Entrepreneurs are well aware of the fact that the digital transformation of business becomes more imperative in this technology-driven age. The cloud computing solutions are here to facilitate the transformation by providing the cloud platform for secure storage and anytime access to critical data and applications. As per the finding of Logic Monitor’s Cloud Vision 2020 survey, 83% of enterprise workloads will remain in the cloud by the year 2020.

How cloud services are Useful for Modern Businesses?

Modern enterprises have to deal with ever-growing competition and diverse requirements that keep on changing with the market trends. The cloud technology with its three platforms- Public Cloud, Private Cloud, and Hybrid cloud- can address both these objectives easily. From email services to data storage services to mobile application access, cloud services can meet the day-to-day needs of businesses in a secure and cost-effective way.

Scalability and flexibility make cloud computing solutions more useful for modern business. When it comes to simplify critical processes and accelerate the speed of implementation on a large scale, Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) platforms can lend a helping hand with the private cloud. If companies are in search of cost-effective solutions for managing and maintaining the data and workloads, then the public cloud can remain handy.

Hybrid cloud offers facilities like archiving and data storage facilities, disaster recovery, and implementation of new software-based environments. Companies that don’t find the best solution for all applications and workload in one cloud can opt for multicloud (multiple clouds together) to get the most suitable solution for every process. IDG has stated that the multicloud concept offers various cloud options and enables businesses to get faster disaster recovery.

Seven Benefits of Cloud Computing Solutions for Small and Mid-size Businesses

Globally, many SMBs have started migrating to the cloud gradually. Here are some noteworthy reasons why small companies should opt for cloud services.

1. Offer Cost-effectiveness

cost effective

This is the first and foremost benefit of cloud technology. Startups and small businesses have budgetary limitations and they simply cannot afford to buy hardware and other necessary equipment for managing business activities. Migration to the cloud removes capital expenditure related to the installation and maintenance of the digital infrastructure.

Also, cloud services can enable small business to get a faster and higher ROI (Return on Investment). In a way, migration to the cloud remains a cost-effective option for small companies.

2. Reduced TTM (Time to Market)

Cloud services facilitate small enterprises to allocate resources and implement changes quickly. What’s more, companies can readily implement a new production environment to stay firm amid growing competition. Small businesses can expand their capacities with ease as they have no need to worry about capacity requirements. It reflects in faster production and reduced time to market. Maximizing uptime with minimal efforts is possible with the help of cloud-based solutions.

3. Increase Scalability

Data centers are capable of storing zillions of data spread across various organizations. Generally, SMBs and even large enterprises also face the difficulty of storing and accessing the company data as they expand their business. Also, many entrepreneurs fail to estimate the data storage requirements that result in the reducing ability to grab new opportunities. There, cloud-based resources are very helpful as they can be scaled up and down easily to meet the diverse data storage requirements.

Also Read- How Cloud Platform should Implement Information Security for Business

4. Enhance Productivity

Small businesses and startups have to deal with limited resources. It is beneficial for them if the cloud service provider can handle data-related requirements. You can keep your team free from maintaining hardware and other devices. As a result, the team can focus on other critical and value-added activities including data analytics, IT security, and product manufacturing. You can assign complex and time-bound tasks to the employees to enhance productivity.

5. Promote Innovation

Creativity and innovation hold a key to success for startups and small business. Cloud computing solutions enable the small business to offload tasks related to digital infrastructure management and motivate team members to think innovatively to drive the company. When your team has to focus only on the growth of your company, you can expect the optimum outcome. In a way, cloud technology promotes innovation for modern business.

6. Provide Higher Security

security

Growing incidences of a data breach and cyberattacks is a big cause of concern for SMBs and established enterprises alike. When it comes to secure your company’s critical data, you can count on cloud services. Third-party cloud platforms of Amazon and Microsoft are known for offering 24/7 security to the company’s data. A robust and reliable cloud services provider company has cloud security professionals who look after the security of confidential data with the help of the latest tools and best practices for control.

7. Improve Performance

Local edge computing, improved collaboration, anytime access to data, and high-performance computing are mainstays of cloud computing solutions. The cloud technology can enable the small business to bring automation and reduce latency to improve the overall performance. Also, regular updates in security and performance of data centers also enable companies to keep their data in safer condition and more organized way. With the range of benefits in productivity, collaboration, and security, small businesses can have a competitive edge through cloud computing solutions. Top players like Microsoft and Amazon provide top-notch cloud solutions to meet the needs of modern businesses efficiently. As a startup owner or an entrepreneur of a small company, you can consult a reputed cloud solutions provider to avail the advantage of cloud technology.

Concluding Lines

There is a notion in the corporate world that the cloud setup is difficult and can disrupt daily business activities for the time being. But the reality is- an experienced cloud solutions provider can readily establish and manage the cloud environment on behalf of your business. This is the best way to give your business the advantage of cloud technology. It is fair to mention that the cloud concept can take the business of any size and scale to the next level by improving convenience and increasing productivity.

At Silver Touch, we ensure secure and seamless access to your digital infrastructure and applications in the cloud platform. With an advanced hyper-converged setup, extensive support, superior control, and unbreachable security, your business system can be conveniently accessed anytime, anywhere. If you want to migrate multiple applications and digital processes to the cloud, simply send us an email at info@silvertouch.com. Our expert business consultants will contact you shortly.

Do you find it difficult to store and access a pile of data? Do you want to manage the business activities from remote places or your home? If your answer to these questions is ‘yes’, then the cloud solutions are perfect for your business. However, many businesspersons still sit on the fence because of some concerns regarding this technological boon. Some entrepreneurs find the cloud concept too complex to be integrated. Let’s make a list of benefits offered by cloud technology. But before that, here is the importance of the cloud in today’s competitive business scenario.

