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Ask yourself a few questions:

1. Does your company wait days for your one man IT cowboy to ride into the office and save the day?

2. Have you verified your customer data is recoverable should your server(s) fail?

3. Is your bookkeeper also the point person when a computer dies?

4. Are you buying white box equipment from the web because your IT person doesn’t sell equipment?

5. You like your IT company, but don’t understand what you’re paying for.

If you answered yes to any of the above, you’re not doing your business any favors when it comes to managing your technology. Take a few minutes in 2010 to research how companies are saving money and time by outsourcing their IT support to a managed services organization.

Corporate Technologies is hosting a webinar in January to discuss how forward thinking businesses are handling IT support and managing technology costs. Visit www.gocorptech.com/evite/ta/ and learn more about how your company would benefit from a managed services solution.

Dan Rosedahl, General Manager - Corporate Technologies LLC

Posted by: Dan Rosedahl, Corporate Technologies General Manager

Someone across the globe right now wants to peek under the hood of your network, or more likely they would like to use your computers and servers as a delivery conduit for SPAM and Virus emails.  Stop the majority of these threats at the door is the goal. Take the time to review our 5 point checklist for Small Business Security:

1)      Utilize a hosted SPAM filtering solution. Stopping thousands of SPAM emails before they get to your in-box.

2)      Anti-Virus Software on every computer and server is a must. Work with a provider that can monitor and manage this remotely for you.

3)      Install a business class internet firewall or edge device. This may include an all-in-one device that can provide security and secure remote access.

4)      Update your operating systems. Microsoft recently reported the infection rate of computers using Windows Vista is 60% lower than previous versions.

5)      Educate your employees about safe computing. 

Navigating the ocean of threats is easier when you have a trusted advisor to lead the way. By working with a seasoned Managed IT Service Provider you should be able to significantly reduce your risk and help your business stay safe.

Dan Rosedahl, General Manager - Corporate Technologies LLC

Posted by: Sean Desvousges, Sales Manager, Minneapolis

Most business owners tell me “I don’t budget for IT support” or “It depends…some months I spend $0 and some months it’s $2,000.”  Reactive, pay-as-you-go support leads to missed maintenance and updates, unpredictable downtime, non-technical employees fiddling with IT, and erratic unforeseen month-to-month expenditures.  If your business is currently in reactive IT support mode you will probably agree it’s almost impossible to budget for.

The better alternative is a fixed-price package including all routine maintenance, all updates and patches, constant 24/7 monitoring, unlimited helpdesk, and regular on-site hours  – all accomplished by trained professionals with the latest technical expertise and tools.  Benefits of proactive managed support include reduced cost and downtime, increased productivity, and ability to predict one’s budget.

Smart business owners know their IT support budget.  It’s steady, reasonable, and lets them focus on running their business.

Sean Desvousges, Sales Manager - Corporate Technologies LLC, Minneapolis

Ask any business owner what they need to mitigate risk and overcome unforeseen challenges and they usually rattle off their go-to partners: a trusted lawyer, accountant, banker, and probably a good insurance agent as well. What key ingredient are they typically missing in that mix? An IT partner with the expertise to advise the business owner before disaster strikes. 

We’ve witnessed the disruption and pain for clients when faced with damaged equipment, even an entire office carted off by thieves. We recommend as a starting point for all our clients a technology and cost agnostic “3-2-1” strategy.

3.  Have a minimum of 3 copies of your business critical data: The primary data itself, the main restoral backup copy, and a third disaster or archival copy.

2.  Keep those copies at 2 locations:  Your office counts as the first location. Get the second location as far away and secure as possible or consider an online backup solution.

1.  Have 1 written plan in place:  Craft a detailed action plan so you know how to respond in a time of panic. 

How much you spend up front and what technology you use to accomplish your desired results will vary by risk tolerance and budget, but start here to insure your business won’t be one of the 90% that ultimately closes its doors after a significant data loss.

Dan Rosedahl, General Manager - Corporate Technologies LLC

by Mary Bradford, Carrie Oster, and Ben Bassett, Account Managers in Minneapolis

Who are You Going to Call ?
The Technology Advantage® Help Desk receives thousands of calls per month and resolves 80% of issues within a few minutes;  1-800-543-5728.

Problems needing a site visit go to our Client Support hotline, 1-866-363-GoCT (4628).

But a BUSINESS LEADER’s best phone friend at Corporate Technologies is his or her account manager.  Here are three things your account manager can do for you.

