Benefits of IT Consulting Services For Small Businesses

Written by Layer One Networks Published March 18, 2024March 27, 2024

Introduction:

Do you know the IT consulting market is booming and expected to reach $72.36 billion by 2024? This growth isn’t slowing down, with projections showing it could reach an impressive $1179.67 million by 2028.

But what’s behind this surge in IT consulting services, and why are they becoming a go-to solution for small businesses? For many small business owners, managing technology can be a daunting task. Whether it’s a lack of tech knowledge or simply not having enough time, the IT side of a business can often feel overwhelming.

This is where IT consulting services step in, offering a lifeline. These services provide expert advice and practical solutions that are both effective and affordable. They help businesses navigate challenges, achieve their goals, and remain competitive in a fast-moving digital world.

By working with IT consultants, small businesses can significantly ease the burden. These experts bring their knowledge and skills to the table, allowing business owners to focus on other critical aspects of their operations. So, if you’re thinking about getting some help with your tech needs, you are on the right page.

In this article, we explore the substantial benefits of IT consulting services for a small business, illustrating how these services can empower entrepreneurs to optimize their operations and drive significant growth.

What are IT Consulting Services?

Just like the name suggests, IT Consulting Services provides expert advice and support to help businesses make the most of their technology. These services cover strategy development, IT infrastructure optimization, and implementing hardware, software, network, and security systems.

Furthermore, they present a holistic approach, enabling small to medium-sized businesses to navigate the complexities of the digital world effectively without the necessity of a large in-house IT team.

What is the Role of an IT Consultant Service Provider

The role of an IT consultant is multifaceted, focusing on leveraging technology to drive business success. Here’s a breakdown of their key responsibilities:

Technology Assessment

IT consultants thoroughly evaluate an organization’s IT infrastructure, including systems, hardware, software, and processes. This critical analysis helps identify what’s working well and what’s not, pinpointing areas ripe for improvement or upgrade. This initial step is crucial as it lays the groundwork for all future technological recommendations and strategies.

Strategic Planning

Working closely with clients, IT consultants align IT strategies with business goals. They craft a comprehensive technology roadmap that addresses immediate needs and supports long-term growth and vision. This plan ensures that every tech investment and decision propels the business forward in sync with its objectives.

Project Management

IT consultants take charge of technology projects from start to finish. This includes defining requirements, overseeing development, managing budgets, and ensuring the final solution meets the business’s needs. Whether deploying new software, upgrading hardware, or restructuring networks, consultants ensure projects are completed efficiently and effectively.

Cybersecurity and Risk Management

In an era where cyber threats loom, IT consultants are the guardians of business data. They assess security vulnerabilities and implement robust measures to protect sensitive information. This helps safeguard against cyberattacks and ensures compliance with industry regulations.

System Integration

Consultants oversee the seamless integration of new technologies into existing systems. They ensure that businesses maximize their investments in software, hardware, and cloud solutions, enhancing productivity and operational efficiency.

Training and Knowledge Transfer

To ensure businesses fully leverage new technologies, IT consultants provide training and support to staff. This empowers employees to use new systems and tools confidently, enhancing productivity and fostering a tech-savvy workplace culture.

Compliance and Regulatory Guidance

IT consultants ensure businesses comply with relevant industry standards and regulations. This is crucial for avoiding legal issues and maintaining a reputable standing in the market.

Cloud Computing and Infrastructure Solutions

As businesses increasingly move to the cloud, IT consultants help navigate this transition. They assist in selecting the right cloud solutions and managing cloud-based infrastructure, ensuring scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency.

Vendor Selection

With an in-depth understanding of the tech market, IT consultants help businesses choose the right technology vendors and solutions. This ensures that investments are aligned with the company’s needs, budget, and long-term goals.

Ready to boost your bottom line by streamlining your IT operations?

Layer One Networks, the premier IT consulting service in Corpus Christi, is here to help

Contact us now to start transforming your business!

What Are the Benefits of IT Consulting Services?

The benefits of IT consulting services are vast and can truly transform your business. These experts offer invaluable advantages, positioning themselves as essential assets for your technology-driven success.

Strategic Expertise

IT consultants are tech experts who ensure your technology matches your business goals. They create a roadmap for success by combining their extensive knowledge with your objectives. One major advantage of hiring them is their diverse team of experienced engineers. These professionals share their insights, helping to solve challenges like setting up new technology and quickly resolving issues. This collaborative environment ensures seamless integration of tailored technology solutions for your business needs.

Tailored Solutions

Consultants don’t believe in one-size-fits-all. They take the time to understand your unique requirements. By analyzing your existing systems, they craft custom solutions that fit perfectly, guaranteeing optimal efficiency.

Identifying Key Areas for Enhancement

When it comes to enhancing your business’s IT setup, IT firms bring a unique advantage. They’ve got a wealth of experience across various technical landscapes and industries. This means they’ve seen a lot and learned even more, which can be a real asset to you.

Unlike relying solely on an internal IT team with limited perspectives, managed service grants you access to a team of engineers who leverage their extensive experience to propose innovative changes that can enhance your IT infrastructure and business workflows.

The wealth of knowledge gained from working across different sectors allows IT firms to offer fresh perspectives. These insights open doors to transformative improvements that might otherwise go unnoticed, sparking innovation and driving growth within your organization.

Cost-Effective and Time-Saving

When you opt for an IT consulting firm, you avoid the financial commitments of hiring full-time staff, such as providing benefits and paid time off. This frees up resources that can be redirected towards other areas of your business. Plus, with a dependable IT partner available round-the-clock, you gain peace of mind knowing that help is always just a call away.

Minimize Disruptions

Every second counts in business and downtime can be a costly affair. It’s crucial to prioritize maximizing uptime to keep operations running smoothly. Issues like internet outages, email glitches, data corruption, or system failures can’t be ignored—they come with hefty price tags. That’s where regular IT maintenance by reliable IT services comes in handy.

Productivity Boost

Working with IT consultants means getting more done efficiently. They help automate tasks, streamline processes, and advise how to make your team work smarter.

Gain Priority Access to Vendor Support

Accessing support directly from technology manufacturers is essential for efficiently managing complex systems. Typically, these manufacturers offer limited support directly to end-users, which can often be unreliable. This lack of support can be especially frustrating for small businesses.

