Managed services make a real difference

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File this under “not a chance.”

A dentistry student in Denmark was having a slow day at the office. He was there. All the dental equipment was there. But patients were not there.

So he thought to himself, “You know, I really ought to take care of that wisdom tooth. I know it needs to come out. Oh, hey. Look. I have everything right here, and pulling it myself sounds like fun. Let’s do this!”

And do it he did. He pulled his own wisdom tooth using a mirror, and he even filmed the whole thing. Remarkably, he’s on record having said he did it “for fun.”

That’s one dentist whose idea of “fun” is very different from ours.

A bad time to outsource.

There are a lot of reasons why the average (sane) person wouldn’t follow the Denmark dentist’s lead. After all, dentists go to school for years to learn how to perform extractions.

In fact, that’s not the only thing you outsource in your personal life. You probably don’t do your own dry cleaning. Or grow all of your own food. Or fly the plane yourself when you go on vacation.

In each case, you turn to a professional to handle the highly technical stuff you don’t know how to do. Really, that’s what managed services are in the IT world. “Outsourcing” may not sound appealing, but relying on an expert for something that requires special skill just makes sense. Especially in business.

If you don’t, things can get messy, the process can be painful, and the outcome may not be what you want it to be. That’s true whether we’re talking about pulling teeth or managed services.

Messy.

Technology is anything but simple. Dealing with your smartphone or your home computer is one thing. Setting up and maintaining your business network is something else.

Managed services providers have years of experience helping clients find the right hardware, software and cloud solutions. They have the insight to know the best questions to ask to make sure your needs are fully covered.

While you clearly know how to run your business (that’s how you got where you are), knowing which blend of IT solutions will work best for your staff is a more nuanced thing. A professional opinion can save you quite a few technical messes. (Because who has time to clean up messes?)

Painful.

We’ve seen it plenty of times. When small business leaders tackle IT solutions on their own, sometimes the results aren’t just messy. They’re painful.

Trying to work with IT solutions that don’t really fit is crippling. It slows you down, interferes with customer services, inhibits productivity for your entire staff, and ultimately eats into your bottom line.

THAT’S painful. Managed services can help you avoid that.

Disappointing.

When things don’t work as smoothly as they could, there’s an undeniable effect on employee satisfaction. (And on YOUR satisfaction.)

According to Fast Company, happy employees are typically 12% more productive than their less satisfied peers. That’s a wide enough margin to give you a significant edge over the competition.

And, of course, happy employees tend to have better interactions with customers, too. In that sense, managed services have a trickle-down effect. Even your customers will benefit.

CCS Technology knows managed services.

Is it possible to handle all of your own IT support? Sure. Just like it’s possible to pull your own tooth. But is it ideal? Hardly.

Working with a managed services provider like CCS Technology can make a powerful difference in your productivity, profitability and overall satisfaction. It’s an investment, but one that most certainly pays off in the long run.

If you’d like to learn more about our managed services solutions, we invite you to get in touch with us. We’ll be happy to go into greater detail with you, and we’ll put together a plan that’s custom-tailored just for you.

Give us a call today.

Why you need help with your IT project (even if you think you don’t)

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There’s one nutrient that’s responsible for more than 300 of your body’s enzyme reactions. It lowers calcification in the arteries, reduces muscle cramps, lowers the risk of high blood pressure, boosts energy, acts a natural antidepressant, and even helps you get better sleep.

Do you know what it is?

Probably not. Most people don’t. Or at least, it seems most people don’t.

It’s magnesium. As many as 80% of Americans don’t get enough of it, despite the overwhelming benefits.

What you don’t know can hold you back.

Okay, so you’re ready to Google magnesium right about now to find out if you should be taking supplements. Given that we don’t hand out medical advice (and those stats are NOT medical advice!), that’s probably not a bad idea.

But not yet. There are other areas where a lack of knowledge can come back to bite you, including one area we know well.

