ThrottleNet

Managed IT services, support and cybersecurity

What to Look for in a Managed Network

Outsourcing

Some Managed Networks Are Better Than Others

Your company needs technology to thrive, but you don’t have time to get into the technical weeds. Hiring a large IT team is costly, and managing one distracts you from focusing on your business. Trusting your IT services to a managed network provider can help you get the technology solutions you need while freeing up time and resources to focus on the big picture.

Some managed networks are better than others, though, so look for all of the following when selecting an IT company.

Dedicated IT Success Team

The simplest way to get the best managed network is by partnering with an IT company that realizes their success is tied to yours. When you find a true partner, you can lean on them to provide the most appropriate IT services for your specific needs. Look for things like the following from your dedicated success team:

  • Virtual Chief Information Officer (VCIO) who will meet with your internal team on a regular basis to discuss network performance, ongoing IT support, technology budgets, and more
  • Network engineer with experience supporting businesses like yours
  • Dedicated onsite support analyst to install new equipment, set up new users, and provide other IT services
  • Remote support technician to perform nightly backup checks and routine patches for your applications

IT Security Services

Your technology isn’t worth much if it isn’t secure. The cost of ransomware is high enough that it can seriously hurt a business. Make sure your managed network comes with an anti-virus and anti-malware solution. Real-time management, maintenance, and monitoring can go a long way toward protecting your business. Security is one of the most important parts of your technology plan because it can prevent data breaches, financial losses, and unplanned downtime.

Vendor Management

You shouldn’t have to juggle IT companies or spend time coordinating between different technology vendors. The right managed service provider can handle procurement and resolve issues with your other hardware, software, and service vendors without putting extra work on your plate. After all, outsourcing IT is supposed to make life easier for you, not harder.

Local Help Desk Support

Here at ThrottleNet, our award-winning customer service team is locally based right here in St. Louis. We offer unlimited remote support, and you can also opt for a plan that includes unlimited onsite support and project labor. No matter which type of plan you select, you’re only paying one fixed fee per month. That way there are no surprises that might otherwise blow up your IT budget. This ability to balance remote and onsite support is something you will only get from a local IT support team. Not every customer needs an onsite IT partner, but many feel more comfortable knowing we are nearby if needed.

A great managed network provider won’t just set up your technology, they’ll teach you how to use it. At ThrottleNet that means our team will conduct a thorough onboarding as we begin our partnership with your company. We’ll introduce ourselves to your entire staff, show them how to get support, and give them other training. Every one of your employees will learn about the best practices for avoiding common security risks and getting the most out of your managed network services. An effective managed network should tie everything together while making your other essential IT services easier to scale and customize.

How to Choose the Right Managed Network Service Provider for 2021

Here at ThrottleNet, we follow a three-phase approach to providing a managed network. This allows us to get to know you, assess your needs, then make customized recommendations to facilitate success. We’re regularly ranked among the best IT companies in St. Louis because we provide a level of hands-on attention that other IT service providers just don’t. Contact us today to find out what it’s like to have a more reliable technology partner.

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Explore New IT Strategies for the Year Ahead

2020 has taught us a lot about the type of technology it takes to run a successful business in a modern world. When times are uncertain and normal operations are interrupted, companies need to be able to rely on critical IT services that can help them survive and thrive. Many businesses have learned some hard lessons and made quick adjustments to keep moving forward, but the future will continue to present more challenges. The following IT strategies for 2021 will help ensure that your business is ready for the next calendar year.

Focus on Remote Access

The world was already becoming decentralized as more and more business transactions occur online, but the digital shift has been accelerated due to recent events. It’s important for employees to stay connected and productive even when they can’t physically be in the office. Secure remote access makes it possible to maintain business continuity even when people have to work remotely.

Consider all of the following as you secure your remote access for the future:

  • Hardware like headphones, microphones, and cameras
  • Reliable solutions for calls and video meetings
  • Virtual desktop solutions to connect you to the main office
  • Secure access to files, folders, and everything else you need

Fix Technology Issues of 2020

Address any technology issues that caused the most business disruptions and dissatisfaction in 2020. This year put a lot of strain on companies and pushed technological solutions to the limit. You may have had to modernize your IT services more quickly than you originally planned, but the trial by fire has given business leaders an opportunity to see which technological gaps are preventing them from reaching future business goals. If you don’t have the resources to address all of your vulnerabilities with your internal IT team, this may be the time to get a competitive advantage with outsourced IT.

