Well connected to New York City, this quiet county is one of the best places to live in suburban New York. Rockland has been home to people looking for an urban-suburban mix feel. This environment has attracted brands like Avon, which has set up its research and development center in Rockland.

Besides the big brands, Rockland also plays host to several small businesses. Local businesses like Java Love Coffee Roasting Company opening its fourth location is a testament to Rockland’s flourishing business environment.

Running a business in such an environment is both exciting and challenging!

You will need to leverage the latest technology if you want your business to thrive – there’s no way around it.

Where Can You Find the Right Technology

Most small business owners are not tech-savvy. Finding suitable technology – hardware or software – might not be your strength. In this case, you are wise to turn to tech experts who can provide you with outsourced IT services.

There are two ways to accomplish this:

1. Set up your own in-house IT team.
2. Outsource your tech needs to a competent managed IT services provider.

While the former option looks great, it comes with many challenges.

• IT is a diverse field, which requires experts from different disciplines. As a small business owner, you might not be able to hire a new IT expert every time you need one. It’s just too expensive.
• Retaining IT talent is challenging, especially for small businesses. Given that an IT manager makes an average of $76,421 a year in New York City, it might be tough to compete with larger companies with deeper pockets.
• Finding a suitable IT professional can feel like finding a needle in a haystack. You may end up spending a lot of time, effort, and money finding talent that doesn’t have the capability to move your business forward.

Given these challenges, the second option is usually more practical and also cost-effective for small businesses. Let’s see what this alternative actually means and why you should consider outsourcing your IT needs to experts.

What Are IT Services?

IT services typically involve outsourcing the bulk of the responsibility of maintaining your IT network. This business model offers a little more than putting out IT fires. It focuses on:

• Increasing your business network’s functionality.
• Reducing downtime.
• Mitigating potential security risks.
• Cutting down the costs of your IT maintenance.

Usually, the managed services provider – or MSP – will take 360-degree responsibility for yo

ur network. This might include (but is not limited to):  

• Network/cybersecurity
• 24/7 network or server support
• Data backup and recovery
• Vendor management and support
• Remote desktop assistance

Most MSPs typically offer customized IT services. You can choose the services you want and only pay for the ones you are using. So, it is a cost-effective solution for small businesses.  

Why Should You Hire a Rockland IT services Company?

By now, you’ve probably guessed the main benefit of outsourcing IT services – cost savings!

Although this is a well-known benefit, your business can benefit a lot more from outsourced IT support.

Let’s see what some of these benefits are.  

Access To The Latest Technology

When it comes to success with Information Technology, you need to:

• Identify the latest IT tools to ensure uninterrupted protection and functionality.
• Keep track of an increasing number of software and hardware updates.

 In short, IT knowledge is the fuel that powers your business network.

If you don’t have professional-level knowledge of IT, you are ill-equipped to handle these challenges.

A professional IT services company will not only fix common issues, but they will also share the latest IT knowledge with you and your employees.

Automate Your Network Security and Incident Response

Automation plays a critical role in mitigating potential threats before they bring your network to a standstill. According to IBM’s Cost of a 2020 Data Breach Report:

• Organizations with fully deployed security automation saved $3.58 million in the average total cost of a data breach vs. those without automation.
• Organizations with an incident response or IR teams that tested their IR plans saved $2.00 million in the average total cost of a data breach vs. those without an IR team or testing.

Your Rockland IT services team will proactively monitor your computer network to identify warning signs before problems arise.

MSPs often use automated networking monitoring applications that can identify potential issues well in advance. As the suspected problems get resolved before they have a chance to soar, it prevents your network from costly interruptions.  

In addition to round-the-clock monitoring, your MSP will address issues that may otherwise go unnoticed. More often than not, the in-house IT team is too overwhelmed to attend to problems that require no immediate action.

Unfortunately, these problems can gradually snowball into a network-wide disaster. Your MSP won’t (or shouldn’t) let this happen. They will take care of each IT issue, no matter how trivial, right there and then!

Avoid Unexpected Downtime

An unexpected breakdown can cost you a pretty penny. Moreover, frequent unexpected breakdowns can affect employee morale and drive your customers away. It’s a nightmare for small businesses that have minuscule budgets, to begin with.