With the help of a reputable IT service provider, businesses can enjoy priority access to major technology vendors. This ensures that businesses receive prompt and reliable assistance whenever needed, enabling them to navigate technical challenges confidently.

Access to Flexible IT Support

Managing IT resources can become a real headache as businesses grow or need to adjust their operations. This is especially true when changes happen suddenly and unexpectedly. Sometimes, you need extra help for specific projects or to cover busy periods or vacations. Professional managed IT services providers can easily access the resources you need when you need them. This flexibility lets you adapt to changing demands without putting extra strain on your team.

Enhanced security

IT consulting firms provide data security services to improve the safety of your data. They help identify potential risks and strengthen your defenses before any problems arise. This means your sensitive information stays safe from cyber threats and breaches.

Measurable Results

Consultants focus on achieving concrete outcomes. Together, you’ll set clear goals, ensuring their efforts lead to measurable improvements you can see and track.

Accelerated Implementation of Technology and Business Processes

Having an experienced IT consultant by your side means faster implementation of new systems and applications. Their expertise and resources streamline the process, ensuring efficient project execution and quicker results.

Boost the Growth Of Your Small Business With Pro IT Consulting Services

In summary, partnering with an experienced IT consultant can significantly benefit small businesses seeking to leverage technology for competitive advantage and business growth. With their wealth of experience and expertise, IT consultants offer tailored, cost-effective solutions that address specific business needs.

At Layer One Networks, we specialize in providing comprehensive IT solutions consulting for businesses of all sizes. Our team of highly experienced consultants is dedicated to improving operations, enhancing efficiency, and reducing client costs. From networking to cloud computing services, we have the industry knowledge to ensure your business has the best technology infrastructure.

Reach out to Layer One Networks today to experience the benefits of IT consulting services that can help your small business thrive!

IT Consulting

Reasons for Outsourcing Business Continuity Plan

Written by Layer One Networks Published August 16, 2022August 16, 2022

Everyone knows that all businesses need a business continuity plan, but not everyone can spend time creating one.

The problem is that these plans require the right decisions to be made when the time arises, and this process can be difficult without the right knowledge or toolset. If you want to save yourself some of the hassle involved with creating and maintaining business continuity and IT disaster recovery plans, you should consider outsourcing your needs.

In this blog, we’ll look at everything you’ll need to know about a business continuity plan as well as the benefits of outsourcing it.

What is the Purpose of a Business Continuity Plan?

A business continuity plan (BCP) is a framework for establishing and maintaining an organization’s ability to recover from disruption. It typically includes policies, procedures, guidelines, and standards for dealing with emergencies, disasters, and other situations threatening your operations.

Business continuity planning is also called disaster recovery planning, an extension of business continuity planning. The two terms are often used interchangeably. The plan covers the actions you need to take and the resources you need to have available to continue running your business as usual in the event of a disaster.

For example, if your workplace were damaged by fire or flood, your BCP would help you decide what you need to get your systems and organization back up and running as soon as possible.

A good business continuity plan will include:

Information about the different types of risks you face, such as fire, flood, power outage, or cyberattack
Steps you will take if each risk occurs
A point of the person responsible for making decisions during an emergency
The method of communication with employees and customers
Estimating the time employees return to work after a major disruption.

When Does a Business Continuity Plan Kick In?

A business continuity plan’s goal is to ensure your company can continue running its operations after any disruption — even if the disruption lasts for several days or weeks. The plan includes procedures for dealing with emergencies, finding temporary office space and equipment for employees who might not be able to get to work, and communicating with customers and other stakeholders.

A BCP is part of an organization’s overall business risk management strategy — it’s not just about IT or technology issues. It includes plans for dealing with events such as:

Fires, floods and power outages
Human resource issues such as employee absences or illnesses
Regulatory compliance issues
Supply chain issues
Financial matters such as cash flow management
Reputation management; legal issues; media relations
Environmental concerns such as hazardous materials spill or chemical leaks
Public relations issues
Community relations issues and
Even pandemic preparedness.

Why are the Main Reasons to Develop a Business Continuity Plan?

To Protect Your Business from Disaster

A disaster can wreak havoc on your business. A fire, flood or another major incident could close your business for good if it isn’t equipped to withstand such an event. When you use business continuity services, you can protect your company from the effects of natural disasters or artificial events such as cyber-attacks and power outages.

To Minimize Business Interruption

Business continuity services like backup and disaster recovery services include an array of resources that you can use to recover quickly after an emergency strikes and minimize interruptions in service for your customers. These resources include backup facilities, disaster recovery plans and computer systems designed to withstand any failure and keep your operations running smoothly even during a crisis.

To Reduce Costs Associated with Disasters

A disaster can cost your company significant amounts of money when a disaster strikes. For example, if your data center floods and causes damage to equipment or other assets inside, it may take weeks or even months for repairs to be completed — leaving you without access to critical information needed for day-to-day operations.

IT disaster recovery services help reduce costs associated with these situations by ensuring that there’s always someone available who can step in and ensure everything runs smoothly.

Help You Meet Compliance Requirements

Many industries have compliance requirements that should be met to remain operational within those industries. For example, financial institutions must meet specific regulatory requirements to continue operating as financial institutions within their region or state jurisdictions.

With IT disaster recovery services that include compliance measures, you can ensure that your company remains compliant with all applicable laws and regulations even during a crisis.

Protecting Your Data

Data loss can be devastating for any business and can threaten your business’s very foundation. With a well-planned BC plan in place, you’ll be able to protect your data from natural disasters and other types of damage that could result in data loss.

Why Do You Need to Outsource Business Continuity Plan?

Is outsourcing business continuity important when running your own business?

Very much so. With the growing number of businesses outsourcing their services, it is no surprise that many have started looking for a reliable business continuity plan provider. This is because they want to make sure that their business will be able to continue operating even in the event of an emergency. There are many reasons why you need IT disaster recovery services and a business continuity plan:

Reduce the Time Taken for Recovery

The key benefit of outsourcing a business continuity plan is that it will reduce the time taken for recovery. When you outsource a BC plan, you can get professionals who are experts in this field and who are well-versed with all the latest tools and technologies required to make your business recover faster from any IT disaster. This means that they can offer you 24/7 support whenever a disaster strikes.

