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The Doyle Report: What Partners Are Saying on The Last Good Day of The Year
MSPmentor 501 companies said goodbye to 2015 in a variety of ways. Some reminded customers to be extra careful and watch out for security threats. Others summarized their good fortunes. Still more offered advice for working more productively in 2016. Here's a sampling.
doylet
December 31, 2015
7 Min Read
The market is closed, the work is done and it’s time to put 2015 to bed—almost. There’s still some celebrating and merry making to be done, and some observations to be made.
So Happy New Year everyone and thanks for reading MSPmentor. We’re thrilled to have you here.
Before we sign off for the night, we thought it might be interesting to see how some MSPmentor 501 companies said goodbye to 2015. Some reminded customers to be extra careful and watch out for security threats. Others summarized their good fortunes. Still more offered advice for working more productively in 2016.
In no particular order, here’s a sampling from the MSP501 blogspehere on the last good day of the year.
OneNeck IT Solutions, No. 6 on the MSP501 2015 list, reminded readers that “breaches in IT security cause havoc for U.S. companies:
“Data breaches are especially dangerous because they can remain undetected for a significant amount of time. In addition, most companies don’t realize the breach has occurred until the damage is already done. While the technology to prevent unauthorized access continues to improve, the criminals continue to improve their methods as well. The lesson here: data security should be a top concern in any organization. A data breach affects not only your company’s bottom line, but your customers’ security as well. You simply can’t afford to take chances when it comes to your company’s data security.”
Abacus Group LLC (MSP501 No. 27) wrapped the year with good news about office expansion and sales growth:
“Abacus Group LLC, a leading provider of hosted IT solutions for hedge funds and private equity funds, today announced that it has increased its U.S. presence and capabilities by opening a new office in Boston, which will provide support for its growing client base and the industry’s ever increasing demand for the AbacusFlexTM private cloud solution… Abacus has shown significant growth in 2015, with over 50% year over year annual growth and 63 client wins in 2015, opening new offices across the U.S. to meet customer demand including Los Angeles, Dallas, and most recently Charlotte, North Carolina. The company is also set to extend their current office facilities in Greenwich, Connecticut as part of the current expansion.
Xantrion also capped the year with a message about cyber threats, suggesting that customers would be better off Tackling the IT Security Skills Shortage with Outsourcing:
“The threats to cyber security seem to mount daily, but even though companies are allocating more money to fight them, they’re having trouble finding the experienced staffers they need. If your organization is stuck in this double bind, security experts recommend three steps to start untangling it:
Outsource some of the burden via managed security services, security as a service, and integrated appliances.
Share the load with other companies by getting involved with peer networks and third-party data platforms that let organizations pool their real-time threat data, research, and intelligence.
Get involved in growing the next generation of IT security by helping academic institutions develop a strong cyber security curriculum that combines business and technical components.”
Trivalent Group (MSP501 No. 66), meanwhile, shared good news this December: The company, one of Michigan’s largest MSPs, attained a Microsoft Gold MidMarket Solution Provider competency and a Silver Hosting competency:
“[We’re] demonstrating a ‘best-in-class’ ability and commitment to meet its Microsoft customers’ evolving needs in today’s dynamic business environment and distinguishing itself within the top 1 percent of Microsoft’s partner ecosystem. A portfolio of competencies showcases that Trivalent Group is committed to focusing on in-demand, business solution areas, along with ensuring it can meet the evolving needs of customers because of market changes.”
GreenPages-LogicsOne (MSP501 No. 82), closed out 2015 with Part Two of it’s three-part video series on the Pitfalls of Microsoft O365 Migrations. In this chapter, David Barter, GreenPage’s Practice Director of Microsoft Technologies, examines “3rd party utilities, DNS, and other management tools.”
Huber & Associates (MSP501 No. 172), shared “5 Apps To Optimize Your Productivity In 2016”:
Project Management Software: Whether this is our Enterpol software for law enforcement agencies, Slack for businesses, or Wunderlist for the individual, the organization of tasks is important. Don’t let your daily to-do list eat you (and your organization) alive. Knowing what you’re responsible for each day and the priority of those responsibilities is the best way to increase your productivity.
Evernote:If you’ve ever had a wonderful idea in the middle of a meeting and didn’t have a place to jot it down, Evernote is the app for you. With the ability to create various folders, create lists, set reminders, record audio notes, and more (all for free), this app is your ultimate note folder. Never forget an idea again. There’s a reason its logo is an elephant.
Fantastical: A few members of our team recently discovered Fantastical and they haven’t looked back since. It syncs with all the calendars you’re already using but is much easier to use. Speak to it in plain English and it schedules your appointment. For example, “Set a reminder to call Huber & Associates for IT services at 4 next Wednesday” and presto. It’s scheduled like magic. It is a paid app, and not particularly cheap ($4.99 for mobile and $39.99 for desktop), but we think it’s well worth the investment. (Note: Fantastical is available only for Mac and iOS devices)
Pushbullet: How often do you find yourself trying to transfer files via email or text between your laptop and your mobile device? Seems like it happens all the time, and Pushbullet is a wonderful app that eliminates that issue. It is available as an extension in most browsers, as a mobile app, and as a desktop app. You can push a file from your phone to your browser (or desktop) or vice versa, and have it available (nearly) instantly. Useful for pushing that picture you’ve perfected in your photo editor to your phone for posting on Instagram.
Custom Software: You might remember last month’s post about how one-size-fits-all software solutions don’t always solve your problem. If you find that to be the issue in 2016, Huber & Associates is able to create a custom software solution.
Finally, there’s Sagiss (MSP501 No. 226). It’s end of year message: “5 Ways a Virtual CIO Boosts Business.” It comes complete with a way cool visual:
Provide flexible IT solutions: Unlike hiring a full-time, in house CIO, contracting your IT needs to a virtual CIO gives you flexible service options so you receive as much or as little assistance as your company needs. As a third party, a virtual CIO will likely provide greater objectivity, allowing them to present you with a full array of IT solutions without the pressure of internal politics.
Give you the resources of a full-time CIO (without the cost): Even though a virtual CIO is not a full-time employee, they have the means, connections, and know-how that make it possible to solve IT problems that may arise. Furthermore, since a virtual CIO has an understanding of how your company operates, even if they don’t possess the exact resources possible to solve a specific problem, they can connect you with reliable experts who can help.
Aid in cost reduction: By optimizing your technology to streamline business processes, ensuring your team has the right tools for the job, and making sure that you don’t overspend, a virtual CIO helps maximize the return on your IT investment.
Let you focus on your core competencies: With a comprehensive IT plan in place, you can stop worrying about keeping your technology afloat and devote your full attention to what you do best.
Communicate Risk in a Clear Language: Managing IT risk is vital to ensure the safety of your company’s valuable data. Unlike a day-to-day technician who may bog you down with complicated “tech speak”, a virtual CIO is able to convey the legitimate value of IT projects and their associated risks in plain language without sugarcoating benefits or glossing over the technical details.
Now on to 2016!
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