Can Mid-Market Businesses be benefitted from Bimodal IT Success via Managed Services?

IT experts are bustling about understanding the newly invented term by Gartner “bimodal IT”. It is a technique of delivering services in a way that allow the IT teams to rip their emphasis into two distinct, clear and logical models that are stability and agility. The second one involves day to day IT operations that are vital and meant for the security and reliability for an IT environment related to an organisation. The previous one is focused on innovation to let the IT teams to research and identify the new techniques of utilising the technology in order to meet the rapid changing demands of the business.

As per the information provided by the Gartner, around 45 percent of the CIOs use bimodal IT service management strategies and this percentage can increase to 75 percent by 2017 where the companies will execute the bimodal IT strategies.

Bimodal IT and Managed Services

It has been observed that some companies prefer to outsource essential IT functions like helpdesk so to let the IT group to play an all-inclusive role in the business. There is no doubt that the nature of IT sourcing has changed. Gartner is of the view that smaller IT suppliers will be capable enough to respond to the demands quickly and providing faster solutions by using the cloud capabilities.

Image Credit - IT-Regie

Outsourcing the IT functions to managed services provider enable the internal staff to invest time in IT innovation so to assist the business in remaining active and responsive in the competitive marketplace. In order to have a successful relationship with the IT managed service provider so that the business’s future progress does not detract, the companies should ask the following questions from the managed services provider:

Do MSPs Can Assist in Current and Future IT Needs?

Managed service providers must have experience of providing assistance in the particular functions that are going to be outsourced. For instance, if the services are being offered in the helpdesk, then IT support services provider should have engineers that are capable enough to repair equipment including new technologies.

To What Extent, the Support Can Be Offered?

We know that IT issues can disrupt the IT teams from new projects, so the companies should contract with the MSPs as to how much they will promise to resolve the IT issues. Usually, MSPs provide varying degrees of assistance, like 24/7, remote or on-site support. In the case, if a package in terms of budget and support coverage do not meet the needs of an organisation, the companies can ask for the customised solutions.

Source: http://www.itproportal.com/2016/02/02/can-managed-services-be-the-key-to-bimodal-it-success-for-mid-market-businesses/

How to Make Project Management Effective

When we decide about getting into the field of project management, we must first think whether we would be appropriate for a specific position or not. While talking about the life cycle involved in the business processing, project management always plays a fundamental role. In order to make every project a successful one, there is a need to understand the basics of it. Appropriate knowledge with proper tools and enhanced features always makes the processing of the project and program management effective and useful.

How to Keep the Customers Contented

Keeping the clients happy is the basic aim of every business. No doubt that a huge number of projects may let the companies feel as if they have achieved their goals, but work overloading can be proved disastrous for them too. A practical approach needs to be adopted so that things can work out in an appropriate manner. With effective management solutions, the companies can enhance the business image and gain a good reputation among the customers.

The providers offering the project and program management services have expertise and knowledge in their field as how to achieve the business goals. If you really want to make the project managing process effective, you need to understand the basic points like:

• What are the basic requirements of the project management? Which technology must be used by the project management services provider that are based in the UK?
• Avoid making mistakes in the project because a single minor error can ruin the project.
• Focus on team work because coordination always leads to efficiency and effectiveness.
• Emphasise on friendly and easy to understand communication with the clients so to comprehend the essential needs of the customers and the business.

To plan for the effective project management, scheduling the tasks with the use of appropriate tools and resources are necessary so that everything can run smoothly.

Why Managed Security Services & Your Provider Matter, Especially in the Cloud

Written By Michael Marrochello

We have all seen the news reports over the past year of troubling retail data hacks. Unfortunately, the list of data breaches shows no sign of abating. These retailers were PCI compliant and had the best tools in place, tools that monitor a network for suspicious behavioral patterns and zero day threats.

So what went wrong? How does a company get breached if they have the best monitoring tools in the industry and are PCI compliant?

 The short answer: by not recognizing and acting on security issues before they become full blown attacks or breaches. Case in point: one retailer stated that all of the alarms on the devices were working properly, but their security personnel chose to ignore them. Even companies that deploy the best security technologies need to work with a Managed Security Services (MSS) provider.