Leverage the Skills of Experienced BC Experts

When you outsource a business continuity plan, you can leverage the skills of BC experts who have expertise in handling critical incidents affecting businesses of all sizes. These experts have new ideas for improving your BC plan and making it more efficient.

You can also seek their advice on implementing cost-effective solutions that will help your business recover faster from any IT disaster. Doing so will allow you to save both time and money while ensuring that all your critical systems are protected at all times.

Save Time and Money

Business continuity planning is a complicated process and it can take up a lot of time if done if the right person doesn’t handle it.

Also, creating a plan from scratch can be very expensive, especially if you are not experienced in doing so. If you outsource the plan for IT disaster recovery services to any of the experienced IT consulting firms, it will save both time and money for your company. You do not need to hire extra people just to create this plan; instead, you can hire professionals who already have experience and know what they are doing when it comes to creating such plans for other companies.

Include Latest Technology to Fuel Fast Recovery

Business continuity plans should include technology that helps speed up recovery efforts during disasters or outages by using the latest technologies of cloud computing, remote access, etc. With a BCP outsourcing company to help, you can ensure that you have all the right tools and technologies to ensure that the system recovers as fast as possible.

The Process Involved in Business Continuity As A Service

Business impact analysis: This step involves identifying critical assets and functions, as well as their dependencies on other assets and functions. The objective is to determine how much downtime each asset or function can withstand before it becomes unusable or irreplaceable.
Identification of risks to BC plans: The data recovery and business continuity company will identify all the related risks, including those that are external and internal.
Identification of recovery strategies: The team will analyze and plan an individual recovery strategy for each risk identified during the business impact analysis step, along with recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs). An RTO is an organization’s target amount of time it expects to resume normal operations after a disruption; an RPO is an organization’s target amount of data loss that can be tolerated during a disruption before resuming normal operations.
Creation of disaster recovery documentation: This document will outline all the essential steps for recovering critical systems after a disaster hits, along with operational continuity and resilience steps.

Implement a Data Backup and Recovery Services

Business continuity planning is a vital part of strategic management in every organization. So if you have any kind of service-oriented business, then it makes sense to think about how your organization will continue even if some kind of disaster strikes.

If you’re looking for a reliable company to outsource business continuity planning, then look no more than our experts at Layer One Networks. We provide end-to-end managed IT services with a business continuity plan, including IT disaster recovery services. To discuss your need for data backup and recovery services, contact us now.

IT Consulting, Managed IT Services

Technical Support vs Managed Services: Which One is Best for Your Business?

Written by Layer One Networks Published April 30, 2022April 30, 2022

You may not give it much thought, but the IT providers you choose to support your business can significantly affect your bottom line. You’re losing money if you’re experiencing downtime due to poor support. Even worse, if you’re being overcharged for services you don’t need, that’s money that could be put to better use elsewhere in your business.

So how do you know which type of IT services provider is right for your business? Let’s examine the differences between technical support and IT-managed services.

What is Technical Support?

Technical support is a service that provides help with technology-related problems or questions. This may include troubleshooting issues, providing information, or fixing hardware issues like replacing broken parts on computers or other devices.

Technical support is a reactive model and can fix problems after they’ve already caused damage to your company. Technical support is like the traditional firefighter role for computers. When something goes wrong with your system, you call tech support and they run in to put out the flames.

It is offered to help businesses on a case-by-case basis. For example, if a computer or device malfunctions or stops working, technical support will be provided to help fix the problem. If a virus infects an entire system or individual machine, technical IT support will be offered so that the infected computer can be cleaned up and restored to its original state.

What is Managed Support?

Managed services refer to a service delivery model in which the service provider takes on full responsibility for monitoring and maintaining the customer’s infrastructure. This includes applying patches, updating software, installing new versions, and more. In most cases, this also provides access to a help desk that handles simple requests and escalates issues to more complex levels as required.

Managed services is a method of outsourcing day-to-day IT management as a strategic method for improving operations and cutting expenses. Through an IT consulting service, businesses can access resources they wouldn’t normally have access to due to budgetary or skill limitations. The company’s employees will be able to focus their attention on running the business while their provider takes care of the IT needs.

Technical Support vs Managed Services: Which One to Choose?

Technical support and managed services are two of the most common types of IT support, but they’re very different. Choosing one over the other can have a major impact on your company’s future success.

Technical support is a reactive service that responds to issues as they arise. IT managed services, on the other hand, are proactive. It anticipates possible problems and takes measures to prevent them from arising.

But which is the best for your business? Let’s find out.

When Do You Need Technical Support?

Technical support is a more generic way of describing IT services. The term can be applied to almost any aspect of IT services – from software installation and application maintenance to general troubleshooting and ongoing system management (including installing patches, updates, etc.). It can also involve other elements such as providing strategic guidance for decision-making or helping train employees on how to use new tools.

When you need regular support: Your business needs regular technical support to keep your IT infrastructure running smoothly.
When you require a highly experienced team to solve issues quickly: There are times when you encounter a particularly hard IT issue for which you need experts to handle. This is when a technical IT support team can step in and solve it for you with minimal downtime.
When you handle tech that requires specific expertise, several technologies are pretty narrow and something that many IT technicians may not be exposed to. In such times, having access to a tech support team that’s expert in your tech is useful.

When Do You Need Managed Services?

On the other hand, managed services are usually provided by a third-party company that specializes in IT solutions for businesses. If a business has a problem, they simply call on the managed services provider (MSP) to fix it rather than trying to troubleshoot it themselves or calling a technical IT support specialist.

