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MSP

Guide to Managed Service
IT ServicesMSPProtected HarborTech Support

Guide to Managed Service Providers

by Imdad

What is a Managed Service Provider?

Your IT systems, including virus prevention and control, routine hardware and software administration, operational efficiency, disaster recovery, and end-user support, are maintained and managed by a Managed Service Provider.

MSPs are able to offer the technologies required to propel your business forward. They help your company move to the digital era with maximum stability and control, so you may grow your company without having to pay more for IT.

Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are responsible for providing their clients a wide range of IT services and support. The specific responsibilities of an MSP can vary depending on the needs of the client, but here are some of the primary responsibilities that an MSP may undertake:

  • Handling the management of IT infrastructure
  • Adding cybersecurity measures to IT
  • Providing technical support to staff
  • Managing user account access
  • Offering risk and compliance management
  • Handling contract management
  • Providing payroll services

How do MSPs work?A Comprehensive guide to MSPs

A managed service provider is responsible for helping an organization reach its objectives. MPSs offer a range of services to meet the unique IT needs of individual businesses, as there is no one-size-fits-all solution that works for all companies. Usually, an assessment is carried out to ascertain the state of the technical environment at the moment, areas in need of development, and opportunities to support businesses.

The provision of help desk support, monitoring, security training, ongoing maintenance, and reporting are all governed by service level agreements. It sets the boundaries of what you require or desire from your managed service provider. Considerations include budgetary constraints, response times, security assurances, and performance goals.

What does a managed service provider do?

Managed service providers, or MSPs, offer a variety of IT services to companies, usually through contracts or subscriptions. MSPs handle their clients’ daily IT requirements so they can concentrate on their main business activities.

A managed service provider works in tandem with your IT staff to handle all things internet-related for your company, from setting up new devices to preserving connectivity and providing infrastructure maintenance. At the top level, MSPs:

  • Offer 24/7 remote system monitoring
  • Provide End User Computing Support (desktop PCs, laptops, mobile devices)
  • Support your IT infrastructure, including servers (physical and virtual)
  • Monitor, update and maintain IT systems security
  • Fix network or internet problems
  • Accountable for data security, backups, and data recovery
  • Office 365 setup, hosting, and management
  • Mitigate risks related to data security, and cyberattacks
  • Report a monthly summary of your issues, preventive/restorative steps taken, and advice for future planning.
  • Create a Disaster Recovery Plan as part of your Business Continuity Strategy.

An MSP ensures that you and your staff can handle data transfers, use the internet, interact with one another, and update one or more websites. An MSP maintains your IT current, which is crucial for marketing your goods and services, boosting sales and providing customer assistance, and handling all back-end administrative duties including data analysis, inventories, and more. Partnering with the right MSP means more security, service, productivity, and love from your user community.

Why Should you hire an MSP?

Traditionally, MSPs gained acceptance as companies tried cutting IT support and maintenance costs. Managing IT for a decent size business will need varying skill sets, in-house technical staff costs, hiring costs, tools/training costs, and other benefits for any permanent employees like insurance. An MSP, on the other hand, is cost-effective and efficient.

They also have predictable costs. A flat monthly fee is

A Comprehensive guide to MSPs

charged by top-notch Managed IT Service providers for proactive monitoring and upkeep of your workstations, servers, and IT infrastructure. Furthermore, a good IT-managed service provider seeks to avoid problems before they arise in order to reduce IT downtime.

You can also find out where you’re squandering money on “Nice-To-Haves or outdated systems” with the assistance of an IT service provider. For instance, it’s possible that your Wi-Fi router is obsolete and that boosting the bandwidth of your network won’t give you the desired outcome. Recall that collaborating with an IT service provider will allow you access to cutting-edge technology and trends. You are able to make well-informed choices, identify cost-saving measures, and increase the output of your team.

Some common signs you should hire a managed service provider.

  • IT cost is skyrocketing
  • Extra support for remote employees
  • Limited IT staff
  • Need help migrating
  • Facing excessive downtime
  • Want to grow strategically
  • Lack of system monitoring
  • Lack of compliance

Lastly, you won’t ever have to be concerned about falling behind on legal or regulatory compliance with managed services. MSPs protect you from possible fines by keeping you informed about compliance laws, regulations, and processes.

How much do managed service providers charge?

The cost of managed IT services varies from business to business and depends on a number of factors. For instance, you have to handle more devices (such as desktops, laptops, tablets, printers, etc.) and licenses the more users you have. Knowing what you want to be handled will help your MSP outline the cost model per user. The most popular cost models are listed below.

  1. Fixed Price or Flat Rate
  2. Per-User
  3. Per Device
  4. Metal Grading or Tiered
  5. Customized

It is essential to realize that the greatest service provided by an MSP will involve a high degree of business availability combined with strategic counsel and thought. Furthermore, this will come at a price that is thought to be lower than the price of consultation packages and downtime.

It would be even better if your MSP charged you a flat fee regardless of repair requests or outages. Many MSPs charge or include X hours per month; if the client goes beyond, they pay extra. Actual MSPs always charge a flat rate.

Final Thoughts

Outsourced support, upkeep, and monitoring of your vital endpoints and infrastructure are provided by a managed IT service. They complement you with the appropriate knowledge, such as preemptive device management to reduce problems down the road and reactive support when you need it most. MSP helps your employees wherever they utilize your technology, be it for minor user problems or more serious server issues. MSPs may also promote change and prosper in the post-COVID environment by valuing creativity, adaptability, and agility.

As with any partnership, you should evaluate your engagement to make sure you’re getting value for your money. Businesses today use technology to maintain their competitiveness. Thus, in order to maintain the dependability of your technology, your MSP needs to continuously improving. Additionally, companies that have been using their present supplier for years frequently tell us that are too nervous about finding an alternative partner.

Changing providers comes with a perception of a complicated process that involves days of IT downtime and business disruption. Surprisingly or not, switching your MSP can be a cakewalk when you find the right partner.

If you are unsure of your MSP, we will audit and discover your potential areas of improvement.

