Just One More IT Guy

Oh Poor Dennis Nedry! Nope, things didn’t go well for him in Jurassic Park did they? The lone IT guy – disgruntled employee, shutting down critical security systems, attempting to steal dinosaur embryos, and finally meeting his fate when he was eaten by a Dilophosaurus. Left to his own devices, he used his powers for evil and got in way over his head! How could this fiasco have been avoided you ask? Well, how about not having a lone IT guy. Have a team, or at least two! That way Dennis would have had someone watching, someone who could have prevented him from shutting down the power and security systems. Yep, one more IT guy could have changed everything! 

So, let’s compare your IT support with what we will call “the Dennis situation”. Do you have a team for support? Or do you have the lonely IT guy? He may be very good but, just a quick question, what happens when you are counting on him and he doesn’t know the answer? Who does he ask? Where is HIS support? After all, it’s hard for one guy to know absolutely everything there is to know in the ever-changing world of IT. Without others on his team for support, it could take him a very long time to find the solution to your problem, assuming he can find it! Meanwhile, you are out of action and the repair hours are piling up while he tries to find the solution. 

Of course, it is always a good idea to have a Managed Service Provider (MSP) in place for your business. But is it a good idea to have that service offered by a single person? What if they get sick, what if they decide they don’t want to do this anymore, what if they go out of business? Where’s the backup? Where is the team of experts who can take over and make sure that they don’t miss a beat in monitoring and maintaining your crucial data and business systems? Without them your system could become outdated, monitoring could fail, and vital updates, backups and fixes could be completely missed. Kind of scary when you think about it! 

“The Dennis Situation” can easily be avoided by taking simple steps to ensure that you and all of your data are protected. Here are some steps we suggest you follow: 

1. Hire a team of IT experts as your MSP. That could be 2 people or more. It’s up to you. Think about who you think can serve your business best. 

2. Insist on regular backups of your systems so that if the worst happens, restoring everything will be easy and relatively pain free.  

3. Make sure your chosen MSP has the experience to meet your business requirements. 

4. Don’t be afraid to leave your current MSP if they are failing to meet your needs. Sometimes you outgrow a provider, so don’t feel like you have to stay. 

5. Find someone who is interested in your business and wants to learn more about it. This is a sign of someone who really wants to take care of you and your IT. 

6. Make sure your MSP is an IT advisor and not just a repair service. There is a huge difference between the two, and depending on which you have, it could have a significant impact on your business. 

7. Ensure that the MSP’s proactive support is ongoing. You don’t want someone who just shows up when there is a problem, you want a team that is proactively monitoring and fixing problems before they become an issue for your business. 

Remember, not all IT companies are created equal. Find one that offers you a team of experts who have your back. After all, let’s remember the whole fiasco in Jurassic Park may have been avoided if they had had just one more IT guy!! Of course, the movie wouldn’t have been nearly as good, but that’s another story! 

For more tips on protecting your business online, check out our blog 31 Tips to Keep Your People and Your Business Cybersafe