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What is the value of managed IT services in healthcare?The healthcare industry is relying on tech more than ever. Between implementing telemedicine, adopting data management best practices, and juggling countless other recent tech developments, managing business IT is a complex task, and so is best done by a managed IT services provider (MSP). Let’s explore the benefits of partnering with one: MSPs guarantee quick […]

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07 Jan, 2022 / by Complete Technology Resources / in 2022january07healthcare_b, automation, Business Continuity, enterprise resource planning, healthcare, healthcare it, healthcare records, hipaa, managed services, proactive tech support, response times category
What is the value of managed IT services in healthcare?

The healthcare industry is relying on tech more than ever. Between implementing telemedicine, adopting data management best practices, and juggling countless other recent tech developments, managing business IT is a complex task, and so is best done by a managed IT services provider (MSP). Let’s explore the benefits of partnering with one:

MSPs guarantee quick response times

Constant system uptime and availability can be a matter of life and death in the healthcare industry, which makes quick IT support response times crucial for any healthcare practice.

Most MSPs guarantee timely and quick response, as well as support lines that are open 24/7/365. This means that if your IT infrastructure encounters an issue in the middle of the night, MSPs can handle the problem without the need for you to come into the office.

MSPs provide proactive security

In the realm of healthcare data security, it’s essential to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) mandates. Failing to meet regulations may result in huge fines, serious penalties, and even the withdrawal of your license to operate.

MSPs offer security services that include identity-based security and encryption, authorized privileges and access control, and data accountability and integrity.

MSPs assist with business continuity plans

A business continuity plan is an absolute necessity for your healthcare organization, as you can’t afford to lose all your valuable medical data in case of an emergency or a disaster.

MSPs can help identify risks and threats, then recommend proactive solutions to protect healthcare operations and data if an outage or a natural disaster occurs. Finally, they maintain HIPAA-compliant off-site backups and failover systems so you can prevent any sudden regulatory or patient data retention issues.

MSPs boost your practice’s efficiency

MSPs can recommend IT solutions and implement technologies into workflow processes to deliver efficient and timely healthcare services. For instance, MSPs can set up AI-powered recruitment tools to help with healthcare staffing, or they can automate database management to reduce human error and increase operational efficiency.

If you want to learn more about how great technology and support can benefit your healthcare practice, get in touch with us today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Why you should use a UPS for network hardwarePower outages are a major inconvenience to businesses. Even a few hours without electricity can lead to thousands of dollars in lost productivity and revenue. Fortunately, there’s something businesses like yours can do to reduce the effects of power outages, and that’s using an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) for your computers and networking equipment. Read […]

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06 Dec, 2021 / by Complete Technology Resources / in 2021december06business_b, backup, business, Business Continuity, disaster recovery, network equipment, Productivity, uninterrupted power supply, ups, wi-fi category
Why you should use a UPS for network hardware

Power outages are a major inconvenience to businesses. Even a few hours without electricity can lead to thousands of dollars in lost productivity and revenue. Fortunately, there’s something businesses like yours can do to reduce the effects of power outages, and that’s using an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) for your computers and networking equipment. Read on to learn more about the benefits of using a UPS for your network hardware.

UPS for network equipment

Also known as a battery backup, a UPS provides backup power in case of outages. It also protects against power surges, which don’t just damage computers, but also make you lose unsaved work.

Deploying UPS units for Wi-Fi routers and modems allows you to stay connected to the internet when the power goes out unexpectedly. This strategy works particularly well if your employees use laptops, as that means you only need power for your Wi-Fi gear.

UPS-supported modems or routers help you stay online for as long as 90 minutes, which should be enough time to get your bearings before power finally runs out. With a UPS, you will still have a fast, reliable Wi-Fi connection so you can perform your tasks, save important files, and keep serving customers.

Without a UPS, your staff may have to rely on cellular data to do their work, which is not only less reliable than Wi-Fi, but also more expensive. You may even incur additional telecom costs resulting from overreliance on cellular data.

UPS systems vs. generators

Although generators are indispensable for certain businesses, they also require greater upkeep. If you invest in generators, you’ll need to employ an entire team to manage these pieces of high-maintenance equipment. This may not be something that a small- or medium-sized business can afford.

That said, generators can prove useful during extended blackouts, but UPS systems should be enough to keep your business running in the event of an emergency.

What’s more, misusing or mishandling generators can result in fatalities. On the other hand, if you misuse a UPS unit or if it breaks down, the worst that could happen is you lose a day’s work; it’s unlikely that you’ll experience anything life-threatening.

Plug in your network gear now

If your business doesn’t have locations in disaster-prone areas, you probably haven’t given much thought to installing UPS systems for your desktop computers, let alone your modems and routers. But accidents and emergencies are inevitable — and when they happen, you’ll find that having internet access is one of the most important things you need to ensure business continuity.

Think of a UPS as an investment that not just protects your systems from data loss, but also keeps your network equipment functioning in emergency situations.

