The “A Day in the Clouds: Is your Future Cloudy?” breakout session at 1:45pm will include a high-level description of the cloud, the types of cloud services available, and the pros and cons of the cloud for business. The panel will examine real-world examples of companies that made the switch to the cloud. Finally, how cloud services effects the business environment will be discussed.

Vision Computer Solutions, with numerous real-world implementations of cloud environments, is uniquely qualified to moderate the cloud computing panel. “The panel and I are very excited to share our experiences as the switch to a cloud environment has made dramatic positive impacts at our client companies,” said Peter Marsack, vice president of business development at Vision Computer Solutions. “When implemented correctly, cloud environments lead to higher returns on investment and increased efficiency and system availability.”

The daylong Automation Alley IMPACT 2012 event will explore what it means to have IMPACT in today’s business environment. The event brings together experts in sales, marketing, finance, human resources and the public sector to forecast national and local trends affecting business in 2012. The event takes place 8 a.m.– 5 p.m. at the Centerpoint Marriott in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

Are you lacking a business plan that leverages technology to optimize delivery of your product or service?

Would you rather spend more time working IN your business rather than working ON your business?

Is your definition of a business technology plan throwing buzzwords at your peers and clients?

An answer to YES on any of these is an indicator of a small business with stunted growth.  I guarantee you have at least one competitor who is answering NO to these questions and thus, is leaving you in the dust.  Griping about technology and complaining about lack of understanding or knowledge used to be the popular thing to do.  Now, this lack of understanding or showing technical adversity is a sign of inferiority compared to your peers and competition.

If you own a business, or you lead a business in some manner then you need to know just as much about your technical initiatives as anyone on your staff.  This doesn’t mean you need to know gigabytes, megahertz or gigaflops.   What this means is you need an AWARENESS of what technical solutions could be providing value or improvements to your processes, workflow, or staff.   How can technology make you more money?  How can it increase people’s awareness of your organization?  What changes are on the horizon?  What will my clients be asking for?  Where am I spending my money today and why?

Technology isn’t about having the latest Dell computer or the fastest network, it’s about making more money.  Put effort into understanding it even at a high level and create an appreciation for it.  If you don’t have a trusted IT partner, then find one. It’s time to catch up to the rest of us because the number of people you will be able to complain to about technology is dwindling fast.

Given that, you would think that there wouldn’t ever be a bad time to sign a managed services agreement. But believe it or not, we have seen clients choose the wrong moment time and time again: a week or two after they really needed one.

Let us explain: In a lot of ways, an IT managed services agreement is like a good insurance policy – having it in place can save you an extraordinary amount of time and frustration, but only if you have thought far enough ahead to get it before disaster strikes.

In the same way that a lot of homeowners start looking for good coverage immediately after a major flood or hurricane (kicking themselves the whole time for not doing it sooner), too many business owners and executives put off choosing one of the Michigan computer companies for managed services until something terrible happens. Once you have had your server fail, watched your company’s e-mail go off-line for a week, or lost one of your biggest customers because of a technical snafu, however, it’s often too late to undo the damage.

Worst of all, without a good managed services agreement in place, you’ll probably be stuck in a “break-fix” mode of payment, meaning that you’re going to be shelling out a lot of emergency and overtime hours to an IT provider just to get back up and running. This isn’t a good way to think proactively, or to get the best possible service for your company.

So why don’t more clients opt for a managed services agreement from the beginning? Some simply aren’t aware that they had a choice, but most put it off because managed services can seem like a bigger expense when you’re used to paying for IT only when you think you need it, rather than at regular intervals. Isn’t it worth it, though, to have a team of trained professionals preventing major technology issues, rather than simply answering your call after they’ve already hurt your company?

Waiting for an IT disaster can actually save you a little bit of money in the short term, but it could also easily result in a lot of downtime, expensive hardware and software replacement, and lots and lots of overtime IT hours. A managed services agreement, on the other hand, wouldn’t just eliminate these costs, but might well have prevented the problem from creeping up in the first place.

Want to know more about our ForeSite IT managed services? Call us at 248-349-6115 or submit a request for more information today. One of our reps will answer your call or respond to your online information request immediately.

I stopped by my town’s rec center last night and was surprised by the predictable annual workout resolution fall off.  It’s only the second week of January and already most of the “white shoe crew” was no where to be seen.  Unfortunate, as I admire those who take the initiative to better their own situation and I never like seeing someone quit.

