Technology is awe-inspiring. It’s changed the world so much for the better. 

Look no further than recent history. Technological systems kept the world afloat during the pandemic. People stayed connected through apps and digital platforms when they couldn’t be physically near one another. 

Businesses could continue to generate revenue through various virtual/online channels.

Regarding businesses and tech, the digital revolution has shown us how much more productive companies are when powered by IT. 

The internet plugged organizations big and small into a gold mine. Each person–including business leaders–has the world at their fingertips.

It’s not all sunshine and roses, of course. While tech infrastructures can superpower your company, it’s not a matter of a few downloads before you’re off to the races. If that were the case, everybody would be a multi-millionaire.

Yes, programmers and designers have evolved their tools to optimize ease of use. That said, your business isn’t the only one with access to vast tech infrastructures.

More to the point, your competitors have access to vast tech infrastructures.

How can you harness your IT systems and tools to give you a leg up over your competition? What will make your tech better than their tech?

Business Expertise Is Your Main Difference-Maker.

A business can’t thrive without technology in 2023. That statement’s likely rung true for the past three decades, but it’s more crucial than ever to be bolstered by the most updated networks, systems, and tools. Society moves a mile a minute, and your target market expects you to move at a similar speed. 

However, an updated, state-of-the-art IT infrastructure is only meaningful when paired with a fundamentally sound business strategy. 

While today’s latest and greatest tech will be outdated by tomorrow, a forward-thinking, entrepreneurial mindset is timelessly valuable. 

There’s a symbiotic relationship here. An entrepreneurial mindset will be stifled without the appropriate tech infrastructure to supercharge your business. IT and business strategy must combine and have a harmonious relationship. You’ll stand out from your competition from there.

So–how do you get the most from your technology?

For one, you require scalable tools that can meet–and exceed–the demands of your business.

The above notion seems simple as a concept. Yet, as your business demands increase and you wish to grow, you realize how much of a challenge harnessing your tech can be.

“Having Tech” Versus Harnessing Your Tech.

What’s the difference between merely “having tech” and properly harnessing your tech?

“Having tech” is more reactive. The mentality behind this approach is more of a bare-minimum outlook. It’s rooted in having a tech infrastructure for the sake of having it. It’s because a company plainly can’t exist without tech, not because the business leaders in question wholeheartedly embrace a robust IT infrastructure’s endless benefits.

Now–this isn’t about finger-wagging. The complicated thing about tech is that it can be…well…complicated. Sometimes we stick with a less efficient, more manual process because learning the inner workings of a given app or system can take one’s eyes off the prize. 

Nonetheless, your high-performing competitors are leveraging these IT-based tools to maximize efficiency. They’re utilizing networks, and cloud-powered platforms enable ambitious operations that move at the speed of light. In other words, they’re harnessing their tech.

We’ll note how evolving from a company that “has tech” into one harnessing it can’t distract you from what you do best. Instead, it’s supposed to make you better at what you do best.

Thus, you require managed IT services to streamline your IT infrastructure-based needs without distractions or unneeded complexities.

What Are Managed IT Services?

Managed IT services–like what we provide at Portola Systems–are outsourced IT services. 

With virtual and onsite support, we can handle any tech-infrastructure need, like monitoring your data center 24/7. You can work with our senior-level engineers or exceptional help desk team to maximize IT performance with solutions that suit your business needs. 

While we’re a third-party company, Portola can also work with your in-house tech teams. We can focus on nitty-gritty technical details while your people focus on your company’s core functions. 

Alternatively, we can function as your entire IT department if you don’t have an in-house IT team.

Whatever your IT needs might be, we can handle them.

Protecting You From The Perils of Downtime.

We’ll revisit the idea of technology and its complexities.

Your business could be on an absolute hot streak. You could be selling more than ever with growth opportunities on the horizon. Every day could be another victory, and you could be ready to take over your industry.

Then, suddenly, a tech-based disaster could strike. It could be in the form of a critical network outage that causes downtime. 

According to 98% of surveyed companies, a single hour of downtime costs over $100,000. 81% of those businesses claimed 60 minutes of downtime costs over $300,000.

Downtime hurts businesses for a number of reasons. 

First and foremost, your team stops being productive. You’re still paying salaries, but people–at most–can work in a diminished capacity. You also miss out on opportunities to make sales when (for example) your eCommerce website has an outage. 

Combine these issues with brand damage.

Customers lose trust in companies that have extended downtime. When they can’t access your products/services, they get frustrated. Then, they tell their friends and family about their bad experiences with your organization. 

Technology issues present a slippery slope. Once one domino falls, everything starts to crumble, and we haven’t even gotten into the detrimental impact of cyberattacks and data loss.

Portola’s managed IT services protect you from the perils of downtime while enabling peak functionality.

Providing A Robust IT Foundation.

As your company’s tech needs grow, they’ll demand more attention. Unfortunately, business leaders–despite their high-level acumen–are only people. Getting pulled in a million different directions and into a world of IT specificities is bound to distract them from the big picture. 

At the end of the day, you and your team should focus on the unique value your company offers customers. Your tech should provide a robust foundation to maximize your unique value. It shouldn’t be the thing that veers you off-path.

Enter Portola Systems’ managed IT services.

When you work with us, you aren’t receiving cookie-cutter solutions. We’ll assess the inner workings of your business (e.g., your model, strategy, scope, budget, and scale) and apply the necessary solutions. Moreover, we’ll help you implement and adopt all IT systems and tools efficiently, minimizing learning curves and gaps that would otherwise disrupt productivity.

Managed IT services make it so your IT systems function at their peak while you and your team focus on core competencies. 

Cybersecurity Solutions You Can Count On In A Post-Pandemic World.

The pandemic has reached its end, as have work-from-home protocols. Still, teams continue to operate remotely at higher rates than ever before. 

We see some businesses applying a hybrid model. For instance, three days a week can be in the office, while two are spent elsewhere. Also, employees might travel a lot and still need access to your company network and tech infrastructure from wherever they are. 

Remote access to your networks through external sources (e.g., home WiFi and public networks) leave companies vulnerable to cyber threats. These networks are rarely protected properly.

To the above points, the average cyberattack cost in the US was $4.54 million in 2022. Can your company withstand that type of blow?

Nonetheless, companies must leverage the benefits of remote work, or else they’ll miss out on a wealth of opportunities. 

How can your organization bear the fruits of remote work while mitigating the associated cyber threats?

Part of our managed IT services at Portola Systems is offering Cisco Meraki’s suite of cloud-powered tools. Cisco streamlines device performance, connectivity, application, and security management.

Additionally, Cisco Meraki enables seamless remote work scaling in all work environments, whether in remote locations like a house or cafe or traditional business places like the office.

Empowering You To Take Logical Chances.

With your IT infrastructure in our hands, you’ll be free to focus 100% on growing your business. Who knows what that could entail? 

Knowing you can count on our managed IT services means you can commit to your overall vision and strategy. 

We handle the nitty-gritty specifics while you can focus on being bold, imaginative, and creative. You’ll have the tools that empower you to take informed and return-oriented chances while fostering growth and leveraging opportunities.

Contact Portola Systems To Learn More About Our Managed IT Services.

Everything Portola Systems can do for your business will be done to boost your bottom line and separate you from the competition. Your long-term growth and business health are our primary focuses.

Don’t hesitate to contact us for a chat. We’re excited about getting to know you and your business!