There are many reasons behind an unplanned downtime:

• Hardware and software misconfigurations
• Equipment and application failure
• Human error
• Power outages
• Natural disasters
• Cyberattacks

Fortunately, with outsourced IT services, you can control most of them.

Through the following steps, your MSP will help reduce unplanned downtime.

• Offer constant remote monitoring to identify and nip potential issues in their buds.
• Identify the risk level of critical systems and applications, then take the necessary steps to fix the problems.
• Use vulnerability and penetration testing to discover security gaps before bad actors can exploit them.
• Provide endpoint protection.

Customize IT Services as You Need

All businesses have exclusive IT needs. What works for a cake shop may not work for an accountancy firm. You must get what you want from your managed services company.

Thankfully, the managed IT services model focuses on the success of a client’s business.

This makes customization a top priority for MSPs.

Whether you want data backup and/or network monitoring, an MSP will offer you the support you need. If you are not sure about what IT services you want, the IT team will provide a thorough IT assessment, which helps to:    

• Identify potential and existing issues.
• Understand your overall usage and security needs.
• Recognize your system performance.

Identify New Business Opportunities

In an increasingly digitalized world, new technology often translates into new business opportunities. Your MSP will have many different resources to help you identify new technologies, as well as which ones may equate to new business opportunities!

Once you let your managed IT provider assess your business network, they can quickly identify what you’re missing. The sooner you act on their suggestions, the faster your business will ideally evolve.   

You can trust your Rockland IT services company to tell you what technologies will benefit your business the most. For example, many small businesses have benefited from chatbots – the backbone of self-service in a digitalized economy.

Chatbots can help you interact with customers virtually 24/7, helping you generate more leads. In fact, chatbot usage went up 67% between 2018 and 2020.

However, selecting the right type of chatbot to integrate with CRM data is essential to get the most out of this self-service tool. That’s where your MSP comes in.

Improve Your Network Security

Data breaches and ransomware attacks are a growing concern for every business, including small ones. For small businesses, a data breach could lead to devastating financial consequences.

In 2020, the cost of credential theft remediation was $871,686, which can bring most small organizations to their knees.

Unfortunately, the current state of cybersecurity, particularly among small and mid-sized companies, is appalling.

According to a recent 2020 survey:

• One-third of companies with 50 or fewer employees used free and consumer-grade cybersecurity tools.  
• One in five companies had no endpoint security whatsoever.
• 43% of SMB owners had no cybersecurity defense plan in place at all.
• 50% of SMB owners stated their employees do not receive any cybersecurity training.
• 65% of SMB owners managed their cybersecurity in-house, but less than 10% had a dedicated IT staff member.

With managed IT services, however, you can mitigate cybersecurity risks efficiently.

How does your MSP help to secure your business network?

• 24/7 remote network monitoring helps identify threats before they can cause substantial damage.
• Comprehensive access control keeps internal threat actors and intruders at bay.
• Periodic penetration testing can identify and fix potential security gaps before threat actors can exploit them.
• Endpoint protection keeps your network secure from device-related threats.
• Regulatory compliance protects you from potential lawsuits and hefty fines.

Save Money

Usually, the process of simplifying IT leads to various direct and indirect cost benefits.

• As outsourced IT services effectively reduce security risks, your business can save a lot of money from potential breaches/disasters.
• The reduced risk of unexpected downtime and equipment failure can save considerable costs down the line.
• MSPs offer proactive maintenance, which increases hardware lifespan, resulting in better equipment ROI.
• Outsourcing your IT maintenance allows you to focus more on growing your business (and less on IT headaches), which translates into increased revenue over time.
• Most MSPs offer IT support at a fixed monthly price, making your IT costs more predictable and manageable.

Over to You

Managed IT support is without a doubt an affordable and practical alternative, especially for small businesses. A reputable IT provider will offer your business a competitive advantage in a highly tech-driven world. Working with an experienced and professional MSP shouldn’t be difficult. Just make sure to find one before your competitors do. Keep these benefits in your mind when you think about outsourcing your IT needs to an expert in Rockland. How can managed IT services help your business grow? Let’s find it out together.