed to remote work. And even now, with loosened health restrictions, it seems that, for many, this new (remote) normal is here to stay.

So, what does that mean for your technology environment? And how can you feel confident that your employees have access to the right tools and support to be productive no matter where they’re located?

As an IT managed service provider, we’re here to help answer any questions you may have about remote work, including the following:
● What to do when multiple employees at different locations have technical issues
● How to secure employees who are handling financial data from home
● How to avoid risks to your business overall

Multiple Technology Environments

When your team works in different locations, you can have as many sites to manage as you have people — rather than a single office to connect and support.

Without professional assistance, managing support across multiple locations can be a difficult and daunting task. However, with a managed IT service provider, you’ll be on track to operating smoothly and successfully, no matter your employees’ physical locations.

A managed IT service provider will offer continuous equipment monitoring backed with expert support to help keep your team connected and productive.

Different Devices and Connections

With employees working from different locations, you’ll end up with a team with a wide range of devices, internet services and speeds, and many more.

Acting as your technical liaison, a top service provider will ensure that your employees have access to continuous connectivity and dependable support. IT support companies also keep your team ready and able to pivot fast if challenges should arise.

Online Collaboration

Although your team may be spread out across multiple locations, it’s still crucial to the success of your business that they’re fully capable of interacting and working alongside each other.

To encourage cross-location collaboration, distributed teams will require devices and software that make it easy to share and collaborate — and fit the needs of your business.

Different Kinds of Risks a Managed Service Provider Can Mitigate

Protecting and securing remote workers’ devices and data often requires different technologies than your traditional office setup.

IT support companies will offer enhanced protection so you can feel confident that internal information is secure. From security solutions that defend against attacks at each location to backups that guard against data loss, there are several ways to protect the information your remote employees are working with.

Contact Metis Technology to learn more about what we do as a managed service provider, and how we can help keep your network secure.

2020 was a year of massive change. Companies across the globe took a new approach, including a big move to the cloud and using virtual workflows for the first time.

However, this work-from-anywhere trend came with a price: Additional cybersecurity risk.

Cybercriminals raked in more than one trillion dollars globally in 2020, targeting businesses big and small.

Of those cybersecurity hacks, 28% of businesses successfully targeted in 2020 were in the “small business” category.

The bottom line is, no matter the size of your business, your company is at risk of a cyber attack.

The problem: Where will the next attack strike?

Your business process is made up of many layers that are supported by your IT environment. And with advanced cybercriminal tactics, each layer can be targeted individually. This includes everything from your internet use, network, employees, applications, and devices.

Simply deploying antivirus software, using a firewall, and regularly updating your operating system is no longer enough when it comes to successfully protecting your business.

Layered security

Layered security is the next step in securing your mission-critical data and workflow. As an IT services company, we provide cost-effective IT security management, monitoring and maintenance that are proactive and comprehensive.

As Metis Technology deploys protective protocols across each layer of your IT environment, we ensure that every individual aspect of your IT use is considered, including the following categories:
● Internet layer: Securing your data traffic
● Network layer: Protecting against lateral attack
● People layer: Protecting identities and accounts plus employee training
● Application layer: Employing proper software management
● Device layer: Keeping individual machines from becoming a target

Why layered security?

With layered security, you can rest assured that your systems will receive regulatory compliance checks. You’ll also avoid risks posed by new technologies.

With the work landscape shifting and many companies moving to remote or hybrid environments, a layered security approach will enable teams to work safely, no matter their location.

Layered security also ensures that unplanned downtime is limited and that proprietary information and confidential client data are totally protected.

The business benefits of layered security

Using a layered security approach, you’ll be able to confidently and securely pursue organizational objectives. Additionally, zero-to-limited downtown will increase productivity.

Layered security will also ensure that your business is compliant with cybersecurity insurance mandates. You’ll receive faster responses to and resolutions of IT security incidents and granular IT security posture reporting to demonstrate compliance.

Keep your business running at full speed — let us handle the cybersecurity

Working with a managed IT service provider gives you peace of mind when tackling the next phase of your organizational development, landing new deals, and expanding into new markets.

Our team helps you move forward by taking on the time-consuming tasks of cybersecurity management.

Each of our cybersecurity management agreements is cost-effective and tailored to the level of protection you need today and to grow tomorrow.