Financial Benefits of Managed IT Services

Managed IT services are considered as a significant investment. Having said that, it’s only natural to think about its return. And when it’s about managed IT services, there are several benefits that will immediately translate into cost savings.

Before anything else, do you have any idea how managed ITservices Columbia SC can help your business reach different corporate efforts? Here are a few things you need to know.

Money Benefits of Managed IT Services

Managed IT services can help companies in many ways. They ensure that the right resources and people are allocated in the best way possible, which results into financial benefit. Another common way managed IT services help organizations include investing in new resources, boosting customer satisfaction, and optimizing the utilization of current resources, as well as refining the agility of a company. Here are a few financial benefits of managed IT services.

User Productivity

As IT directors and business owners, you turn to technology to boost your productivity and improve how you do business. If your technology doesn’t do that, then there is a problem. You lose money whenever your employers can’t work. Unplanned downtime can cost companies more than $50,000 per 100 users. By having managed IT services, you can cut back on your server and network downtime by over 85%.

Infrastructure Expenses

By working with a managed IT services provider, you can lower your infrastructure costs in many ways. When an IT support Columbia SC provider takes over your infrastructure, you can downsize the amount of your on-site infrastructure through their data centers. You will save on the hardware cost and on the energy that it uses as well as the space needed to house it.

You will also see more savings related to consulting, training, and licensing. All of these requirements will be covered by one monthly investment. IT services are better managed and streamlined through one provider. In general, companies can save more than $100,000 per 100 users only on the cost linked to infrastructure.

IT Staff Productivity

This advantage is directly related to the productivity of your staff, especially your IT department. In many cases, you see an IT staff consumed with fixing malfunctioning equipment or user problems. These tasks will remove their focus from their main responsibilities. IT outsourcing will help your staff stay focused on their priorities.

Minimal Initial Investment

Managed IT services offered by SpartanTec, Inc. can help you offset the cost of the initial investment. Instead of spending a lot of money on software and hardware upfront, you will be paying for the professional service through affordable monthly payments. Since the service is considered an operational expense rather than a capital expenditure, you do not have almost as much resources linked to the management of your business technology. Additionally, updating to a brand new software will be included in your service and that means you don’t have to pay for extra cost just to keep your technology updated.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now for more information about our managed IT services and to learn how our IT solutions can help your company. 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 408-7166
http://manageditservicescolumbia.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

Managed Security Service Providers, Choosing the Right Security Vendor

Businesses struggling to secure their networks against determined cyber attackers are facing a perfect storm of challenges: most networks are in the midst of a dramatic transformation, including IoT, virtualization, and the cloud, the number and sophistication of network attacks is increasing, the cost of being breached continues to rise, and the security skills shortage continues to widen. As a result, many CISOs are looking to migrate some or all
of their risk out of their IT departments and into the hands of professionals that offer managed IT services Columbia SC.

The challenges facing these MSSPs are also considerable, including defending scores of customers while balancing security effectiveness against business profitability. As a result, today’s MSSPs need tools that are highly scalable, support multi-tenant environments, and provide robust, single-pane-of-glass management and orchestration.

They also need reliable, high-performance, and cost-effective security that allows their networks to dynamically adapt to changing risk environments, and that can also scale to secure hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of customers at once, even when traffic spikes unexpectedly.

To make this happen, MSSPs must select a security vendor that not only ensures their own success as a service provider, but also the security of the customers they protect. With hundreds of thousands of customer nodes under management, and billions of dollars of assets under their protection, the world’s top MSSPs hold their firewalls to extremely high standards for reliability, functionality, and flexibility.

Functions of the MSSP

At its core, an MSSP must provide two kinds of basic IT services Columbia SC: security asset management and continuous monitoring. Customers with multiple locations and business-critical applications running across the network have stringent uptime requirements, so device management and monitoring are crucial to maintain business productivity.

Many service providers that provide IT support Columbia SC also add security analytics and threat intelligence services to help mitigate new attacks, including actionable intelligence and a comprehensive view of the distributed security infrastructure. Going forward, these firms will likely differentiate themselves in new areas such as penetration testing, threat intelligence aggregation, information portals, and customer self-service.

Many MSSPs will also want to provide security remediation, incident response, compliance services, or loss prevention to further differentiate them in the market. Securing thousands of customer locations, meeting service delivery SLAs, and balancing profitability with engineering headcount and infrastructure are ongoing challenges facing MSSPs, so they need specialized security vendors that understand their business model and can help them meet customer requirements.

