5 Tips to Prioritizing IT Projects

READ TIME: 4 MIN

January 22, 2020

5 Tips to Prioritizing IT Projects

With a new year comes a new to-do list in terms of keeping your IT infrastructure working at its absolute best. There are many ways to approach an “order of operations” to the many IT projects you have planned. So, where do you start? Below we have listed a series of tips to assist in prioritizing your IT projects for the new year while making your business as productive, secure and effective as possible.

Take a look from a bird’s eye view. Look at the whole year and everything that needs to be completed by end-of-year. We tend to have a myopic view when focused on upcoming IT projects with lower regard to potential high priority projects that may be needed in the latter portion of the year. This is the reason that towards the end of the year, budgets get slim and sometimes IT projects get severely delayed or even canceled. Look at the overall impact these goals will have on your business and determine which levels of impact are most necessary. Your IT Provider should be your IT Consultant and they should come prepared with a multi-year strategy to your IT infrastructure.
Create a detailed and easily defined set of IT goals and match each IT project to one of those goals. Every project has an outcome that will help your efficiency, bottom line, productivity, or compliance of your business. Keep those in mind when prioritizing. Remember that some IT matters connect to compliance and security issues.
Cybersecurity, cybersecurity, cybersecurity. Before making changes in your IT infrastructure or engaging in major projects, look at the impact it will have on the cybersecurity or compliance of your business. Cybersecurity should be at the forefront of your mind when making these changes. Engaging with an IT provider is one of the best ways to ensure that all t’s are crossed, and i’s are dotted throughout the process. A managed service provider such as NexusTek will work with you to ensure your data is secure while optimizing productivity.
Emergencies Happen. Remember, when you are planning IT projects Murphy’s Law can still creep through. Work with a managed service provider for proactive IT management to mitigate risks of emergencies and to ensure that your budget is well planned for the entire year.
Communicate with your team regarding the upcoming IT projects that you have scheduled. Various projects can disrupt the work of some of your employees. Be sure to give them ample time to be prepared for potential changes. Many times, we cannot think of every process that a member of the team goes through daily. Use means such as surveys, observations that you may see within the business, and open-door policies to ensure that communication methods are open. Talk to your team in order to hear their concerns regarding technology and ask what could make their job easier. Remind yourself that they are the ones using technology to do their tasks at hand. Having a happy team means more productivity and retention for employees.

If you are unsure of where to start or have questions about the process, technology or goals that technology will help you achieve, schedule a strategy session with one of NexusTek’s technology experts. Click on the “Contact Us” link below and one of our strategic advisors will reach out.

Share On Social

Your 2020 IT Budget is More Than a Dollar Amount

Your 2020 IT Budget either has its number solidified or you are in the final stages of approval. The challenge with your 2020 IT budget is less about the actual number assigned but rather about the projects and maintenance required to ensure your business either continues normal operations or enhances operations to achieve growth.

First and foremost, your expectations should be defined to ensure you are using your IT budget at an optimal level. If your expectations are to get a new server and keep your operating systems up-to-date, then you are missing the mark. Your expectations should directly align with your 2020 strategic goals. For example, rather than an expectation of getting a new server your expectation should align with the “why” behind getting a new server and what will that upgrade will do for your business and your IT Infrastructure? Keeping your goals front-of-mind throughout your decision-making process is imperative. It makes it more about technology improving basic business processes and procedures rather than just another component of technology.

From what we have experienced through years of helping businesses with their IT infrastructure, here are some areas that should be “non-negotiables” for your IT budget.