1. Trusted Advisor / Main Point of Contact
The account manager is the business leader’s “go to” person at Corporate Technologies for any concern.  Need clarification on your monthly network report? Have a billing question?  Ask your A.M.

The account manager knows you personally and your computer network.  Think of him or her as a family physician for your IT.  They have training and experience to keep your technical operations contributing optimally to your bottom line.   

2. Quarterly Business Review – healthy business checkup
As part of the Technology Advantage package your account manager will sit down with you every three months for a detailed review of known issues, progress, and recommendations for your IT environment.  This is an invaluable aid in keeping your business on its optimal long term track.

3. Find the Right Deal on New Hardware and Software
To insure new equipment and programs match your existing system and your long term strategy consult your account manager. 

Your account manager is here to help.  Give them a call today.

Minneapolis Account Managers: Mary Bradford, Ben Bassett, and Carrie Oster

Welcome to America’s top managed services helpdesk … where subscribers call as often as they want.  

On a recent visit to Corporate Technologies “Helpdesk Central” I saw 12 Tier One specialists resolving 9 out of 10 calls on the spot, 3 Tier Two super sleuths for tougher problems, and 4 “alert-technicians” monitoring client networks in real time and resolving problems often before customers even know they have a problem. 

Skills here match a Fortune 500 company’s internal helpdesk.  These guys have seen almost everything before and resolve even tough issues efficiently.  But most importantly, callers sense a different attitude.  At Corporate Technologies callers are NOT fellow employees to work with but CUSTOMERS to serve.  Customers get MORE patience, MORE respect, and BETTER all-around service. 

Unusual customer questions:  Besides computer questions they’re frequently asked “How come you speak English so well?”  The answer is they’re Americans working in Minneapolis.  This leads to the next unusual question, often asked by California customers: “How cold is it there?”  For some reason this question comes up all 12 months of the year. 

Hobbies:  The most common hobby is home computing with an average of four home computers per employee!  No kidding.  These guys talk computers all day and then go home and play with their home networks. 

Call flow:  Mondays are the busiest and Fridays the least busy.  The Thursday before the Fourth of July three day weekend was very slow.  But on Monday they’ll be hammered again.  Use this information to your advantage when you call. 

What’s next?  Maybe a “Helpdesk Guys Calendar” to help put a face with the voice. 

 

Birds Eye View of the CT Help Desk

 

Corporate Technologies' Help Desk

‘Cloud’ Computing

By: Dan Menken, Corporate Technologies Business Development Manager

One of the hottest terms in current computer-speak is “the cloud” – used especially to hype products to the hip.  “You ought to buy this service because it’s in the cloud.”

A service “in the cloud” means simply a service done over the Internet.  The metaphor comes from doodles of a computer attached to a squiggly cloud representing the outside world.  The cloud is seductive because it simplifies “outside complexity.”  The implied message is “Just connect to the cloud and you’re in business.”  “It’s all taken care of.”  “It’s magic.” 

Of course, outside complexity must be taken care of by someone and you usually pay a price – measured in dollars, security, speed, trust, convenience, and control.  The prudent user must decide when it’s worth it. 

Some cloud services are familiar.  Google and Yahoo search engines are in the cloud, as are street address mapping services.  We all use them.  On the other hand, it’s possible to put any computer function into “the cloud.”  Do you want word processing done over the Internet?  Do you want to keep company documents far from your office where it takes time to retrieve them and they’re controlled by someone else?  It’s like the old debate between dumb terminals attached to central mainframes versus today’s standard PCs connected to other PCs.  The central mainframe was “a cloud” we abandoned.  Internet cloud computing is not best for every purpose. 

Corporate Technologies’ main Technology Advantage product is a cloud service.  It can monitor, upgrade, and repair a client’s system over the Internet.  It’s cheap, fast, and effective.

We offer two additional cloud products. 

•             “Protect” is our offsite backup service.  It makes sense to backup data offsite.

•             “mailMAX” is our SPAM and virus filtering service for email.  Again, it makes sense to screen email away from your local network and the possibility of infecting it. 

Contact your Corporate Technologies Account Manager for advice on these and other cloud services. 

About the Blogger

Dan is a Business Development Manager at Corporate Technologies. 

He has a PhD from Harvard University, is an amateur musician and coaches chess club at his kids’ elementary school.  

While Dan is a very grounded individual, he is also able to work within the “clouds” to help our clients solve a variety of business challenges.

Have you heard about Technology Advantage? Check out this great video to learn more:

Welcome to Corporate Technologies new website and thank you for visiting our blog.