Your business runs on its technology.  Your business runs because of its technology.  If you haven’t given your technology the appropriate time, attention, or investment then chances are its overweight.

Your technology is overweight and out of shape.  It’s slow, bloated, crashes often, makes people angry and often leaves them with a sense of giving up.  It has sat there for years, dusty, in a room.  No one has given it due attention.  No one has maintained it.  Most people have never even seen that mysterious server that they only hear about as a part of inter-office legend.  There it sits, aging, slowing down… gaining weight… and your business is suffering because of it.

Time for your technology to get a work out.  What does this mean in the IT world?  Fix it. Maintain it. If it’s too old, then replace it.  Make it a priority this year and stick to it!  Don’t be the one to walk away, head hung low disappointed stating “There will always be next year.” Make this the year your IT and business become lean and healthy.

A while back we posted about sitting down and having a plan for 2012 in regard to your technology solution and growth.  How did it go?  Did it get done?

You still have time.  It’s a new year and there are so many exciting things in the world of IT to talk about and how they can make your business smarter, faster and more lucrative.

Make 2012 the year your business became lean and intelligent.  Make this the year you stopped fearing technology and started leveraging its power to make your bottom line look nicer.  Time to stop settling for the status quo and time to start expecting better from your technology!

With that in mind, we would like to put two different questions to you: First, what does your company’s data and backup plan look like? And secondly, how sure are you that it’s working the way it’s supposed to?

If you don’t have an answer to the first question, or are unsure, then we beg you to run – don’t walk – into our Michigan IT offices to discuss a system for backing up your most important data and applications. While a lot of business owners and managers think that the possibility of losing what they have is remote, the reality is that a single flood or tornado can wipe your company off the map if you don’t have a plan to restore your systems in place. And that’s to say nothing of fires, thefts, and employee errors that can wipe out your existing data and technology in a second.

If you have a backup and recovery system in place, then what kind of verification are you getting that it’s functioning? And how often are those updates coming? It’s not unusual, in our business, to find that a small or medium-sized business is backing up to a tape drive once a week or once a month. Not only would they desperately need the information that’s been written to their servers since the last backup, but a deeper look shows that they aren’t even backing up all of their files, either because the drive is full or the system has been incorrectly configured. Again, it would be hard to overstate the terrible feeling these folks have when they realize that the safety net they were counting on wasn’t there.

And while we’re on the subject, one more quick tip: Make sure that your backup plan includes complete versions of your data regularly being stored somewhere that isn’t in your office. Why? Because if your facility is destroyed – and your backup system with it – then it’s no better than not having had one at all.

When it comes to backup and data recovery, it’s incredibly important to have a system in place, but that’s not enough. If you truly want to look out for the future of your company, then make sure that you don’t just have a plan, but that it’s working the way you think it is.  Talk to a reputable Michigan computer consulting company to get an actionable BUDR plan in place today.

Before long, lots of them find out just what expensive IT really looks like.

Here is what we’re getting at: When you have someone who is untrained and  not certified managing your company’s technology, you’re tempting fate. Regardless of whether your company fits into one building or one small office, it only takes one major mishap to derail your business and throw it into chaos. If you don’t think so, Google a phrase like “IT disaster,” and see how many stories come from small and growing companies.

While high-profile failures and security breaches make the news, it’s the tiniest businesses – the ones that are dependent on having access to customer data and records, that rely on weekly and monthly billing systems to stay afloat, and the ones that are least likely to have the maintenance and backup they need – that most often go out of business following a major IT challenge. The Fortune 500s that you see in the news might pay handsomely for breakdowns and downtime, but they are equipped to ride out the storm, whereas smaller businesses are not.

The real expense of IT can’t always be measured on an invoice or monthly agreement, but in the loss of business and revenue that comes with being unprepared for the wrong kind of situation. Many companies are looking to cut expenses in this economy, and that’s completely understandable. But if you think that technology support is the best place to squeeze a few dollars out of your operating budget, then make sure you aren’t putting your business at risk over a small expense.

Dependable information technology companies are generally more affordable than first-time business owners think… what’s really expensive is finding out the hard way.

So should your company prepay for billable IT hours?

