Emerging technology remains an important influence on how organizations operate. When considering options, decision-makers want to know that the systems and IT services they have in place will help them remain competitive. This requires keeping up to date on some of the latest trends, as well as understanding whatPittsburgh IT services are available.
In terms of trends, 2023 started off with AI as the main talking point. This is no surprise as the AI market is taking off – it’s projected to reach a staggering$407 billion by 2027! While some were excited about these developments, others remained wary. Many organizations are unsure of how to apply generative AI tools to their core operations, and if they should. It’s enough of a challenge to optimize their current systems and keep ahead of cybersecurity threats.
In this article we cover some of the major IT issues Pittsburgh organizations are grappling with. We also share industry feedback on what makes the most impact for them when seeking out IT services.
There are so many commercial technologies and applications available. It’s natural that decision-makers want to know which ones really add value to their organization in Pittsburgh. IT services fall into the same category.
Most employees are much more tech-savvy than a decade ago, but they still need a form of IT support. In a similar way, internal IT teams typically have general skills and are looking for more industry-specific technology and specialized support in a Managed Service Provider (MSP).
Because of this, fully managed services aren’t always required. Rather, organizations leverage co-managed IT teams to fill their gaps. But knowing what technical gaps are in our organization is not always easy to find. We’ve found that the top challenges of Pittsburgh leaders include knowing:
Whether to migrate systems to thecloud, rather than replace aging IT infrastructure.
If a hybrid approach is best combining on-site systems and the cloud and how to go about this.
How to keep ahead onsecurity while enabling a flexible working environment.
What’s the best way to conduct security audits and managecompliance?
How to make the most of existing technology capabilities and licenses.
What AI technologies to consider and how to integrate them into existing systems.
How to keep up with rapid and ever-evolving changes in technology.
In addition to these challenges, organizations don’t always have positive experiences with MSPs. Sometimes they feel that they’re overpaying on fixed monthly fees, especially when technical support can’t give them the answers they need. Rather than already having the expertise, the technicians learn on the company time.
Note: This is why Ceeva offers a flexible block of time with the security tools and services that you need. That way, you only pay for the services that are rendered.
This results in slow and inefficient service, and is viewed as not worth the price being paid. Other examples of poor experiences are when there’s no after-hours support or the MSP is acquired by a larger MSP and the resulting services are less personalized.
With organizations looking for specialist skills and services to support their operations, it’s a major benefit when an MSP has a solid understanding of your industry. This plays out in knowing what systems and strategies have been most successful in that particular sector. Learnings can be applied and best practices implemented.
Sector knowledge includes industry-specific regulations or changes in compliance that may affect your IT decision-making. This is particularly relevant to NPOs or professional service firms where privacy is a major concern. It’s equally relevant to industries such as manufacturing where regulations are evolving and impact operations.
“Everyone is excited about this [cloud] platform – all the way up to our board of directors. They know organizational visibility is a hard problem to tackle with fast-moving teams with tons of changing information. FETCH! has really made an impact.”
-Stefanie Zukowski, Chief Administrative Officer at Animal Friends, When Asked About Their Custom IT Intranet
Pittsburgh organizations also want flexibility and transparency when it comes to billing. Rather than just paying a monthly retainer, it’s useful to be billed for a specific block of hours and know how those hours were spent. Were they assigned to complete a cloud migration or conduct a security audit for the business?
Of the factors that define a good MSP, perhaps the most important is the quality of service provided. Having access to knowledgeable technicians who can troubleshoot and resolve queries quickly delivers major value!
Take for example Microsoft licensing. The different levels and types of licenses available can become very complex. This isn’t made any easier when changes in licensing structures are implemented byMicrosoft. For organizations, there is a very real risk that they may overpay license fees. They may sign up for more licenses than they need or not know how to leverage flexible pricing options.
APittsburgh IT service provider can assist with an audit of your IT needs. This can highlight opportunities to cut back on licenses that aren’t being utilized or to make use of scalable pricing options for when extra capacity is needed.
In addition to being knowledgeable, working with technicians who are patient, professional, and polite, makes working through a problem much easier. It provides a level of reassurance that the problem can be resolved and that those working on it have the necessary skills and knowledge to find a solution.
In many organizations, their IT systems are reaching the end of their life or don’t have the capacity to support new applications. There are major questions surrounding whether to upgrade on site,migrate everything to the cloud, or do a combination of both.
To get those answers, leaders need access to IT expertise that can evaluate what they really need.
It’s not just systems that need to be taken into consideration, but also the level of IT knowledge among employees.Employee experience (EX) is imperative to business success. There’s little point in implementing a new system if the learning curve is so steep that it’ll exclude a large number of employees.
Conversely, some departments may be pushing for more advanced technologies to enable them to work more efficiently. Finding this balance requires a strategic approach and the right level of IT knowledge.
Are you ready to learn what IT services your Pittsburgh organization can use to grow?
Our team at Ceeva has a strong reputation for providing personal andexceptional IT services. If your organization is debating the next steps in terms of IT infrastructure,cybersecurity, or support,get in touch and let’s work through your options together.