Importance of Cloud Computing Solutions

The concept of cloud management services is getting mainstreamed across various industry sectors rapidly. Entrepreneurs and traders find it highly convenient to store, share, and access corporate data. It can increase productivity that further translates into a high profit. Another characteristic of cloud solutions is they can assist startups, SMEs, and established businesses alike to thrive amid intensifying competition. Here is a brief account of the top ten benefits of cloud-based solutions for your business.

Ten Reasons Why Your Business Requires Cloud Solutions

1.Bring Flexibility

This is one of the most important benefits of cloud computing solutions. They promote mobility and increase flexibility. The cloud concept allows employees to complete their tasks from either a remote place or from home. You need fewer workstations and you can save the overhead by permitting your employees to work from home.

2.Avoid Disaster

We live in a data-driven age. Enterprises seem ready to spend a huge amount behind ensuring the security of data worldwide. Now, cloud technology provides them disaster recovery even to small enterprises. Here the data can be stored in cloud servers that are highly secured against any malfunction and virus attack. In a way, you can avoid any disaster while avoiding upfront investment and saving money while moving to the cloud.

3.Enhance scalability

Customized cloud solutions are highly scalable to address the ever-changing business requirements. For example, if you want to increase or decrease the capacity on the remote servers, cloud-based services can make it possible. Also, it enables companies to get rid of purchasing additional storage and licenses. The cloud services provider can assist you to upgrade or downgrade the package as per your requirements.

4.Backup is not Necessary

Traditionally, you need a backup for your company data. In the absence of a proper backup plan, you may lose the critical data permanently in case of any online disaster. There, the cloud lends a helping hand. You just do not require such a plan when you store data on the cloud. The users can access data with the help of the Internet. In a way, the cloud services act as a backup; and enterprises can make a disaster recovery policy by keeping the cloud services in mind.

5.Reduce cost

A data center is very expensive and requires a small fortune for establishing. From purchasing the right equipment and hiring technicians in maintaining the data center, you need to take care of many aspects as well. There, cloud computing lends a helping hand. It reduces the cost significantly by offering you to pay only for the services. What’s more, cloud solutions have different packages on the basis of features, storage, time, and the number of users, etc. You can select the one that best suits your budget and business needs.

6.Improve Collaboration

Cloud computing solutions enable employees to work from remote places. They can readily share and access the company’s critical data from anywhere and collaborate with other employees. Also, cloud technology enables the staff to eliminate redundant tasks like data re-entry. It can also help you increase productivity and efficiency while preventing data loss.

7.Save Big on Hardware

The cloud solutions help you save big on hardware costs. You can have a subscription-based model depending on your business model and data needs. Easy setup and complete control over the data without having dedicated hardware is a huge benefit of customized cloud services for your business. In other words, cloud technology facilitates entrepreneurs to get benefits of a large hardware setup without actually establishing the same.

8.Work from Any Place

The cloud technology is based on the Internet. Therefore, if Internet connectivity is there, you can work on cloud-based applications. The cloud services are designed to provide solutions that enable you and your employees to work from anywhere.

9.Remain Environment-Friendly

Cloud computing solutions can remain environment-friendly in two ways. One, they minimize the paperwork thereby saving many trees, and two; they don’t leave excessive carbon footprints, which are dangerous for the environment. In other words, the cloud concept is energy-saving and environment-friendly. It can give you sustainable and customized solutions for the business.

10.Offer Competitive Edge

Integrating cloud technology can keep your company ahead of the curve. Even smaller businesses can get an edge over large and established companies by integrating cloud technology into their existing system. Cloud solutions can enable enterprises to act faster and make informed decisions.

Apart from these noteworthy benefits, data security, document control, and various options like PaaS, SaaS, and IaaS are other benefits that can make your choice of moving to the cloud more beneficial. You can make the most of this technological advancement without spending many bucks. If you want to leverage these benefits but still do not get rid of concerns regarding cloud implementation at your workplace, it is better to consult a reliable and reputed cloud services provider.

Today, many cloud services providers claim to provide high-quality cloud solutions in a dirt-cheap price. But then, you may experience hurdles in the future when these customized solutions get failed to meet the diverse business requirements. You may not get the necessary technical assistance as well. To get rid of it, it is better to find a reliable partner that has a vast experience of developing and integrating high-end cloud computing solutions for small and large enterprises.

Wrapping Up

Cloud computing solutions are here to stay. They are capable of bringing positive change in modern businesses while preparing them to deal with future challenges and growing competition. From setting up a virtual office anywhere and anytime to control the processes in real time- the cloud concept is capable of serving many purposes. It is a high time for your company to move to the cloud for ensuring streamlined operations with complete peace of mind.

At SilverTouch, we have delivered 500+ cloud-based projects globally. Our cloud-powered enterprise networks can be readily integrated with your existing system to provide superior performance across all the applications. If you are in search of the most advanced Hyper-Converged cloud support with unmatched security, just drop us a line at info@silvertouch.com and our experienced executives will contact you shortly.

From cutting costs to increasing productivity- the cloud computing solution can help businesses in many ways irrespective of their size and scale. This is the reason why SMEs that sat on the fence for integrating the cloud concept in their system are now ready to embrace it. Most of the issues and misconceptions related to the cloud are now resolved and the technology is getting mainstreamed in the corporate world swiftly.

As per the Statista survey, the market revenue for public cloud services is expected to exceed USD 278 Billion by 2021. Similarly, Wikibon has projected that the True Private Cloud (TPC) market will reach USD 262B by 2027 with a compound annual growth rate of over 29%. These facts show the growing importance of cloud computing concept in the corporate world. As the technology matures, the confidence level of entrepreneurs increases in the cloud segment.

wikibon

Source: Wikibon

Here we are going to delve into the ways through which cloud computing can cut down the costs of businesses. This is particularly useful for the small and mid-size enterprises as they face budgetary constraints and other limitations while competing with the established players.

How to cut costs with cloud computing solution.

