If there’s one thing that’s certain in the IT world, it’s innovation. As technology continuously evolves, isn’t it common sense that the people involved in anything tech evolve along with it? Now that we’re on the cusp of a new decade, what should we expect from the realm of IT in the years to come?
We sit down with Emil Isanov, CEO of Tech Support NYC provider, ETech 7 and Mike Ivanouski, ETech 7’s veteran head of IT, to talk about what’s next for the world of managed IT services, IT support, cybersecurity and the trends we should look out for this year.
“AI has been making waves and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. Over the past few years, AI has been slowly creeping into our daily life through various Big Tech ecosystems (think Apple’s Siri, Google’s Google Assistant, and Amazon’s Alexa) where everyone, and their grandmas, are known to be using,” begins Isanov. “It will be interesting to see how AI changes how third-party IT support services are going to be delivered from this point forward.”
“It remains to be seen what changes AI will bring to the managed IT services landscape. However, we’re also slowly seeing bits and pieces of AI influence on the automation of some IT practices,” says Ivanouski. “It will also be interesting to see how regulating bodies will address the obvious lack of regulation surrounding the AI industry.”
“Most of our services now do not even require our clients to download anything. Everything’s done on the cloud. Think of Microsoft Office for example. Anyone that uses Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, on a daily basis will attest to having to free up at least 15 to 25gb worth of memory just to be able to download the whole Microsoft Office. Now, with the introduction of cloud-based Microsoft applications, you won’t ever have to download any type of document anymore. It’s all up there in the cloud,” says Isanov.
“Clients ask us about cloud computing and what it actually is. And often, we find it difficult to explain. We just say that it’s more than just a tool, it’s also a method of delivering timely IT support,” begins Ivanouski. “To be able to migrate certain IT services to the cloud means that you’re creating a more centralized architecture to access your data. Instead of having files on a physical desktop, you put them in the cloud. Instead of loading software from a flash drive, you can access it anywhere with cloud-based apps. Cloud computing makes accessing your information significantly easier and makes software updates a breeze. This trend of moving away from hardware and software that is physically in front of the user to “offsite computing” extends past the cloud and is expected to continue this year.”
“As cloud computing, AI, and other internet-based services continue to dominate the tech world, these services become more and more susceptible to cybersecurity attacks as well,” says Ivanouski. “Late last year, Microsoft announced how most online users are not taking advantage of multi-factor authentication to better secure their accounts. In the same vein, the FBI has also announced a high-impact cyberattack warning to U.S.-based businesses and organizations about ransomware campaigns. Using these as an example, we definitely think that cybersecurity will play a pivotal role in protecting the data of public and private organizations.”
“We all need to understand that the leaps we are achieving in AI, machine learning, and cloud computing also equate to cyber criminals being able to use the same types of technology. Combating these types of attacks is not as simple as installing an antivirus, it’s more of preparation through continuous familiarization of what attacks are out there and what you and your business can do in order to prevent those attacks,” says Isanov.
What other option could there possibly be?
Easy. Managed services providers. Managed IT to be exact.
Instead of spending your time learning these things and then spending more time educating your employees about the different types of internet pitfalls, why not just focus on growing your business?
You might be rolling your eyes but please - hear us out!
Managed IT service providers exist to help your business cover your IT needs which, in turn, allow businesses to lower costs and become more effective in its day-to-day operations. These services may vary from server management, customer support, server backup, to - you guessed it - network security.
And, as we’ve talked about before, data is king in today’s world. Almost every single business decision now relies on acquired data. That’s where we, as managed IT service providers, come in.
“Managed IT service providers oversee large data centers and put multiple layers of protection in place,” says Isanov. “However, users may still be breached by hackers. It is of utmost importance to understand that as technology improves, the types of attacks become more intricate as well. All hope is not lost though - as long as each security layer is kept up to date, we would be able to see attacks from a mile away.”
Still unconvinced? Or do you want to know more about how you could better protect your business? ETech 7 offers a free network check for your business!