Here at GoldStar, we’ve been providing IT services to SMEs in Ireland for decades now. We’d like to think this gives us a good sense of what really helps. This blog is all about highlighting some of those IT services that are too often overlooked.

First off, let’s explore just why managed services are so well suited to the SME space.

IT and SMEs – the dilemma

IT touches every area of modern business. From communication and customer relations to invoicing and accounts, technology is there to support us at every step.

But for SMEs, this creates a dilemma. The right tech will make you more productive, of course, but what makes “the right tech”? Somebody has to choose it, and after that somebody has to maintain it.

Big multinationals have CTOs and huge IT departments, covering everything from procurement to deployment and technical support. For SMEs, having all that expertise in-house is often impossible. But on the other hand, not having that knowledge makes them less likely to end up with tech that helps them compete.

The power of managed IT services

This is where managed IT services come into their own. With an IT service provider like GoldStar, you simply hire in the expertise you need. As experts in business technology, we’ll look at your business and consult you on what’s best for you.

This gives you a flexible contract for the IT services you need – no more, and no less. As a result, your IT infrastructure is better managed, more reliable and more powerful, leaving you to focus on developing your business.

So without further ado, we thought we’d highlight some underrated services, and show how they can help power your business.

1.    Cybersecurity

IT is great for business, but it also creates vulnerabilities. Cybercrime is a constant threat, and none of us can afford to be complacent. It’s not just big multinationals and governments that get hacked either. The most damaging cyber-attacks are the ones you don’t read about on the front pages.

Organised cybercriminals specifically target small businesses because they’re deemed easy targets. And if you don’t have the protection you need, they can clean you out and cause huge reputational damage. At GoldStar, we’re determined to make sure that doesn’t happen.

We can offer robust cybersecurity to keep you safe. This covers everything from anti-virus to firewalls and two-factor authentication. It’s all about identifying and resolving potential vulnerabilities before it’s too late.

2.    Endpoint maintenance

This one is pretty straightforward: you need hardware that works! Even top-of-the-range desktops suffer wear and tear and performance issues. And over time, all hardware deteriorates. What you need is ongoing management of your devices.

At GoldStar, we provide just that. Our IT experts can handle patch management, maintenance and repairs of you laptops and desktops, whether they’re Mac or PC.

 

3.    Cloud backup

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. That’s an adage that long pre-dates the arrival of cloud computing, and yet it applies perfectly to this point.

A lot of SMEs are happy with storing files locally, whether that’s on an on-premise server or just on work devices. The trouble with this is pretty clear – what happens if the server goes down? Or if the device breaks? Best case, you’re temporarily unable to work on anything. Worst case, you could lose the files altogether.

With cloud backup, you can avoid these very unwelcome outcomes entirely. At GoldStar, we can seamlessly migrate your documents to the cloud, and help you develop a robust disaster recovery strategy. That way, whatever it is that goes wrong, you can be back up and running much faster. The goal is business continuity, and we can help you achieve it.

4.    Teams integration

Remote working isn’t going away. Covid-19 turned it from a fringe discussion into the global norm practically overnight. But though we’re over the worst of that, the upsides of remote work stayed with us.

In Ireland, the government is still working on the Right to Request Remote Working Bill. Whatever form that takes, at least a flexible or hybrid working model is likely to become more common or even compulsory. Businesses have a clear incentive to be able work remotely, and Microsoft Teams is a great way to do it. We can integrate Teams with your phone system, allowing you to collaborate and connect from afar.

5.    IT helpdesk

The larger your team, the larger your IT infrastructure. And the larger your infrastructure, the more things can go wrong. Small system issues are an unavoidable reality of working life, from log-in troubles to crashing hardware.

Most individuals in most organisations will experience these little moments of downtime. And like all downtime, it’s all cost with no reward. The goal is to resolve these things as quickly as possible, and that’s where an outsourced helpdesk comes in.

Outsourcing IT support is a great way to minimise downtime without investing in the significant resources you need to run it in-house. Here at GoldStar, we can offer expert IT support. Callouts are rapid if you need, but we can handle most issues remotely and fast!

Partnering with GoldStar

Managed IT services are a great option, but you need a reliable partner. That’s exactly what we are, whether you need support with telecoms, IT or both.

We can work with your existing IT department, or we can be your IT department. The first step is an assessment of your business, and after that we’ll begin to make our recommendations. Our goal is simple: we want our customers to be protected from threat and operating at maximum efficiency.

To find out how we can optimise your business IT, get in touch today.