Category: Blog

Simply put, hiring an IT company in Pittsburgh is a significant investment in your company’s future. IT providers operate at the core levels of your business, sustaining your entire IT network and creating a reliable infrastructure.

Therefore, before you hire an IT consultant, you need to have a basic understanding of how IT companies work, what services they provide, and if you can trust them to keep your business from collapsing in the event of an emergency. Below are four questions that you should discuss with IT companies in Pittsburgh before you commit to any service.

1. How Can You Keep My Network and My Data Secure?

Cybersecurity threats are more significant than ever for small and large companies in Pittsburgh. While AI, automation, smart technology, and the Internet of Things all provide opportunities for technological advancement, they also heighten the risk that an authorized user or a hacker can infiltrate a network and steal data or, worse, identities.

Therefore, your top priority as a business owner is to identify IT companies in Pittsburgh that provide the highest level of security against the fiercest attackers. Find a company that takes a proactive approach to prevent cyber attacks instead of reacting to a security breach after the fact.

Solutions that an IT company should provide include:

• Security assessment. Your provider should provide ongoing audits of your entire network and identify areas that you need to tighten security. A skilled IT consultant can detect vulnerabilities and act quickly before malicious users exploit them.
• Cyber attack simulation. Look for a company that can put your system to the test by simulating real, modern cyber attacks. A simulation is the most effective means of assessing the strength of your IT defense systems.
• Network and Wi-Fi Security. Your wireless connections may be your most vulnerable. A company worth hiring recognizes this and puts strategies in place to make those end-to-end connections secure.

Also, ask the IT company for a full list of all areas of your IT that they protect. The ideal company will provide a comprehensive package that provides security for the following:

• Network and Wi-Fi security
• Email, spam filtering
• Identify verification, two-factor authentication, and role-based access
• Encryption on all levels
• Data backup and security
• Firewall, spyware, and antivirus
• Full IT monitoring

2. Do Your Managed IT Solutions Sustain My Business?

If IT security is your top priority, then business sustainability and growth should be a close second. In today’s market, technology is at the heart of business development and innovation. Digital transformation means staying ahead of technology trends and being ready to implement new technology without disrupting business continuity.

Therefore, you should ignore IT companies in Pittsburgh that are merely fixing networks issue or preventing problems and seek out an IT provider that is truly vested in your company’s growth.

Ask yourself: How do the technology and IT services this company provides help my company get to the next level? What are they doing right now that will prepare my organization for the next wave of growth in the future?

Companies that understand and respect their role in corporate expansion provide proactive and progressive managed IT services that sustain your business and solidify your infrastructure.

What does that look like tangibly? Look for these elements when interviewing an IT provider:

• An IT team that you can trust to competently take over your entire IT network without leaving any doubt.
• A provider that can ensure business continuity regardless of environmental or cybersecurity conditions. You must be able to retrieve your data, continue your digital processes, and keep your organization moving no matter what happens.
• An IT consultant who sees digital transformation as an ongoing process, not just a one-time deal. They are constantly monitoring your system and looking for ways to help you improve and grow your IT.
• An IT company that offers solutions for your most important systems and processes: VoIP, cloud platforms, cybersecurity, hardware & software, servers, mobile & remote services, unified communications, structured cabling — basically everything.

3. Let’s Talk Contracts & Pricing: What Can I Expect?

Never hire an IT company that isn’t upfront about their pricing structure or their contracts. When not handled properly, these issues are what bring tension into a business relationship. So, when talking with IT companies in Pittsburgh about pricing and contracts, be assertive and ask the hard questions.

Pricing

Sometimes a company’s pricing structure is more complicated than the IT technology they provide. There is no right or wrong way to charge for IT service. Every company does it differently. What is essential, however, is that the provider has no hidden fees or expenses and that you understand exactly what you are paying for.

The current trend with IT companies right now is to wipe away the complicated fee structures and to either charge a flat-fee or a monthly fee that covers everything. The company tells you what services and products they provide, they tell you how much it is going to cost every month, and you decide which plan you want to purchase.

Contracts

Like pricing, contracts can be complicated. Therefore, it is the IT company’s responsibility to clearly outline every part of the agreement so that you have a clear understanding of what you agree to. What are the terms of the contract? What conditions or circumstances allow you to break the contract? How is your company limited by the agreement? What does the agreement allow? Arrangements may also include Service Level Agreements where the company outlines what services they provide or the limits to these services.

4. What Type of Customer Support Do You Provide?

An IT provider’s level of customer support is a clear indication of how much they value their clients.

Keep in mind, that you need to align the level of customer support with your company’s needs. For instance, if you are a startup company that operates 9 to 5, Monday through Friday with limited IT, you may only need a company that provides services during these hours. However, if you are a larger corporation or a company that offers services during extended hours, then you probably need a company that offers 24/7 help desk services.

You also want to look for a company that provides a two-tier help desk service that includes:

Remote Support

Most IT issues can be fixed remotely. This provides a significant advantage over on-site support, because technicians can fix a problem quickly. Getting in a car and driving to your business site takes time. An IT provider should be able to give you remote support for most of your IT issues.