Help Desk & NOC Services:
Your business should be able to utilize its IT support at any time. The importance of having a help desk is immeasurable when faced with an outage or emergency, or even a password reset. When something happens and you need support, you need the backing of a team. Relying on a one–person or small team to support your entire network is a business risk with potential financial ramifications if downtime is accrued. You employees should have a team of tech professionals at their disposals if the need to contact them should arise. This should be the case regardless of disaster, weather, or regional peril.
Cybersecurity Assessment:
As we saw in 2019, cyber criminals are developing more and more ways to infiltrate networks and commit sometimes business-ending situations. Ransomware is at an all-time high and there seems to be no end in sight. It is imperative to know what or who is in your IT infrastructure. A true cybersecurity assessment will detail any holes in your environment and can discover vulnerabilities.
Be proactive by securing your network and ensuring you have a partner in keeping your business protected. At NexusTek, we proactively monitor our clients’ networks 24/7/365. Protecting your business and data should be at the top of your priority list when it comes to budgeting. For more information on how you can ensure a high-level of security, contact us at the link below.
Business Continuity:
In the event of an emergency like a natural disaster or cybersecurity attack, your business needs to be able to continue with daily operations. Having your data backed up to the cloud with the option to spin up a replicated instance of vital systems will heavily reduce downtime when faced with an emergency. Let’s face the fact that life happens and downtime will occur in one shape or another.
Patch Management:
Ensuring that operating systems are running at the correct speeds and as efficiently as possible is another area that should not be overlooked. Software patches keep systems compatible with other technologies and ensure that all components of your IT infrastructure are communicating effectively. In addition, the patches that companies like Microsoft employ are vital in maintaining the security of your network. Have a specific rollout plan assigned to your tracked assets is a “meets minimum” requirement. If any server, laptop, firewall, switch or any other device is not properly patched, your IT team should know about it in real-time to address that vulnerability.
Productivity by Moving to The Cloud:
Is your business using technology to improve your bottom line and overall productivity on a daily basis? If not, there should be room in the budget for 2020. Ensuring that your business can be accessed from remote locations and is backed up to the cloud provides optimal productivity. From private cloud to public cloud, NexusTek has solutions for all cloud needs. For most businesses, migrating a physical server (more often it is a legion of servers) to the cloud is one of the most cost-efficient and scalable IT upgrade your business can employ. By creating a predictable cost-model to host all your applications while removing the need to maintain physical hardware is a question of “when” rather than “if.” At NexusTek, our account managers are always looking out for ways to make our clients’ daily processes more effective.

NexusTek helps clients with developing a technology plan that goes along with projected budgets. For more information on how to improve and secure your business in 2020 with the use of technology, Contact Us!

Share On Social

How Technology Can Provide Positive Impact During Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A)

READ TIME: 2 MIN

December 20, 2019

How Technology Can Provide Positive Impact During Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A)

Most businesses have a hyper-focus on either (or both) organic growth or inorganic growth. Specifically regarding inorganic growth, the impact of a merger or acquisition on a company and its employees can have some challenges, but having the foresight to involve your IT Provider during due diligence (if possible) will place your business in the best position once the deal is signed.

Identifying the difference between available technology and compatible technology can have a dynamic impact on the success of any M&A deal. Whether we are talking about fully integrating a brand or leaving the brand as a subsidiary, the goal should ultimately be to transform the existing technology into a scalable revenue generating machine that will positively impact every department. The evaluation of either sunsetting or adopting legacy systems and programs will be a vital strategic initiative involving key internal stakeholders as well as your trusted IT provider. In addition, M&A often serves as a great opportunity to upgrade existing systems as a needed integration into a legacy system or program may naturally spur a migration in a more efficient system or program. While there are many factors to consider in determining a move-forward strategy when integrating 2 or more companies, the opportunity to start the discussion of either integrating or upgrading your technology footprint is optimal during a merger or acquisition.

An added component of concern is the state of your cybersecurity once you merge/acquire said business. A thorough cybersecurity assessment will be necessary to mitigate the risk of exposure. There is no question that when a business publicizes an M&A transaction, more attention in the media and by cyber criminals will be on that company. If not handled properly, cybersecurity vulnerabilities could become a major concern. Ensuring that your combined companies are protected from cyber threats is just as vital as ensuring that your EBITDA targets are met. In these situations, involving your managed service provider is both crucial and necessary to accomplishing all future-state IT goals.

Below are a few summarized takeaways to consider:

Analyze applicable systems and programs for potential integration or upgrade
Enlist your IT partner, NexusTek, during the planning and integration period
Take this opportunity to consider modernizing your technology suite
Complete a cybersecurity assessment and take the necessary measures to secure your network to mitigate cybersecurity vulnerabilities
Ensure that your critical data is backed up and there is a business continuity plan in place in case of a natural disaster or cyberattack

While it is important to focus on business continuity when combining technology infrastructures, always keep the efficiency and productivity of your daily business operations front of mind.

