Most businesses today rely on information technology to one degree or another. As IT grows in both significance and complexity, managed service providers (MSPs) fill an essential need. MSPs deliver value by providing access to expertise and tools that can be cost-prohibitive to maintain internally.

The “always on” nature of business — with an increasingly mobile workforce, the Internet of Things and the ability to engage customers around the clock — demands 100 percent uptime. If IT systems aren’t performing optimally, productivity and customer service suffer.

Given the critical nature of today’s IT systems and networks, the traditional break-fix service model is inching closer to obsolescence. The speed of business requires a more proactive approach to problem resolution, which is why remote management and monitoring (RMM) solutions have become essential.

Organizations of all sizes and in all industries are eager to exploit emerging technologies, but staff limitations often frustrate attempts to launch high-level initiatives. Even companies with in-house IT staff struggle to keep pace with day-to-day operations much less accelerating technology change.

In our last post, we discussed some of the warning signs of IT failures, along with suggestions for identifying and correcting problems. However, there are times when things just can’t be fixed. Servers, printers and PCs have moving parts that wear out.

From sales and marketing to manufacturing and shipping, virtually every aspect of modern business has been fundamentally changed by information technology. IT advances boost productivity, efficiency and collaboration to expand the range of what’s possible for businesses of all shapes and sizes.

The “break-fix” approach once was the standard model for acquiring IT support. When a company needed computer repairs, network tuning or any other form of tech-related service, they engaged a solution provider on a straightforward fee-for-service basis and paid the bill once the work was completed.

Yoga is a system of exercises designed to improve well-being through increased strength and flexibility. That is also a pretty good definition of what your managed services provider (MSP) ought to be doing for your business.

MSPs help keep your IT investments in good health so you can focus on your business.

Nationwide Insurance just agreed to pay $5.5 million as part of a settlement following a major data breach. UCLA recently warned 30,000 current and former students that their personal data may have been compromised. HBO is investigating a breach in which hackers accessed unreleased episodes of upcoming shows.

There’s no question that the cloud has forever changed the IT environment. According to the State of the CIO 2017, a new report from research firm IDG, the increasing adoption of cloud services has made IT departments more efficient, reducing the amount of time spent on traditional IT tasks.