Why Top MSSPs Standardize on Fortinet

Frost & Sullivan recently recognized that “Fortinet has achieved a dominant position with MSSPs with its FortiGate line of high-performance firewalls.” In their recent ranking of over 100 network security platforms, Fortinet scored “the highest possible ranking among North American MSSPs.”

Fortinet covers critical aspects of an MSSP’s business model like no other security manufacturer—offering the best in multi- tenancy, the most hardware flexibility, the highest performance through hardware acceleration, and the lowest total cost of ownership of any security vendor.

What Makes Fortinet Different?

Fortinet understands that the MSSP is a strategically differentiated channel partner, and for years has developed technology specifically suited to the MSSP business model. A foundational tenet of our strategy is to enhance our MSSP Partners’ profitability.

Our unique channel enablement strategy creates a symbiotic relationship with MSSPs, as their customers rely on Fortinet products for network uptime and application availability, while Fortinet relies on the MSSP to win new customers with a blend of professional services and high-touch support that reduces our own cost of support.

Fortinet’s MSSP innovative strategy can best be described
in four key pillars or areas of influence: Vision, Technology, Economics and Support. These areas capture many of Fortinet’s differentiators for MSSPs, and help clarify the reasons for Fortinet’s dominance in the space.

Vision

Fortinet’s vision of security designed to operate as an integrated whole, while providing cost-effective performance and protection is key to its long-term position as a strategic business partner for network and managed security services providers.

Fortinet’s Strategic Visionary Investments

• Industry-leading MSSP partner program
• Global support from dedicated MSSP teams
• Enhanced technologies service development support
• Specialized team supporting best practices, customization, and automation
• Cloud premium brand and broad support
• SDN and NFV Development Partner

Fortinet’s vision focuses on ongoing security innovation, advanced threat intelligence, delivering the fastest security platforms on the market, OS portability to secure the cloud and IoT, and leadership in software-defined networks (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV).

Fortinet’s vision is actualized around our end-to-end
security fabric that allows MSSPs to secure nearly any environment. This approach not only improves security, but also reduces operational costs and complexity for professional service organizations that are entrusted to secure their customers’ networks.

Technology

Ten out of ten top global carrier MSSPs use Fortinet in some of the busiest, highest-performance networks in the world. Why is that? There are several reasons:

Technical Dominance in the MSSP Market

• Native multi-tenancy

• Customizable centralized management and reporting
• Extreme performance scalability and platform flexibility
• Ongoing advanced technology research and development

All of Fortinet’s flagship security products support multi-tenant services and granular, delegated administration. This makes
it easy for a service provider to host multiple customers on a single security appliance or provide delegated administrative capacity and single-pane-of-glass management for the security infrastructure.

FortiGate firewalls also offer a broad suite of security controls that provide MSSPs with a full-featured platform to deliver advanced, adaptive security functionality to their customers. This allows the MSSP to deliver a wide variety of managed security services to match their customers’ security requirements.

Economics

MSSPs have distinct cost components to consider in their management accounting processes because they preside over a complex business model with profit margins as heavily dependent on operational efficiencies as they are on hardware and software costs.

Average revenue per unit (ARPU) is a key factor for MSSPs as they consider selecting security platforms for a managed security service. MSSPs are obviously looking for a higher return on investment, as they will often own the security asset and depreciate it accordingly.

Fortinet delivers the highest ARPU in the industry due to multiple unified threat management controls and high-performance hardware, allowing the MSSP to convert more services into revenue on a single device. Those aren’t the only reasons. Fortinet also delivers:

• High-demand, revenue-generating controls
• Inclusive threat intelligence service
• Native virtualization per device
• Enhanced technologies investment

This flexibility and functionality allows MSSPs to turn on more billable security services and secure more users behind one device than any other manufacturer.

Total cost of ownership (TCO) is another important economic consideration, as this encompasses the direct and indirect costs of deploying and managing a security platform. Fortinet provides the lowest TCO for a variety of reasons:

• Scalable, centralized management and open source APIs for automation
• Cost-effective hardware
• Simplified subscription and support
• OS uniformity across hardware and virtual platforms
• Non-user-based bundled pricing
• Special pricing models for OPEX
• Mass deployment and automation toolkits for improved operational efficiencies

Fortinet presents the lowest TCO and highest ARPU of any security manufacturer.

Support

Fortinet’s MSSP vision is global, with dedicated teams in each area of operation functioning under a worldwide standard for MSSP empowerment.