Share On Social

Holiday Office Party Mishap Prevention in Memes

READ TIME: 3 MIN

December 18, 2019

Holiday Office Party Mishap Prevention in Memes

Office holiday parties and the celebratory time of year brings joy, laughter, and of course- office party mishaps. From spilling refreshments on keyboards to the hundreds of emails that flood inboxes, we are here to make the best of the holiday season. And let’s be honest, sometimes a meme can say more than a paragraph. Here are a few memes that make us laugh out loud with their relevancy.

Accidents happen, So, this is a friendly reminder from your friends at NexusTek to avoid spilling eggnog, soda, or really- anything other than wisdom on your devices. But, if you do, remember that NexusTek doesn’t only offer Managed IT Services, we can also replace your hardware if needed!

We’ve all been there. You are out of the office for a week and come back to 4,397 emails. Remember that hackers are lurking during the holidays. Do not open emails unless you know the sender and are sure that it is not a phishing email. Remember to look at the actual sender’s address. Hackers can make an email appear from someone who you know.

In case you missed it, you still have a couple weeks to upgrade equipment and purchase new hardware and software using Section 179. Read More or watch our on-demand webinar. This will expire at the end of the year, so act quickly.

The holidays are a time to enjoy time with your friends and family. Stressing about your business and the security of it should be out of mind during this time. If you are not certain that your data is backed up in the cloud or elsewhere, please Contact Us we’d love to help!

Having a managed service provider is imperative to the wellness of your daily business operations. At NexusTek, we want our clients to be able to focus on what they do best and leave the technology to us. Learn More about our managed services offerings!

Regardless if you can relate to all or one of these memes, we want to hear from you about your technology and business needs.

Share On Social

Be Ahead of Your Competitors by Using Technology

READ TIME: 2 MIN

December 11, 2019

Be Ahead of Your Competitors by Using Technology

What determines the top businesses in a field? Whether it is by votes or qualifications, most businesses strive to be among the best in their industry. One thing that is often overlooked is the way that technology can be used to ensure business continuity as well as optimal efficiency in the workplace.

Running a business in an ever-changing world of technology presents itself with many opportunities to grow and be more efficient within the workplace. With so many options available, it is important to know the features, advantages and benefits of the tools that will provide the most ease of running day-to-day operations.

Data Backup: Your company’s data is its lifeline. Having your data in the cloud or in a backup device assures your business’ continuity in the case of a natural disaster or human error mishap. At NexusTek, we can spin a backup environment for our clients’ data within a short period of time – in literal “seconds.” If you are without a backup and disaster recovery plan, reach out to NexusTek today for more information.
Cybersecurity: The level of cyberattacks that can be created and imposed on a company are becoming increasingly worse by the sophistication of cybercriminals around the world as well as the vulnerable state businesses leave themselves in. Between ransomware, malware, and overall security issues, having a provider that can expertly provide cybersecurity services is a must. Is your business protected? Connect with us at the link below if you consider the security of your business important. Many business owners and senior leadership fail to recognize the potential business detriment when their network is exposed and vulnerable.
VoIP: Did you know that nearly 71 percent of businesses are using analog telephone systems? Voice over IP (VoIP) is an efficient way to maximize productivity in business while saving on cost. With our many VoIP offerings, we can find a customized phone solution for you. Some of the features include call recording, video conferencing, voicemail transcription and service mobility. More businesses today are streamlining costs by going with mobile workforces and ensuring productivity simultaneously. To take part in the mobile workforce movement, one only needs to be partnered with the right IT service provider.

So many options, so little time, right? Hiring an expert in technology is helpful when making decisions for utilization of technology in a business. Our team of consultants are well-versed in working within your budget constraints while creating a solution that will propel your business’ efficiency. Hiring a managed service provider allows you to have customized solutions for your business.

Have you optimized the technology in your business lately?
If not, contact NexusTek to find out how technology can make your daily operations more seamless and productive.

Share On Social

Has Your IT Provider Been Naughty or Nice This Year?

READ TIME: 2 MIN

December 4, 2019

Has Your IT Provider Been Naughty or Nice This Year?