On-Site Support

However, some issues cannot be fixed over the phone. Therefore, an IT company should be able to provide on-site support for more pressing issues or emergencies. You should be able to depend on your IT company to respond quickly when these issues arise.

Ask companies about the best way to submit an IT help ticket. You may have options to request support via an app, over the phone, or by sending an email.

Dependable IT Services in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Right Hand partners with businesses across the Greater Pittsburgh Area to discover and implement IT solutions that protect the networks and data while fostering business growth. We want to help you become more efficient and profitable through the use of computers, mobile devices, servers and other technology that drive our world today.

To find out more about how we can help you with your IT infrastructure, then contact us today at (412) 254-4448. You can also message us at info@rhtg.net or start an online chat. We are here to help you!

Confused with IT Companies in Pittsburgh?

These days, hiring an IT company is almost the equivalent of taking on a new business partner. IT consultants take a vested interest in the growth and development of a company as technology plays a core role in the company’s processes and infrastructure.

IT consultants have moved beyond just fixing problems or putting out fires. Now, IT consultants help business owners and executives create a technological platform that will launch a company into the next phase of growth. So, if you are getting ready to hire an IT company to help you with your technology needs, then you need to consider how the investment fits into your corporate vision and goals.

Below, are some things you need to know before hiring IT companies in Pittsburgh:

Services IT Companies In Pittsburgh Should Offer

Any capable IT company needs to be able to operate at a basic level. What does that mean in today’s IT industry? It says that an IT company should be able to provide the following services or products:

Managed IT

Managed IT encompasses a wide range of services that are geared toward managing and maintaining your IT network. It is a support strategy in which a company provides proactive IT support, maintenance, monitoring, and security. Instead of paying every time you have an issue you will have easily-predictable, monthly subscription payments. It’s just that simple. One payment covers everything.

On-Site Support or Remote Help Desk

IT Companies that value customer service will offer a comprehensive customer support package that includes both on-site support and remote help desk support. Many IT companies in Pittsburgh now provide 24/7 assistance for clients.

IT Security

When we think of cybersecurity, we often think of significant network breaches in mega corporations that make the news. However, small and mid-sized businesses are also vulnerable to cyber attacks. Therefore, any IT company that you hire MUST provide IT cybersecurity service. This type of service is so essential that there is no reason to even look at a company that doesn’t offer some kind of security.

Some services that you may want to look for include:

• Network security
• Email security
• Two-factor authentication
• Identity verification
• Role-based access
• Email security
• Spam filtering
• Wi-Fi security
• Data encryption
• Data backup
• Physical security integration
• Firewall implementation and monitoring
• Internet traffic monitoring
• Antivirus implementation and monitoring

Cloud Services

As security features are vital to your company’s protection, cloud services are now becoming more essential for your company’s productivity. IT company’s offer a wide range of cloud services geared toward enhancing communication, storing and sharing data, and project collaboration.

IT companies that offer cloud services can help you reduce operational costs, tighten your security, create a scalable system, and reduce your equipment and software overhead.

Business Phone Services

The most powerful, simple, and dependable communication technology in business today is Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). There are several reasons for this:

1. Savings. VoIP is more cost-effective than conventional phones for local and international use.
2. Remote capability. You can utilize a VoIP system from any facility in the world that hosts an Internet connection.
3. Versatility. You can access a VoIP on any Internet-based device such as a phone, tablet, computer, smartphone.
4. Multi-functional. VoIP systems offer numerous features that companies use every day to communicate with employees, business partners, and customers or clients.

Business Continuity

Businesses in Pittsburgh face various security and environmental threats. Since your company may be dependent on technology and bound by strict compliance regulations, protecting your entire IT system is vital for business continuity.

What would happen right now if the IT system in your business suddenly failed? Do have a back-up plan for continuing your operations or would your organization stop?

Right Hand can help you develop a stable and robust infrastructure that can handle security breaches, natural disasters, or other emergencies. We can assess your business practices, creating a business continuity plan which factors in all security measures necessary to protect your IT assets and data for the future. We can also manage all of your digital assets and monitor your system at all times so that we can quickly respond to any issues that arise.

Managed IT Services Pricing Structure

If you are frustrated with never knowing how much you are going to pay for IT service, then you should look for a company that offers flat-fee service instead. Managed IT Service providers can give you a guaranteed bottom-line price structure that allows you to budget for your IT service.

Even if you don’t know about IT, you should know what you are getting in return for your IT investment. A flat-fee service provider can also outline all the services that you are receiving for what you pay.

These days it is imperative that you know what type of service you are receiving from your IT provider. Flat-Fee IT services in Austin are nothing new or unique. However, they are definitely not all the same. Therefore, before you agree to an outsourced service, you need to sit down with an IT consultant and find out what services are available, which services are valuable, and which services are absolutely vital.

Complete IT Services in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Right Hand partners with businesses across the Greater Pittsburgh Area to discover and implement IT solutions that protect the networks and data while fostering business growth. We want to help you become more efficient and profitable through the use of computers, mobile devices, servers and other technology that drive our world today.

