Tag: saas

  • Considering Moving to the Cloud? Here Are 5 Things You Should Know.

    Considering Moving to the Cloud? Here Are 5 Things You Should Know.

    Moving to the cloud makes sense for a lot of businesses. The infrastructure required for a business level technology setup can be difficult to budget for, and you also have to consider the ongoing maintenance required.

    Even if your business has an onsite server, it makes sense to have a cloud backup. This way if anything happens to your physical server, you have a backup ready. There are even archival backups available that are incredibly safe from cyber attacks (this is something we offer as part of our TechVault service, you can learn more here).

    Here are 5 things you should consider as you venture into the cloud computing space.

    1. Compatibility. You need to consider whether the cloud service you’re moving to is compatible with your existing software and services for a smooth roll out. Since cloud services are usually used to host remote setups, this is especially important if you don’t have all of your employees at a singular location. Also, if your business uses legacy systems, it may be more difficult and complex to move to the cloud but not necessarily impossible.
    2. Internet Connection. Another thing to consider is the type of internet connection your office has. If you have a slow or unreliable connection, it may make rollovers from backup more difficult. It may be worth looking to see if higher speed/increased bandwidth internet solution is available at your office location to help support your cloud solution.
    3. Service Level Agreements. Most cloud providers have guarantees they spell out in these agreements regarding uptime and maintenance. You will want to review these agreements carefully and make sure the arrangement will work for your particular business. We have a free report on the cost of downtime here.
    4. Disaster Recovery. Piggybacking off topic number 3, you also need sure they cover you on the off chance there is a disaster on their end as well as support your efforts to recover if something happens to your onsite backups. Many cloud service providers offer this type of support for an additional fee or as a service add-on.
    5. Scaling. Finally, you want to pick a provider that can grow with your business. One of the benefits of a cloud solution is the ability to scale without the expensive upfront cost. When it comes time to upgrade you should know how easily you can move from one plan to the next.

    As a bonus, here is our chart of common Cloud acronyms found in this space.

    Chart With Cloud Acronyms

    Backup solutions, including those in the cloud, can be a complex undertaking. You want to make sure It’s done correctly so if the time should come that you actually need to utilize that backup it goes as smooth as possible and doesn’t leave your business down for an extended period of time.

    At Valley Techlogic we are experts in the field of crafting backup solutions tailored to the businesses we service. If your business is located in the Central Valley and you need assistance in creating a reliable backup solution for your business, we’re happy to provide a free consultation. You can schedule one here.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these tech articles from the last week.

    This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.

  • The average cost of hiring IT support staff examined

    The average cost of hiring IT support staff examined

    When you’re talking about IT for businesses there’s a wide range of normal, for some businesses their normal is having in-house IT staff. For many though their IT operational needs are such that having a dedicated staff devoted to the job just doesn’t make financial sense.

    Average Cost of an IT Support Person
    Click to see the full size version.

    If you look at our chart you can see that the cost of hiring one IT person is quite significant. You also must overcome the usual hiring hurdle of just finding the right person in the first place and dedicating your time to that task is something that should definitely be taken into consideration.

    The benefit of an IT support plan is someone else is doing that job for you, with the right company behind your business you will have an entire team of experienced techs available to you without having to pay a yearly salary for each one.

    Some technology service providers even offer flat monthly cost plans that come with generous or even unlimited support included. We’re proud to be one such company that offer plans that eliminate many of the billing headaches surrounding outsourcing your IT for our clients.

    While our own plans are multifaceted and cover project work, onsite and help desk support, cybersecurity and more – you may be asking what types of plans are usually available in the marketplace.

    1. Full Managed IT Department Support – This is what we offer, we cover everything you could need that’s IT related.
    2. Managed Support Services – This is where remote and help desk support is available but not onsite. Good for getting back into locked email accounts but not ideal for complicated IT issues.
    3. Managed Software as a Service (SAAS) – This is a managed service for one particular type of software. Notable examples include Google Apps, Salesforce, ZenDesk and DocuSign.
    4. Managed Networks and Infrastructure – VPNs would fall into this category, as would managed cloud services such as Amazon Web Services (AWS).
    5. Business Intelligence and Data Analytics – Consulting services that help you with your web presence and the best ways to apply technology to your business would fall into this category of managed services.

    These aren’t the only examples of IT support plans, but we feel they’re the most notable.

    Many small or medium sized business owners also avoid the issue entirely by doing their own IT. We wrote about why that may not make smart business sense here, but in a nutshell it comes down to how much you really value your time and whether your efforts spent there are the best use of it.

    We can offer advice on what the best fit is for your particular business, if you’d like to book a free 10 minute consultation you can find our calendar here. We’re offering easy virtual appointments and even if you don’t choose us, we can help you leave with a plan.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these tech articles from the last week.

    This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.

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