Be Aware of the Latest IT Security Threats

Just as IT services are evolving to provide better solutions for your business, hackers are getting more sophisticated. Staying ahead of ransomware and other cybersecurity threats may feel like a full-time job at times. The good news is that you don’t have to make it your full-time job. You can outsource cybersecurity to take the pressure off of your internal team as you receive the most effective protection available.

Identify the Most Important IT Services for You

The pace at which technology evolves makes it hard for business leaders to keep up. If you have bigger things to focus on than the latest and greatest IT Services, some of the lingo might sound a little bit foreign. Between meaningless buzzwords and technical jargon, some IT strategies start to read like alphabet soup. It’s important to form a partnership with a managed service provider that will take the time to explain the true business benefits behind the technology.

Still, it can be hard to trust your technology to a third party. Look for an experienced managed service provider with a long track record of enabling success in your industry. When you partner with accomplished technology experts, it becomes easy to co-create a customized blend of the most important IT services.

Find an IT Company in St. Louis

Here at ThrottleNet, we’re proud to be awarded as one of the best IT companies in the St. Louis area. We’re even more proud of the way we help local businesses succeed. We’re so confident in our ability to serve your business goals, our whole business model depends on your continued satisfaction. Check out our win-win deal and contact us today!

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“Out of adversity comes opportunity.” - Benjamin Franklin

2020 brought an unexpected journey for just about every business. Companies and individuals all over the world saw everything get turned upside down in a hurry, and suddenly we couldn’t take anything for granted anymore. The importance of technology hasn’t been in question for quite some time, but reliable business IT became even more of a necessity in 2020. It’s hard to see so many local businesses in St. Louis struggling, but the silver lining is that we’ve become more resilient and more adaptable.

The things we learned this year will help us achieve business goals in the future, and the ability to learn from bad situations is what defines successful companies.

Here are four of the most important business technology lessons we learned this year.

Secure Remote Work Is Critical to Business Continuity

Allowing employees to work from home occasionally is not the same as having a truly remote workforce. Many companies were prepared for some contributors to work online but weren’t ready to manage full teams without any central workforce in the office. When employees are only out of the office one or two days each week, it’s also possible to wait to go back into the office to complete certain tasks. One of the biggest lessons from the past year is that secure remote access and remote desktop connections are absolutely necessary for most businesses.

Trust Is Key

Trust is important, and it needs to extend in every direction:

  • Managers need to trust that employees are working productively.
  • Employees need to trust that they’ll receive all of the support they need.
  • Customers need to trust that their data and transactions are secure and that their experience won’t be interrupted.

We have a lot of award-winning capabilities here at ThrottleNet, but we can’t build a trustworthy company culture

Security Is Essential

It’s easier to gain trust when you can provide a completely secure environment. Hackers don’t take breaks, and many opportunists actually tried to prey on businesses during their moments of confusion in 2020. As more and more companies in St. Louis prepare for prolonged periods of remote work, cybersecurity will become even more important. If you’re still concerned that there may be soft sports in your business technology, ask a local IT company to perform a vulnerability audit and identify weaknesses before hackers do.

Technology Can’t Solve All Your Problems

This may not be what you expect to hear from one of the most award-winning IT companies in St. Louis, but it’s the truth. Technology can’t solve all of your problems all by itself. Even the best MSPs can’t be all things to all businesses at all times. It’s important to focus on defining efficient processes and keeping the lines of communication open. To that end, make sure you’re working with a managed IT company that understands their role as a supporting partner for your business goals.

Better IT Services for 2021

The best IT support companies understand that their success depends on yours. Instead of offering you a cookie-cutter solution, our team at ThrottleNet will take the time to understand what your business really needs and how we can help. How did your technology fail you in 2020, and how can outsourced IT services get things back on track for 2021? Connect with us today to see how the right MSP can keep you focused on growing your business.

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When your workforce goes remote, you need strong IT support.

Remote workforces are the new normal for most businesses here in the St. Louis area. The ability to work from home gives employees more flexibility and freedom. Secure remote access also allows companies to maintain productivity and business continuity in the event of unforeseen situations.

Working from home used to be a last resort for when employees had sick children or other important life events. It’s no longer a rare occurrence, and many businesses have had to transition to completely dispersed workforces for the foreseeable future. Remote IT help desk support and other IT services can help remove the burden from business leaders, new hires, and all of the individual contributors in between.

