Outsourcing IT support to an external partner – whether wholly or partially – has emerged as a rapidly growing company procedure in recent years.
And with the transition to online maintaining pace in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the investment into an extended service provider has the potential to completely transform the way you do business – whether you’re a fledgling start-up or an established organisation.
Of course, due diligence and comprehensive research play a pivotal role in any transaction – allowing you to assess the feasibility of sourcing a new service or process and what the accompanying benefits may be. The problem is, however, that the competition has grown so vast that it can be difficult to distinguish one expert from another – and if you’ve read our recent blog, you’ll already know there’s so much more to outsourcing your IT support than jumping at the first search result you’ve stumbled across.
So, without further ado, here are 6 top tips to help you find the perfect match for your business needs…
1) Remember, flexibility is crucial
The ability to act with speed and integrity should be a default for any IT partner – but unfortunately, that isn’t always the case.
As much as you plan and prepare for technical issues and security risks, unforeseen downtime is an inevitable part of business. The important thing is that your IT partner has the flexibility to focus on rapid disaster recovery and help you return to ‘business as usual# as soon as possible – no matter when or where a problem arises.
Ideally, IT partners will follow a ‘problem first, contract later’ mindset – and that’s our approach here at Central. This ensures that any problems don’t continue to escalate. Though, it goes without saying that trust is a mutual exercise – if you want to be confident in your external relation, give them reason to be confident in you.
2) Seek a real, human connection
With a core philosophy of relationship building, we at Central believe that IT partners should offer so much more than simply meeting objectives in the technical sense.
Keeping the service personal and human is part of our DNA, and we strive to go the extra mile for each and every one of our customers by building meaningful connections and maintaining consistent dialogue. Therefore, you can be confident that you’ll never just be ