3 Top Reasons for Onsite Computer Repair

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No one wants to experience computer problems. Whether it’s used for personal or business use, your computer is likely indispensable. Essential customer files are on there! All your downloaded music! The family photos! Vendor contracts and employee payroll information! Compounding the crisis is the hassle of going to get the computer fixed. That’s why we offer onsite repair services.

When You Need Computer Repair

Regrettably, there are common computer problems you might encounter at home or work:

A blue computer screen with some white text, aka the “Blue Screen of Death,” or a STOP error. This one’s scary. It could indicate failing hardware, damaged software, driver problems and more. Don’t know what any of that sentence meant? That’s OK. We do!

  • Having trouble installing new applications.
  • The computer is running so slow a turtle would beat it in a foot race.
  • Your applications are acting possessed and are unpredictable.
  • The keyboard, mouse, or printer are not working properly.
  • Your computer keeps restarting on you.
  • Downloads are taking forever.
  • You can’t open that attachment from your boss.
  • The computer freezes or shuts off suddenly.
  • The graphics on the computer screen look wonky.
  • Your computer is making noises mimicking an old clunker car.

Troubleshooting these problems to diagnose what is really going on can be challenging. It depends on how much you know about computers to begin with. Since you rely on your computer for so much, it’s a good idea to consult with computer repair experts.

Why Onsite Computer Repair

#1 Convenience.

You don’t need to worry about doing more damage when you unplug everything and drive the computer to a repair shop. You also avoid the commute across town, headache of finding parking, and annoyance of waiting in line. Whether a business office or home, our computer repair experts can come to you.

This is more convenient for you. You don’t have to lug the computer to a store and back only to have to set it up all over again. Your computer stays right where you typically use it. When we’re done, you can just push the power button and get going as if nothing happened.

#2 Context.

Seeing your computer in its natural habitat helps our experts too. Sometimes the issue isn’t internal to the computer. So, we wouldn’t be able to properly diagnose the problem if you brought the computer in to us.

For example, the hiccup could be caused by a faulty power board or misbehaving printer. Unless you thought to bring those into the computer store too, the problem wouldn’t be replicable. And nothing’s worse than going to the trouble of getting help only to say “well, it doesn’t seem to be that annoying thing right now.” That’s when the expert looks at us like we’re crazy and says “next time, just try turning it on and off again.”

#3 Cut Downtime.

When the computer repair service comes to your door, you can also reduce downtime. Whether the computer is essential for homework at home or business services, you probably can’t imagine being without it for a few days. It’s like losing a limb! Onsite computer repair aims to fix the problem in just a few hours, without taking the computer away.

We can handle most repairs onsite. In some cases, it’s more cost-effective to bring the computer back to base. We still save you hassle by dropping the computer back off to you. We’ll also set everything back up again when we return your computer. That way you don’t have to worry about which cord goes where!

We hope you never need computer repairs. But, if you’re ever facing an error message you don’t understand or your computer has ground to a halt, give us a call at (515)422-1995. Our computer repair service experts will be happy to schedule a time to come to you!

Save Money and Time with Managed IT Services

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IT services can be one of the largest and most unpredictable expenses within a business. Unexpected failures, mandatory upgrades, and sudden staff changes can happen quickly and be very expensive.

These factors, a part of the IT world, make IT departments costly, hard to manage, and difficult to budget for.

Switching your business to managed IT services can lower costs and reduce unpredictable expenses. Making the switch can cut down management overheads and reduce budgets to a fixed period cost. Here’s how.

Reducing Infrastructure

It’s common in many firms for single tasks to be required to pass through multiple devices before they can be delivered or shipped. Invoices, payroll, and digital deliverables are particularly common culprits. When looking to improve efficiency and lower unnecessary costs, this is typically the first place to trim fat.

Instead of adding office clutter with more devices, cloud resources can streamline processes. Using cloud-based technology to do some of the same tasks as before typically adds more power and improves speed.

Cloud-based services are usually faster and available to more users at once. Files and services are easier to access and less likely to clog up the internal network.

Reducing the overheads associated with running internal servers is commonly a major bonus too. Eliminating associated costs such as maintenance, security, cooling and upgrades is the largest bonus many firms receive.

Cloud technology has the power to simplify and speed up your entire workflow while making large financial savings.

For most businesses, these savings can be put into critical areas of the firm where they can be better used.