 In addition to providing state of the art device monitoring and management, Managed Security Service providers offer 24/7 monitoring. When alarms go off, globally located security analysts are ready to respond and work with whomever they have to within the organization to address the issue fast. Managed Security Service providers regularly “ping” devices connected to the company’s network to make sure they are still “alive” and haven’t been shut-down by hackers.

 When evaluating Managed Security Service providers ask about their process and security approach. Every provider should have some variation of the following three-tiered approach. The first tier involves the security devices within your facility (firewalls, etc.). Information gathered by these devices should be captured and constantly analyzed for anomalies and potential threats. That analysis should be conducted in a security management center or security operations location. Additionally, the Managed Security Service provider should compare the data gathered from the client with its own threat library to see if it matches any breach patterns, etc. This is the second tier in the security pyramid. Finally, the Managed Security Service provider’s analysts are the third tier of defense against bad actors. Gathering, analyzing and comparing threat data is only as effective as the experts doing the work. Having a trained, dedicated, experienced staff managing a company’s security could be the difference between success and failure in stopping a data breach.

 Cloud based security offers a means of protection that is closer to the source instead of the destination without the large capital equipment costs. According to the Verizon 2014 Data Breach Investigations Report retailers main area of vulnerability was the point of sales (POS) system. Isolating these POS systems and not allowing the users to browse the Internet can assist in protecting them. However, in the overall realm of protection the threat landscape has changed from targeting servers to targeting the end user device. Users bring their tablets, laptops, and smart devices home and often times without protection from browsing the Internet. Using cloud-based Security as a Service (SaaS) for URL Filtering will extend the perimeter to protect these end user devices. Advanced threats are persistent and targeted. Using a cloud-based solution to detect these attacks closer to the source is also a recommendation. This also includes Denial of Service (DOS) protection and mitigation. If the attack has made it to its destination before being detected it is more likely that some mitigation methods will initially fail. Using a cloud-based DOS Defense service closer to the source will prove to be beneficial in mitigating these attacks.

 It makes sense to use a Managed Security Service provider. Security incidents are only going to increase and companies that are serious about security have to throw more than just devices at the problem. A Managed Security Service provider, adhering to a proven, multi-tiered approach to data security can help you mitigate business, financial and reputation damage from a data breach.

Post source : http://news.verizonenterprise.com/2014/10/managed-security-services-tiered-approach/

How to Get the Most Out of the Top IT Service Providers

How to Get the Most Out of the Top IT Service Providers In today’s technological era, there is no online business that can say that it doesn’t need the services of the IT service providers. In fact, to whatever type of business it is, everybody needs the assistance of the service providers in some way or the other. Building a stronger relationship with the service providers always gives profitable results to the companies. For smooth business operations, online companies usually focus on creating a healthier relationship with the top IT service providers. 

 We all know that technology and the domain of IT are getting more complex day by day while the IT budgets are continuously decreasing. In order to take the competitive edge in the niche, there is a need to manage good relationships with the top IT managed service providers. Here, we will discuss some points as to how you can get the best out of the managed IT service providers: 

Make Thorough Research To Find The Right Provider: You’ll definitely know what kind of business you are running, so search for the IT service provider that well matches with your business operations and its needs. Before finalizing the services of the providers, ask the question as if they can provide the services your company need and how much knowledge and experience do they have in this specific industry. 

Clearly Explain Your Requirements: Defining the requirements in a clear way is a means that you will get the right services. Before signing the contract, you need to express clearly what your requirements are. Explain what your organisation really requires and how the service providers can fulfill them. Letting the service providers know what level of services you need and expect will greatly help in avoiding the misunderstandings in the future. 

Clarify The Financial Costs: It is essential to discuss with the service provider regarding the equipment and service costs in the beginning. You must clearly define your budget so to get the appropriate services that can easily fulfill your needs in the defined budget. Maintain Good 

Communication and Keep in Touch: We all know that relationship is entirely based on communication. Good communication always builds a healthy relationship. This is the fundamental element that holds great importance while working with the IT services provider. You need to maintain a good communication level in order to ensure that all your needs are being met.