To learn more about UPS systems and network equipment as well as backup and disaster recovery planning, give our team of IT experts a call today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Ignore these outdated disaster recovery mythsDisaster recovery (DR) used to be an expensive solution that relied predominantly on tape backups. Today, cloud computing has dramatically changed the DR landscape, affording even small- and medium-sized businesses cheaper and more reliable DR solutions. Unfortunately, there are still plenty of misconceptions about DR. Here are three myths that no longer apply. Myth 1: […]

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25 Oct, 2021 / by Complete Technology Resources / in 2021october25business_b, backups, business, Business Continuity, cloud, disaster recovery, recovery time objective, rto, smbs, tape backup category
Ignore these outdated disaster recovery myths

Disaster recovery (DR) used to be an expensive solution that relied predominantly on tape backups. Today, cloud computing has dramatically changed the DR landscape, affording even small- and medium-sized businesses cheaper and more reliable DR solutions. Unfortunately, there are still plenty of misconceptions about DR. Here are three myths that no longer apply.

Myth 1: Tape backups are the best DR solution

Tape backups are physical objects that deteriorate over time. Try listening to a cassette tape from the ’90s. Its sound may be distorted already, or it probably doesn’t work at all. Similarly, your tape backups will start to fail over time. At first, only a few files may be affected, but you will gradually lose all your data.

It is also a common practice to store another set of tape backups outside your premises to secure them in case a natural disaster befalls your office. However, if your storage spaces themselves are unsafe from natural disasters, this could pose a problem.

Unlike tape backups, cloud-based backups are safe from deterioration. They are also stored in multiple secured locations that are protected from natural disasters, so your data backups are as safe as they can be.

What’s more, cloud-based backups save you time in many ways. Data is automatically backed up online, so you don’t need to manually copy information onto your tapes. You also won’t need to manage boxes of tapes, freeing you to focus on more valuable tasks.

Myth 2: The RTOs you want are too expensive

Essential to any DR plan is its recovery time objective (RTO), which is the ideal period when everything must be up and running again to avoid serious losses. Before the cloud, a “swift” recovery time would take days and cost up to six figures.

Cloud and virtualization solutions have made this much faster and affordable than ever before. Most DR providers can back up your critical data in an hour or two. And if you ever need to recover data, most services can do so in less than a day.

Myth 3: Disaster recovery is for big businesses, not SMBs

Due to the astronomical costs previously associated with DR, only big businesses could afford backup and recovery solutions. Thanks to the cloud, however, these have become more affordable for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). From dental offices to small retail operations, SMBs can now take advantage of the best DR solutions in the market. Advances in IT and the cloud have also eliminated the obstacles of complexity, costs, and insufficient IT resources.

We hope that by dispelling these myths, you’d be convinced to implement a disaster recovery plan (DRP) for your business. Thanks to improvements in data storage technologies, it is now more affordable and efficient to implement a DRP, in turn making it easier to ensure BC. If you’d like to learn how our DR solutions can safeguard your business, send us a message and we’ll fill you in.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Here’s why your SMB needs a business continuity planA variety of untoward events can disrupt the operations of small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), including natural disasters or cyberattacks. These incidents can cause SMBS to lose revenue, or in some extreme cases, close permanently. Fortunately, having a concrete business continuity plan (BCP) in place will help your business recover quickly after a disaster. What […]

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15 Sep, 2021 / by Complete Technology Resources / in 2021september15business_b, bcp, business, Business Continuity, business continuity plan category
Here’s why your SMB needs a business continuity plan

A variety of untoward events can disrupt the operations of small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), including natural disasters or cyberattacks. These incidents can cause SMBS to lose revenue, or in some extreme cases, close permanently. Fortunately, having a concrete business continuity plan (BCP) in place will help your business recover quickly after a disaster.

What is a BCP?

A BCP is a predefined set of protocols on how your business should respond in case of an emergency or natural disaster. It contains contingency plans for every aspect of your organization, including human resources, assets, and business processes.

Key threats to business continuity

Various types of threats can affect SMBs such as:

  • Natural disasters: These are natural phenomena such as floods, storms, earthquakes, and wildfires.
  • Man-made disasters: These include cyberattacks, intentional sabotage, and human negligence.
  • Equipment and utility failures: These include unexpected power failures, internet downtime, and disruption of communication services.

How to build an effective BCP

If your company does not have a BCP in place, now is a good time to create one. These steps will help you formulate an effective BCP that will ensure your company keeps running even during a major crisis.

  1. Perform a risk assessment
    To create an effective BCP, it’s important to identify the risks to prioritize. Start by identifying potential threats that may impact your daily operations. List down as well industry risks, geographical area, rising trends, and issues that your stakeholders may encounter. Next, categorize the risks based on the level of impact, likelihood of occurrence, or other criteria.Once risks have been identified and a plan has been developed, carefully identify any possible gaps. Collaborate with your team to identify any weak points in the plan, and make changes as necessary.
  2. Perform a business impact analysis (BIA)
    A BIA will help you determine how a disruption can affect your company’s current functions, processes, personnel, equipment, technology, and physical infrastructure. IT will also help you calculate the potential financial and operational loss from each function and process affected.
  3. Identify your recovery options
    Identify key resources for restoring your business to minimum operational levels. Some recovery options you can take include using data backups, allowing employees to work from home or operating from a secondary location.
  4. Document the plan
    Make a record of the BCP and store the document in a secure location, preferably an off-site one to reduce the risks of loss or damage in case of a disaster.
  5. Test and train
    Once your BCP is in place, your continuity team needs to perform tests regularly to identify gaps and make necessary changes to ensure the plan’s effectiveness. They also need to conduct regular employee training so that everyone knows their respective roles should a disaster strike.

Having an effective BCP is a great way to ensure your business can quickly recover after a major disaster. If you’re thinking about creating a BCP for your company but don’t know where to start, give us a call today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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