1. 24/7 Access

Improved customer services and better accessibility can give a competitive edge to the small and mid-size companies over their large-scale competitors. If you can offer your customers a pleasant experience and better access to information continuously, chances are bright that you can achieve a loyal customer base. The cloud computing solution enables you to do so by setting up business operations in the cloud. All you can offer is a 24/7 virtual access to the customers on any of their smart devices.

2. Backup of Critical Corporate Data

The cloud computing solution is the technology’s answer to data backup and downtime-related issues. In today’s competitive scenario, no business can afford to wait for completing the backup processes. Also, it is a costly affair to hire an IT expert for data backup for companies. There, the cloud approach offers a solution. It keeps the data accessible all the time while providing backups with zero downtime. In other words, cloud technology enables you to keep the backup without impairing data access.

3. Improved Security

Security concerns for the sensitive corporate data always loom large on entrepreneurs. Thankfully, the cloud solutions provider can assist you to address these concerns. The cloud technology comes with inbuilt security solutions that are way ahead than your on-premise security features. The cloud technology offers encryption, multi factor authentication, monitoring tools, and compliance solutions to enhance the cybersecurity of your company’s digital assets.

What’s more, the migration to the cloud is also not much expensive. When you consider its long-term benefits for your business, it is fair to mention that the cloud solution actually provides a high ROI over the years while simplifying your business processes and improving customer services.

Also Read: Big Data and IoT are Two Sides of the Same Coin

How Cloud solutions provider help companies cut costs

The cloud solutions provider can give useful information about the most suitable cloud-based solution for your business. The cloud professionals study your business model and requirements to suggest the right solution from various options like IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), and SaaS (Software as a Service). The good thing is cloud migration costs are mostly one-time expenses and the SMEs can readily avail the advantage of this technology.

Factors to keep in mind while migrating to cloud

Switching to the cloud is a complex and time-taking process for the business. However, you need to put efforts and spend much of your time only once to migrate all the company data to the cloud. Once the process is done, you gradually experience comfort because of the automated processes.

Here are a few aspects to keep in mind while you opt for the cloud migration.

Bigger files issue

If your business generates extremely large files or deals with unstructured data like excessive Excel and Word files then you need to reorganize them due to size restrictions on the cloud. Bigger files take more time to load as compared to the smaller ones, therefore, the users may experience latency issues while accessing the large files. You can simply break the large file into multiple small files and archive older data that is not useful on a daily basis. The cloud solutions provider can help you with this task.

Internet speed

The cloud technology is based on the Internet, and therefore, the reliable connectivity and particular speed are necessary to leverage the benefits. It is advisable to upgrade to faster internet and take measures to eliminate the possibility of an outage. You may need to add this cost in your overall cloud technology migration budget. But, it makes you free from any possible troubles in the future.

Workflow update

Finally, the legacy workflows need to be updated. You need to keep your business processes in line with the new cloud-based backup procedures and security compliance. The cloud technology promotes paperless work, and therefore, a few small-scale businesses that rely heavily on the paper-based work may get failed to reap benefits of the cloud.

The cloud concept offers a cost-effective solution for seamless data storage and access. It can help companies irrespective of their business model and other related factors. You can readily take your business to the next level with the cloud computing solution. Global software giants like Microsoft (Azure), Amazon (AWS), and Google (Google Cloud) spend a lot of bucks in making this next-gen technology more advanced than ever. In coming years, we can certainly expect the exponential growth in the cloud adoption rate globally.

Wrapping Up

Large businesses can migrate their processes and data to the cloud is a story from the past. Today, even small and mid-sized enterprises can avail the advantage of cloud technology. All they need to consult a reliable cloud solutions provider. Such providers can assist companies to get an estimate of switching their business operations and software to the cloud at zero or minimal cost.

From cost management to performance optimization, the cloud solutions provider can offer end-to-end cloud-based services to take your business to the next level. As a leading cloud computing services provider, Silver Touch Technologies offers cloud applications development, cloud IT, and cloud management services to assist you to make the most from the revolutionary cloud technology.

When it comes to securing the critical information, size and scale of your company do not matter. Information security services are aimed at delivering a security program to effectively address all the data security requirements of modern business. The IT security experts can make a plan to maintain the security at an optimum level in the wake of growing incidents of data breaches and information security needs of your company in line with the ever-changing business scenario.

An ideal and inclusive IT security program follows all the security standards and policies necessary to maintain the utmost safety of your company’s valuable data. From the personal details to critical corporate information, all sorts of data can be safeguarded by advanced IT security services. Let’s go through the key aspects covered in a complete information security program.

Which Aspects are included in Information Security Services?

From healthcare to manufacturing and retail to banking- every industry sector generates a plethora of data every day globally. What’s more, all B2B and B2C businesses deal with varieties of personal and professional information of clients, stakeholders, and suppliers. There, even a slight lapse in maintaining the privacy and safety of information can cost a lot to the business in terms of regulatory penalty and a loss of reputation. Thankfully, advancing technology lends a helping hand and we can secure critical information through a clearly defined information security program.

It includes the following aspects-

Risk assessment

risk assesment

This is a first and foremost thing for any organization. The information security provider company assesses the risks associated with your company’s data. For example, if you run a retail business, the priority should be given to your customers’ personal data and credit/debit card information. The risk assessments help IT security service providers to prioritize the requirements and provide cost-effective measures to secure the data.

Procedures and Standards

Physical documents, digital data, and other information need different level and types of security. The IT security services enable you to give an authority to access the corporate data as per your company’s policies and a hierarchy pattern. Also, the security program assists you to spread awareness about the data security among your employees and keep them alert about possible vulnerabilities and types of breaches.

Training, Education and Awareness

Your employees and stakeholders can remain prepared for any possible cyber attack by having proper training and education. What’s more, awareness brings a sense of responsibility and accountability among your employees. Even though they have a non-technical background, the education and training about data security can prevent them from becoming victims of social-engineering attacks.

