Small business owners have a lot on their minds, and the rapidly changing pace of their industry and labor force adds another layer of responsibility. There is a growing demand for a more mobile workforce coupled with an increasing need to remain compliant with specific industry-related regulations. While managing these areas, small businesses also need to make the best use of their assets, maximizing productivity and efficiency. For this to happen with IT assets, small business owners need to pay more attention to the significant value found in endpoint management. When allowed to be effective through a trusted IT partner, your business can have its IT needs met more effectively.
Control the Company’s Assets
When talking about managing the IT assets of a company, control over the endpoints becomes a priority. Endpoints are the various assets of an IT department, ranging from smartphones to tablets, servers, or the actual workstations. Using automated solutions, a company can have more control over the uses of these endpoints. They can monitor, update, deploy, protect, or repairs any of the endpoint devices that may be connected to an organization’s network. By having a support partner take control of your company’s IT assets, it frees up your employees to focus on what they are good at while also giving you an edge with protecting and managing some of the most expensive and vulnerable pieces of hardware your company owns. There are several benefits that can come from a more controlled approach to your endpoints.
Manage Your Inventory
Rather than wonder about the IT assets on your network and all the details of make, model, warranty information, purchase date, operating system, memory space, and processing power, a management solution puts all the information in one place. The managing partner can track your IT assets and perform regular audits for inventory on hand. Instead of scurrying around the office trying to figure everything out, management solutions present easily accessible reports in simple-to-navigate dashboards. This allows you to make more informed IT decisions.
Protect Your IT Assets
The IT assets and network of your company present serious security concerns. If any piece of your network or endpoint is malfunctioning, it creates vulnerability and increases your risk if a cyberattack is launched. One of the most crucial features of endpoint management is the provision of patching. As a way to enhance the functionality and security of your network, your IT partner will regularly and automatically apply patches to the devices and networks to make sure all applications are up to date. If your company doesn’t rely on automated management, your IT department is manually responsible for deploying antimalware and antivirus protection. If there is a slight gap between updates or expirations of security contracts, you increase your exposure to threats. Automated systems will deploy and manage your company’s critical security measures to ensure that your assets are as well-protected as possible.
Send Out Early Warning
Any kind of downtime with your endpoints and network can throw off your productivity and your employee morale. Being proactive in your IT monitoring can help you stay ahead of potential falters. Management systems can be adapted to different endpoints, and you can monitor your entire IT infrastructure from a variety of different thresholds or inputs. For instance, you can set up an early alert system that notifies you when active warranties are going to expire for the different IT assets. Having the advance notice gives your company time to decide on purchasing a new device or extending the warranty. A capacity alert is another monitoring aspect that is useful for small businesses. The system can have a threshold alert on memory usage, sending a notification when a device has reached a certain percentage of the storage capacity. Too much memory usage can cause lag and slow performance, creating frustrations and annoyance with your employees.
Maintain Network Compliance
It will depend on which business sector your company is a part of and the services it offers, but there is hardly a business in operation that doesn’t have a responsibility to various regulatory demands. You may need to follow the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act or the Federal Information Security Management Act. Whatever the regulations may be, failing to comply could result in steep fines and other consequences. With management systems in place, you can have the system generate the reports and audits needed to demonstrate that the business is compliant. It can also expose the areas that need attention before a situation occurs.
Create Standardized Networks
The trends of bring your own devices and remote work options open the company up to cybersecurity risks. With so many gateways to the company network, each employee that accesses the company system or operating software weakens the security protocols established. The mobile devices and tablets that employees use or the computer systems that have been set up for remote operations can be given the same layer of security when a management system is in place. There is an advance notification if a threat or weakness is detected, but it also extends the security protocols to these devices. The network is standardized, offering the same functions and features to any network device, regardless of where an employee may be working. Standardization extends to protection, control, and functionality.
IT management is important for your company’s efficiency and profitability. Stronger control of your company’s IT assets also gives your company a competitive advantage, protects your network from cyberattack, and improve the decision-making ability with regard to the endpoints of your business.