Every engagement begins with a research process designed to pinpoint your organization’s objectives, areas of risk, and top technology needs. We then map our strategic strategy to your business objectives and offer continuous measurement and monitoring to ensure our solution is working as intended.

The engineers, advisors, and certified technicians at Protected Harbor collaborate with you to deploy the technology that best suits your company’s needs. Working with a single, dependable partner who is aware of your particular organizational objectives is beneficial to you.

Protected Harbor handles every aspect of your IT infrastructure management. Everything from email to cloud storage, web hosting, teleconferencing, and computer repair has been addressed. We constantly monitor your technology needs, keeping the lights on and giving higher-ups strategic direction.

If you’re looking for hudson valley new york manage service provider, or in rockland county, then you are at the right place. Protected Harbor offers customized IT solutions to businesses looking to scale their technology, and we’re on a mission to give you the best customer service possible. To do that, we are constantly innovating to make sure you have the best experience with our products.

As one of our customers, you can expect excellent service, quick response times, and an eager team to help. We are not your average MSP. We are engineers, software developers, analysts, designers, and lifelong learners. We offer a tailored approach to managed services that meet each client’s unique needs. Contact us today for a free IT Audit.

Business expo 22
MSPProtected HarborTechnology

Behind the Scenes of the New York Small Business Expo with Protected Harbor

by Imdad

SUMMARY

Protected Harbor recently attended the New York Small Business Expo which was held on Friday, June 24th, 2022 at the New York Hilton Midtown. This was an incredible opportunity to showcase our products to a diverse crowd of small business owners and entrepreneurs that left our booth buzzing with interest.

As one of the top expo exhibitors, Protected Harbor was featured in a prominent position and given significant exposure. Our top-notch security system and remote monitoring capabilities were on full display for prospective clients to review.

The entire Protected Harbor team was there to support the New York small business community, which in all, had one common goal–to help small businesses in New York grow and succeed.

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Though we assist clients with their technology issues, engineers at Protected Harbor also focus on prevention and protection, which helps to keep small businesses safe. By providing small business owners with the information they need to succeed, Protected Harbor helps to ensure a stronger economy for the entire region.

Attendee Survey

The small business owners attending the expo were allowed to complete a quick survey about their current IT problems and future business goals which also gave them the opportunity to receive a free IT assessment. The assessment was designed to identify any weaknesses within their business’s current technology and for us to create a customized roadmap to upgrade and improve the company’s current technological situation. The IT assessment was performed by Protected Harbor’s team of certified engineers and consultants, who were available to answer any questions during the expo.

With this survey making its way around the expo, we found that their most significant technology pain point was their inadequate IT and managed services;

Workshop with CEO Richard Luna

CEO Richard Luna hosted the workshop, “Does Your IT Suck? 2022 Small Business IT Trends.” In his presentation, he spoke about how small businesses can stay ahead of the curve and avoid the pitfalls of technology failing them. He discussed the do’s and don’ts of small business IT, and how to choose the right technology for your business. By the end of the workshop, attendees understood how to choose the right IT vendors for them, how to plan for future technology, how to nail down the best practices for vendor selection, and how to keep their data safe.

Does your IT suck?

Are you frustrated, pissed off, and fed up with bad IT support and MSPs? If your answer is yes, then you are not alone.

There are many businesses that have received poor support from their current IT vendor and are searching for new ones. Pick a partner like Protected Harbor that has a team of certified and experienced engineers who are passionate about helping businesses.

We’re a US-based company that specializes in cloud hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated servers, network solutions, and everything in between. Whether you’re an enterprise-level company or a start-up, we’ve got you covered. Thanks to our hands-on approach and an emphasis on customer service, we’ve earned a reputation as one of the most reliable hosting providers in the industry.

Missed the New York Small Business Expo for 2022? You can still get a free IT audit, contact us today!

Why IT Experience Matters
IT ServicesMSPProtected Harbor

Why IT Experience Matters:  

by Imdad

The competition in the modern market for small and medium-sized firms is fierce. These firms face significant difficulty in keeping up with the rapid rate of change and remaining competitive. When he outlines the significance of Why IT Experience Matters, Richard Luna, CEO of Protected Harbor, touches on this subject. His weekly video series Uptime With Richard Luna, which is uploaded online every Thursday, also covers subjects like these and many others.

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SMBs (Small & Midsized Businesses) need to work with an IT Service Provider or MSP (Managed Service Provider) to help them manage their technology while also handling all of their daily operational tasks if they want to succeed in this digital age. Benefits of an IT service provider often include cost savings, scalability, and efficiency.

You should be aware of why IT experience is crucial when choosing an MSP if you’re thinking about working with one or already do. We’ll go over the value of experience and what to look for while evaluating your options below.

The Importance of Experience

The level of experience a provider has is a key determinant of the quality of their services.

It first aids in determining their level of expertise. Second, past experience provides insight into how an IT service provider or MSP will handle your collaboration, particularly when dealing with varied business and client types. The secret to ensuring that your PCs and other IT equipment run smoothly and are safe from cyber threats is experience.

MSPs have experience and know what works best for various firms, so they can guide you in choosing the finest technology for your needs. But it’s also important to remember that MSPs are not perfect. Nobody can assure uninterrupted service or that their clients won’t encounter any disruptions or service interruptions because they vary from one MSP to the next. In short, nothing is guaranteed. Even though your MSP can help you avoid many problems, plenty can still occur.

The First Rule of IT: PanicWhy TI Experience Matters

The initial response to an emergency is panic. Your own workers may be impacted by this, and there may not be any available IT staff at the time. Fortunately, MSPs are ready for any emergency. While some MSPs offer a quicker 15-minute response time, the majority of MSPs operate with a standard response time of 30 minutes, which is applicable to a variety of difficulties. It’s crucial to comprehend how quickly an MSP responds to issues and the methods they take to fix them when they deal with you. This could be quite important in figuring out the level of service that customers get.

What’s occurring is always the first question that comes to mind in an emergency. The most frequent responses we receive are that a cluster node (a piece of data center) or the main firewall blew up, knocking out thousands of customers.

