Resource Center
When it comes to IT services, knowledge is power. The single most valuable thing we can pass along to our clients is our expertise.
The resources below are here for you. Please help yourself, absolutely no strings attached.
Whitepapers
Videos
Brochure
Ebooks
Info Sheets
Insider 94 Navigator 2023
Resources & Advisors for Buying & Selling a Business
Make sure to check out Page 28
Case Study – Healthcare – Skyway Behavioral Health
Start Up Requiring Robust Infrastructure – From Planning to Implementation
The 7 Irresistible Qualities of Cloud ERP
Learn why ERP tools are an critical component for many businesses.
Why a Business Continuity Plan is Essential
Learn why your company needs a business continuity plan.
Ransomware 101
If you’re looking for ways to stop ransomware dead in its tracks, the experts at CCS Technology are here to help.
How managed services make the difference
Learn more about the benefits of partnering with a managed services provider.
Cloud Services and the SMB Revolution
Learn more about how Cloud Services from CCS make your life easier.
Office 365 Migration Made Easy
Migrating over to Office 365 has never been easier with CCS Technology.
The Advantages of Working with I.T. Pros
Learn how working with a seasoned technology pro makes your work easier.
Closing Common Cybersecurity Holes
Learn several critical cybersecurity tips and tricks any SMB can use.
Providing technology support all around
Backup and Disaster Recovery
Cloud Services, to make your life easier
IT Consulting
Managed Services
Network Security
CCS Technologies company brochure
Learn more about the benefits of partnering with a managed services provider.
- Learn more about the benefits of partnering with a manged services provider.
- Learn more about the benefits of partnering with a manged services provider.
Our Services
We’re passionate about two things: keeping you ahead of the curve and delivering an unbelievable client experience. This is how we do it.
What is hybrid cloud storage?
/in Blog, Managed Services /by wpengineCloud-based storage is hardly a new technology. It’s been a common IT solution for a number of years. For the most part, cloud storage is seen as a practical, convenient, flexible solution. However, despite its advantages, not everyone is convinced.
That’s because some still have concerns about the speed of access to data hosted in the cloud, possible latency, and security and compliance challenges. To address these fears, a new solution is now available – hybrid cloud storage.
How does hybrid cloud storage work?
Hybrid cloud storage is essentially a mix of off-site (cloud) and on-site storage. You keep some data in one place and some data in the other. This blended approach makes sense for several reasons.
Flexible Options
With hybrid cloud storage, you have multiple options for data storage. Your information can reside in an on-premise server, in a public cloud server, or in a private cloud server.
On-site storage works well for quick access. Public cloud servers are convenient, as all the maintenance is taken care of on your behalf. Private cloud servers require more effort on your part but come with a higher level of control and security.
The good news is that hybrid cloud solutions give you the ability to choose the blend that’s right for your company.
Strategic Storage
How do you know what data should go where? That’s a matter of your overall IT strategy.
For example, a financial firm might decide to store critical data (such as customers’ financial details) on its own local servers, while less sensitive data might be stored in a public cloud server. Alternately, a company might use both the private and public cloud, leaning on the latter for data archiving, backup, disaster recovery, workflow sharing and distribution and the former for high-security data.
You don’t have to go all-in on a single type of storage. Rather, you can mix and match according to your needs and requirements.
Scalable Growth
Many companies use hybrid cloud storage to supplement internal storage. This makes sense, particularly as a part of your growth strategy. If your business is expanding, it can be difficult to keep up with storage needs. However, cloud servers give you an easy way to add storage space quickly.
Use your local storage for the data you access more frequently and relegate data archives to the cloud. In that way, hybrid cloud storage can really take the bite out of some normal growing pains.
Cost-effective
There’s one final benefit. For a lot of organizations, there are some real cost savings to a hybrid cloud approach.
No, that’s not a guarantee that your company will save money. However, the cost of purchasing and maintaining all your own server space can be prohibitive for small businesses. A hybrid storage strategy allows for options to lower those expenses, limiting the amount of onsite storage you need while still meeting your company’s storage needs.
The challenge of hybrid storage.
The main challenge for companies interested in a hybrid storage solution is knowing which options to choose. You can’t capitalize on the advantages of the hybrid cloud if you don’t deploy your infrastructure the right way. Luckily, CCS Technology can help.
CSS Technology has years of experience setting up hybrid cloud storage solutions. We’re here to make sure you enjoy all the benefits of the hybrid cloud without any headaches. If you’d like to learn more about how a hybrid cloud approach might work for your business, give us a call. We’ll be happy to put our expertise to work for you.
Managed services make a real difference
/in Blog, Managed Services /by wpengineFile 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)
/in Blog, Productivity /by wpengineThere’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.