Regulatory Compliance and Audit Compliance

audit compliance

The data breach can lead you toward legal and financial consequences. It is, therefore, necessary to comply with prevalent regulations and maintain regular auditing. Periodic assessments of security and precautionary measures can keep your business ahead of competitors.

Why Your Business Needs IT Security Program?

By implementing an IT security program, your organization can achieve three objectives. They are

Accessibility-

Anytime access to confidential corporate data is a great facility with a lot of risks involved. Thanks to IT security services, you can control the accessibility and availability of valuable data for the management as well as employees. For example, the management can access the confidential reports on dealings and key processes of the company anytime, whereas the employees have limited access to them. It prevents your company’s data from going into the wrong hands and you can win the trust of stakeholders and customers.

Also, you can get a disaster recovery plan with regular backups to avoid any loss of important assets of your company.

Confidentiality-

confidential

Sensitive information of your company should be protected efficiently. Here, the security program can help you by providing restricted or selective access to your employees. Encryption, two-factor authentication, facial recognition, unique IDs, and password protection are some effective measure to maintain the confidentiality of your company’s digital assets. If you can manage the high confidentiality of the data of customers and employees, you can establish a great reputation for your company over the period.

Integrity-

Accuracy, authenticity, and availability of critical data enable you to build integrity for your company and products among customers and employees. It means that the confidential data of your company must be protected against accidental or incidental breaches and cyber attacks. It starts with authenticity and file permissions and ends with seamless access to necessary data anywhere and anytime.

It is fair to mention that the information security program is a never-ending process. As technology evolves and the incidents of cyber crimes are increasing, IT security services also get more advanced to cope with challenges. Just like digitalization and automation of processes, you should focus on data security these days to avoid any loss of important data of your company. What’s more, you need to keep the program updated with periodic reassessment of the risks.

Wrapping Up

A comprehensive and all-inclusive IT security program is crucial for the companies irrespective of their size and nature of business. A reliable information security services provider can readily address the security needs of your company with a holistic approach. Data safety, regulation compliance, and peace of mind are ultimate outcomes of having an organized security program in place in today’s ever-changing IT environment and challenging business scenario.

At Silver Touch, we clearly define security policies for your critical information from the perspectives of access and authority. We centrally encrypted the key management tasks on a single platform to bring security and automation in the system. Our experienced professionals can readily handle security risks associated with people, processes, and technologies with the help of cutting-edge tools and techniques. Do you want to know more about our information security services? Just drop us a line at info@silvertouch.com.

Minimal downtime and secure data transmission are essential for keeping your company financially sound. If your employees cannot work due to network issues or hacking, your business loses money. Let’s go through some alarming facts first. Then we will discuss about the Importance of business IT security

As per the IBM report, the global average cost of a data breach across various SMBs (Small and Mid-size Businesses) remains at $3.9 million every year. Another study of the University of Maryland has revealed that a cyberattack occurs every 39 seconds anywhere in the world.

These stats are sufficient to show the importance of information security services for your company. There is no point in living with a false belief that the company’s information is completely secure and there is no threat. Attempts of breaching your company’s valuable data can be increased as your company grows. Advancing technology has also strengthened the ways of cyberattacks.

Let’s understand the importance of business IT security services for your company. We will start from scratch and understand the term information security in brief.

Business IT Security- Brief Introduction

Information security aka infosec is a process of preventing counter threats, confidentiality, disruption, destruction, and modification of confidential business information by preventing unauthorized access. It aims to safeguard the company’s data from any malicious attempts or hacking. Corporate information or data includes business information, personal information, and any sort of data in digital or non-digital form.

When a cybercriminal or a hacker infiltrates a data source to extract any confidential information by accessing a computer or lack of network security, a data breach occurs. Though most data breaches are hacking or malware attacks, some attempts include payment card fraud and loss or theft of a hard drive of files. Here are the most prevalent cyber-attacks for data breaches.

Types of Data Breaches or Cyberattacks

Malware

Also known as “malicious software”, malware can be described as any code or program designed to harm your computer or software. Malware usually masquerades as a warning against harmful software and attempts to convince users to download a specific type of software. Once the software is downloaded, it can steal, encrypt, or hijack key functions of the victim’s computer.

Ransomware

It is a type of software that is aimed at gaining access to and restricting access to the company’s vital data. It can lock down files and systems. Hackers can then ask for a fee in the form of cryptocurrency to free the system. Enterprises and businesses of all sizes can be victims of ransomware attacks.

Phishing

These are the most common ways by which hackers can gain access to sensitive or critical information. It starts with sending fraudulent emails that appear to come from a reputed company. Phishing scams are designed to deceive recipients into either clicking on a link or downloading an infectious attachment. This results in the loss of financial or confidential information. Businesses and individuals remain the common target for phishing attacks.

DoS

Denial of Service or DoS is a kind of cyberattack in which the hacker seeks to make a machine or network resource temporarily or indefinitely unavailable for use. It is typically done by sending superfluous requests to the targeted machine or resource to overload it and prevent a few or all legitimate requests from being processed. Banks remain the common target for DoS attacks.

Information security services enable to address these threats effectively.

Importance of Business IT Security for Modern Enterprises

There is no denial of the fact that any breach or stealing of internal corporate information can cause a financial and reputation crisis for the company. Companies may face a domino effect that triggers several unwanted consequences, and as a result, such companies may come on the verge of closure in a short time.

Also Read- AI and Automation Trends to Watch for Improving Customer Services in 2021

Business IT security services enable companies to get rid of all such vulnerabilities and cyber threats. But then, still many SMBs tend to believe that they are not a potential target, and therefore, they do not want to invest in data security. Such companies can remain the soft target for hackers, and they can launch various cyberattacks successfully. Be it a startup, SMEs, or large enterprises, the losses that occur due to such attacks have often shocking aftermath.

The biggest advantage of information security services is they can protect the confidentiality of corporate information. Here are the other top benefits of information security or infosec for modern enterprises.