In this situation, Richard Luna, CEO of Protected Harbor, recommends focusing on what’s working. In a crisis, this is the best thing to do; it will tell you what you can move to, what infrastructure can be used, and what was lost.

Emergencies Occur, and They Can be Resolved

Successful MSPs and IT service providers are those who have planned for everything. They are aware that emergencies can happen at any time and that they require quick action. All of these catastrophes, including power surges, interior flooding, fires, and earthquakes, can seriously harm your IT infrastructure and have an effect on your employees, clients, and business as a whole. However, all of these problems are resolvable, especially if you have a capable and reliable MSP on call.

Hiring an MSP is Not Always the Best Solution

When you need a new IT infrastructure quickly, you might be tempted to employ an MSP on an “as needed” basis, but doing so could result in you paying more for the work done and not having what you ultimately need. You have limited control over how your IT system is set up if you use services from a third party. You may not have access to all the backups and other data you require for your business continuity strategy, and you cannot upgrade your hardware or software anytime you need to. There is no assurance that you will obtain the same staff if you deal with an MSP on an “as needed” basis.

The Optimal Solution: Experienced People With A Plan

You want to look for seasoned professionals who have a strategy when working with an MSP. Additionally, the team should have a track record of accomplishments working with other clients in your sector. Simply put, you ought to seek out MSPs with a solid track record. When working with an MSP, you should have complete confidence in their staff, as well as their ability to react to any changes and fix issues as they emerge. You should be able to work with an MSP without being concerned about any potential problems with your IT infrastructure.

“The optimal solution in this situation is a blend,” Richard explains that in order to get the best, you will need to have the best of minds, experienced people who have been through crises before and understand the long view of the technology, intermixed with fresh minds or a brand new staff will give a terrific blend of a solid, communicative, collaborative team.

This is an approach that we use internally at Protected Harbor.

Summing up

How you handle your business’s IT infrastructure can make or break your organization.

The best way to ensure that you have a strong IT foundation is to partner with an experienced MSP. When you choose an MSP with experience, you can be sure that your IT systems will run smoothly and efficiently. You can expect your systems to be managed appropriately, and they can also help you to use resources in your systems more efficiently. With an MSP, you can rest assured that your IT team will be ready to respond when an emergency occurs.

While most IT service providers or MSPs offer a one-size-fits-all approach, Protected Harbor has been set apart from the competition by its focus on providing an individually tailored experience to its clients. Whether it’s an enterprise company or a mid-sized business, you can expect to be treated as an individual.

If you’re looking for managed IT services for your company, you deserve more than a cookie-cutter solution. You deserve a trusted advisor who understands your business and technology challenges and works with you to create a solution that meets your unique needs.

Protected Harbor is not your typical MSP. We have the experience and focus on solving issues for our clients, not selling service plans. We work with you to build a relationship based on trust and transparency. We have a 95% client retention rate and an average of 15 minute ticket response times. Don’t just take our word for it; check our testimonials.

Contact us today to get a free IT Audit and experience for yourself why IT experience matters.

The Importance of IT Service Provider Truth to Power
IT ServicesMSPProtected Harbor

The Importance of IT Service Provider: Truth to Power

by Imdad

In today’s very competitive business environment, a company needs to develop a plan to set itself apart from its rivals. Technology is now a key differentiator for businesses across all industries.

Most likely, you are aware of the significance of the client-provider connection. After all, it’s a subject that articles, blogs, and discussion boards have been delving into for years. In contrast to practice, how much of this knowledge is theory? Would you know what measures to take if you had to implement these tactics tomorrow?

Welcome to another episode of Uptime, where Richard Luna discusses the value of open communication between customers and service providers. What discrepancy exists between the services that IT service providers and MSPs offer to deliver and those that are actually provided?

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The Importance of a Service-Provider Relationship

When people in the business sector discuss ties with service providers, they are referring to the alliances that companies form with their partners. Vendors, suppliers, distributors, IT service providers, managed service providers, and system integrators are just a few examples. The goal of a service-provider partnership is for both sides to prosper.

You enter into a partnership with a business to supply critical technology services like hosting, IT infrastructure, security, or managed services. This partnership will be advantageous to both of you in several ways. Consider running a network of car dealerships that requires an IT infrastructure to handle credit card payments and maintain employee communication. You’re getting into a contract with a managed services provider (MSP) if you hire them to assist you with these chores.

Truth in Transparency: Know What You’re Buying

The success of any company depends on its IT service providers, but not all of them are made equal. A wide range of technology-related services are offered by numerous service providers, each of whom has their own value propositions, business strategies, and strengths and weaknesses. Because of this, it’s crucial to work with an IT service provider who is a suitable fit for your business.

You can avoid common pitfalls that can disrupt your business and have a negative impact on your bottom line by working with a service provider that is a good fit for your organization. These pitfalls include paying too much for services you don’t need or are overpriced or not getting the level of support and maintenance your company needs to succeed.

Before signing up with an IT service provider, ensure you understand exactly what you’re buying to ensure the relationship is a good fit for your business. You don’t want to sign up with a service provider that is overpriced or doesn’t offer a solution that lines up with your business needs.

The Importance of a Good SLA

Any managed services agreement must include a service-level agreement (SLA). The service provider’s responsibilities are outlined in the SLA, including the degree of customer service, the duration of downtime, and the uptime of crucial systems. It also covers the responsibilities of the client.

Making sure the SLA is in your favor is crucial. The SLA is your chance to hold the service provider responsible for their commitments by outlining what you anticipate from them if you are a client working with an MSP. You can also use this as an opportunity to set a performance standard.

The SLA is your chance, as an MSP, to describe the promises you make to your clients. You can also use it to establish a performance standard. For instance, you must consistently live up to the expectation if your SLA promises that a technician will respond to an issue within four hours.

Key Takeaways

It is a technological strategic partner that provides more than just a single good or service. It is a partner who offers knowledge, direction, and assistance to assist you in expanding your company through IT services.

Protected Harbor is not your typical MSP. It’s a managed service provider with a twist. The company specializes in cloud-based software solutions, including data backup, recovery, ransomware, and other cybersecurity services. Our team of MSP experts works with you every step of the way.

