4 Basic Elements of Todays IT For Business

Labyrinth Technology has been working with businesses of all shapes and sizes for nearly 20 years. Our only aim is to provide an honest, efficient and proactive service so that we can help our clients get the most from their IT. So in that spirit here is a quick guide to 4 basic elements of IT and IT support in today’s business world, as explained by our Business Support Director, Matt Dunn.

OUTSOURCED IT SUPPORT is when an IT company provides IT services as opposed to you having to employ your own team to do this. Why? As our name suggests, IT is a Labyrinth of complexity, with a multitude of products, services, platforms, hardware and so on. Outsourcing your IT needs should be a cost-effective way for you to have the latest information, advice and support at your fingertips. And being fully scalable, IT outsourcing is suitable for businesses of any size and can adapt as your business grows. Advantages are;
– Usually a remote service, meaning no need for you to invest in expensive office space.
– Fully governed by contractual SLA’s, meaning no more waiting for your IT department “to get around to it”
– Scalable, meaning the outsourced IT support can grow with your business in an agile fashion.
– Cost effective; competitive pricing designed to suit your requirements and budget.

CLOUD SERVICES is a subject that can be mystifying for many. You may have heard of the terms “the cloud”, “cloud computing” or “cloud storage”, but what does they mean? Are they different services? What exactly is “the cloud”? Well, put simply, it’s the internet. Or rather the ability to connect to products, services, data and storage via the internet. For years we have all looked to a local, physical and limited space server system for the storage of our sensitive and important data. But now, businesses are taking advantage of potentially limitless cloud storage space for data, services, backup and disaster recovery. Advantages are;
– Enables users to access their data and applications from anywhere in the world where there’s an internet connection! Particularly useful if you have more than one office.
– Eliminates the significant costs involved in the set-up and maintenance of on-site servers.
– You can easily scale your service up and down at any time to meet your needs.
– If disaster strikes, you can quickly and easily restore access to your Cloud services. Usually, your data is mirrored in multiple data centres.

CYBER SECURITY is a term that is regularly in the news, but what is it? In a nutshell it is about protecting your SYSTEMS and DEVICES (laptops, tablets, phones etc) from theft, damage or attack. Enhancing your cyber security is a cornerstone of your defence against cybercrime, cyberterrorism and cyberattacks, as well as your data protection policies, and your disaster recovery capability. It encompasses such things as network, application, operational and information security, and increasingly endpoint security (or “end user” security). Advantages are;
– Reduced financial losses. The average loss per breach for a small UK business is £3,770.
– Reduced reputational loss. Do you want YOUR customers to know that your data (and possibly THEIR data has been compromised?
– Avoidance of legal action, because you may find yourself facing this if you’re the victim of a data breach and didn’t have adequate policies in place to help prevent it
– Reduced chance of missed business opportunities, not only because your reputation remains impeccable, but also because if your systems and/or website go down, in todays world that means lost leads and sales.

UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS (UC). We no longer live in a world bound by the constraints of the office desk. As devastating as Coronavirus has been, it has liberated the thinking behind how we communicate. And the technology behind UC has moved at an overwhelming pace for most owners, managers and employees to understand. The UC world can be divided into voice calling, video calling, messaging, video conferencing, file sharing, team collaboration and much more! Ultimately EVERY business needs to communicate. But whilst video conferencing may be essential, you may NOT need team collaboration. So, understanding both your INTERNAL and EXTERNAL communications strategies will form the basis of your UC requirement. Advantages can be;
– Reduced costs, because as opposed to traditional communications UC systems operate in the cloud (that place again!).
– Better productivity, because employees will have a range of communications tools that they feel comfortable with.
– You can easily scale your service up and down at any time to meet your needs.
– Higher customer service, as now all communications (as the name suggests) can be unified, and you can always be in control of your communications, wherever you are.

IN SUMMARY, modern technology is a daunting thing for firms that simply want to focus on their day to day business. You need the best, clearest and most honest advice, and we make it clear on our website that “our approachable staff will use plain English and not confuse you with technical jargon”. So, let us guide you through the maze of modern technology.