Since IT managed services are an ongoing partnership with your IT consulting firm, they can help you in numerous ways. Let’s look at some situations when you need managed services:

If your systems aren’t properly maintained: Your IT infrastructure and systems require regular maintenance to ensure they’re running efficiently and securely. If they aren’t properly maintained, they can become slow, prone to crashing, or vulnerable to hacks and malware. A managed service provider will maintain all your systems so that you don’t have to worry about them crashing or getting hacked.
When you have outdated technology: If you are still using legacy hardware and software, you may need to consider IT managed services. With the rapid pace of technological change, you need help keeping up so that your business can stay relevant and competitive.
When you have plans for future growth: The right IT partner will help you plan for future growth. They will ensure that your current systems can handle the additional pressure of an expanding team or client base.
When you want to save on costs: While managed services do come with a monthly fee, businesses often save money in the long run because their technology is performing optimally at all times. By regularly maintaining your systems and infrastructure, small issues are fixed before they escalate into bigger problems that cost more to fix.

When Do You Need Managed Services?

Since IT managed services are an ongoing partnership with your IT consulting firm, they can help you in numerous ways. Let’s look at some situations when you need managed services:

If your systems aren’t properly maintained: Your IT infrastructure and systems require regular maintenance to ensure they’re running efficiently and securely. If they aren’t properly maintained, they can become slow, prone to crashing, or vulnerable to hacks and malware. A managed service provider will maintain all your systems so that you don’t have to worry about them crashing or getting hacked.
When you have outdated technology: If you are still using legacy hardware and software, you may need to consider IT managed services. With the rapid pace of technological change, you need help keeping up so that your business can stay relevant and competitive.
When you have plans for future growth: The right IT partner will help you plan for future growth. They will ensure that your current systems can handle the additional pressure of an expanding team or client base.
When you want to save on costs: While managed services do come with a monthly fee, businesses often save money in the long run because their technology is performing optimally at all times. By regularly maintaining your systems and infrastructure, small issues are fixed before they escalate into bigger problems that cost more to fix.

Want to hire an expert team to provide technical support or ongoing managed services? Reach out to our firm offering managed IT services in Corpus Christi to discuss your IT-related needs.

IT Consulting

Managed IT Services vs IT Consulting Services: What’s the Difference?

Written by Layer One Networks Published March 31, 2022March 31, 2022

In today’s technology-driven business world, your IT infrastructure has a significant impact on the efficiency of your operations and the productivity of your employees. As a result, many businesses now choose to outsource their IT services to third-party providers. Additionally, with the advent of cloud computing, more and more IT services are being provided remotely by these outside vendors.

However, there are several distinct forms of outsourced IT services, each providing different levels of support for handling your business’s technology needs. The two most common types are managed IT services and IT consulting services.

There are several differences between managed IT services and IT consulting services. If you are trying to decide which option is right for your business, you must understand these differences and this blog will give you the clarity to make the right choice.

The Differences Between Managed IT Services & IT Consulting Services

The Scope of Involvement

What’s the main difference between managed IT services and IT consulting?

It all comes down to how they work. An IT consulting service is a short-term relationship that helps you solve a specific problem. A managed IT service provider, on the other hand, acts as an extension of your business by providing ongoing management and support.

In many cases, managed services providers will take over management for all aspects of your computer network, from your computers themselves to the network infrastructure to the applications you use. This type of service is to have one service provider responsible for all technical issues related to a company’s computer networks and other technology needs.

On the other hand, with an IT consulting firm, you hire a team to come in for a specific amount of time to complete a project or evaluate a specific area of your business. Once the project is finished or the evaluation is completed, you no longer work with them (although you could hire them later).

The Duration of Services

IT consulting service is a short-term project. Typically, consulting engagements involve a specific problem or opportunity that is solved through research and analysis, planning, strategy development, and implementation. Consulting projects can be as small as a few hours or as large as several months.

On the other hand, managed IT service providers are responsible for handling all aspects of the client’s network, from daily support to long-term planning. The goal is to ensure that everything runs smoothly and efficiently, with as little downtime as possible. In addition to fixing problems when they arise, managed services also include preventative maintenance designed to head off issues before they become a problem.

Proactive vs Reactive Approach

IT managed services can be a more proactive approach to your business’ IT needs. With this approach, you typically outsource all of your IT needs to a third-party vendor or provider who agrees to keep your systems up and running smoothly. This means they are responsible for monitoring and managing your systems on an ongoing basis.

By continuously monitoring and managing your technology, they keep it running smoothly, so you avoid downtime, data loss, and security breaches.

With an IT consulting service, the external team will work with you at various points throughout the year to help implement projects and ensure your systems are running smoothly. They often serve as a more reactive approach when something goes wrong.

The Outsourcing Cost

In contrast to traditional on-site services, managed services are proactively provided at a fixed cost. You can agree on a set of tasks that’ll be handled by the outsourced IT provider and decide on a fixed cost for the work. This allows businesses to predict their monthly expenses better and free them up to focus on strategic initiatives.

IT consulting services can also be hired at a fixed cost, but as the scope of the project changes or when the IT consultant needs to get more involved, the project costs can increase.

When Do You Need IT Managed Services?

This type of service is typically an excellent option for businesses that don’t have time, expertise, or resources to manage their networks. It can also be a cost-effective option because you only pay for what you need. You won’t be paying software licenses, hardware, maintenance, or staffing costs. You will also be able to provide your employees with expert support.

This type of service is usually best suited for companies without an in-house IT department or those who want to outsource their entire technology department.

When Do You Need an IT Consulting Service?

You can get the help of an IT consulting firm when you have a specific issue or a project for which you don’t have in-house expertise. Even when you have an IT team ready to work, there can be particular tech gaps that an outsourced consultant can fill. This consultant can get involved in the project in any capacity you require and will then hand over the project to your team once the job gets done. You can get an IT consulting firm to help when you don’t have the technical expertise or hands-on working knowledge to handle certain situations.

Want to hire a skilled team for your managed IT services in Corpus Christi or get guidance from expert consultants? LayerOne Networks has a team of highly-talented and experienced developers, testers, and specialists on various technologies and networks. Get in touch with us to learn more about how our team can help your business.

IT Consulting

Which One is Right for Your Business: IT Managed Service vs. IT Support

Written by Layer One Networks Published March 23, 2022May 12, 2023

Enterprises need to drive their business objectives, such as growth, and IT infrastructure must support these objectives. It is critical for any business owner to ensure that their IT infrastructure is well maintained to run efficiently and reliably. This, in turn, will help the business grow.

This is where the role of an IT service provider comes in. An IT service provider helps enterprises with their operational needs and efficiently manages technology so that it can support the business’s strategic goals. IT service providers offer two types of services: IT managed services and IT support services.