We conduct a thorough assessment of your business and technology landscape. We then customize a solution that meets your exact needs. Contact one of our experts today for a free IT Audit and discover why we are different.

Advantages of Partnering with an MSP
IT ServicesMSPProtected Harbor

Advantages of Partnering with Managed Services Providers

by Imdad

It is nearly difficult for small and medium-sized businesses in the modern digital world to operate without technology. Most businesses find it difficult to meet demand because there are so many different products and service options available. In order to relieve some of their workload, many business owners are collaborating with managed services companies.

These experts will take care of all administrative duties involving technology and assist you in avoiding pricey IT repairs or system problems.

The Managed Service Provider (MSP) Partner Advantage program from Protected Harbor is currently accessible. It is intended to support the expansion of your business by shortening the time to market, growing your clients, and boosting profitability.

This blog post will offer some tips on working with MSPs for your business as well as warnings on what to look out for when committing to service-level agreements.

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What is a Managed Service Provider?

A business that provides a wide range of IT services is known as a managed service provider (MSP). Managed services come in a wide variety of forms. Nevertheless, they all share a few characteristics: SLA, or Service Level Agreement: The services offered, response times, and any fines imposed if the company doesn’t fulfill those objectives are all described in this contract.

Customized Plans: Some MSPs will have standardized plans, but most will work with you to create a customized plan that fits your needs and budget.

24/7 Support: All MSPs will provide 24/7 support for their clients. This means you can call them whenever you have a problem, even at 2 AM.

Backup and Disaster Recovery: It’s crucial to have a backup system in place, so you don’t lose any data if your system fails. A managed service provider will have a backup plan with regular tests.

Cybersecurity: With the rise in cyber-attacks, getting day-to-day management services or standard information technology services is not enough. Therefore, you must partner with MSP, which provides all services including cybersecurity.

How Can MSPs Help Your Company?

By offering strong data management solutions, managed service providers (MSPs) can dramatically increase your organization’s efficacy and efficiency. A robust data management strategy is essential for well-informed decision-making and efficient corporate operations. MSPs can utilize their knowledge of managing data models, storage, and data governance to assist your company in creating and implementing such a strategy.

MSPs can also offer data integration services that let companies get valuable information out of the data they have collected. The business decisions made using these insights can subsequently be used to increase overall performance. MSPs can also help with the creation and administration of data warehouses and business intelligence platforms, which give companies easy access to crucial information.

MSPs may assist businesses in using machine learning and other cutting-edge technology to analyze massive volumes of data and derive insightful conclusions. This can assist companies in finding opportunities and selecting actions that will promote growth and profitability.

An MSP may assist businesses in optimizing their IT infrastructure and ensuring they receive the proper service level with a managed cloud solution. Depending on the requirements of the company, MSPs can offer a variety of services, from straightforward infrastructure support to extensive managed cloud services.

Most MSPs will offer various services including networking, infrastructure management – data security, cloud computing, voice and communications, disaster recovery and business continuity, endpoint management, remote monitoring and management, data management, and application management.

Important Questions to Ask Before Signing Any ContractAdvantages of Partnering with Managed Services Providers middle

You must confirm that the MSP is a good fit for your business before agreeing to any contract. When examining managed services companies, consider the following queries: – Does the MSP a good fit for my company? – What is the track record of the MSP? – How is my data protected by the MSP? – What are the terms and prices of the MSP? – How will my team and the MSP collaborate? – Are there any unstated expenses related to the MSP? – How is customer service handled by the MSP? – What are the cancellation policies for the MSP?

Reasons to Partner With Us

Extending Your Services Portfolio

 

Multi-tenant, cloud-based solutions that are simple to scale and deploy can be used to improve current services and develop new ones.

A Track Record With Merit

 

Protected Harbor is recognized by industry analysts like Goodfirms and other top companies for its data resilience and performance.

The Best Collaborations

 

The tech platforms used by clients and service providers, such as Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle, SAP, and Google, are supported by us.

 

 

 

Simplifying Advanced Data Systems

 

Our selection of Intelligent Data Services allows you to design data protection procedures for your clients that significantly impact outcomes. You can be confident in delivering services powered by Protected Harbor, from guaranteeing data and application availability to preventing cyber risks and ensuring effective business continuity.

Customize Your Customer Data

 

You can determine how to manage client data with choices like innovative deployment and contactless capabilities.

Adaptable Consumption Models For A Range Of Business Requirements

The architecture of Protected Harbor Services makes it simple to use and lowers the total cost of ownership (TCO). Options for utility subscription contracts increase flexibility and savings.

 

As you can see, partnering with a managed services provider can save your company a lot of money and headaches. The best MSPs, like Protected Harbor, will help you manage your technology infrastructure, reduce your costs, and improve the uptime of your systems. At the same time, you will have the flexibility to handle projects outside the managed services scope.

Protected Harbor engineers are highly skilled specialists capable of application migration, development, and continuing maintenance services. If you’d like to partner with us for your managed services and cybersecurity needs, this is the right time. Contact us today for a free IT Audit and learn how our partner advantage benefits you.

Managed Services vs Cloud Computing Whats the Difference featured
IT ServicesMSPProtected Harbor

Managed Services vs. Cloud Computing

by Imdad

Let’s say you work as an employee or the CIO of a business. In that situation, it’s likely that you will have to deal with two conflicting forces at some point in the future: on the one hand, the needs of your company and the growing need for agility, and on the other, your team’s inability to effectively manage everything in the digital world. Having a managed services contract, which reduces some load on your technical department by allowing them to employ third-party organizations instead of managing services themselves, or fully embracing cloud computing are frequently the two options that result from these two considerations.

Businesses may streamline operations, automate procedures, and make data-driven choices with the use of Managed services and cloud computing. Additionally, they share a number of characteristics that make it simpler to comprehend how managed services and cloud computing differ from one another. Cloud computing and managed services are two prevalent methods that businesses outsource their IT requirements. Managed services, which include data management systems and IT infrastructure management, refer to the outsourcing of regular technological management. However, cloud computing is the practice of securely storing and accessing data through cloud-based services.

