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Using Managed IT Services for Savings

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We all know that you get what you pay for, right? You can’t expect to pay rock bottom wages and get the best employees, or spend next to nothing for a great office space.

When it comes to technology, though, things are different. Some companies are still using old-fashioned software at a big up-front cost, and paying big money for professionals to set up new computers and troubleshoot their networks. But forward-thinking businesses can cut out much of this expense with new managed IT services offerings.

Thanks to cloud technology, many companies can get the latest software, the precise amount of storage they need, and all the back-up and compliance services they want, for less than they might have paid for a much less sophisticated system a few years ago. For example, Office365 and other providers now provide Exchange email hosting in the cloud for as little as $4 a month. That means getting your email out of you on-site server, eliminating the need to have an IT consultant fix any problems it might develop.

Another excellent value you can find with managed IT services is a fixed monthly fee that covers the maintenance of all your on-site systems. Beware of contracts with an added fee to address problems that occur—for a flat fee, an IT company should keep things from breaking and also fix any problems it fails to prevent.

Of course, sometimes you need extra services, whether it’s redoing your phone system or setting up network connections for new employees. Most managed IT services companies will let you pre-purchase blocks of hours at a better rate than you can get by calling the company out of the blue.

The options available with modern managed IT services can be complicated, but if you pay attention to your alternatives you can often find ways to get better service for less money. And that’s certainly more than you can say for just about any other business expense.

Five Plans for Five Problems

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Any business owner can tell you that their business is more than just their store front.  It’s culmination of a dozen different factors.  Everything from shipping from the factory to handing out business cards at conventions constitutes a business.  Holding them all together is IT.  Everything from using tracking codes to locate your packages, to recovering your contact info from the phone you dropped in a puddle.  A well thought out IT plan makes for a smoothly run business.  Here are a few things to think about when considering such a plan.

Helpdesk Support

There’s nothing more annoying than when things break unexpectedly.  Most businesses can’t afford to have a dedicated IT department and calling your tech savvy nephew isn’t a good long term plan.  Choosing to outsource your helpdesk isn’t a decision to be taken lightly.  As always, you should look for a company that has a long history of customer satisfaction.  Check with the Better Business Bureau to see if the company you’re considering has any complaints.

Desktop Support

Some problems just can’t be solved over the phone or over the internet.  An in-person visit can help resolve problems in a timely and complete manner.  Time is money, so a good desktop support team will have a flexible schedule and most importantly be on time.

Server and Network Monitoring

Having a someone monitor your server and network can increase efficiency.  Knowing how much data your business is going through can help you get a better picture of how things are running.  As the saying goes, waste not, want not.

Server and Network Security

Is someone leeching off your networking?  Is your data secure?  Remotely or onsite, an IT professional can ensure that your network has minimum downtime.  With so much money changing hands online, security is a must.

Disaster Recovery

It is said that it’s better to suffer your share of hardship rather than living in fear of them.  You know what’s even better?  Having a plan when hardship befalls you.  Working with a group of IT professionals, you can develop a back plan, maybe to even back up your data.  From virtualization, to redundant drivers, there’s a plan to fit every business.

The fact of the matter is you can’t control or master everything.

 

 

Meet Ditmar Tavares, Network Engineer

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Ditmar Tavares

Ditmar Tavares

Ditmar Tavares is from Cape Verde by way of Canada, and he now lives just five minutes away from work in Framingham, Mass. While many of us think of Canada as a calmer version of the U.S., Ditmar lived in busy downtown Halifax, and he said he appreciates the more relaxed atmosphere in Framingham.

“Massachusetts is perfect for me,” he said.

He also likes the work he does at ComputerSupport.com. Although he was trained as a software engineer and got his first job in that area, he said he finds dealing with networks and servers more rewarding.

“I enjoy this work a lot more,” he said. “In this field there are a lot more interesting things to do. “

Ditmar said he’s a detail person, and he loves studying all aspects of IT.  “I spend a lot of time reading and researching, and sometimes spending my own money going for further education,” he said.