Keeping IT costs predictable

In the world of IT, bad news is a fact of life. Systems failures and critical events will always happen eventually, it’s just a question of when. Virus attacks, malware, hackers, and hardware failures occur commonly and can take a systems out of operation for days.

Managed IT services focus on tackling these issues before they happen. Continuous monitoring of systems alerts us of hardware issues before their symptoms even begin.

Antivirus, firewall, and security systems are also kept up-to-date every night to prevent threats from being exploited and data being stolen.

Reducing Downtime

IT failures that take your systems offline typically costs far more than the total repair bill to fix it. Every minute your critical systems are unavailable is time spent not creating business income or value. The more staff you employ, the more the cost multiplies too.

It’s important to consider the value of the business’s reputation on top of just downtime. Not having services available when clients or customers need them most can sour relationships fast. Your services may be the difference between meeting and missing a crucial deadline. If your service isn’t reliable then clients may look for one that is.

No Internal IT Hires

As every business owner knows, the cost of staff is far more than just their salary. Holiday pay, retirement, sick leave, training, benefits, and downtime all must be factored into the total cost. Staff costs are the single biggest bill to pay, even in the smallest IT departments.

Managed IT reduces staff costs down to a single lower cost bill that includes all your IT needs.

We train and manage our own staff to service your firm. By doing so, you get all the advantages of an IT department to meet your business needs without the overheads and management of staff that are not central to customer demands.

Managed IT Services for your Firm

While IT and services are complex, expensive, and resource consuming; it doesn’t have to be for your business. Managed IT services present a simple, cost-effective solution to meet your requirements.

We can slash your downtime, secure your business, and keep on top of your infrastructure without adding unnecessary expenses.

Give us a call at (515)422-1995 today to see if managed IT services are the right fit for your firm.

Invest Well in Your IT Security

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“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is a common and useful rule for many business owners. It serves to protect your business against unnecessary costs and unneeded downtime. While protecting your business against many types of danger, it poses an outright threat when it comes to IT security.

Security threats to your firm move so fast that your IT should be working twice as hard as your company just to keep up. Every day, hundreds of thousands of new malware threats are released. Falling even hours behind means any one of these attacks can threaten your business.

The single most dangerous thing IT security can do is stand still. Keeping up with the latest advice, technology, and updates the security industry offers is vital to keep your business safe. This makes up much of the unseen job of IT professionals. Hackers never stop looking for new ways into your system, which means your security can’t stop looking for ways to keep them out.

Modern Systems for Modern Business

One of the most common security threats a business opens itself to is using an outdated operating system or software package. Many firms are scared to upgrade, update, or renew their IT over fears of breaking legacy systems. Many rely heavily on old software and are afraid to make a large change themselves. Some businesses today still run machines on Windows XP, an operating system first released back in 2001.

Old operating systems stop receiving security updates and patches that protect against newly released attacks. These systems become very vulnerable, presenting a large target for knowledgeable hackers. This happens many years after newer versions have been released, giving knowing IT firms a chance to migrate safely.

Hackers are always on the lookout for businesses that run IT equipment outside of its suggested service life. A server, desktop computer, or peripheral is a golden opportunity for criminals to enter and threaten a business.

Hackers purchase their attacks on the dark web, safe in the knowledge that old systems won’t be patched. These attacks can then be used to attack unguarded firms to steal or compromise vital company data.

An unpatched old machine is like a valuable security door left propped open overnight, a golden opportunity for thieves.

Smart Budgets

Budgeting for business is a difficult task. We aim to make the most of everything we spend and reduce spending as much as we can. IT security can easily fall very far down the list of priorities.

IT can seem like an easy way to cut costs. It’s a department that the customer doesn’t always benefit from directly, and when it’s working well, it might not be on the radar at all. Despite working largely behind the scenes, successful IT is one of the critical components of every highly successful firm. Good IT can be the binding glue that holds the company together.

Even businesses far removed from the IT world typically uses payment machines, ordering systems, and inventory. Even restaurants and retail stores rely on computers to operate. Downtime for any critical system can be a complete disaster. A business can be unable to trade, and costs can mount up fast.

When vital IT components are used by the customer, a sales website, or an automated booking system for example, the problem can multiply tenfold.

Keep On Top Of The Essentials

Good IT isn’t built on high peaks and deep troughs in the yearly budget. The kind of IT that makes your business and helps it to grow is built by smart financing and careful planning. Great technicians are what makes excellent IT.