Both IT managed service, and IT support are essential business functions that can contribute to the success of your business. They are similar but also different in many ways.

Both may provide help desk support, but the scope and depth of the services offered vary. The primary difference between the two is how IT managed services and IT support functions.

In this blog, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about managed IT services and IT support and which option is best for your business.

How Managed IT Services Work?

A managed services provider (MSP) manages a company’s information technology systems to improve operational control, reduce costs and increase productivity. Managed service providers monitor your entire network – servers, workstations, network devices, storage devices, and more – around the clock and take steps to address potential issues before they affect your business.

Managed IT service is a proactive approach to information technology. Businesses contract with a managed service provider who handles all of their IT needs. The company pays a flat fee, typically based on the number of computers or employees. The provider works with the business to set up the systems and software needed and then monitors those systems 24/7 to ensure everything is working properly. The provider proactively resolves issues before they become serious problems and makes recommendations to improve performance or security.

How Does IT Support Function?

IT support includes helping an organization use its IT infrastructure effectively and efficiently by providing technical support for end-users or clients who are using products or services provided by the organization.

IT support is the service of managing your technology systems. This includes your software and hardware, like your printers and computers. They work with you when problems arise, patching up your systems and restoring them to working order via an on-site visit or remote connection. In short, IT support helps you troubleshoot technical problems when they occur.

It provides you with the assistance you need when something goes wrong with your computers or applications. If someone clicks on a bad link in an email or accidentally downloads malware onto their computer, an IT support team can help remove it and get users back up and running as quickly as possible. When an employee has trouble with their computer or a specific piece of software, they can contact an IT support specialist to resolve the issue quickly.

Difference between Managed IT Services and IT Support

The most significant difference between IT managed services and IT support is that the former is proactive while the latter is reactive.

IT managed service is a long-term solution to the technical needs of your business. A company offering IT managed service provides you with a team of IT professionals who will manage your entire network and all connected systems. They take care of everything from hardware to software, security, updates, backups, etc.

On the other hand, IT support is more like an on-demand service that you call when something goes wrong with your IT infrastructure or you need advice or assistance on specific issues. Different companies offer it and can be tailored to fit your needs.

IT managed services take this a step further. They support your company’s employees and help manage your IT infrastructure. They proactively manage your organization’s technology needs. Instead of waiting for problems to arise, a managed IT service provider will work to prevent them from happening.

When Do You Need IT Managed Services?

If you want to eliminate downtime and ensure that your IT infrastructure is always up and running optimally, it’s better to get an IT managed services provider (MSP).

Managed IT services are most suitable for small to mid-sized businesses that don’t have an internal IT team. It’s also appropriate for internal teams that want to outsource specific functions, such as security or cloud services. Companies that want to focus on their core competencies without worrying about whether their computer systems are up and running typically find it helpful.

When do you need IT support?

IT support is a good choice when you don’t want to spend a lot of money on maintaining the IT infrastructure.

Support incidents are often paid on a per-incident or per-hour basis. This can help you keep costs under control if you have a very small business that doesn’t use its technology much or if you already have an IT department that handles most problems internally but occasionally needs assistance with more complex issues.

If you want to extend the functionalities of IT support further, you can go for proactive IT support rather than reactive IT support.

Conclusion

When you’re trying to choose between an IT consulting firm for managed IT services or IT support, it’s often best to look at your IT infrastructure, its complexity, and the amount of support you’ll need to manage it.

At Layer One Networks in Corpus Christi, we offer an incredible IT consultant service to help you decide between both of these options and provide customized plans for managed IT services and IT support. Reach out to us today to get started.

IT Consulting

IT Consultant vs. IT Managed Services: Which One is Better?

Written by Layer One Networks Published March 11, 2022May 12, 2023

As technology has become a more significant part of our daily lives, so has the demand for technology professionals. This is true for both large and small businesses alike.

While there are many different types of IT professionals available to work with, the two most common types are IT consultants and IT managed services. Both provide different benefits to businesses; however, they each best serve different types of organizations.

It’s important to know which type of professional service your business needs to stay productive and competitive. Here’s some helpful information about the role of an IT consultant and how they differ from IT-managed services.

How Can IT Consultant Services Help Your Business?

The role of an IT consultant is to provide strategic and technical guidance to the business. Through a series of meetings and discussions, they will figure out your business needs, what is currently lacking, and how to strategically approach those gaps.

Through IT consultant service, an outsourced expert offers technical advice to a business about maintaining their IT infrastructure and making new improvements. It can be a single person or a team of professionals who work together to provide services for their clients.

A consultant is typically hired to provide an objective opinion or advice on an issue related to their area of expertise. They’ll be able to review your current business practices and identify areas of opportunity for improvement. The recommended changes may include upgrading your current technology, implementing new systems, or streamlining processes. A consultant will typically provide guidance, assist with a project or help train employees at your company.

How Can IT Managed Services Help?

In managed IT services, a group of IT professionals works together to provide support in response to your business needs. Whether that be network maintenance, system upgrades, or simply troubleshooting a problem for you, their role is essentially to fill in the gaps of your existing team.

They ensure that their equipment, software, and systems remain up-to-date and protected from outside attacks. They offer 24/7 monitoring and maintenance support to companies throughout the year while focusing on other business matters.

Once hired, these companies will become responsible for the smooth operation of all computer systems within their client’s business. They will handle all software updates and upgrades, hardware repairs, network security, and internet connection issues as they arise. This can save you time and money to focus solely on your business operations instead of fixing tech issues all the time.

Differences Between an IT Consultant and IT Managed Services

Involvement in the Everyday IT Operations

An IT consulting firm will work with a company’s staff to understand their needs and develop a solution that meets those needs. Consultants do not get involved in the day-to-day operations of your business. They are hired to assist with long-term planning and recommend process improvements. On the other hand, managed services assist with day-to-day tasks like system monitoring, updates & maintenance, issue resolution, etc.

The role of Managed Services Providers (MSPs) is very different. MSPs are responsible for managing almost all aspects of an organization’s network. From monitoring security on the network to managing email accounts and firewalls, MSPs take care of everything IT-related. In some cases, MSPs can even provide cloud services or help with website management.