With Christmas around the corner, take the time to ask yourself how your IT provider did this year and the impact they had on your business. Hopefully your provider deserves what they want for Christmas, but unfortunately some will deserve a lump of coal. Here are a few questions to ask:

Does your IT company value continuing education for their technicians? A good technology company will ensure that technicians are trained on the latest and greatest software, hardware and applications to keep your business running smoothly. Technology is constantly evolving and so should your provider’s skillset and knowledge.
Where is their help desk located (domestically or internationally) and do they answer phones live? Speaking to a live person is important when needing urgent assistance or to speak with an IT Consultant. In a world where technology is replacing human interaction, we at NexusTek value the interpersonal relationship between our clients and team members.
Do you have more than one point of contact? Having a reputable IT company means you can contact them at any time, no matter who is on vacation or taking a sick day – your issue can get immediate attention. NexusTek provides clients with an Account Manager as well as access to a full staff of technicians and other support members.
Are expectations set and maintained? Issues with your infrastructure will undoubtedly arise and should be met with a sense of urgency. It is imperative that your agreement with your service provider sets and meets the expectation.
In the event of a natural disaster at their location, does your IT provider have domestic redundancy? Uptime is a direct measurable when thinking about how your IT provider is performing. Your infrastructure should not suffer when a peril strikes and your IT provider should have measures in place to maintain continuity.
Is your monthly IT spend determined on an hourly basis or a fixed rate? As an IT provider, NexusTek makes clients’ our top priority. Whether the problem takes one minute or one day, a fixed monthly managed services plan ensures that you will not be charged on an hourly basis for routine network or maintenance issues.
Has your IT company presented you with the opportunity to reduce costs by migrating to a cloud environment? Did you know that your business can be operated in the cloud with no on-premise servers at a fraction of the cost? Not only does this mean little to no down time in the event of an emergency, but it also means additional conveniences are available such as remote employees, working from home, etc.

Once you have answered these questions, you should be able to determine
if your provider should be considered naughty or nice.

Feel free to reach out to NexusTek for assistance
if your provider is on the naughty list this year.

Share On Social

How Azure is Improving Business Worldwide

READ TIME: 3 MIN

November 26, 2019

How Azure is Improving Business Worldwide

Your company’s data is a ticket to its success. Immediate access as well as protecting and securing that data is at the top of the priority list. NexusTek’s Microsoft Gold status and being a Microsoft Azure certified partner ensures that you have a technology partner that can handle your data in a responsible fashion.

According to a Microsoft SMB Study, 78% of small businesses will have adapted cloud computing by 2020.[1]

What is Azure?

Azure is a cloud computing service, developed by Microsoft, which allows your business to access your data, documents, and applications from anywhere. This in turn enables conveniences such as work-from-anywhere, data mobility, etc.

What are the primary benefits of using Azure?

Security, reliability, scalability, cost, and flexibility are all benefits of using Azure as your cloud platform.

Hosting your company’s data in the cloud significantly reduces the risks of natural peril, theft or physical damage to servers.

Where is Azure available?

Microsoft Azure has datacenters globally. There is a total of six centers across three continents. The reach provided allows companies to cut cost and time while achieving goals and keeping business continuity at the front of mind. This means that from anywhere, you can access your files and applications via an internet connection.

What does this mean for my business?

At NexusTek, we take pride in using the industry’s best tools and measures when taking care of your company’s IT infrastructure. You can rest assured knowing that your business is backed by the best practices, policies and tools. When it comes to cloud migrations, we work extensively to provide a seamless transition in migrating your company’s infrastructure.

What size businesses benefit most from Azure?

From a ten-employee location to a large business, Azure caters to companies of all sizes.

Small businesses have the ability to adjust on the fly as needed. Deploying a web app or virtual machine can happen in seconds with the ability to scale with point-and-click simplicity. All while managing your IT budget efficiently and predictably.

Medium-sized businesses will also reap the benefits listed above. In addition, as their businesses continue to growth and become increasingly nimble, Microsoft Azure will seamlessly scale to meet all their cloud computing needs. Whether the need is to match the growth of your overall business or the increasing number of employees that require the need to work remote, Azure will adapt and expand to meet your business needs.

How do I find out more about Azure?

If you are interested in finding out more about Azure and how it can benefit your infrastructure,
contact your NexusTek Account Manager or email us!