Top Benefits of Information Security for Companies

  • Prevents Unauthorized Access

Information security services implement encryption, password protection, and other advanced security protocols in the business databases to prevent any unauthorized access. Information security is also designed to provide access to corporate data based on Hierarchy.

  • Protects Confidentiality of Information

It is necessary to protect the confidentiality of information for ensuring corporate integrity. A business IT security services provider assists companies to keep users and IT professionals in the loop to implement the best practices for avoiding any confidentiality-related risks in the future.

  • Keeps Data Backups

Business IT security services also provide a data backup facility to reduce downtime during any breach attempt or a cyberattack. Data backups can remain handy to protect all necessary information for ensuring seamless operations of the company during the instance of a cyberattack.

  • Offers Extensive Security

Reputed information security providers offer SOC (Security Operations Center) to deal with computer security-related issues efficiently from a single place. It is designed to offer the top-notch security to your corporate data.

Concluding Lines

In this turbulent time, it is necessary to prevent your company’s crucial and confidential data from going into the wrong hands. Business IT security services can assist you to accomplish this goal by keeping threats and vulnerabilities at bay. In a nutshell, business IT security will remain an indispensable factor for ensuring the growth of your business in years to come.

Silver Touch Technologies is renowned and reputed IT infrastructure management service provider. Our wide array of infrastructure management solutions include end-point asset management, security monitoring and management, backup and replication services. We offer a variety of services ranging from monitoring to management to our global clients across different industry sectors. Just send us an email at info@silvertouch.com to get the strategy for safeguarding your organization’s data.

Digital transformation is a need of the hour and CEOs are actively searching IT solution providers who can assist them to survive and thrive in this digital age. However, it is better to remember that transformation is an ongoing process and it has a vital role to play in driving efficiency, reducing operational costs, enhancing customer value, and unlocking the real potential of your business.

Today’s competitive and challenging business scenario demands advanced IT solutions that can unlock the exponential value for your enterprise. Thankfully, advancing technology gives us many options to serve this objective. As an entrepreneur, you can either insource or outsource IT services or hiring an agency to ensure growth through the digital transformation of business processes.

Insourcing the digital transformation process needs a lot of time, effort, and money. Outsourcing the process to freelancers does not work either. All you can do to make the most of digital transformation is- to hire a software development company that can give 360-degree IT services at competitive rates. But then, you can find out many such companies these days, and it is increasingly difficult to choose the right IT partner for implementing digital transformation in your company.

Here we present a list of skills or objectives you should look for in your suitable digital business transformation (DBT) partner.

What You Should Look for in the Right IT Solutions Partner?

Location and Experience

The digital transformation process requires proper planning and careful execution. Therefore, the location and experience of the IT solutions provider are very important when you choose the right partner. A lot of IT companies haven’t been around for a long time. But then, we just cannot judge any digital company with its experience in the digital transformation domain. All you need to differentiate the most suitable company from available options for your digital transformation process.

Pricing

Pricing is one of the most important factors to consider while choosing the right digital partner. You need to make sure that the IT solutions provider matches your budget. At times, companies offer multiple service packages, and you can find out the most suitable package. Also, ask them whether you can add or remove the services you do not require during the ongoing digital transformation process.

Agile Approach and Expertise

Domain expertise in futuristic technologies like AI, IoT, AR, RPA (Robotic Process Automation), and machine learning is essential in your ideal IT services partner. What’s more, the company you select should follow the agile approach and driven by its purpose. A creative mindset and an innovation-friendly work culture are other qualities you should look for in your digital partner.

Quality of Work

quality of work
Image Source: Freepik.com

At the end of the day, quality of work matters the most. When you want to choose the right IT partner, you should gather all the necessary information regarding their quality, meeting deadlines, and overall process implementation. You can go through their portfolios and even contact with their clients who have worked with them on different projects. You can also make a project timeline and ask the software development company whether it can meet the deadline.

Transparency

This is another major factor to consider. You should keep some questions in mind while talking with shortlisted IT partners. These questions will show their openness and transparency, and you can select the right partner based on their answers. You can ask questions like-

  • What kind of team structure do you provide for the project?
  • What are the roles of various team members?
  • Who reports to whom and what kind of experience do team members have?
  • However, don’t forget to give a second thought while selecting the company that just says ‘yes’ to everything!

Communication and Reporting

Real-time communication and regular reporting are the keys to success in the technology domain. When you implement digital transformation techniques in your existing business system, chances are high that your employees and customers find it difficult to adjust with changing ways. There, your IT solutions provider can help you with effective communication and reporting at every stage of transformation. When you want to hire a digital transformation partner, it is better to learn how effective their communication skills and reporting techniques.

Approach

Having a digital-first approach is a basic requirement in your preferred IT services provider. When you go digital, there should be little room for the trial-and-error approach because the digitization process requires a small fortune. What’s more, digital transformation to the core is essential to leverage all its benefits. Merely an add-on digital strategy cannot help your organization much. Your IT partner should be digitally native and capable of adding digitization in the core processes of your business. The software development company with a digital-first approach can make it possible with ease.

Customer Experience

customer experience
Image Source: Freepik.com

Last but not the least point to consider is customer experience. The software development company you choose should not only customer-centric but also obsessed with providing excellent customer experience. The reason I am mentioning this is because today’s tech-savvy customers expect more from companies with a personalized experience. Your ideal digital transformation partner should be capable of meeting this expectation so that you can ensure customer satisfaction. Simply put, your IT partner should be fanatical about customer experiences so that you can reimagine the future of your company from the eyes of customers.

Concluding Lines

If this sounds confusing and you are still not sure about what exactly you require for transforming your business digitally, it is better to consult a reputed IT solutions provider with your requirements and budget. All you need is high-quality IT services that assist you to get the best ROI (Return on Investment) by embracing digital transformation for your business.