Solution for a Specific Outcome

IT consultants are often hired for a specific project or outcome (ex: create a new internal system). Once that outcome is achieved, they are no longer needed. Managed IT services come in as an ongoing support solution to tackle any issues that may arise after the project is completed by an IT consultant, as well as anything else that comes up along the way.

Cost to the Company

One major difference between the two is cost. A company won’t need to hire an IT consultant company full-time; instead, they will only be brought in when required for specific projects. This makes it easier for companies to budget for their services, as they only pay for what they need when they need it.

When Do You Need IT Consultant Service vs. Managed IT Services?

When You Have New Technologies to Implement

A managed IT service provider helps you maintain your network and servers but would not implement software or hardware systems. This is where an IT consultant can be helpful as they have deep insights into a wide range of technologies and help choose the right ones for your business.

When You Have to Conduct Specific Tasks

An IT consultant will be able to execute specific projects that you may not be able to take up due to a lack of resources or expertise within your organization, like migrating from the on-premises to the cloud or setting up a new office network.

When You Need Guidance on Specific Tech Stack

IT consultants are hired to provide temporary assistance for a specific project or problem. They can propose a solution for any issues in your business’s IT infrastructure, as well as offer guidance and support to help you get the most out of your systems — which can then be implemented by our in-house IT team.

When You Need to Evaluate Technologies

Let’s say that you want to include new software in your workflow but aren’t sure about the best choice. An IT consultant service is the best option to figure such issues out.

When You Don’t Need a Full-Time Staff

Many businesses don’t need a full-time tech staff on hand. Their technology needs are small, and they only need occasional support to keep their computer up and running.

In this case, you can make use of the managed IT services to get the work done at just a fraction of hiring an entire IT team.

When You Need Long-Term IT Assistance

Managed IT services are the better option when you need long-term help but don’t want to hire full-time employees. Managed services companies offer remote monitoring, management, proactive maintenance, and support to keep everything running smoothly without onsite staff.

Are you looking for the right IT service for Your Business?

Reach out to our experts who offer managed IT services to businesses in Corpus Christi! We have the knowledge and expertise you need to keep your business running smoothly.

IT Consulting

The Importance of a Business Continuity Plan

Written by Layer One Networks Published January 29, 2022May 12, 2023

Imagine a situation where your computer systems crash, you’re not able to access your data, and you’re losing clients. How would you deal with that? Would you be able to recover quickly?

Troubleshooting is not only time-consuming, but it’s also stressful. Every day, businesses face business continuity problems like server downtime, loss of data, etc. It’s best to have a strategy or plan in place to handle these situations before they happen.

In this blog, let’s look at everything you need to know about a business continuity plan.

What is a Business Continuity Plan?

A business continuity plan is a document that details how your business can still be successful even when faced with unexpected circumstances. Unless you have a plan in place, your business may not be able to survive should a situation arise that requires immediate and comprehensive action.

Business continuity planning aims to prevent or minimize damage caused by threats to the business. This can be in contrast to disaster recovery planning, which is the process of dealing with a threat that has already happened and involves repairing or restoring damaged systems and recovering data.

Business continuity plans (BCP) are tailor-made for every organization. They can be as simple as a list of contacts or as complex as an entire database of systems and software backups. The important thing is to put business continuity plans in place before any disaster strikes. Luckily, your business can rely on experienced IT consulting firms to draw up the BCP.

Developing an effective BCP protects information and ensures that a minimum level of services is restored efficiently.

Why is it Necessary for Every Business to Have a Continuity Plan?

We’ve listed some of the most critical reasons why having a business continuity plan is essential for your business:

1. Reduces stress levels: Having a plan helps you deal with such situations more efficiently and effectively. You don’t have to rely on external help or specialists whenever there is an issue with your network, servers, or data.

2. Avoids downtime and allows for quick recovery: Downtime can bring down your productivity and result in loss of revenue and clients. In the event of a system failure, a backup plan ensures that even if one system fails, the others can take over smoothly without causing any disruption.

3. Minimizes chances of data loss: Data loss can be costly from both a customer and business perspective.

Types of Business Continuity Plans

Business continuity plans come in many different styles and formats, each designed for specific situations. However, the following are the most common types of plans:

1. Crisis Management Plan: A crisis management plan focuses on all aspects of a potential disaster and how your company will respond. This plan details the actions that will be taken and the roles and responsibilities of employees during times of crisis. It also describes how the information will flow so that everyone has clear direction on what they need to do while working together as one cohesive unit.

2. Continuity of Operations Plan: A continuity of operations plan is a blueprint for how your business can continue operating during an emergency or disaster situation. It is a plan that covers the business’s day-to-day operations like any equipment failure, inclement weather, natural disaster, etc.

3. Emergency Response Plan: This plan is a compilation of procedures that define how an organization will respond to various emergencies. The plan defines roles and responsibilities for staff members in an emergency situation. It also provides details about alternate worksites, data backup procedures, and other infrastructure requirements.

What Should a BCP Include?

Creating a business continuity plan is an essential part of planning for disaster. A plan should be created to ensure that your business can continue to operate regardless of the circumstances with an expert IT support specialist at your side.

A business continuity plan is made up of multiple components:

Business Impact Analysis

This is a detailed assessment of how each department contributes to achieving the company’s broader objectives, how each department would be affected by disruption and how long you would survive without this function. You’ll need to identify any critical applications and infrastructure which could cause loss of availability or data loss.

You can reach out to an IT consultant service to draw up these assessments to serve as a foundation for your BCP.

Continuity Planning Policy

To ensure that your organization maintains continuity, you will need to develop critical policies that employees must follow in an emergency. At the very minimum, this will include your policy on working from home.

Contingency Plan

This is a collection of documents and procedures that you will follow when an incident occurs.

Testing and Review

Once your BCP is finalized, it’s time to put it to the test. You can create a simulated emergency and see how the plan works in real-time. Then, you can observe the response to make some tweaks to the program.

Wrapping Up

If you establish a good business continuity plan, your business can grow, prosper and produce results that will help it to become more profitable and successful. Business continuity plans are vital in ensuring the success of your organization, even if it’s just a startup.