[1] https://biztechmagazine.com/article/2018/12/how-cloud-can-help-future-proof-your-small-business

Share On Social

How To Guarantee Expense Deductions By The End of 2019

READ TIME: 2 MIN

November 25, 2019

How To Guarantee Expense Deductions By The End of 2019

In 2019, the Section 179 Tax Deduction allows small businesses to write off up to one million dollars from equipment purchased during 2019. This includes, but is not limited to:

Servers
Desktops/ Laptops
Software considered “off the shelf”
Phone systems and equipment

Does My Business Qualify?

Ask yourself the following questions:

Did your business purchase or lease technology equipment or software (totaling less than $3,500,000) during the 2019 tax year?
Does the equipment purchased meet the qualifications listed on section179.org?
Was the equipment purchased and put into service between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019?

Why Upgrade Your Equipment in the Next Month?

Technology is a critical part of businesses in today’s economy. With state-of-the-art technology available to you through NexusTek business should be running as efficiently and effectively as possible and ensuring optimal productivity. Some of the benefits of upgrading software and hardware include the following:

Security Enhancements
Lower Maintenance Costs
Workforce Empowerment
More Storage Capacity
Better & Faster Performance

“This is a game-changer, and some of our clients are already reaping the rewards. At the end of the day, re-investing in your technology infrastructure is what’s really going to help you grow your business. Small business owners on the edge of the income limit can now re-invest in the tools their team needs to reach their full potential. From content management software and cloud computing, to firewalls and data back-ups, the new Section 179 has finally given SMBs the excuse they need to take that first step in their digital transformation.” – Randy Nieves, CTO at NexusTek

What Next?

NexusTek has experts that will guide you through the tools and equipment that could provide more efficiency and productivity for your business. We stay up-to-date on promotions offered by manufacturers and share the benefit of the knowledge and savings with you. Let us modernize your business and technology while your business receives an expense deduction by the end of 2019.

Watch our On-Demand Webinar

Contact NexusTek

Share On Social

5 Tips for Failure-Proofing Your Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plans

READ TIME: 4 MIN

November 11, 2019

5 Tips for Failure-Proofing Your Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plans

In a day and age where IT downtime costs $20,000 an hour, SMBs can’t afford to leave disaster recovery planning to chance.

Recently, we talked about various threats SMBs face — from natural disasters and cyberthreats to day-to-day hardware failures. We also showed how most disasters strike when we least expect them, and for the unprepared business, downtime costs can range from $20,000 per hour to total business loss.

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you don’t want to be like the more than 75 percent of small businesses that have no disaster plan in place. And you don’t want to be like the 71 percent of companies that don’t back up data from SaaS environments like Salesforce or Microsoft Office 365.

Here are some best practices you should follow as you develop your business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) strategy:

#1: Avoid Cost-Per-Gigabyte Backup Plans

In the past, backing up data to an offsite private data center or the cloud was primarily sold by the gigabyte with price reductions given once specific thresholds were met (e.g., a 10 percent cost-per-gigabyte [CPG] reduction after reaching 100 GB level). These data plans make it difficult to predict your monthly expenses because it’s impossible to predict how much your data needs are going to grow. Once you’re locked into one of these programs, it can be challenging to migrate to another plan. Plus, CPG plans often lead to compromises such as backing up only what’s deemed “mission-critical data” to reduce costs. Avoid this complexity and choose a modern, fixed-rate plan with a more predictable cost structure.

#2: Don’t Use Consumer-Grade Backup Software

There are lots of choices when it comes to selecting backup software, and several pitfalls you’ll need to avoid. One of the primary pitfalls we see is SMBs using consumer-grade backup software, such as the free offerings that come with Windows and Apple computers. These apps offer limited features and functionality. For example, they’re not managed, so that even if the backups work correctly early on, events such as software updates and system patches can cause backups to stop working without warning.

With a managed BCDR solution, on the other hand, users’ computers and servers can be viewed from a web-based portal. If a backup fails, an automated alert lets you know right away, and in many cases, the problem can be fixed remotely.