Regardless of the size of your business, you have to tackle the occasional IT project. Whether it’s something (seemingly) simple, like purchasing new software, or something huge, like restructuring your whole network, IT projects are bigger beasts than they appear.

What you don’t know can make projects tough to pull off.

The Most Common Mistakes

Granted, you know how to get things done. You can’t run a business if you can’t be productive. But IT projects come with some unique challenges. Here are some of the most common mistakes business leaders make when undertaking IT projects on their own.

No clear goals.

Knowing that you want to solve a problem isn’t the same as knowing the desired outcome. Without a well-defined goal, there’s no way to manage the project efficiently. You might find a good solution, and you might not.

Either way, staying on schedule and under budget isn’t likely.

Attempting too much.

Most projects aren’t really single projects. They’re several individual, smaller projects with their own end points that culminate into a larger objective. But inexperienced project managers often make the mistake of trying to do it all at once.

Poor communication.

Projects are rarely completed by individuals. Far more often, they’re a team effort. When you have several people pulling together to achieve a common goal, a lack of communication can absolutely kill your chances of success.

From the beginning stages of the project all the way through implementation, clear, open communication is essential.

No flexibility.

There are times when a project appears to have one solution before you dive in . . . but once you’re actually working toward that goal, you discover there’s a better solution.

The idea of changing course once you’ve already started is jarring and upsetting. But sometimes it’s necessary. It’s important to be open to minor tweaks and, at times, total redirection.

Going too far too fast.

The temptation to take on too much can be strong. Once you start talking about how things could be, it’s easy to dream big. And dreaming big is good, but your project needs to be achievable, too. Overly aggressive goals and timelines will undo a project before it even starts.

Murphy’s Law.

If something can go wrong, it will. Even if you plan out everything.

Good project managers expect the unexpected. Something will cost too much. Some part of the solution won’t work as well as you hoped. Something you thought would finish on time will come in late. Keeping the overall project on track means adjusting to those hiccups and having the agility to correct quickly.

IT Projects with CCS Technology

Making your IT project a success is important. You rely on technology every day. It’s critical that upgrades, updates and new installs go smoothly. That’s why doing them on your own is a considerable gamble.

If you’d like some help, we have good news. CCS Technology knows how to navigate IT projects.

We can guide you from the beginning. Or, if your project is already underway but not going as planned, we can help get it back on schedule and maybe even under budget. We’ve got the know-how to make your IT project a success.

Give us a call today to let us know how we can help.

Lock onto your targets with the right IT support

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It sounds like science fiction, but it’s not. Rather, it’s one of the latest developments in modern weaponry. It could have dramatic effect on how we use guns.

It’s called the AimLock Stabilized Weapon Platform, and the US military is currently testing it. The new technology marries a traditional rifle with some impressive, real-time computing power. The shooter aims, but the gun’s casing assists by compensating for movement and wobble. This should make it far easier for soldiers to hit the intended target, even from a moving vehicle.

The system is still in early development, but tests are promising. Eventually, a shooter will be able to “lock onto” a target by aiming near it. The advantage for the battlefield would be considerable.

Talk about a game-changer.

How’s your IT support aim?

IT support has more in common with aimlock than you might think. Hang with us. The similarities are compelling.

1. IT support helps you establish targets.

What does IT support have to do with your business goals? A lot.

It’s tempting to think of IT support as nothing but, well, support. It’s right there in the name. And it’s true – good IT support does play a support role. But it has the potential to play a significant strategic role, too.

When your IT support is top-tier, you’ll have some useful data at your fingertips. You’ll know what processes currently work and where your bottlenecks are. You can use that information to plot a course for growth, working to eliminate hiccups. The more efficient you are, the lower your costs and the higher your customer satisfaction.

Solid IT support can be a tool for streamlining your organization.