Since inception, we have remained a preferred IT partner for many startups, SMEs, and Fortune 500 companies worldwide. As a leading software development company, we provide a range of IT services including enterprise software services, E-Governance solutions, digital transformation services, RPA services, resilient services, and strategic outsourcing services. We also provide cloud-based IT and ERP solutions to make the most of advancing technology. Our teams of experienced developers keep the end- users in mind while developing enterprise-grade IT solutions.

Do you want to transform your business digitally? Just send us an email with your business requirements at info@silvertouch.com and we will get back to you soon!

The potential is unlimited if we think of what managed IT services can do for small and mid-sized businesses. In today’s technology-driven world, companies look for reducing the strain on their in-house IT department so that they can focus on critical aspects related to strategic growth. Though IT consulting can explain about the benefits more effectively, here we will see the top ten ways managed services can help you boost productivity by improving existing IT infrastructure.

Top Ten Benefits of Managed IT Services for SMBs

These services are aimed at providing information technology services and support through cloud-based software. The customized software can monitor your existing system round-the-clock while offering timely troubleshooting and repair services. Some examples of managed IT support are digital workplace, IT infrastructure management and security operation center (SOC). These services provide remote monitoring, maintenance, and management of your business network.

Here we mention some of the most important benefits of managed IT services for your business irrespective of its scale and size.

1. 360-degree Services

With a holistic approach, a service provider offers all services ranging from monitoring, managing, storing, and securing the IT infrastructure under one roof. In other words, there is no need to go to multiple providers for different services. This 360-degree services can save your time and effort significantly. What’s more, when you take a complete package of managed services, you can save many bucks with ease.

2. Centralized Applications

A managed service provider hosts your data and business apps from remote places, using a virtual server environment. This virtual environment comply with international standards for privacy and security. In the case of natural disaster like fire or flood ruins your office, your confidential corporate data is secure in a remote facility of a managed service provider. These providers have established standards for helping entrepreneurs to maintain business continuity in any circumstances.

3. Expert IT Professionals

Even if you have an in-house team of expert IT professionals, it is quite difficult to match the complex requirements of IT infrastructure and applications. These applications need specialized skill sets. When you hire dedicated developers, you can meet this requirement with ease because these developers have good experience in developing and implementing business software. You can also get rid of giving your existing staff a training or recruiting more professionals.

4. On-demand Compliance

All sorts of businesses need to remain compliant with prevalent industry-specific standards. This is not easy in today’s challenging and ever-changing scenario. When you outsource IT requirements to managed IT services provider, it becomes easier for your company to adhere to all the regulations related to privacy and data security. The service provider also offers on-demand audit and SOC (Security Operation Center) services to ensure that your IT system is secure.

Also Read- AI and Automation Trends to Watch for Improving Customer Services in 2021

5. High Scalability

Even if you have in-house IT resources and excellent digital infrastructure in your workplace, you cannot get the benefits of high scalability. With managed services, you can easily scale up your company’s digital capabilities in line with the growth of your business. You can choose pay-as-you-go plans for IT services so that you can increase the ability of IT solutions during the busiest season and vice versa.

6. Reduced Costs

Managed services are less expensive as compared to in-house staff and solutions. Usually, managed IT services offer a great combination of scalability and cost-effectiveness as you need not hire people on payroll. Also, you can get rid of investing more on ever-changing technologies by outsourcing IT services and get value-enhancing solutions.

7. Advantage of Cloud-based Solutions

Cloud computing is known for higher scalability, cost-effectiveness, and excellent performance. With managed services, your business can get an advantage of cloud technology by accessing comprehensive systems. Every cloud-powered system offers the best accessibility across multiple devices and network. The cloud technology enhances convenience and ensures real-time access to corporate data in a secure way.

8. Proactive Support

Traditional in-house IT staff usually takes a reactive approach for support and maintenance. It means that your existing IT team will not fix the issue until someone raise the ticket for the same. The problem with this approach is, at times, the issue can be big enough to damage the entire business network or break down the system. Managed service providers can work proactively to keep your system and applications up and running. As a result, you can get improved productivity and enhanced customer services.

9.Future-proof Services

With automatic upgrading, regular security patches, and real-time assistance, you can get future-proof services. Most reliable service providers offer uptime guarantees to keep your business competitive. You can get the future-ready solutions based on their expertise and investments.

10. Competitive Edge

Your managed IT service provider takes care of every aspect related to the IT infrastructure at your workplace. You can make the most of advancing technology with the help of scalable and cutting-edge solutions. Without paying any extra charge, your IT system remains up-to-date, and you can stay ahead of your competitors with flawless customer experience.

Concluding Lines

Managed IT services play a vital role in leveraging the power of advancing technology for SMBs. Whether you want to establish a digital workplace or hire dedicated developers for software project, a reputed service provider always ensures that you can get a higher ROI over the period. All these benefits mentioned above, and other benefits await your company when you assign IT management to technical experts.

As a leading managed IT services provider, we, Silver Touch render services like IT facility management, IT infrastructure management, data center transformation, and IT consulting to our global corporate clientele. With pan India presence and subsidiaries in the USA and UK, we serve a large client base consists of startups, SMEs, Government agencies, and established companies. Do you want to know more about our array of services or want us to become your end-to-end IT services provider? Simply drop us a line at info@silvertouch.com, and we will gladly assist you.

In today’s time, technologies have become an utmost important part of business houses. The increasing need and use of technology in business houses have created an immense need for an organization’s operating components to manage the Digital workplace. Engagement in IT infrastructure means taking control over your organization’s IT environment, it includes network cloud computing, server data, applications, etc.

Managed IT services are crucial to maintain and manage IT infrastructure to overcome traditional challenges and establish better stability in business and technology. In this blog we are going to see the importance of IT infrastructure management to ensure the growth of your companies and various ways to improve it. But before digging deep into this topic, let’s know the basics of IT infrastructure management.

IT Infrastructure Management- Brief Introduction

Simply put, IT Infrastructure management is the management of IT processes and policies. It also includes all physical components that support all activities and services required to support business needs and functions. Physical components such as networking hardware and computers are the primary focus of IT infrastructure management. It deals with managing key IT infrastructure required to deliver business services, including business applications and networking components.