Don’t have a business continuity plan yet?

Reach out to our support team that offers IT consulting services to help businesses prepare, prevent and brace for the worst. Our IT services can help to protect you against any emergency and create a continuity plan to keep your business operations running smoothly at all times.

IT Consulting

Importance of Network Management for Your Business

Written by Layer One Networks Published December 17, 2021May 12, 2023

Most businesses are dependent on the internet. Whether you need it to run your business or simply need to be online so that people can contact you, running your business without a reliable network is a risk that you don’t want to take.

A solid IT infrastructure is vital to the success of any business. You need to ensure that your systems can handle the demands of modern-day computing and network management is an essential part of maintaining your company’s IT infrastructure.

This blog will explore network management in detail and why you need it for your business.

What is Network Management?

Network management refers to the process of maintaining and upgrading the hardware and the software that is used to connect multiple computers. Many problems can arise if you set up a business network — whether it’s for your company or a group of employees — you’ll be able to easily access data throughout the network, such as files and programs.

The importance of network management is something that most SMB owners fail to realize. It is the process of monitoring the stability of your network. When your business relies heavily on the network to run your everyday operations, you need to strengthen it as much as you can.

Network management can help businesses improve productivity by providing employees with proper system integration and an optimal online working environment. It also allows easy access to data and allows multiple workers to share information and programs.

An experienced IT network specialist will offer all of the following network management solutions:

Device Configuration
Network and Server Administration
Monitoring & Troubleshooting
Capacity Planning
Network Security
Disaster Recovery
Quality of Service (QoS)
New Technology Integration

Why do You Need to Invest in Network Management?

As a business owner or a stakeholder in a company, you need to know what’s so crucial about network management that you need to invest in it.

There are numerous reasons and instances where a protected and reliable network has saved companies thousands of dollars. But let’s start with your network security.

Securing your Network:

The number one reason businesses need network management is that they need security. Every day, there are threats out there trying to get into your systems and steal information.

Many problems can arise if your company doesn’t have a secure working environment. Your efficiency will decrease, and your risk of being hacked or encountering malware will increase. When it comes to network security, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. The more secure your working environment, the better off you and your company will be.

Network management allows you to secure your network, so threats don’t get in, whether you have local storage or cloud computing. Several network management tools can help you keep unauthorized people from accessing sensitive information. You can get the help of an IT support specialist to learn more about the best network management tools for your business.

Optimizing IT Operations:

If your company does not have any network management in place, it can be very easy for someone on your IT team to become overwhelmed by the amount of work they need to accomplish. Network management can aid in resolving this issue by giving them additional tools and resources that will assist them in managing the IT side of their organization.

Efficient Disaster Management:

Network failures can have a significant impact on an organization’s productivity. Downtime results in delayed deliveries and missed deadlines, leading to loss of sales and a poor public image.

For example, if your website goes down at any point, potential customers may lose interest in purchasing from you. It could cost you a lot of money in lost sales, not to mention the disappointment of customers who can’t connect with you to make a purchase.

A well-managed network allows users access to their data and applications even when there is a network failure.

Preventing Bigger Issues:

Network management goes a step ahead and can help you locate and fix issues in your system before they become problems.

If your business depends on computers and network systems, you need to ensure that they are working correctly. If something goes wrong or if any of the components fails, you need to know about it as soon as possible so that you can take the necessary steps to fix the problem before it becomes too big to handle.

Securing your network with the help of an expert IT service provider can help you avoid such problems altogether so that you can plan your work without worrying about any disruptions.

Our Conclusion

If you are currently experiencing issues or want to ensure that your business runs smoothly, it is essential that you look into network management for your organization. It can also help to improve the efficiency of your business.

Unfortunately, searching for the right network solution can be time-consuming and difficult. It can feel overwhelming, especially if you don’t know what questions to ask or how to make those inquiries.

The good news is that IT support specialists are well-versed in these matters and are happy to help you narrow down your options. Their assistance can take some of the burden off of you and allow you to focus on other aspects of running your business.

Our IT consulting firm, LayerOne Networks, can assist you with network management and disaster management solutions. In addition, we offer customized IT services and IT support for your business. If you want to learn more about securing your network and protecting your business, reach out to us today!

IT Consulting

How Can IT Consulting Services Help the Manufacturing Industry?

Written by Layer One Networks Published October 2, 2021May 12, 2023

Gone are the days when the manufacturing industry involved a lot of manual work. With the implementation of new technologies, automation has become the buzzword in manufacturing. The speed and efficiency of operations in manufacturing right now are growing at an inconceivable rate thanks to data-driven models and simplified tools.

The cutthroat competition in manufacturing has forced all sizes of businesses to align themselves with the digital revolution. With modern IT consulting service and expert development solutions, companies can embrace the new technologies quicker and help their employees adapt to the new working styles.

As a growing manufacturing industry, here is how managed IT services and technologies are helping to scale and improve efficiency.

5 Ways IT Consultant Services Can Transform Manufacturing Plants

There are thousands of ways IT services can bring a change in a manufacturing unit. It all starts with identifying the best technology for your operations and ensuring that it’s compatible with the rest of the plant.

Once you start implementing new IT solutions and technologies in your plant, you need to implement them in all aspects of the plant to achieve uniform growth — and ensure high ROI and operational efficiency. IT consultant service can help your manufacturing unit in many ways:

Improve the Efficiency of the Production Cycle

A good majority of a plant’s success depends on how efficient your plant production is. When you get the help of an IT consulting company, they can analyze far behind the production and look at the little details that compromise this efficiency, and suggest quick and simple IT applications and toolkits that can prevent that.

You can also automate various sections of a production cycle, utilize the new tools in the market to integrate with the rest of the process, and make sure that the final output contributes to your ROI.

Integration with IoT

You don’t need to visit the location of your measurement tools anymore with IoT devices.

You can install IoT channels with your critical measurement units to make or break your output efficiency and use an automated control system that intuitively manages production levels.

You also need the assistance of managed IT services to deploy these units, set up the IoT network with proper routing, and integrate all of that with fully functional software. This way, you can sit at the control station, monitor the measurements, and let the software modify the input channels to get the desired output.