Fortinet MSSP specialists have backgrounds in managed security service provider operations, product development, and training that cross business development and engineering disciplines. They also understand the executive, operational, and sales aspects of the business. This expert level of support, along with the specialized content and tools they create, dramatically shortens market delivery timeframes and product development cycles, and increases the likelihood of a positive product launch while improving go-to-market results.

Fortinet’s MSSP teams also function as subject matter experts in an overlay organization that supports field sales, providing specialized support for partners with a mission of improving profit margins and operational efficiencies. This specialized support comes in the form of product development, financial modeling and engineering assistance, along with operational best practices documentation, market intelligence, and MSSP-specific sales collateral and go-to-market support.

Selecting a security vendor in today’s congested and confusing security market can be a real challenge. Fortinet has more experience and proven success in helping MSSPs build and deploy profitable managed security services than any other vendor in the industry. We have trained, professional teams ready to help you today.

Learn more about Fortinet’s industry-leading MSSP program here.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and learn how our managed IT services can help protect your company against cybersecurity. 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 408-7166
http://manageditservicescolumbia.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

What is data backup?

 

People and companies depend on data. If you, as a human, need food, water, and air to survive, businesses need data to thrive. About 40% of firms that don’t’ have the appropriate backup or disaster recovery strategy won’t be able to survive a disaster.

Every firm should assign a backup administrator to take care of the whole backup strategy, including backup tools and solutions; the backup schedule, scope, as well as infrastructure; the storage and the network, the recovery point objectives (RPOs), the recovery time objectives (RTOs), and so on. It’s crucial for your company to have a backup plan and solution in place if you don’t want to be a statistic.

What do you need to backup and have a disaster recovery plan?

The main task of a backup administrator is to understand, determine, and manage that data that needs to be backup and protect. To lower the possibility of data loss, you need to backup your applications, operating systems, and configuration – in short, all that you can backup. If you’re using virtualization, you have to back up your management console and the hosts, aside from the virtual machines. If you’re using an IaaS or cloud infrastructure as a service, you have to include that too in the scope. You must also consider the mobile devices. If you don't know anything about it, you can always get a disaster recovery service. 

Don’t forget to check the scope of your backup whenever you make changes to the infrastructure. New services, solutions, and devices use data. Your goal is to back up everything and to backup regularly.

When picking out a backup solution, make sure that you protect everything. If not, there could be some data that’s not protected and you may have to use different backup solutions.

RPO and RTO – Data Backup

When you have finally determined the scope of the backups, what you need to do next is to know how often you have to backup and what the schedule should be. Your employees and executives will always be changing data and in case of a disaster, the data made from the most recent backup to the time of failure will be lost. This specific period is referred to as the Recovery Point Objective or RPO – it is the maximum period that you can afford to lose data on the systems due to a disaster or unexpected event.

If the RPO is shorter then less data is lost but it needs more backups, storage capacity, network resources, and computing resources for the backup to work. Having a longer RPO may be more cost effective but you have to risk losing more data when an event happens.

The Recovery Time Objective or RTO is another crucial variable that needs to be considered. How fast you could recover from the time the disaster happens to the period you return to the normal operations. If the systems are down, your business will lose money and you have to recover as fast as you can in order to minimize your losses. But, just like the RPO, you need faster storage, technology, and networks for a shorter RTO. But all these mean you will have to pay more. For many organizations and businesses, a few hours of RTO is acceptable.

Data Backup Solutions

Hardware appliances – these include storage such as a 19 inch rack mounted equipment that you have to install and link to a network.

Software solutions – installed on the systems and deal with the backup process.

Cloud services – you will find several IT support Columbia SC providers that offer backup as a service, which allows you to provide and run your backups using the service provider or the vendor’s cloud infrastructure through the installation of lightweight agents on the machines.

Hybrid data backup solutions – gives you the freedom to install or use it as a cloud service.

Backup Storage

A copy of the data will be stored in the backup storage and you should have it provisioned, selected, and always handy for a successful recovery and backup.

The survival of your business depends on the survival of your data. Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and learn how to implement the most reliable and effective data backup strategy for your business.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 408-7166
http://manageditservicescolumbia.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

5 IT Services That Have A Huge Effect On Your Business

 

The IT sector in the U.S. is worth nearly $1.5 trillion and it’s still growing. Global IT spending is expected to reach $4 trillion this year. This massive increase in the demand for IT services will pave the way for more IT jobs. This sector is expected to create more than 500,000 job opportunities.

The question now is what are the IT services that will be provided by such new jobs? What’s more important is to determine which infotech services companies like yours need to invest in.