Managed IT services can play a vital role in managing capacity monitoring, asset lifecycle, network utilization, energy consumption, service updates, and security operation center (SOC). Simply put, these services can take care of the physical and digital infrastructure of modern enterprises.

IT infrastructure management can be divided into three sub-categories of management.

System management includes the administrator of all IT assets found within a data centre and covers the overall context of IT infrastructure management. It also includes log management, workload automation, configuration management,

integration of cloud-based application services and security-focused initiatives.

Store Management is a critical part of IT infrastructure management. The availability of data storage is limited in Digital Workplace. It is an oversight of data-storage technologies and resources, such as storage provisioning, data compression, virtualization, and data security.

Network Management is the management of security networks. It also includes an element of security, as IT operators must maintain visibility into the network to control the organization’s network security against unauthorized access and data breaches. A security operation center can safeguard the networks from a remote, single location.

Also Read- 10 Key Benefits of Managed IT Services for Small to Mid-Sized Business

While many businesses prioritize hiring data engineers and data technology experts for managing IT services, the need for IT facility management is becoming a trend to oversight a business IT infrastructure from a facility standpoint. The roles of IT facility management are optimizing synergy between digital assets and workplace facility, cooperate with IT support to install and service IT assets, and managing the physical environment of vital IT infrastructure. It keeps the workplace connected. IT infrastructure goes hand in hand with IT facility management Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework.

Managed IT Services in an organization are an integrated part of the workplace to ensure security and efficient growth. IT infrastructure management and facility management provides the overall control over IT infrastructure and become a need to run an organization efficiently. So, let’s look over the importance of IT infrastructure management in businesses.

Importance of Managed IT Infrastructure in Enterprises

Ease of operation, increased transparency, and reduced overheads are some noteworthy benefits of managed IT infrastructure services. You can expect the following outcome from IT infrastructure management and IT facility management.

  • Quick response challenges and unwanted conditions

  • Agility and flexibility for implementing proactive strategies

  • Automation for reducing effort, cost, and risks of human errors

  • Better capacity planning and meaningful insights in real-time

  • Streamlining processes for freeing employees to focus on other productive tasks

  • Enhanced customer experience and satisfaction

  • Reduction in machine downtime and decreased repair time

IT service providers tend to integrate the advancements of cutting-edge technologies for offering enterprise-grade managed IT services. What’s more, mobility and cloud-driven solutions can bring in many possibilities for modern enterprises. All you need to find a trusted and experienced service provider to get the benefits like

 

  • Disaster Management– You can hire dedicated developers who provide managed IT services to remain proactive in predicting or managing disasters.

  • Enhanced Security- It is possible to establish an SOC (Security Operations Center) to improve cybersecurity and manage threats effectively.

  • Higher Scalability– Outsourcing IT infrastructure management and IT facility management can help companies to scale up or down operations.

  • Improved Experience– End users can get excellent experience from the managed IT infrastructure and digital environment.

Apart from these benefits, companies can retrieve the corporate data as and when necessary while remaining compliant with all the regulations. Here are some of the effective ways to improve IT infrastructure management.

How to Improve IT Infrastructure Management

  • By implementing automation to increase efficiency

  • By storing the corporate date to the cloud

  • By creating a system to streamline submissions and monitor issues

  • By tracking reports in real-time

It is better to contact a reputed IT consulting company to integrate managed IT services into your existing system and leverage the benefits of technological advancements.

Concluding Lines

In recent times, technology has become an integrated part of business and many IT consulting companies come into business to provide various IT services to enterprises.  Implementing IT service management enables organizations to think strategically about business technology needs and helps to deliver competitive edge in 2022 and beyond.

For small and medium-sized businesses, cloud computing is essential to expand their businesses and better understand their business operations. It has become essential for most business organizations to consider taking their businesses online in the past couple of years. But instead of on-premise IT infrastructure, most of these companies opt for cloud computing services. There are several reasons for it; for example, cloud infrastructure services are always more cost-effective than an on-premise one. Here, you will get all efficiency, scalability, and data security services. However, you do not have to worry about managing these aspects on-premise. Your service provider will provide you with the necessary IT infrastructure to help you get a better understanding of your daily business operations. Some of the other benefits of cloud-computing to SMBs are as follows:

Better business operations

The primary benefit of cloud computing is that you can fill any gaps in your IT infrastructure. Cloud-based IT infrastructure management services mean your company’s business managers can have access to all business operations at all times and from multiple devices. You do not have to worry about accessibility, as you can access the information anywhere and anytime. This is essential for most eCommerce firms that cater to the retail industry. With cloud-based infrastructure, business management, inventory management, and customer relationship management or CRM become easier. Your company’s business managers can now use a single platform to evaluate all aspects and take business decisions with more excellent proficiency.

Improve the overall efficiency of your firm

Cloud computing makes management more accessible, which is necessary to improve the overall proficiency of your company. With a cloud-based IT infrastructure, you will find that workflow management, assigning work, and evaluating daily business operations have become more accessible. When it comes to transferring data, you no longer need to wait for a response from another team. You can upload the information onto your cloud-based system, and all your teams can access it. This is especially necessary for companies that have teams working remotely. Here cloud computing can make it easier for teams to communicate. It would help if you waited for your teams to meet on a platform to make business decisions. You can upload any changes to your company’s operations or changes to the workflow onto the cloud based system, and all your teams can access the information. This can help improve the efficiency of your firm. It will make your company proficient and make it easier for your managers to make business decisions.

Improved data security

Cloud-based computing offers improved data security. When you opt for cloud computing, you agree with your service provider as per the terms of an agreement. The cloud infrastructure services fall under software as a service or SaaS. This means you can be assured of the data you store on the cloud-based system. For SMBs, data security is an essential factor. For example, if you are the owner of an eCommerce platform, your customers will share information with you on your platform. Therefore, you need to assure them of the security measures to protect the data. As cloud-based computing offers excellent data security, you can be assured that your clients’ information will be safe.