Knowing what these services are and how they might help your business is crucial whether you’re trying to save costs or establish an online presence. Continue reading to find out more about how managed services and cloud computing compare and contrast.

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What is a Managed Service?

Managed services are a sort of outsourcing where a business owns the technology and personnel of another business but not the operational procedures or the clientele. A service level agreement (SLA)-based managed service provider (MSP) provides clients with a range of managed services. The level of service that is anticipated is described in this agreement, together with measurements for performance and response times.

Data management is a typical managed service type. Customer data must be stored, retrieved, and secured in this process. Information technology services, which involve managing an organization’s technological infrastructure, such as servers, networks, and software applications, are another category of managed service.

Data management, cloud computing, migration, and information technology services are just a few of the managed services that Protected Harbor provides to its clients. We collaborate with our clients to create personalized SLAs that address their unique needs and provide them peace of mind knowing that their data and technology are safe.

For their managed services requirements, businesses engage with us for a variety of reasons. Our proficiency in data management, which aids clients in enhancing their data security and compliance, is one of the key causes. Additionally, we provide a range of managed services, such as cloud-based solutions, to give our clients the adaptability and scalability they require as their companies expand.

For instance, a hosting company may contract with a different business to maintain its infrastructure. The website of the client is hosted on the managed service provider’s cloud. The ordered service provider has managed the hosting for the customer for a fee.

What is Cloud Computing?

The distribution of resources and services via a network of shared hardware and software that is housed on remote servers and is accessed through a network is known as cloud computing. This means that you access technology through the Internet cloud rather than owning or managing it. For instance, you don’t need to be familiar with the technical details of the computer to utilize a shared spreadsheet on someone else’s computer through the Internet.

Another name for it is “virtual computing.” A cloud service provider like Amazon provides a range of software, processing, and storage options. Utilizing a cloud service provider has the benefit of allowing you to outsource time-consuming activities to a third party, such as maintaining the technical setup of employees’ computers.

Advantages of Cloud ComputingManaged Services vs Cloud Computing Whats the Difference featured

Cloud providers offer several advantages over managed services providers. First, you get access to a broader range of services and benefits, like automatic backup and disaster recovery. The second is that you don’t have the costs associated with data center maintenance or power. Another advantage of cloud computing is that you are not limited to using the technology of a single provider since the cloud is an open network where anyone can offer a service. This means you can access a broader range of technologies and services without being limited to the ones a managed service provider offers.

Comparing cloud service providers to managed services providers, there are various benefits. First, a wider choice of services and advantages are available to you, including automatic backup and disaster recovery. The second is that you avoid paying for power or upkeep of data centers. Because the cloud is an open network where anybody can provide a service, another benefit of using cloud computing is that you are not restricted to using the technology of a single supplier. As a result, you are no longer restricted to the technology and services that a managed service provider provides.

Managed Services vs. Cloud Computing

Cloud computing and managed services are advantageous to businesses wishing to boost their technological capabilities. Organizations can gain from managed services by having their IT infrastructure expertly monitored and managed. They can also gain from data management methods that can enable them to gain useful insights from the data they collect. Organizations can gain from scalable, affordable solutions that enable them to access their data from any location with cloud computing.

Managed services can assist firms in utilizing business analytics and machine learning to make smart business decisions. Cloud computing can likewise offer the adaptability and scalability required to assist development and innovation. Both strategies can provide high data governance and security, which is essential for businesses that deal with sensitive data.

The decision between managed services and cloud computing will ultimately come down to the particular requirements and objectives of an enterprise. Managed services could be a preferable option for businesses that need more control over their technological infrastructure. Cloud-based solutions can be the best option for businesses seeking greater adaptability and scalability. In order to maximize the return on their technological investments, businesses should look for a provider who delivers high levels of support, data integration, and data warehousing.

Managed vs. Platform as a Service

Compared to cloud computing, managed services often have a smaller scope and a more narrowly defined goal. Instead of replacing current IT service delivery, they are frequently utilized to enhance it. A managed service often has a set scope and time frame. The range comprises the kind of service provided and the amount of work needed to provide it. Typically, the length of the contract is less than its scope. You can utilize an Application Programming Interface (API) provided by a platform as a service (PaaS) to store your data and run particular programs, such as a payroll service.

Conclusion

As you can see, both Managed services and Cloud computing have a lot of potential advantages, but to choose the best option for your company, you must understand how they differ from one another. Both options work well for relieving some of the load on your IT team and gaining access to resources that are not under your control. Let’s say your company is having trouble managing the expanding volume of data being produced, the increasing demand for agility, or both. In that instance, comparing the costs of Managed services with cloud computing might be worthwhile.

The level of trust that Protected Harbor has received from its customers is evident from the fact that we have been recognized as the top cloud computing company in the US by Goodfirms. We have been rated highly among the people of the Internet because we offer a wide range of affordable cloud computing services at different levels of customization. With the wide range of cloud computing services we offer, every business can get the cloud computing services they need.

We are committed to protecting the safety and integrity of your data, no matter where it lives. Contact us today to learn more about your organization’s managed services and cloud options.

5 Benefits of Hiring a Managed Services Provider
IT ServicesMSPTech Support

5 Benefits of Hiring a Managed Services Provider

by Imdad

Businesses today face a wide range of difficulties. Organizations now face new vulnerabilities as a result of the development of digital technologies, the Internet of Things managed services, and other linked devices. As a result, in order to keep ahead of the competition, businesses must adapt more quickly than ever.

Users must manage a growing number of obligations without compromising security or performance. A lot of companies are switching from traditional IT support services to managed service providers who can handle all of their IT requirements from a single source.

In addition to offering fundamental managed IT support services, Managed service providers (MSPs) often offer strategic business services that are integrated with the end user’s current technological infrastructure. The five advantages of working with a managed services provider to maximize these advantages within your company are highlighted in this article.