In fact, Ditmar said, it’s not unusual for him to work from 8:30 to 5 and then go back home and study from 6 to 2 a.m.

Aside from his technical training, Ditmar, who’s 30, said he’s working on his language skills. He speaks English, Portuguese, Spanish and Creole. While his English is already excellent, he’s trying to perfect it so he can work more comfortably with customers. His goal is to eventually start his own company.

“I hope I can own a business pretty close to this one,” he said.

The Benefits Of IT Outsourcing For Your Business.

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When an IT problem crops up, it can have a huge impact on your bottom line.

Having an IT expert on staff helps to combat this, but many small businesses fall into an easy trap: Either they pay far too much for a full-time IT resource that they don’t use all of the time, or suffer through having a part-time resource that’s not always available for their needs.

In the modern business world, you don’t have time to wait for your part-time staff to fix your issues.  Every minute lost with technical issues translates directly to lost revenue for your business.

We’d like to propose a better way – outsourced IT with Spirinet.  Outsourcing your IT services can save you 20% or more.  Even better, outsourced IT departments are available 24 / 7 to fix any issues that arise.

Another problem that often crops up with part-time IT personnel is their area of expertise – it’s limited by the scope of their job and the fact they’re only one individual.  A large company like Spirinet, with a number of clients, has a competency set that is far more broad than a single part-time IT consultant.  That means your issues are resolved more quickly – and infrastructures are put in place that will result in fewer problems arising in the first place.

Here are just a few regions we support (Don’t see yours? Please contact us!):

  • IT Outsourcing Massachusetts
  • IT Outsourcing New York
  • IT Outsourcing California
  • IT Outsourcing Florida
  • IT Outsourcing New Hampshire
  • IT Outsourcing Connecticut

Spirinet offers three levels of IT Outsourcing, so you can be sure that you’re paying for the support you need, depending on your business size.

Your business is set to grow, and you need to make sure the foundations of strong technical support are there now – so that there aren’t any major issues in the future!  Spirinet can be the perfect IT Outsourcing partner for your needs today, and your growing needs tomorrow.

Spirinet Technology Services – partnership with Translation Services USA

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National, July 12th, 2010 – With the Internet binding the world closer and closer together, IT support and outsourcing company Spirinet Technology Services is proud to announce their partnership with Translation Services USA.  “The world gets smaller every day,” explains Spirinet co-founder Kirill Bensonoff, “and we want to make sure our clients have every tool at their disposal to compete on the world stage.  That’s why we felt our partnership with Translation Services USA was such a strong direction for our combined companies.”

Translation Services USA will primarily augment two areas of Spirinet’s service offerings.  First, they will provide website translation.  Secondly, they will provide software localization services, which is the process of adapting existing software platforms to fit the needs of specific language and cultural groups.  “Spirinet has always been international in scope, but our partnership with Translation Services USA will allow us to serve an even broader group of clients, and make sure that cutting edge technology is available to all, no matter what language they speak.” From words of Alex Buran, President and CEO of Translation Services USA: “Partnership with Spirinet will open up many possibilities never seen before. Sometimes, when we are serving the needs of our large companies, we have to scale up our IT solutions rather quickly in order to accommodate the most demanding needs. This is where Spirinet comes handy and we look forward to working with them”.

Spirinet Technology Services was founded in 2005, and is a premiere provider of IT outsourcing and consulting services for small and medium-sized businesses all over North America.  They are headquartered outside Boston, Massachusetts.  The partnership with Translation Services USA is just the latest in a long line of innovative technology solutions.  One such solution is AppsOnDemand, which leverages cloud computing to deliver applications to SMBs, anywhere, anytime, on a pay-per-user model.

Translation Services USA was founded in 2002 as LeoSam Translations.  They are based in New York City, New York, and count many Fortune 500 companies as their clients.  Like Spirinet, they are international in scope, and can translate to and from over 150 languages.

For more information, please visit Spirinet’s website at ComputerSupport.com.