An IT Company for Your Whole Business

A variety of experts from the Harvard Business Review to Forbes have observed that future-minded companies are leaning into remote work. Unfortunately, many businesses have recently realized they weren’t ready to have everyone work from home at the same time. Managers are spending their days fielding questions and keeping everyone else on track instead of focusing on their own productivity. That’s why the best IT service providers have comprehensive onboarding processes for your entire company.

Business leaders and technologists shouldn’t be the only ones who know how to host a remote meeting or connect to the remote desktop. When your technology partner addresses everyone on your org chart, the leadership spends less time putting out fires and managing other snags. Every employee should know how to prevent security risks, navigate the technology they need to stay productive, and get support from the IT service desk when something does go wrong.

Remote IT Services for the Future

To continue moving forward on this path, companies are going to need strong IT help desk support. Responsive IT services allow companies to get back up to speed as quickly as possible and stay on the right track for the long haul.

As you address technical gaps your internal team can’t close alone, consider the following questions before choosing an outsourced IT company.
  • Can you troubleshoot remotely to keep your essential IT services in play everywhere?
  • How will working outside of a centralized office raise new cybersecurity risks that could jeopardize your business data and your customers’ privacy?
  • Will employees still have convenient access to all of the files, folders, and applications they need to stay productive?
  • Can you digitize your communication and processes to prevent interruptions to your workflows?

Why Choose an Award-Winning IT Company?

Recent history has been hard on small companies, and business leaders are looking for ways to recover as quickly as possible. Simply put, many organizations don’t have the time or resources to handle very many more setbacks right now. Choosing an outsourced IT company should inspire confidence and help you rest assured that your technology solutions are in good hands.

Refine your search by focusing on potential partners with proven track records. An IT company with experience in your industry will know what it takes to make you successful. The best IT companies in St. Louis also receive awards that speak to their capabilities.

Best IT Help Desk Support for 2021 & Beyond

Our team at ThrottleNet is regularly recognized as the #1 business IT support help desk in St. Louis because of the work we do for our customers. Since we’re so confident in our ability to support your business IT services, we’re able to offer free trials, monthly contracts, and real win-win opportunities. Either we’ll earn your business, or the first month is on the house. Contact us today to get started!

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Two Big Reasons to Move to the Cloud

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Most of the decisions made in business are to protect or increase the bottom-line. Cloud services are reported to boost profits and spur growth. By using cloud hosting, your company can scale and reduce data without the additional cost and physical space taken up by servers. The cloud is also convenient with easy file sharing capabilities, ensuring that teams can coordinate and work on projects from anywhere at any time.

In light of the COVID-19 lockdowns, the cloud is keeping many companies open, allowing workers to communicate, collaborate, and keep operations moving. Zoom, OneDrive, and other cloud-based applications provide greater workforce mobility. Migrating your business to the cloud will allow more customers to be served and workers to stay productive with a secure job to support their families. Additionally, it will allow employees to have more creativity and control in their day, thereby increasing their job satisfaction.

Make a Plan

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As Benjamin Franklin once said, “By failing to plan, you are preparing to fail.”

Set a clear plan with objectives and goals, perhaps with a mix of on-premise and cloud solutions. This could be referred to as an implementation road map.

Build in “Off-Ramps”

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Businesses should create milestones to pause the migration from an on-premise to a cloud solution. Think of it as using the off-ramp on a highway to get gas and check your map before continuing your road trip. It’s an opportunity to check and evaluate your progress.

Create a Data Storage Strategy

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Carefully analyze each benefit when making a complicated transition. Moving some data to the cloud may impact the user experience. Certain hosts can make it difficult for a business to work with the data.  Some pieces of data need local copies or caches of data to be used while maintaining a backup of that data in the cloud. Find the solutions that work best for your business.

Benefits of cloud servers include:

  • Performance
  • Security
  • Around-the-clock support
  • Control
  • Scalability

Outsource Your Business IT to Cloud Computing Experts

At Throttlenet, we understand that not all businesses have their own IT department to implement large and complicated transitions. Our business engineers will help you migrate and expand your services as your company grows. Click here to learn about our managed cloud software. After all, business happens around-the-clock, and your employees need to be able to access systems, software, emails, and documents at any time.