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  • Reduce Costs

Your technology’s costs can be reduced in a number of ways by a managed services provider. First, MSPs can get better prices on hardware and software services than they can as a standalone business by taking advantage of economies of scale. If you are currently in charge of purchasing and maintaining all of your technology, this could be costly. Use MSPs to handle your IT needs to cut costs by 10% to 30% or more.

Additionally, MSPs provide better service compared to many internal IT teams. Additionally, managed services providers can cut costs by an average of 14% in the first year, according to a recent research. Depending on the size of your firm, this can equal a substantial sum of money.

  • Unified Platform to Manage All Services

An MSP can provide all of your company’s IT management needs via a single platform. A single vendor that oversees your technology integrates all services. When all of your systems and devices are connected to one system, this can be extremely useful.

Through a single system, unified platforms can connect many applications and gadgets. Employees at your company can now access their work applications from anywhere with ease. As a result, productivity may increase and decisions might be made more quickly.

  • Built-In Security Features5-Benefits-of-Hiring-a-Managed-Services-Provider

Identity and access management, intrusion detection and prevention, data encryption, and other features are just a few of the built-in security capabilities that MSPs may provide. It is not simple to construct a secure network. You won’t be able to handle today’s security concerns if your company lacks the competence required to set up and maintain a secure network.

Many built-in security protections are available from managed service providers to assist shield your data from attackers. Additionally, they offer security services that let you adhere to legal compliance standards and safeguard your data from online threats.

  • Accelerated Problem Resolution

The fact that managed services providers are in charge of every area of your technology allows them to respond to problems more quickly and consistently. Because each technology solution is handled by specialized teams of professionals, they can overcome obstacles more quickly.

Employing an MSP can shorten the time that staff members are without critical services and speed up problem solutions. When an issue arises, managed service providers typically fix it in six hours or less, whereas firms that handle their own IT typically take three days.

  • Better Service Continuity and Disaster Recovery

Managed services providers offer better service continuity and disaster recovery services in comparison to IT service providers or general service providers. Let’s say your company is already in charge of providing its own continuity and disaster recovery services. In that situation, you might seek assistance to fulfill legal obligations or maintain operations in the event of a catastrophe.

With managed services, you can be sure that even if a natural disaster or other event renders your technology unavailable, your company will continue to operate normally. MSPs can provide more thorough continuity and disaster recovery plans than many individual firms, and they can also meet regulatory compliance requirements.

Managed service providers can assist you in adhering to legal standards for privacy and cybersecurity compliance. They also can provide 24/7/365 monitoring to detect potential outages and offer more advanced and redundant systems to ensure business continuity and continuity of operations in the event of a disaster.

Maximizing Business Resilience

To remain competitive in the fast-paced business environment of today, businesses must create novel business models. This frequently entails utilizing the most recent information technology to streamline processes, enhance client experiences, and accomplish company objectives. But as organizations of all sizes rely more on technology, there is a greater chance of data loss, which can have detrimental effects. For help, many businesses turn to security service providers or MSPs.

MSSPs are independent companies that focus on offering various security services to companies. They provide a range of services to assist businesses in staying safe against cyber threats, such as data loss prevention, incident response, and security monitoring. Additionally, they provide service level agreements, or SLAs, which outline the caliber of support a company may anticipate from the MSSP.

One of the key benefits of working with an MSSP is that they can help businesses develop a comprehensive incident response plan. This involves identifying potential threats, establishing protocols for responding to incidents, and regularly testing the plan to ensure it is effective. This approach can help businesses minimize cyber-attack impact and quickly return to normal operations.

Conclusion

The managed services model provides significant benefits over standard IT support services. It enables businesses to reduce costs, access better technology, and improve productivity. When organizations hire managed services providers, they can focus on their core business activities by outsourcing their technology needs.

When you think of an MSP, you might imagine a provider focusing on a limited set of products and services, with a technician who comes to your business on a set schedule to perform maintenance work. While many MSPs fit this description, Protected Harbor is different. Thanks to our customer-centric approach and experts, we can deliver peace of mind and a near-seamless customer experience.

It’s not an MSP at all. It’s more of a managed security service, providing monitoring and protection for your business’s critical IT infrastructure. What sets Protected Harbor apart from other MSPs is its tailored approach to each client’s unique needs. And with a team of seasoned engineers, analysts, and consultants, you can expect the utmost professionalism.

Contact our expert today to learn how we’re built differently. We are also giving away a free IT Audit; get one now!

Unlock Your Business Potential with Managed IT Services featured
IT ServicesMSPProtected HarborTechnology

Unlock Your Business Potential with Managed IT Services

by Imdad

For companies of all sizes, managed IT services may completely change the game. These can give you the resources, tools, and information technology knowledge you need to thrive, whether they are little businesses or huge corporations.

They weren’t common for the majority of firms a few years ago. This is due to the fact that only large corporations offer these services. Now, thanks to a wide range of cloud-based solutions, managed services are accessible to everyone.

The expected value of the global IT Managed Services market is US$ 244670 million in 2022, and it is anticipated to reach US$ 399170 million by 2028, with a CAGR of 8.5% throughout the analysis period.

These cloud computing platforms provide strong capabilities that help even the tiniest companies get an advantage over their rivals. Due to this, practically all CEOs and business owners now allocate money for managed IT services.

As a company owner, you may manage your IT issues. This may be the case for certain firms, but the majority of large, complicated businesses will benefit from outsourcing their IT service model to a managed service provider (MSP).

The importance of managed services for enterprises is discussed in this article.

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What is Managed IT Service?

The top-of-the-line company IT assistance is managed IT services. Managed service providers take care of security, disaster recovery, and network architecture, removing the hassle of keeping your organization operational.

Outsourcing, managed services, security services, data management, and cloud computing comprise the larger market for IT services. End-user spending on cloud computing is expected to reach nearly 500 billion dollars in the United States in 2022.

A proactive solution called a managed service offering gives you round-the-clock hardware and software maintenance for your computer network. As a result, you won’t ever have to worry about being in the dark when something goes wrong because a team of qualified experts will handle everything.

These services typically include a variety of services, including:

  • Help desk support and remote monitoring and management.
  • Security monitoring and threat protection.
  • Software and hardware installation, configuration, and deployment.
  • Telecom expense management services.