5 IT Services You Need To Invest In

1.    Network, Infrastructure Procurement and Management

IT procurement firms will give all the required equipment to set up a new network. They are your go to company for getting your business programs and computers. They can create your telecommunications network such as your internet connection. The majority of procurement companies also offer asset management and maintenance services. They can upgrade your devices and fix damaged equipment. They can provide hardware equipment, software equipment, and wireless or wired connections.

2.    

Cybersecurity Solutions

Another IT service Columbia SC you need to consider is cybersecurity solution. It protects your computers and networks from online threats and digital hacks. Hackers may disrupt your business operations or extort money from you, or worse, both. They do this by changing, stealing, damaging, or destroying your confidential information. Spreading malware is only one of the methods cybercriminal use to get what they want. That’s why you need cybersecurity to make sure that your business is protected against malware and other forms of online attacks.

3.    Cloud Based Services

Cloud based services are IT support that are done from a remote facility. Cloud service providers will lease their software, hardware, as well as operating systems to their clients. They will also handle the maintenance of both the programs and equipment. It gets rid of the need for companies to have a sizable office space. It will free you from expensive equipment maintenance. The three most common types are infrastructure as a service, platform as a service, and software as a service.

4.    Internet Based Communications

IT service providers can set up internet based communications for your firm. They will maintain software and hardware that will power all these programs. They can also create your own communication programs based on the needs of your company. A few good examples are voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP), videoconferencing, and chatbots.

5.    Technical Support

Technical support is the least complicated of all IT services. But it is considered as the backbone of them all because they are the helpdesk for every technical issue encountered. It can be offsite, provided by a managed IT service provider or on-site, through your in-house IT team.

Once you have determine the appropriate IT support Myrtle Beach SC your company needs, the next thing to do is find a reliable company that can provide you with what you need. Call SpartanTec, Inc. now for more information.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now for more information about the managed IT services we offer. 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 408-7166
http://manageditservicescolumbia.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

What are network firewalls?

    You can prevent unauthorized access to private networks that are connected to the internet through network firewalls. Firewall policies will determine which traffic to allow on the network and which ones to block. Network firewalls remain at the forefront of a network, serving as a communications liaison between external and internal devices.

A network firewall could be configured in such a way that any data that comes in and out of the network must go through it. It checks each incoming message and blocks those that do not meet the security criteria. Provided that it’s been configured correctly, a firewall will provide users access to required resources while also keeping out viruses, worms, hackers, unwanted users, as well as other malicious programs. Always remember that you can hire IT Support Columbia SC to help you out.

Hardware Versus Software Firewalls

IT support Columbia SC says firewalls can either be software or hardware. Aside from limited access to a protected network or computer, a firewall could log all of the traffic that is coming or going out of the network as well as supervise the remote access to a private network via secure authentication logins and certificates.

 

 

Hardware firewalls – firewalls that are released as a separate product for company use or integrated into a router or some other networking device. They’re a crucial part of any conventional network configuration and security system. A hardware firewall has at least four network ports that permit connections to several systems. For bigger networks, a network firewall that’s more expansive is available.

Software firewalls – they’re installed on a computer or offered by a network device manufacturer or an OS. They could be customized, and offer a smaller level of control on the functions as well as protection features.

What are the types of firewalls?

Application layer firewalls – they may come as a server plugin, software filter, and hardware appliance. It will layer security mechanisms over defined applications like FTP servers, as well as defines rules for the HTTP connections. The rules are created for every application, to assist in the identification and prevention of network attacks.

Packet filtering firewalls – checks every packet that comes through the network and then decides whether to accept or deny the packet according to the user defined rules.

Circuit level firewalls – applies different kinds of security mechanisms when a TCP or UDP connection has been created. When a connection has been established, packets are then exchanged right away between the hosts without filtering or oversight.

Proxy server firewalls – they check all the messages that come into or get out of the network, and then hide the real network addresses from external inspections.

Next generation firewalls – Their function is to filter traffic that is moving through the network, which are determined by the traffic or application types as well as the ports that they’re assigned to.

Stateful firewalls – often known as third generation firewall technology. They accomplish packet tracking of all the interactions between the internal connections and traffic classification according to the destination port.

Why are network firewalls important?

Firewall network Columbia SC secure a network, make sure that you have a network availability that is uninterrupted, and excellent access to the cloud hosted applications.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let our team of IT experts help set up your network firewalls.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
(843) 420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/

SpartanTec, Inc.
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 408-7166
http://manageditservicescolumbia.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence