As a business owner, you realize the importance of ensuring that every action you take is aligned with your business strategy and with the vision for your company. You prioritize initiatives that will drive your business forward to success - so why should that be any different when it comes to the work in IT initiatives?
In every business, there are a certain amount of routine tasks that need to be completed on a regular basis. This ensures that your business is available and productive. You need to pay the hydro bill, you need to report your earnings, and you need to manage your IT infrastructure to keep your systems and applications up, running & accessible. But wouldn't it be great if some of those things looked after themselves? You can set- up pre-authorized payments to take care of your hydro bill... but is there anything that you can do to automate simple network monitoring tasks?
The time and effort that you invest into the simple outcome of a network that is stable and available cannot be underestimated. The constant OS patching, log-file monitoring, management of local backups and process audits; these are all tasks that are time-consuming and tedious. However, have you considered working with an MSP (Managed Service Provider) for support of the basic IT functions that consume the day? You can choose a co-sourcing partner that can take on as much or as little support that you require. You can list out the basic routine tasks that you want completed based on your schedule and standards. This could be the relief that you need.
By leveraging a partner to relieve you of your day-to-day IT headaches, you can focus on initiatives that impact the big picture. However, selecting a partner to support your IT department is no simple task. You should invest the same level of time and effort that you would invest if you were hiring a new IT employee. Do the partner's values carry through with your business values? What response times will they commit to when you run in to an issue? How flexible are they in accommodating to your business needs? Consider that cheaper is not necessarily the way to go (just like hiring an employee, sometimes you get what you pay for).
Another benefit to utilizing a partner like Primus, is the ability to leverage their expertise. As opposed to trying to stay ahead of the next big virus, or ensuring that systems are performing at acceptable levels 24 x 7, or trying to keep up with ever-changing hosting technology, you can simply hold your provider accountable for these things. Leveraging the experience of a partner who focuses on managing multiple networks will also ensure that you don't become technically obsolete. Their core role is to ensure that they stay up-to-date, so you can directly leverage their knowledge and experience. Internally, your IT team can then focus on new business applications and ways to make your business more strategic or valuable.
By making this move and partnering with an MSP, you are shifting your focus away from day-to-day tasks and taking the first step towards becoming more strategic. With all this free time, you may see great new ideas coming from your IT department (especially now that they have 24 x 7 support and can actually get some sleep at night). Think of what you would do with those extra IT cycles. 2011can be your year to develop an IT strategy that truly improves your core business functionality.
Primus Managed Services portfolio offers you support for your system administration and network equipment. Call today to understand how partnering with Primus can be the addition to your workforce that allows you to be more strategic in IT.