2. If IT support isn’t lined up, it’s really hard to hit your targets.

Of course, efficiency isn’t your primary target. Profitability is. And sub par IT support makes that more difficult than it should be.

Ineffective IT support is like the end-all-be-all of shooter wobble. It’s like trying to sharpshoot from the bed of a pickup truck that’s doing 65 on a street full of speedbumps. Could you still hit your target? Sure, but it’s not likely.

Practically every area of your company relies on technology. It’s woven into everything from your phone system to your calendar. It’s easy to forget how prominent it is . . . until you don’t have it.

Effective IT support minimizes those painful moments. Proactive maintenance keeps you running at full capacity as much as possible, and responsive helpdesk support gets you back online when there’s a misfire.

3. The right kind of IT support can help you lock onto your targets.

When your technology works the way it’s supposed to, you can focus on what really matters to you. You have the freedom to engage with your staff, drive organizational growth, tackle aggressive projects, and ensure work/life balance. Those are the things that improve ROI and quality of life.

That’s so much better than spending hours trying to figure out why the printer isn’t working.

Your IT support partner.

IT support is only as good as the provider. With the right IT support partner, your aim gets considerably sharper. That’s how you connect with bullseyes.

Here at CCS Technology, we have a passion for providing that kind of IT support. We don’t see ourselves as a vendor, but as an extension of our client’s organization. We take sincere pride in delivering the best IT support around. And we have the expertise to make that claim stick.

If you’re looking for an IT support partner, we invite you to give us a call. Let’s recalibrate your sights. With the right IT support, you can hit the targets that matter most.

 

Three reasons you should be using cloud services

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You’ve probably heard about the businesses using cloud services. A lot of organizations are headed in that direction. But why? What are cloud services? And how can they provide you with a business advantage?

Most folks are already using cloud services, even if they don’t realize it. For example, email services like Gmail are all based in the cloud. If you’ve ever taken a video call on Skype, that too is a cloud service. And if you share business files with services like Dropbox, again, you’re in the cloud, baby.

But cloud services go way beyond these basic offerings. In fact, these days it’s possible to replace your entire IT infrastructure with cloud solutions. What follows are a few compelling reasons to consider jumping on the bandwagon.

Let’s talk about the power of the cloud.

Cost Savings

One of the main reasons many companies opt for cloud solutions is potential savings.

Cloud services eliminate the need for big investments in storage and server hardware, as well as potentially lower software costs. With the cloud, applications are offered on a subscription or pay-as-you-use basis. You only pay for what you actually use without the costs of creating and maintaining an infrastructure on top. Most providers allow companies to scale usage to fit their needs, so they can adjust for peaks and troughs in demand.

Greater Flexibility & Scalability

Cloud services provide more flexibility and agility than traditional computing methods. With the cloud, your employees are no longer tied to their desks. They can access their files wherever they are, 24 hours a day, from just about any device. They can also work collaboratively with the rest of the staff, even if one of them is on the other side of the world.

Another major benefit is the flexibility to scale services according to your needs. You can toggle your level of service based on current need, adding to or scaling down on the fly. With traditional in-house tech, these kinds of changes are rarely quick. But with the cloud, it’s possible to do so in seconds.

This means that’s possible to achieve a degree of flexibility that was previously unheard of, enabling you to respond rapidly to your customers’ needs or changes in your business.

Better Performance, More Features

The major cloud service providers all have thousands of customers, which means their data centers are equipped with hundreds of cutting-edge, high-performance systems to handle those workloads. All of that raw computing power translates to a major advantage for you. Your cloud provider can offer a level of performance that’s orders of magnitudes higher than you’re likely to have in-house on your own.

Cloud providers also use the most up to date versions of software, which means you’ll be able to access all of the latest features. In addition, their administrators are able to optimize hardware and software for performance. Talk about bang for your buck.

If your company isn’t already invested in cloud services, isn’t it about time you asked yourself why? Contact us today to find out how cloud solutions can take your business to the next level.