Managed Service Tag - Kutztown, Pennsylvania | Lantek

The break-fix cycle of IT is a well-known drain on business profit, but some companies have yet to move away from it. They just assume that if their technology is working fine, it’s not costing the business anything. This is far from true, and the true cost of this is rooted in the amount of billable hours, emergency repair premiums, and staff frustration your company endures.

Remember the good old days? You had an IT problem, you called your Managed Service Provider (MSP), and they’d swoop in to save the day. Maybe they’d fix your server, patch a system, or help you set up a new laptop. It was reliable, necessary, and... well, a bit reactive.

How much do you worry about the ever-present threat of downtime-causing disasters? The hardest issue to wrap your head around is that the disaster itself is only the start of your troubles; it’s the downtime immediately following the disaster that really layers on the pain. It’s a slow bleed on your network and your business, and it can cost your business thousands if not proactively addressed.

This time of year is known for its traditions, from the foods we eat to the rituals we carry out, and the songs we sing. In light of this, we wanted to put together a managed IT-friendly version to get into the spirit.

Does your business view its IT as just another necessary expense? Many small businesses think of IT as a simple box to check, a cost center that eats into profits and breaks down too frequently to actually yield a return on investment. We have news for you; modern IT management gives you a means not only to maintain the status quo, but to grow into a business that remains competitive in the long term.

As a business owner, you understand the need for harmony and efficiency. Whether it's the smooth operation of your supply chain, the flow of customers through your store, or the synchronization of your sales and marketing teams, when everything works together, your business sings.

When companies talk about cybersecurity, they usually brag about their expensive technology they use to do the job: the firewalls, the fancy encryption, and the smart detection software. The thing that matters most, however, your actual employees, gets completely overlooked.

Does your business technology drive you up the wall with uncertainty? Are you reacting to IT problems when you would instead prefer to proactively leverage technology to drive your business’ growth? It’s not your fault; it’s the result of a phenomenon known as the Executive IT Gap, and it’s keeping you trapped in an endless cycle of reactive, costly, and inefficient technology decisions that are slowing your business down.

In IT, we often talk in terms of firewalls, encryption algorithms, and next-generation detection and response tools. We meticulously patch systems, configure complex security policies, and deploy the latest hardware. After two decades in this field, I can tell you where the biggest, most persistent vulnerability lies: the people.

Imagine you’re going through your workday, business as usual, until all of a sudden, you lose control of your computer. A message displays across your screen stating that your files have been encrypted and they will be permanently deleted unless you pay a huge ransom. Meanwhile, you’re sitting there thinking, “Why me? Why my small business?”