Cost-effective solution

When you think of cloud-based solutions, you can be assured that they will be cost-effective and offer excellent scalability. It is essential for SMBs that the solution offered to be cost-effective means they do not have to make a significant investment at the onset. As your business expands, you can increase the number of services and ensure that you do not have to make an extensive upfront investment for an IT infrastructure.

Thus, for most SMBs, cloud computing is one of the best solutions. It means there is a better understanding of the business operations, and the company’s business managers can now make better management decisions. It also becomes easier for companies going online for the first time to evaluate the expenses involved in building an IT infrastructure without investing in an on-premise one. When you invest in a cloud-based computing system, you can have all the facilities of an excellent IT infrastructure without extensive investment.

The modern workforce expects a user-friendly telecommuting environment that is accessible on devices and in locations of their choice. As you enable users to work securely from any device, automated and user-friendly self-service options, along with one-touch app provisioning, bring benefits to your employees from day one. Leverage modern analytics-based lifecycle management solutions to improve IT efficiency without compromising control and security using Unified Endpoint Management

What is Endpoint Security?

In a contextualized way, Endpoint can be any device, mobile or not, from a workstation to notebooks, tablets, and cell phones, which can be connected to a network.

Therefore, endpoint security aims to ensure that all services connected to a network are protected against various types of cyberattacks such as worms, Trojans, spyware, adware, rootkits, and software vulnerability attacks (“zero-day exploitation”).

What is Unified Endpoint Security (UES) and why is it so important to your business?

Digital resources are, nowadays, indispensable for any business. But, as not everything is flowery, the complexity of the corporate environment provides opportunities for the emergence of new and complex risks of cyber fraud.

Unfortunately, antivirus products are no longer sufficient to protect users from complex attacks. Thus, it becomes essential to implement a reliable security system in virtual space.

For organizational environments, it is recommended to adopt the Unified Endpoint Security (or Endpoint Protection) approach, capable of protecting an enterprise network, when accessed, both by internal and remote devices, such as servers, workstations, smartphones, laptops, tablets, or others wireless devices.

How does Endpoint Security work?

Endpoint Security acts to stop threats, monitor overall system health, and generate reports with detection and status information. The software client is installed on each system but has a centralized orchestrator.

The protection system encompasses application installation and access permission management, network and Internet access control, device control, data loss management (DLP), threat detection and response, and most importantly, anti-malware protection.

In other words, the system protects servers, computer systems, laptops, and tablets against known and unknown threats. These threats include malware, suspicious communications, untrustworthy websites, and downloaded files.

Why is it important to have good Endpoint security?

Viruses and cyber-attacks can cause millions of dollars in damage to businesses. There are numerous paths these attacks can take, such as data hijacking with Ransomware, loss of important information, bank password theft, application/server slowdown, and damage, users stopped while computers are under maintenance, or applications unavailable

According to the FBI, the damage caused by different types of malware totaled more than USD 11 million in 2018 alone. In 2019, according to the Ponemon Institute, the average cost of data breaches reached USD 3.92 million, the highest recorded to date. Hence the importance of maintaining the integrity and security of your digital system.

Key Benefits of UEM (Unified Endpoint Management)

UEM (Unified Endpoint Management) solution, which is focused on user experience and automation, delivers engaging experiences, from onboarding to checkout, driving productivity and employee satisfaction.

Make users more productive by giving them a choice of devices and applications while simplifying unified endpoint management.

  • Manage devices from anywhere in a unified platform 
  • Rapid, contactless deployment of devices with an automated and intuitive self-service solution 
  • Simple, one-touch access to business applications in a unified catalog 
  • Management of policies, content, and distribution based on users 
  • Protect devices and data with a professional-grade security solution 
  • Reduce total cost of operations with industrialized automation throughout the device lifecycle 

Difference between Endpoint and Antivirus security

While both offer protection solutions, Endpoint Security and Antivirus are different things. While antivirus is software that detects, prevents, and acts to remove malicious software programs such as viruses and worms on PCs – single or many -, Endpoint security covers the entire infrastructure.

Endpoint Security contains not only anti-malware, common among antiviruses but many security tools against different types of threats. With it, it is possible to maintain device integrity, user authentication/authorization, in order to preserve secure Endpoints, which are not included in the antivirus package.

Benefits of Endpoint Security

Among the advantages of Endpoint security, the following stand out:

Cost Reduction

Instead of investing in separate components to ensure the protection of each device connected to the network, the Endpoint system brings together the necessary components in a single set, which is much more cost-effective.

Easy Installation

Just install and configure the central server that will secure the network. Thus, devices will only be able to access the network after installing the client on their devices.

Centralized Administration

It is possible to centralize the network from the security management system, in this case, the Endpoint.

Thus, the company’s IT infrastructure manager or the outsourced partner becomes the Endpoint server administrator, being responsible for the control to revoke and grant user permissions, audit security, obtain reports, monitor the network, among other aspects. These actions take place through an Orchestrator or remote management portal.

Blocking Unwanted Actions

Although often unintentional, unwanted intrusions can be frequent in the organizational environment. For example, if an employee of a company puts an infected USB stick on his work computer, it can cause a vulnerability in the system.

For this reason, some companies have security policies that prevent employees from plugging internal devices into workstations. Thus, Endpoint security software helps to block this type of activity.

Easy Integration with New Technologies

As the security system is just a composite, it becomes easier for new solutions to be added to the system in a simple way. Thus, companies have access to updates securely and unified, at once, for all devices.

Want to learn more about Cybersecurity for Business? Silver Touch offers solutions and security management and Unified Endpoint management, Firewall and network security, email security and anti-spam, backup, and disaster recovery services. Find out which is the best option for your organization’s profile and request a free quote.