I’ve spent some time lately looking at our company with an objective eye. That’s not always easy to do. Most of the time, you’re just busy getting through your task list, brainstorming new ideas, or putting out fires. But, after I spent some time recently getting out to our clients to see how they do things, it has forced me to come back an observe how we do things. You know what. We do things pretty darn well! Read more
We are focused on our mission of helping our clients gain a competitive edge from their technology. This year we are looking closely at 3 key areas that are critical to supporting your success. Take a look at this quick video:
We just celebrated IT Direct’s 17th year in business…it’s an amazing achievement and we’ve learned a lot along the way. One of the keys to our success is our ability to continuously improve by thoroughly reviewing both our achievements and our mistakes. This is why the ‘retrospective’ meeting has become a mainstay of our processes. Read more
Recently, we had a really clogged up office kitchen sink. We’ve got some handy folks on our team who could have looked at it, but instead we remembered two important things…1) we are not experts at fixing clogged sinks and 2) we have much better things to do with our time. The solution here: OUTSOURCE! Read more
Our manufacturing clients and prospects often have similar questions about outsourcing as they consider their technology needs. Let us answer some of these concerns:
Your facilities are unique. We have the best tools available that allow us to quickly map and document your system, so we can be up to speed on your environment in the blink of an eye. This is part of our discovery process, which happens before we even start discussing any needs or ways to improve your system.
Your needs are unique. A virtual Chief Information Officer works directly with your team to get to know your company, your needs, and your business strategy. It is this person’s role to fully understand your needs as an organization and to devise an IT strategy that not only works for today but prepares you for tomorrow. Read more
IT downtime in your business can be caused by so many things – hardware failure, power surges, security breaches, storms, coffee spills, just to name a few. But no one cares WHY they’re down when they count on being up and running!
So, what’s the quickest way to get your business running again? At IT Direct, we use the axiom “proper preparation prevents poor performance,” in other words, plan ahead!
Yup, not the answer you were hoping for, I’m sure, but it’s the best way to ensure that downtime doesn’t ruin your day, your week, or even, possibly, your business. Read more
When does adding two things together equal more than the sum of their parts? When you can take a few pieces of information, put it together, and come to a conclusion that saves you tons of time or resources! This is one of our very favorite things to do for our clients!
How do we do it?
Sometimes multiple helpdesk calls come in and they seem unrelated and may even be assigned to different techs to solve. They may even be quick issues, like difficulty updating a password, or a pop-up that keeps occurring from time to time for low disk space on a user’s computer. To an outside eye, these issues may seem coincidental or completely unrelated. But, our POD teams get to know our clients so well that they pick up on these seemingly unrelated events and can make changes that save everyone time and energy.
Putting it together
One client’s Read more
Life Lessons
Yesterday I went to a conference that was designed for women entrepreneurs to learn from other women entrepreneurs. It was a terrific event, put on by the Greater Hartford SCORE organization, a volunteer-based national group in which retired executives use the knowledge and skills they gained throughout their careers to mentor small business owners on starting and developing their business.
The panel was filled with five incredible, successful women who enjoyed telling the stories of their businesses, their lives, and all the things they learned along the way. The themes that stood out are important, not only for entrepreneurs, but for all business leaders: Read more
A state of (IT) confusion
The CEO has a Dell laptop with Windows 10, the finance guy has a Lenovo desktop with Windows 8, and your office co-worker has a Macbook. Some folks use Dropbox, others use Sharepoint, and still others use Google Drive. Linda has McAfee, Jane has Norton, and Bob has ESET. Alex VPNs into the network, while Sue uses remote desktop.
Does it matter?
These scenarios are all too familiar and you may think, ‘does it matter? All those folks can work, they can all share files, have access to the network, and they all have antivirus protection’. That may be true…but what happens when you need to update, replace, find, learn how to use, or support something. That’s when you’ll be pulling out your hair!
Higher level thinking
Handling your business IT with inconsistent standards is not only costly in terms of time and money but could be potentially damaging to your data and intellectual property in the case of lax cybersecurity standards. Read more
Remember the first time you used Microsoft Word to create a document? How about your first PowerPoint with a ton of clip art? Microsoft Office isn’t that simple anymore, but it also makes your life easier if you know how to use it. If you’re struggling your way through the powerful software, let a managed service provider (MSP) help. Here are three benefits of having Office 365 support:
How many times have you intended to complete your work during regular hours but time got away from you? When you start to crank the midnight oil, but something goes wrong, a quick call to a customer service line will end with you learning about their hours of operation.
You might have installed the latest version of PowerPoint before leaving work, but if it crashes every time you open it, you might not be prepared for your presentation the next day. Without the help of a professional, you could spend hours searching for solutions that don’t even work. With an MSP, hours can turn into minutes.
An MSP knows how valuable the Office Suite is to your success, and 24/7 software support is one of the many services they include.
The alternative to having an MSP available to provide Office 365 support include you or Microsoft’s help line. As mentioned above, if it’s after hours, then you’re all on your own. But even if something goes wrong during your working hours, it’s still cutting into your productivity.
A quick call to your MSP will get you in touch with a real person who can provide the fastest solutions possible.
If you’re still using Office applications like you did in the ‘90s, you might not know any better. But if an MSP sells you an Office 365 subscription, it’s their job to inform you of all the software’s benefits. Office 365 is no longer a couple of applications. It’s a powerhouse suite of tools to streamline your company’s workflow. From serving as your business’ inbox and calendar to cloud-based storage, Office 365 is a world of possibilities to explore. Let your MSP be your guide.
At IT Direct, we’ve studied every inch of Office 365 and can help you leverage the software to increase your business’ productivity.
IT Direct: A CompassMSP Company
