Business Trends: Utilizing IT Consultants to Manage Complex Technology

Managing software renewals, cybersecurity and network monitoring in-house can not only slow your business down, it can open your business up to vulnerabilities like ransomware or poor productivity numbers. Don’t let the IT talent shortage hold your company back. Get ahead of your competitors and leverage the power of IT consulting services to manage and support your company’s growing technology needs within the IoT framework.

IT Consultants for Business Continuity
Tech-savvy businesses are no longer hiring multiple IT service providers to manage different technology applications and software. In today’s cloud environment, it makes more sense to work with IT consultants who can assess your technology needs from a high level to ensure that you get the most out of your investment and business continuity continues without interruption. Experienced IT consultants will focus on three main tech areas:
• Cloud compliance, security risk assessment, and solutions
• Device management, security and accessibility
• Software and equipment maintenance

IT Consultants for Cloud Compliance & Security Solutions
Applying compliance requirements to cloud data that were originally developed for on-premise storage can leave your data vulnerable to ransomware, leaks and infrastructure vulnerabilities.
IT consultants can help you put the right continuous configuration safeguards in place without compromising user visibility, admin control or backup.
Compliance regulations such as HIPAA, PCI, CIS, NIST and GDP are vital to the success of businesses in healthcare, finance, insurance and more. An IT consultancy can ensure that your business meets the latest compliance regulations.

IT Consultants for Device Management
Device management is a critical component of today’s modern businesses, which utilize wireless networks and remote workforces, and have multiple endpoints.
Sometimes referred to as EMM (Enterprise Mobility Management), consultants work to provide a comprehensive strategy to manage and protect company data and networks as they are accessed from devices from all team members.
An experienced IT consultancy will help you identify those “forgotten devices,” such as weak link network printers and employee mobile devices.

Software & Equipment Management
Managing maintenance and infrastructure in today’s IT environment can become a full-time job. IT consultants can provide top-level software and equipment management to help your team avoid common mistakes like overpaying for renewals, increased downtime due to equipment failures or compliance violations due to gaps in support agreements.
If you’re ready to assess and compare providers for IT consultancy, be sure to ask about the four pillars of an expert IT consultant team:
Identification: What types of software or applications do they use to identify vulnerabilities and create risk models for identifying your weak points?
Protection: How do they protect network configurations with auto-remediate measures? What type of audit logs are available to review protection measures?
Detect: How do they detect network behavior baselines to measure performance and identify threats or risks?
Respond: How do they respond to incidents and work to build automated responses to threats and risks once they are identified?
Your IT consultant team should bring a combination of research, benchmark data, problem-solving methods and hands-on experience to help you navigate today’s IT environment. If you’re overwhelmed by the options in IT consulting services, start with a free technology assessment from Monster Technology and get started today. Changes in IT frameworks are inevitable, which is why working with a reputable, trusted IT partner will help your company navigate all of the digital change that 2018 brings.