Automate Compliances

A manufacturing plant needs to comply with a lot of regulations. It can be local, state, and central regulations, not to mention the industrial standardization audits.

With so many regulation guidelines to follow, it can be a real problem to keep track of everything and ensure that the plant is running within the due guidelines. But with automated compliance regulation systems, you can automate the majority of monitoring the compliances. You can set notification alerts when a compliance requirement is deviated and take remedial measures to keep them within limits.

This could save you a lot of time and help your employees focus their working hours on something more productive.

Equipment Upkeep & Monitoring

You can detect any equipment troubles ahead of time with the right IT solutions.

Whenever equipment fails, you need to stop the operation to either fix it or replace it. It can cause significant downtime, which again contributes to loss of production.

To avoid such issues, you can install IT monitoring solutions to keep an eye on the parameters of your critical equipment. Since this system will have all the historical data of the equipment, you can also conduct proactive upkeep before the equipment starts the trouble. This will save you a lot of downtime that goes to waste. Instead, you can still keep your plant running and perform preventive or proactive maintenance to nip the issues as they begin.

Protection Against Cyber Threats

Every manufacturing plant uses technology to a certain extent. And with the development of technology comes the rise of cyber threats.

It’s vital to protect your IT systems against cyber threats with the best of the security systems, firewalls, anti-virus programs, malware protection programs and ransomware prevention algorithms.

Just installing these programs on your systems isn’t enough. You need to regularly monitor the communication, network and device usages to make sure that there isn’t any dormant malware present silently feeding on your information.

Since at least a part of your operation is dependent on digital means, it’s crucial than ever to implement the best security solutions to protect your plant from unwanted online threats.

Conclusion

IT consultant service can do a lot for a manufacturing plant. From improving operational efficiency to preventing unnecessary downtimes and improving output quality, there’s no limit to the probabilities of including IT solutions in manufacturing. As much as we enjoy the pros of IT services, we also need to safeguard our systems with the proper IT security measures.

At Layer One Networks, we offer security services in Corpus Christi and the surrounding areas that reinforce your digital protection. We also work with manufacturers, helping them to optimize their operations and implement new technologies. If you want to consult us for any IT services, reach out to us now.

IT Consulting

Finding IT Support Service for Small Business? 5 Key Things to Keep in Mind

Written by Layer One Networks Published May 29, 2021May 12, 2023

Do you know how these top-tier corporates are managing their zettabytes of IT systems?

Three words — excellent IT support.

IT support is one of those areas present in business of any scale but often ignored. Companies that give due importance to IT support are the ones that have smooth functioning IT processes.

Good IT support can prepare your business for any new challenges and ventures to create easy working spaces for the employees. Finding such reliable IT support is critical — even for startups.

If you’ve decided to get support for your IT system, then you’ve made the right choice. But choosing the best IT support can be a tricky deal breaker.

This blog will help small business owners to analyze, understand and find the right IT support to build and secure the future of their companies.

5 Things You Need to Know When Finding IT Support for Small Businesses

In 2015, 15% of US adults didn’t use the internet. Right now, the numbers have reduced to 7%, which means 93% of US adults are active online.

Your business needs to co-exist where the market is– online. Without strong IT support, you cannot grow your business in the cut-throat digital world.

Here are five essential things that you should consider when searching for an IT service provider.

The Scope of IT Support

First of all, you need to understand that many companies offer IT consulting services and managed IT services in the market. You need to get your priorities straight to find the perfect support team to help you scale up.

Some businesses may already have an IT team in place and may want support for a limited time. And some would wish for a long-standing agreement for IT support to take charge of specific IT processes.

Whatever your requirements and reasons are, note them down on paper. These should typically be the responsibilities you want your IT support team to take charge of.

Having this checklist will make it easy for you to talk to different service providers and see if they can meet your requirements.

The Different Types of IT Support

Many small businesses look for external IT support because of the flexible services they can get. There are a few definite models that IT consulting firms provide. It is important to know and pick the one that is best for you.

Firstly, there’s the pay-as-you-use service where you ring up the support team when you need an extra hand or deal with some specific issue. The next one is the 24×7 IT support. The external team will become an extended part of your internal team. This team will monitor your IT infrastructure, fix them, run regular checks, and assist in any future developments.

There’s one more model that’s in between the pay-as-you-use and the 24×7 support. And that is the specialized services. You hire the team for specialized IT support for a few of the functionalities or applications. The duration of the agreement is usually long-term. For example, you can hire a team to run regular malware checks or for disaster management.

The Value for Money

As a small business, you don’t want to spend a lot of money on IT support. However, don’t expect out-of-the-world services from companies charging peanuts.

Analyze how much you can pay for the IT services and the current market rate as a guide in hiring an IT support team that’s within your budget. You should, of course, get the value for the money you spend. So, make sure to ask about the team’s expertise and if they would be able to cater to the services you require.

The Security Measures

‘How safe is my data?’, is one question that we tend to contemplate over and over again.

Many IT consulting firms pride themselves on being the top providers who value your privacy and security more than anything else. And you need to find this type of company to support you.

Ask the team about the different security measures they’ll be taking from their end to keep your data safe. Ask about the authorization protocols and the access controls. Let your in-house IT guy discuss and analyze their security systems. Ask them about their policies and security systems for phishing attacks, malware protection, DDoS attacks, hacking, and data breach protocols.

This will give you an idea of how much you can rely on them to keep your information safe and secure.

If you’re already using an outsourcing team, ask them questions and see if they live up to your requirements. If not, it’s essential to make a shift to a new provider now.

The Level of Control

With an IT support team, you need to clear on where you draw the boundaries. The work of an IT support team is to ‘support’ your IT operations while the complete control rests with you.

While you don’t need to micromanage them on a day-to-day basis, you still need to check up often, set access limits, and have overall control. An IT support team will help keep the everyday operations up and running and regularly do a standard set of tasks.

But anything more than should come under your control and guidance.

Conclusion

Finding that right IT support team could relieve you of a lot of headaches and small processes that consume so much of your time. Keep our 5 pointers in your mind when choosing the right IT support team.

If you’re looking for a reliable and experienced team for IT support in Corpus Christi, Texas, then reach out to us at LayerOne Networks now.