Companies offering managed service provider (msp) services provide their clients round-the-clock monitoring, help in seeing and resolving issues before they become problems, backup and recovery plans, and a focus on enhancing other services meant to keep your business running smoothly.

Different Types of Managed IT Services

There are many types of managed IT services available, but here are some of the most common:

Managed Networks and Infrastructure – This service includes monitoring and managing remote servers, desktops, and laptops. These services also include application management support and help desk support.

Managed Security –Managed Security refers to outsourcing security operations and management to a third-party service provider. MSSPs offer a range of security services, including threat detection and response, vulnerability assessments, security monitoring, and incident management. They use specialized security software and tools to monitor and manage the client’s security environment, identify potential security threats and vulnerabilities, and respond to security incidents in real-time.

Managed Support Services – Managed support services provide all the technical expertise needed to keep your systems running smoothly without downtime due to technical issues or problems with software applications such as Microsoft Office 365 Exchange Online and Microsoft Azure Active Directory Cloud Services.

Managed Wireless and Mobile Computing – This type of IT service involves the management of wireless networks, mobile devices, and applications. With these services, companies can have more control over the performance of their employees’ mobile devices by ensuring they are secure and up-to-date with the latest operating systems.

Managed Communication Services – Managed communication services are designed to help companies improve productivity by ensuring that all employees can communicate effectively with one another through email and instant messaging. These services also include other forms of communication, such as video conferencing, web conferencing, and more.

Software as a Service (SaaS) –  Software as a service provides clients with access to applications hosted on the cloud, typically through the internet. This means that users do not have to install or maintain any software on their systems.

What are the Benefits of Using Managed IT Services?

The security, functionality, and dependability of your IT infrastructure may all be maintained with managed services. This is especially true if your organization is tiny or just getting started and you don’t have the resources to hire full-time IT professionals.

Of the 451 large businesses surveyed by 451 Research, 45% planned to collaborate with a MSP, and 42% prepared to deploy additional security software. The industry is changing as a result. Managing service contracts have replaced the old break-fix model in 59% of IT services.

In contrast to doing things yourself, managed IT providers offer the following advantages in their service level agreements:

Contractual Terms: A managed service provider often has a contract in place with their clients that outlines the responsibilities of both parties. This helps ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding what they’re expected to do, when they’re expected to do it and how much they’ll be paid for it.

Reliability: An MSP will work hard to avoid any potential issues — from hardware failure to cybersecurity threats — so that you don’t have to worry about them taking down your entire system or causing data loss.

Cost Savings: It can help you save money by reducing spending on technology. Your service provider can take care of all your IT needs, from network management to infrastructure upgrades, so you only pay for what you use. This can save you more of your total cost of ownership.

Reduce IT Spending: These providers offer fixed monthly rates that allow you to budget for your entire year’s expenses upfront and avoid unexpected costs that could hurt your bottom line.

Dependable Service: Instead of wasting time troubleshooting problems yourself or waiting on hold with technical support, let us handle it! Our team will monitor your network 24/7, so you have peace of mind knowing there’s always someone available to help when something goes wrong.

Managed IT Services Provider Inclusion

To qualify for inclusion in the Managed IT support services category, a service provider must offer their clients a range of IT services and support:

  • Provide Constant Monitoring of IT-Related Functions: This includes monitoring of the server, applications, and network, as well as security systems.
  • Provide On-Demand Support: A MSP should have a team of technical experts that can be deployed whenever an issue arises. This could include a help desk, online chat, or phone support.
  • Provide IT Consulting: A good MSP offers advice and guidance on improving your business’s technology infrastructure and processes.

Final Words

It is obvious that managed services have advantages. Businesses can increase security, compliance, cost savings, and customer service while freeing up internal IT workers to work on more critical projects by outsourcing their IT administration and maintenance needs. Finding the ideal managed IT services provider for your company is crucial, though. Make sure to seek out a service provider who has expertise working with businesses in your size and sector, is dependable, has a positive reputation, and offers affordable rates.

Protected Harbor can assist you if you’re looking for a managed services provider in Rockland County NY or Hudson Valley,, New York. One of the top Managed IT Services providers in the US, Protected Harbor offers a variety of services to suit your company’s needs.

With digital and technological techniques that support your company’s objectives, IT specialists at Protected Harbor will assist in transforming your enterprise. Reduce stressful day-to-day IT operations, minimize costly downtime, and improve operational maturity. Gain access to a whole team of IT professionals to help you manage the newest technology and a wealth of knowledge that will accelerate your growth, boost your profitability, and improve your business.

Get a free IT Audit today and unlock your business potential with Protected Harbor.

Best IT Solution Solution Providers VARs or MSPs
IT ServicesMSPProtected Harbor

What is the best IT solution: MSPs, VARs, or solution providers?

by Imdad

Acronyms like VARs, MSP, ASP, NSP, CSP, ISP, SAAS, and DAAS have definitely been introduced to you if you’re seeking for IT services for your company. To figure out which solution performs what and which solution is best for their firm, one virtually requires a CIA code-breaker. Even worse, other “wannabe” IT businesses make the same claims but fall short in practice.

IT solution providers, Value-Added Resellers (VARs), and Managed Service Providers (MSPs) offer a wide range of IT solutions, including cyber security, inventory management, and cloud services.

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What Do They Offer?

IT solution vendors market specialized fixes for specialized issues. They give you access to an antivirus program in case your machine is infected. VARs, on the other hand, will sell you the same product together with additional software. For instance, VARS would provide a spam filter, backup service, and antivirus solution.

MSPs enable customers to lease software through the cloud. MSPs will also actively handle the problem for you, whereas IT solution providers and VARs will offer you software to resolve a problem. MSPs roll up their sleeves to manage the IT systems and infrastructure of a customer. Software applications and networks may be covered by security and regular maintenance.

It seems simple. Where’s the problem?