The short answer, from our point of view, is it depends. And what it depends on is the arrangement you’ve worked out with your IT computer support specialist or IT services provider. If you’re simply paying for a discounted “block of time” that you can use within six months or a year, for example, then we’re going to go against the grain and say it’s not advisable. After all, that might be great for your business IT consulting provider’s cash flow, but unless you are planning to have technology problems, then there’s no way to be certain that expense is ever going to be of value for you. And if you are planning on having technology problems, then why not fix them now before they end up costing your business more money?
We aren’t meaning to imply that your IT provider wants to take your money and run, but in such a situation, where is their incentive to go the extra mile for you? They’ve gotten their money, so it’s up to you to think of something for them to do.
That being said, there is a second kind of “prepaid” arrangement that we would recommend: a managed services agreement. What’s the difference? With IT managed services, you’re paying the same thing to your IT provider every month whether you have a problem or not. Unlike purchasing a block of hours, this puts them in a position where they’re responsible for keeping your company’s technology working smoothly. Otherwise, it’s only going to take more of their time and expense to get your business back on track. In other words, you aren’t paying for the time, but for the completed job.

That’s a subtle difference, but it’s the difference between a great value and a potential waste of your investment. When it comes to paying for IT up front or at regular intervals, smart business owners will go for managed services every time. It might sound more constricting than just paying for a few hours, but it’s also a much better deal.

That viewpoint is common, but it also misses the point of the managed IT services agreement entirely. That’s because the biggest benefits aren’t to the IT company, but to the client.

It’s not hard to explain why. For one thing, a quick conversation with a business owner who has ever been through a major technology failure will give you some insight into just how expensive those middle-of-the-night billable hours can be. Call someone who’s unfamiliar with your company’s hardware and software at a time that is inconvenient, and you can almost watch the invoice swell in size.

For that reason alone, a managed services agreement tends to be worth it, since it doubles as insurance against huge, uncapped expenses. You might grumble about the amount you have to pay, but at least you know you’re not going to pay more than that.

An even bigger benefit, however, is that a managed services agreement puts your IT services provider squarely on your side. That is, it gives them absolutely no incentive for your company to experience a single minute of unplanned downtime. The smoother your systems are running, the less time and energy your account takes to manage, meaning that your technology partner comes out ahead, too. In fact, because your IT provider will be busy looking for potential problems and dealing with them before you can notice, it’s very likely that you’ll have fewer reasons to call them or see them in action. So, in a certain sense you’re getting “less” IT for your money, but in a good way.

Really, the question behind the managed services agreement comes down to this: Would you rather know what you’re going to pay for great technology help every month, or just spend money fixing problems when they pop up? If you would prefer the first option, then congratulations – you’re a savvy business owner, and someone who should strongly consider a managed services agreement with a high-quality IT partner.

Because a lot of the best IT work happens behind the scenes, the managed services agreement could turn out to be the best deal you never knew you got. If you don’t have a trusted IT partner already, talk to us about getting one today.

About the Author
Peter Marsack is the Vice President of Business Development for Vision Computer Solutions – one of the leading information technology companies in Michigan. Vision specializes in Michigan IT support and Michigan computer support for legal, manufacturing, property management and healthcare companies.

So why is it that these people stay together?

Often, it’s because their lives have become so intertwined that they wouldn’t even begin to know how to separate. Aside from the general sense of familiarity, they fear having to split the house, savings account, and maybe even a couple of children… not to mention the horrifying prospect of having to meet someone new. It’s not ideal, they tell themselves, but it probably makes sense to stick it out a little longer.

Of course, in the long run that approach doesn’t really help anyone. And, it has more similarity to a lot of relationships between IT support providers and their clients than it should. There are a lot of business owners and executives who would love to split up from the technology partners they have, but are too afraid to make the move. Just like a bad marriage, they have become dependent on their IT firms over time. They just can’t imagine who else they would call when their server crashes, or what vendor they could turn to in the event that they stop receiving e-mails. And then when you factor in the time and energy it would take to interview new companies and have them get familiar with your systems, it’s just not worth it… or is it?

The reality is that these are usually situations that are created by a bad IT relationship, rather than reasons to hold it together. If you are facing technology problems often enough that you fear a life without your current IT firm, then that’s a sign they probably aren’t working hard enough to prevent them in the first place.

Bad IT truly is a lot like a bad marriage, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay locked in to a poor arrangement until one of your businesses dies. If you find that you’re looking at your IT invoice and thinking the spark is gone, then it’s probably time to look for a new, more competent flame to help you with your technology.

About the Author
Peter Marsack is the Vice President of Business Development for Vision Computer Solutions – one of the leading information technology companies in Michigan. Vision specializes in Michigan IT support and Michigan computer support for legal, manufacturing, property management and healthcare companies.