#3: Identify Your RTO and RCO Needs

Another critical BCDR selection consideration is how quickly it can recover data. To determine how fast you need it to recover your data, start with the following key metrics:

Recovery Time Objective (RTO): RTO is how much time an application can be down without significantly harming your business. For example, a small plumbing company could get by with paperwork orders and invoicing for a week or more. An online retailer that does a high order volume, on the other hand, might only be able to withstand an hour of downtime. More than the time duration between data loss and recovery, RTO also defines what IT must do to restore the application and its data.
Recovery Point Objective (RPO): How much time is acceptable to lose data before significantly damaging the business? A shorter RPO is vital for customer-facing applications. The RPO number decides how frequently data backup sets should be performed.

#4: Don’t Wait For Disasters To Validate Your Data Recovery Strategy

Even if you’re using a managed BCDR solution that confirms each successful backup, there’s one more step you should take to avoid getting burned by a “false positive.” Validate your recovery plan regularly. With legacy backup and recovery apps, this step was cost-prohibitive and time-consuming for testing large (e.g., 1 TB or more) data sets. However, some of today’s BCDR solutions support virtualization, which enables you to perform a virtual machine (VM) restore in a fraction of the time it takes to complete a physical image recovery. Additionally, you can perform the recovery in an environment that’s dissimilar to the production environment, which eliminates the necessity of building duplicate servers and drivers before beginning the restore process. What’s also attractive about performing a VM restore is that it can be performed without disrupting your production environment and with minimal effort.

#5: Work with a Professional DRaaS Provider

If any of the points outlined earlier felt a bit overwhelming to implement, remember this: you don’t need to figure this out on your own. And, it’s probably not a good idea to try. Working with a disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) provider like NexusTek is more likely the more economical and less risky option.

NexusTek Cloud Services offer the flexibility, visibility, and control businesses need to be agile and can address your company’s unique cybersecurity, business continuity, compliance and auditing requirements in cloud, hybrid or on-premise environments.

With our disaster recovery and backup services, your business never misses a beat. Leveraging award-winning tools like Veeam Backup for Microsoft Office 365, we can help eliminate the risk of losing access and control over your Office 365 data including Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business, ensuring your data is always available and protected.

With our DRaaS offering, your data is backed up continuously and immediately retrievable in the event of a disaster.

Eventually, you’re going to face a situation that requires data to be restored from a backup, whether it’s a single file that was deleted by accident or an entire network of files encrypted by a ransomware virus. Whether the recovery is a success or a flop will depend on the quality of your BCDR technology, and the competence of those responsible for using it. When you partner with a DRaaS provider like NexusTek, you can rest assured that we have you covered on both fronts.

5 Tips to Prioritizing IT Projects

Share On Social

Top 6 Questions to Ask About Outsourcing Your IT

Share On Social

Your 2020 IT Budget is More Than a Dollar Amount

Share On Social

How Technology Can Provide Positive Impact During Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A)

Share On Social

Holiday Office Party Mishap Prevention in Memes

Regardless if you can relate to all or one of these memes, we want to hear from you about your technology and business needs.

Share On Social

Be Ahead of Your Competitors by Using Technology

Have you optimized the technology in your business lately?If not, contact NexusTek to find out how technology can make your daily operations more seamless and productive.

Share On Social

Has Your IT Provider Been Naughty or Nice This Year?

Feel free to reach out to NexusTek for assistanceif your provider is on the naughty list this year.

Share On Social

How Azure is Improving Business Worldwide

How do I find out more about Azure?

Share On Social

How To Guarantee Expense Deductions By The End of 2019

Does My Business Qualify?

Why Upgrade Your Equipment in the Next Month?

What Next?

Watch our On-Demand Webinar

Contact NexusTek

Share On Social

5 Tips for Failure-Proofing Your Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plans

In a day and age where IT downtime costs $20,000 an hour, SMBs can’t afford to leave disaster recovery planning to chance.

#1: Avoid Cost-Per-Gigabyte Backup Plans

#2: Don’t Use Consumer-Grade Backup Software

#3: Identify Your RTO and RCO Needs

#4: Don’t Wait For Disasters To Validate Your Data Recovery Strategy

#5: Work with a Professional DRaaS Provider

Share On Social

Have you optimized the technology in your business lately?
If not, contact NexusTek to find out how technology can make your daily operations more seamless and productive.

Feel free to reach out to NexusTek for assistance
if your provider is on the naughty list this year.