10 Ways to Solve Your Day-to-Day IT Problems

The height of summer can be the most distracting time of the year. Leaving an hour (or two) early on Friday quickly becomes a regular occurence. Someone is always out of the office on vacation. Fiscal year turnovers can shift our focus up to the 30,000-foot view, forcing us to overlook day-to-day operations.

All it takes is one or two days of such distractions to feel like you’ve fallen hopelessly behind. Your email inbox swells and your calendar fills up—and if one computer breaks, one hard drive fails, or one Internet connection goes down, suddenly the adverse impact of faltering technology on your business is obvious.

Add in a more catastrophic cybersecurity event like a ransomware infection or a data breach and things can really go off the rails. It’s those overwhelming moments that will make any manager or business owner long for the help of a dedicated IT provider. But rushing into a relationship with such a key technology partner or failing to do your due diligence before you negotiate terms can also lead to serious problems.

That’s why CMIT Solutions has compiled the following list of 10 common questions to ask as you consider adding a trusted partner to your technology team. It is possible to find the enterprise-level support your business deserves at a price that works with your budget—as long as you take your time, do your research, and get the right information before you sign a contract.

1) Are your security solutions robust?

Cybersecurity threats come in many shapes and sizes: dangerous malware infections, debilitating data hacks, and evolving social engineering scams. That’s why modern businesses need more than just a simple firewall to protect their operations. Multi-layered support should incorporate anti-virus and anti-malware software, along with Internet traffic analysis, DNS filtering, and other comprehensive network security solutions that can shield a company from problems. These services might not be readily apparent—but when your business operates smoothly day in and day out, you’ll know they’re working.

2) Is protection in place around the clock?

Rather than acting from a defensive or reactive stance, elite-level IT services should approach technology protection in a proactive manner. That means 24x7x365 monitoring to keep a constant watch on your company’s entire technology ecosystem: desktop and laptop computers, networks and servers, printers and data storage devices, smartphones and more. Just one faulty link in that overall chain can seriously affect day-to-day operations.

3) Do you offer IT services customized to meet everyday needs?

The bigger an IT company gets, the more they may try to modify their product options to meet the demands of revenue goals or third-party vendors. That’s why CMIT Solutions operates under an independently owned and operated model, with local franchisees working to meet the specific issues faced by businesses in their own communities. We pride ourselves on understanding the pain points of our clients and then delivering the kind of pragmatic solutions that today’s cybersecurity landscape demands.

4) Is a help desk included in your package?

No matter the size of your company, you deserve IT support that’s always available—and always ready to resolve any issue. CMIT Solutions employs more than 800 technicians with decades of experience solving every IT problem imaginable. Our fully staffed help desk allows us to live up to our commitment to delivering the best customer service in the industry.

5) Is your IT team supported by a North American network?

In addition to our technical staff, CMIT Solutions has more than 225 franchises across North America. We maintain longstanding relationships with major technology companies like Microsoft and Dell, allowing us to offer an unparalleled level of service to our clients. We can support multi-office setups or staff members working in multiple time zones, and we tap into the collective knowledge of our combined network to solve problems, no matter how impossible they may seem.

6) Can you satisfy compliance demands set forth by government and industry agencies?

No matter what industry you work in, meeting compliance requirements is a must. That’s particularly true in highly regulated areas like health care, finance, and legal services, where one misstep can lead to serious civil or even criminal penalties. Whether you’re looking for data encryption, archived backup, or disaster recovery solutions, a reliable IT provider should go the extra mile to understand your business’ compliance needs.

7) Do you work with businesses of different sizes?

Use caution if an IT solutions company tells you that they only work with one slice of the market, whether that’s a big company only servicing other big companies or a one-person firm only working with similar-sized clients. Many large IT providers don’t provide their smaller clients with reliable services, and many small break-fix shops can’t deliver the kind of comprehensive solutions needed to stay secure in today’s changed new cybersecurity world.

8) Do you offer training for the people that use technology?

Yes, properly functioning computers, networks, and devices represent the bread and butter of any IT company. But many IT companies don’t take into consideration the people that use those machines, day in and day out. At CMIT Solutions, we offer comprehensive education, training, and support that focuses on the human element of your company. We know that human beings often serve as the front line of cybersecurity defense—and we know that if your employees are satisfied and productive, it helps technology run that much smoother.

9) Do you conduct ongoing research and development to identify new areas of focus?

Since technology is always changing, an IT company is only as good as its vision for the future. Conducting primary and secondary research, testing and validating new products and solutions, and always staying a step ahead of unforeseen challenges are the hallmarks of a strong IT provider who has your best interests at the top of their to-do list.

10) Can I count on you when problems arise?

While there’s no guarantee of complete IT protection, any provider worth their salt should be clearly committed to standing by your business’ side when the going gets tough. Whether it’s providing basic protections like proactive monitoring and data backup or more involved solutions like cloud storage and remote desktop protocols, your IT provider should be willing to meet your needs.

At CMIT Solutions, we go beyond just delivering information technology services to serve as a trusted business partner. We’re the fellow small business owner that understands the challenges of succeeding in today’s trying digital times. We can serve as the built-in support staff that’s always available when you need us. And when IT problems arise, we will rise to the challenge and work tirelessly to resolve the issue, no matter how difficult it may be.

That’s a promise we keep for each and every client—and we’re willing to bet you won’t find one like it anywhere else in the IT industry. If you’re facing technology challenges this summer or need to know whether a potential IT provider can deliver what you need, contact CMIT Solutions today.