Managed IT Services: The Most Pressing IT Challenges in the New Normal

The world is changing at a pace that has never been witnessed before. While the full extent of the pandemic is yet to be seen, businesses are continuing to find ways that would directly address the challenges at hand to keep operations running. 

When it comes to managed IT services, it’s no different. The global COVID-19 pandemic is directly affecting every single IT function at an alarming rate. It continues to disrupt and alter the way IT services are being deployed. Let’s take a look at some of the most pressing IT challenges in the new normal.

Migrating everything to the cloud

As managed IT service providers, one of the most common pieces of advice that we give companies is to explore cloud-based deployment methods. Whether it’s for the delivery of certain services or for backup and disaster recovery (more on that later), migrating certain processes to the cloud could prove to be beneficial especially at a time like this. 

Earlier this year, companies - regardless of size - were scrambling to put together corporate plans and policies to be able to cater to customers and employees that have opted to work from home. Migrating processes and functions to the cloud provide a whole new level of accessibility for employees. However, it’s equally important for companies to recognize that this new level of accessibility poses another huge problem: cybersecurity. 

An increase in cybersecurity risks

It is highly likely that companies will experience a security breach now that employees are working from home. The best way to combat this is to develop a work from home policy for your employees. According to Information Week, an IT work from home policy should instruct and educate employees about certain operational protocols in order to keep the company’s data and other resources safe and secure. 

Now that data is no longer kept within your company’s IT infrastructure, an IT work from home policy is of utmost importance. Some of the most important procedures that companies should enforce are proper file storage, strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, and controlled user access. These measures allow your IT department or your IT service provider to place important security measures to prevent a data breach. Additionally, a company’s work from home policy should also include a dedicated service desk and helpline for employees that have security questions and concerns. 

Backup and disaster recovery planning

Business continuity is important for all types of businesses regardless of size. Implementing a measurable contingency plan that is tailored to what your business needs ensures that you will always be able to recover your data in the event of a security breach. It may seem tedious to develop, implement, and maintain a disaster recovery plan but it is essential.

Whether you’re a private company or a public organization, you need to know how your operations can keep going under unforeseen circumstances. Having a backup and disaster recovery plan in place, whether enforced by an in-house IT team or an IT service provider, helps your company identify potential threats and develop initial responses to mitigate the risk of data loss. 

MSPs and the pandemic

Speaking of managed service providers (MSPs), many small to medium-sized businesses are turning to IT service providers to solve current operational challenges posed by the pandemic. As COVID-19 continues to alter the way products and services are delivered, managed IT service providers can provide the necessary foundation that enables companies to make full use of technology, ensure business continuity, and bolster IT security measures. 

Providing IT support or end-user support

It is undeniable that the landscape for providing IT support or end-user support has changed. Here at ETech 7, we are more than happy to share the safety and security measures we have adopted with our fellow managed IT service providers as well as the companies that rely on MSPs. Here are some of the measures we implemented to cater to the new normal:

• We bring our own equipment (and cleaning supplies if needed!)

To avoid the risk of transmission, our technicians have been advised to bring their ETech 7 equipment to on-site assignments and projects. After every use, each tool will be sanitized to guarantee the overall cleanliness of our equipment and the safety of our technicians. 

• We also have protective equipment on at all times 

When it comes to managed IT services, New York especially, masks are required even before you are allowed to enter an office building. However, we also recognize that personal protective equipment (PPE) isn’t a requirement in all states or by all employers. ETech 7 is taking a proactive approach to help safeguard your health as well as the health of others around us. We have instructed our technicians to wear masks and protective gloves at all times whenever we provide on-site IT support. 

• We try to avoid close contact as much as possible

At times, close contact can’t be helped especially when providing on-site IT support. Ideally, however, we would like you to identify a time and date when you won’t be using your workspace so we can maintain a safe distance. If close contact can’t be helped, we suggest maintaining a distance of at least six feet between you and our IT technician at all times. We are also open to servicing your needs during Saturdays and Sundays when most of your employees are at home to ensure that the risk of exposure and transmission is close to none. 

• We'll wipe down everything we touched 

If you are unable to provide us with cleaning supplies, let us know! Even if our technicians have their PPEs on at all times, we will still wipe down everything that we touched. 

About ETech 7

ETech 7 is a managed IT services company dedicated to providing superior quality service to a wide range of businesses. Leveraging state of the art software and world-class service, ETech 7 strives to deliver affordable and reliable solutions for all your IT needs. Any business of meaningful size needs computer networking, backup and disaster recovery. ETech 7 allows companies to outsource professional setup, routine maintenance, emergency assistance, and project development.