Maintaining steady updates, keeping pace with the latest security, and building your IT as you build your business keeps you in the driving seat when it matters most.

When IT is planned and issues are solved before they appear, security becomes cheaper, easier, and many times more effective. System upgrades can be planned out months, if not years in advance so you are never caught unaware.

Don’t let your IT be broken before you take steps to fix it. Move ahead of the curve and give us a call at (515)422-1995 so you don’t have to find out what your business looks like without IT.

4 Ways to Avoid IT Downtime

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4 Ways to Avoid IT Downtime

Technology is a wonderful addition to every business, but what happens when the IT goes down? All those things you do now that were completely unthinkable 30 years ago have become part of your day-to-day processes. It lets you compete with big business and connect with customers from far away, boost productivity and efficiency like never before, and even added multiple zeros to your bottom line. IT is a necessity. Unfortunately, this means when downtime inevitably hits, you’ve got a BIG problem.

Maybe it’s from a virus attack, a bug in the system, hardware failure or something else…whatever the cause, the impact is real and measurable. Gartner (an IT research company) reports that 43% of small businesses close their doors right after a major data loss, and only a tiny 6% survive long term. The financial cost of each hour can be in the thousands, and the damage to your brand could be ruinous. Fortunately, while downtime will occasionally strike every business, there are things you can do to minimize the duration and frequency.

Taking a few simple actions now may result in your business staying open while your competitor gives up.

Use managed antivirus, web filtering, and software patching

While most businesses have antivirus, not all have embraced the idea of monitored antivirus, a web filter, and automated patch management. Instead, the default setup has more in common with a home network rather than a robust professional system. The main issue is, while YOU may be great at keeping your antivirus up to date, not falling for a scam site, and installing your software patches, your employees may not be as knowledgeable or diligent. Each employee is a potential vulnerability. The more people who have access to your network, the harder it is to keep up on the security of your network. Instead of trusting a technological Luddite with access to your important files, doesn’t it make sense to automate the process of virus scanning, web filtering, and updates and patches? Given that SMB are a primary target for malware and cyber-attack, you should seriously consider how to prevent the intern in accounting from opening a malicious e-mail that infects your book-keeping system. Our experts set up custom protection to block attacks, both known and emerging. All ongoing software updates are taken care of, plus company-wide protections are applied so users can’t accidentally infect the network. Finally, when something doesn’t look quite right, we can take immediate action to protect your business.

Have backups you can count on

A great backup can not only protect you from digital threats like viruses and ransomware, they protect against physical threats like robbery, fire or natural disasters. The last thing you want is for your business to be crippled by data loss. A robust backup system can be as simple as asking our Managed Services team to take care of it, or if you have an on-site technician, using the rule of 3: one backup on the server, one unplugged from the server, and one off-site. If anything ever goes wrong, you’ll be able to pull up the most recent backup and continue as normal. Businesses without good backups tend to be down or limping along for days, if not weeks. Oh, and the most important part…TEST YOUR BACKUPS REGULARLY!

Plan for disaster

Nobody likes to think about their business flooding or being hit with ransomware, but would your employees know what to do if something happened? How will you access e-mail? Server files? Take or make phone calls? Having a comprehensive Disaster Recovery Plan helps you get up and running quicker, minimizing downtime. Everyone knows what steps to take, who to tell, who should be doing what, and which systems take priority. It’s a lot easier to make these plans and spend a little money up front to help mitigate a disaster rather than wait until you are in the thick of it!

Monitor hardware for early signs

Computer hardware is like any piece of equipment – when it’s getting old or cranky, it will let you know! This could be anything from making noises, being louder or slower than normal, or even system crashes. Each symptom is your early warning system that allows you to take action before a crash that sends everything into downtime. Hardware monitoring services run in the background and track various metrics to predict time until failure. If the signs point to imminent failure, you can be alerted and can often repair/replace the affected hardware with little or no downtime.

Downtime is an unavoidable part of any tech-enabled business, but your preparation can dictate whether it goes for one minute or one week and how often it happens. According to one study, most firms experience 43 hours average downtime per year, a number much too high for comfort. While scheduled downtime can sometimes be unavoidable, your business will appreciate being able to skip the panic of surprise downtime events. Reducing your risk is the best action you can take, making downtime a truly rare occasion. Even better, our Managed Services can take care of this for you, stopping many downtime-events before they occur.

Talk to us about minimizing your downtime. Call us at 515-422-1995

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