Managed Services: How Can It Help You?

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managed-services-provider-e1598310923486 Managed Services: How Can It Help You?

In this increasingly digital world, there is infinite access to beneficial services that can grow and take your business to the next level. But sometimes it’s hard to differentiate what service is actually the best fit for your organization. What do you actually need? Is it infrastructure as a service? Report generation? Sometimes it can get confusing. We’re here to clear up one area of technological services: managed services. What does it mean and how does managed services compare to hiring staff internally? Is it better for you to hire a small group of individuals with specific expertise or instead get the job done with a managed service provider (MSP)? Read on to learn what it entails, how it can help you, and how to tell if it is the right service for your company.

Managed Services as a Whole:

So what are managed services? Managed services (MS) are typically defined as services provided by a third party to manage and refine daily operations of your applications or business systems. Managed services provide the most modern and updated skill sets needed and is usually a highly trained group of individuals with expertise in your specific business needs. MS differs from traditional IT support in a variety of ways. Not only is it considered a more cost-effective use of resources but also provides 24/7 support. 

Benefits of Using a Managed Services Provider:

There are a plethora of upsides to using a managed services provider (MSP), so we will just highlight a few. 

  1. Flexible
    An MSP delivers the most flexible service model available. Not only is it scalable, you can direct your MSP to certain applications, objectives, and core values. This makes for less distraction and “noise” in what would otherwise be a spread out agenda for your (already busy) internal team. 
  2. Cost-effective
    Instinctively, one might assume that using an MSP is additional upkeep that they don’t want looming overhead. However, what many fail to realize is that MSPs allow for the efficient allocation of tasks to those specifically trained in the area. In the time that your own internal team would have to educate themselves it would cost far more than bringing in the experts. As well as, most likely, delivering less efficient results. 
  3. Proactive
    Finally, using an MSP is a proactive approach to maintenance. Instead of the traditional IT support method in which something needs to be “broken” in order to be “fixed”, MSPs root out future problems and fix them before they even surface. This allows for greater support for security and increases stability within your organization.

Is Managed Services the Right Fit for Your Business?

Sometimes it can be hard to tell what is good for your organization. So how can you tell if MS is the right solution for you? If you are looking for a smaller, dedicated team of experts, this is a good indication that MSPs may be for you. Do you have specific problems that need to be pinpointed and solved? And are you looking for continued maintenance in the future rather than just fixing what is broken? If your organization checks any of these boxes, MSPs may be just what you are looking for. And saving some money never hurt anyone either. 

Why Optimus?

Not only do we cover all of the aforementioned, we have deep Azure experience and can take your day to day operations off your plate. With 24/7 support, improved risk management, dashboards, reports, and more, we will deliver on all key objectives. Think of us as an extension of your team. We understand your business, so let’s improve it together over time.

 

Interested? Contact us here.

 

Reimagining Virtual Collaboration: Exciting Updates to Microsoft Teams

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Microsoft-Teams Reimagining Virtual Collaboration: Exciting Updates to Microsoft Teams

It’s strange to think that at the beginning of 2020, we had no idea of the turn the world was about to take. At the beginning, even the idea of quarantining and social distancing was confusing. Now, although it still isn’t ideal, most people have found innovative ways to connect. It’s incredible to see how many more online platforms have changed and adapted their gameplan to fit this unexpected event, but there’s one that we would especially like to spotlight: Microsoft Teams.

New Updates for Microsoft Teams:

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration platform that combines video calling, chat messages, as well as file storage. It’s been around since 2017; however, since that initial release it has evolved into a leading communication service. For more information on Microsoft Teams, click here.

In the past couple of months, the need for excellent virtual collaboration platforms has surged, and with that comes a whole host of new updates. Microsoft has addressed 3 main issues that are the most relevant right now: connection/meeting fatigue, inclusivity, and efficiency. 

Connection/Meeting Fatigue:

This first point contains two subsections, the first of which is making people feel connected. While apart and lacking the traditional office environment, it’s easy to feel lonely. For those not used to working from home, there can be a sense of anxiety derived from the lack of a bustling workspace. Microsoft Teams has created Together Mode to tackle this issue. It allows AI to place occupants on the same background, therefore making it feel as if you are sitting in the same room as your colleagues. When faced with the challenges of quarantine, some may forget how important non-verbal communication and cues are. Together Mode allows people to feel united as well as brings back some of the “normal” office environment and will be coming out in August. 

The second subsection is about meeting fatigue. It’s easy to get overtired and quite frankly bored during long meetings, especially if you can’t see who’s talking. Gallery Mode, another new update also being released in the next few months, optimizes shared content and allows for personalization of what is being seen. For example, it can have up to 49 people shown on a screen and then break into smaller meeting rooms. Or you can program it to switch not only to specific speakers but also shared content. 

Inclusivity:

In order to keep meetings not only inclusive to larger numbers, making the tool engaging and interactive is also key. Microsoft Teams will be releasing a plethora of updates in the upcoming months, but we will highlight a few of our favourites. Live Reactions is a new feature that mimics the important role that non-verbal cues give. During a presentation or meeting, members will be able to react through emojis that update to give feedback to the speaker, and bolster support. Another exciting feature coming out later this year is live captions and speaker attribution. This will allow for ease while following along in a meeting as well as recognizing who is speaking. 

Saving Time:

And thirdly, saving time and increasing efficacy of Microsoft Teams has become an increased priority. Because of the lack of a traditional workspace, it’s hard to keep track of how you spend your time during the day. To combat this, Microsoft Teams has come up with the Tasks App, in conjunction with Teams. It will allow for tasks to be added on a rolling basis, viewed on a platform, and notify other team members about what has been done. Cortana will also be added to Teams. Using AI and the Microsoft Graph, Cortana can listen to directives, dictate, and handle tasks, all through voice assistance.

Problems that the World is Facing and How Teams Can Solve Them:

Amid all this chaos, it’s important to look at what good can come out of this situation. This time has forced us to really re-assess the future of “work” and “workspaces” in their traditional sense. Why are we so confined to our office spaces? And will 9-5 hours become more flexible? Working from home and taking advantage of virtual collaboration may actually be the future. Innovative communication tools such as Microsoft Teams will not only help us connect with each other from a distance, but also build a future that may be more creative and effective than the status quo.