To find out more about how we can help you with your IT infrastructure, then contact us today at (412) 254-4448. You can also message us at info@rhtg.net or start an online chat. We are here to help you!

Managed IT Services In Pittsburgh & Western PA

Managed IT Services is a support partnership between an IT company and a client. The reason we use the term partnership is that you play a role in ensuring that your IT infrastructure is safe, efficient, and fosters business growth. IT providers like Right Hand work around the clock to monitor your network and provide proactive strategies that reduce or eliminate any project problems that could arise within the technology.

Below, we take a closer look at how managed IT services empowers your company to grow seamlessly as you prepare for the next stage in your organization.

The Difference Between IT Management and IT Maintenance

As technology grows more advanced, IT companies have come to realize that fixing and repairing tech problems as they occur creates a sub-standard approach to technology performance. Thus, companies now have to be more proactive than reactive in dealing with IT issues.

Think about it this way:

Do you want an IT company to fix a security breach after it happens or prevent it from happening in the first place?

That is the distinguishing feature of IT management.

There’s an added element to IT management that genuinely sets it apart from IT maintenance. Companies are now coming out of the dark ages of IT repair and even moving beyond preventative maintenance into the new age of corporate development. In other words, the role of the IT technician is that of an executive that helps the company increase its revenue through various organizational processes (read more below).

So, if a company touts their ability to merely fix a problem, they’re already ten years behind. Thus, they are becoming extinct. Today’s IT leaders now major contributors in:

• Infrastructure stability
• Corporate expansion
• Earned revenue
• Team empowerment

See the difference?

Elements of a Powerful Managed IT Service

Most business owners and managers are too busy keeping the organization moving forward to think about or even care about IT issues. After all, that’s not their focus. Consequently, they may not know how to establish any criteria for identifying a qualified IT company. As a corporate spearheader, you may find yourself in this situation right now.

So, the question is: How do I align an IT company with my company’s current needs?

The answer is this: A comprehensive managed IT service should contain the following elements:

• Complete IT Care. An army of technicians that strategically maintain, secure, and monitor IT environments in your facility for optimal operation and uptime
• Help Desk. Responsive technicians and customer service agents that answer your questions and troubleshoot IT issues to enable continuous workflow
• Cybersecurity. An impenetrable digital shield that protects your data, in-house assets, and cloud assets through proactive IT security management and incident response
• Co-Managed IT. A core team or individual expert that supplements the in-house IT staff of mid-size to enterprise-level companies
• Cloud Services. A platform that leverages the best of cloud solutions to provide cost savings and enable mobility and scaling capability
• VoIP. Simplified and affordable communication solutions that help businesses make the most of modern, internet-based communications functionality
• Server Virtualization. Technology that enables cost savings along with backup/disaster recovery functionality
• Business Continuity. A rock-solid infrastructure that allows your company to stay mobilized regardless of current disasters or circumstances that could shut you down

The short answer: A company that can handle every facet of your IT in a manner that is highly-involved yet non-disruptive.

How Do Managed IT Service Ensure Network Security?

If your company is connected to the Internet at all, then there is currently a 4 in 10 chance that a hacker will break into your system and compromise your network, your employees, and your customers. Considering that there are millions of businesses worldwide and thousands of hackers that never sleep, the risk is high that they will find you and discover a vulnerability in your system. Regardless of how small or large your business is, IT security should be a top priority.

While anti-virus software, VPN subscriptions, and onboard encryption can provide a little protection, it’s just not enough anymore. Hackers and agencies have learned how to bypass the software and invade your network.

An IT company helps you create a secure system by incorporating a wide range of strategies that layer over one another to build a solid hedge around your network. Some strategies that we employ include:

• Conducting audits of your current setup removing vulnerabilities before unauthorized users put your business at risk.
• Assessing your network’s ability to ward off attacks by simulating cyber attacks and analyzing the results.
• Adopting wireless and Wi-Fi to keep hackers and malicious users from gaining access to your corporate network and confidential information.

We also provide an extensive list of services that reinforce security on every level of your network:

• Network Security
• Email Security
• Two-Factor Authentication
• Identity Verification
• Role-Based Access
• Email Security
• Spam Filtering
• Wi-Fi Security
• Data Encryption
• Data Backup
• Physical Security Integration
• Firewall Implementation and Monitoring
• Internet Traffic Monitoring
• Antivirus Implementation and Monitoring

The primary focus of all these services is prevention and risk mitigation. We spend a lot of time and effort in monitoring, identifying, and resolving potential cyber threats before they occur.

Managed IT Services: Contact Us First

Right Hand partners with businesses across the Greater Pittsburgh Area to discover and implement IT solutions that protect the networks and data while fostering business growth. We want to help you become more efficient and profitable through the use of computers, mobile devices, servers and other technology that drive our world today. To find out more about how we can help you with your IT infrastructure, then contact us today at (412) 254-4448. You can also message us at info@rhtg.net or start an online chat. We are here to help you!