The majority of VARs and providers of IT solutions provide their clients with generic solutions. Pre-packaged solutions are made to appeal to the largest possible audience. Providers are compelled to promote comparable solutions and charge a markup because of supply contracts. On rare occasions, they might charge more for consulting or monitoring. These pre-bundled solutions appear the same to the client, but they are not the best option.

Where customer experience matters, IT solution providers and VARs sell software rather than services. They can all immediately address a customer’s concerns and wishes. An email response, however, is not a customer experience. An organization should instead consider the objectives and needs of the client. The software that VARs and suppliers of IT solutions sell limits their ability to operate. As a result, they have finite customization to cover all of a customer’s needs. Such issues will leave customers with unresolved problems to be covered by other products for another cost. Or customers end up overpaying for functionality they don’t need because of a predetermined bundle.

This is where MSPs stand out. Thanks to the internet, MSPs can offer specific services and functionality, a-la-cart. They are not forced into particular solutions and offer actual customizations. Also, MSPs are in the service business. Their business model requires a long-standing relationship. The more problems customers have, the more problems MSPs have. Hence, it’s of utmost importance for MSPs to listen, evaluate, and tailor-make solutions to keep clients happy for as long as possible.

How It Should Be?

Providing the finest customer experience is crucial in the corporate world of today more than ever. Customers and service providers ought to connect on a personal level. And feel at ease entrusting the supplier with a crucial aspect of your business. The more comments you receive, the better your company can provide exceptional service. That’s all there is to it.

Avoid working with IT solution suppliers who won’t listen to your issues. A trustworthy managed service provider will create a unique plan that addresses all of your IT requirements. With the necessary antivirus software, you can prevent data loss and ransomware, for example. They will take care of everything from the beginning to the end and provide continuing assistance.

Consider a solution provider willing to spend time getting to know you and your business. A provider who asks questions and interviews you is more likely to design a lasting solution addressing your needs. The perfect IT solution will be tailored to suit your business, empowering you to fulfill and exceed your goals.

At Protected Harbor, we listen to our clients; we consider them our partners and are here to delight them. All of our Technology Improvement Plans (TIP) work on the 3A principle- Attend, Assess and Apply. We listen to customers’ problems, match them to our ability, and provide a solution explicitly crafted for them. This is how we have built long-term relationships with our customers.

With Protected Harbor, you can expect superior system performance and uptime. We specialize in remote desktops, data breach protection, secure servers, application outage avoidance, system monitoring, network firewalls, and cloud services. For quality IT solutions, contact Protected Harbor today.

Other MSPs approach vs Protected Harbor
MSPProtected HarborTech Support

Other MSPs approach vs. Protected Harbor Customer-centric approach

by Imdad

The introduction of the internet created new opportunities and moved the IT sector in new directions. A need for problem solvers has emerged due to the expanding internet user population and associated difficulties. Value-added resellers (VAR) and managed service providers (MSP), among other IT solution providers, were involved. They provided the sector with their products and services, including infrastructure management and cloud servers. A vendor who offers solutions to all of your IT demands is known as a solution provider. These MSPs battled not only to get business from small and mid-sized businesses but also to meet all of their clients’ needs with affordable solutions. Click here to learn more about MSPs, VARs, and other IT solution providers.

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What do they have in common?

They have increased the range of potential IT solution options after increasing cloud computing in the IT industry. Today’s solution providers provide on-demand services including desktop as a service (DaaS), software as a service (SaaS), and infrastructure as a service (IAAS). The cloud service provider either develops and maintains its own cloud services or suggests (resells) the offerings of a public cloud provider like Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure.

An IT solution provider, a value-added reseller, or a managed service provider all offer the same thing under the guise of a solution: they merely resell software, services, and pre-bundled packages. For instance, they will give you the antivirus of any XYZ business if your PC is infected by viruses. Upon putting it into place on your machine,  if the product key is not working or you suffer from data loss, the solution provider is not responsible. The same applies to most MSPs as they resell the cloud and infrastructure management services from a public cloud provider. If you face a technical issue, the provider plays the middle man forwarding your concerns to the original service provider while you are rendered helpless. These are not managed security services by any means as they lack the infrastructure to solve or eliminate any potential threats by themselves and rely on the end-managed services network.

These solution providers and MSPs are just selling pre-bundled package solutions designed to attract most consumers and solve their percentage problems. The point to note is that no two clients are the same. Small-scale and mid-scale enterprises have their own set of requirements and issues. They switch to managed services companies as they are the most efficient options in the market compared to setting up your own data center infrastructure management (DCIM). Conclusively, the IT managed service companies follow the product-centric approach to design a product and sell it to as many people as possible rather than the customer-centric approach to design a specific product for one particular client.

Protected Harbor’s customer-centric approach. How is it different?

While serving the clients, we use a seamless 360-degree approach, and the procedure is essential to the ethos of our brand. Protected Harbor’s competitive advantage is that it is highly customer-centric, putting the needs of each individual client first and developing a strategy to give the best experience possible.
We keep clients at the center of our business strategy and create a great experience at every stage of the customer’s journey since we are one of the top-managed security service providers.

To reduce expenses, redundancy, and security risks, Protected Harbor has its own hosted, in-house servers and networking hardware. Protected Harbor’s hardware investment is essential to giving the consumer a satisfying experience. This gives us more authority over safety and security with the flexibility to design and deliver services as per demand. We take pride and accountability for the security of the client’s data with exceptional infrastructure management. The issues are solved in-house rather than waiting for the third-party, public service provider to do so.

The technology improvement plan is another benchmark strategy followed by Protected Harbor. We listen to customers’ needs, assess what needs to be done, and design the system accordingly. It’s an ongoing development strategy that suggests the best possible steps to enhance the experience and elate the customers. Customer satisfaction is the core of our business, and we challenge ourselves to exceed expectations.

The choice is yours!

Since it’s no longer a secret as to how we do it and deliver industry-leading quality services, with a complete focus on customer satisfaction, we exceed the limits and expectations with our feature-rich cloud services, data center management, all-around IT support, and security 99.99% uptime with application outage avoidance (AOA). To move forward with a software reselling MSP or a dedicated customer-centric, IT-managed service provider. The choice is relatively simple.

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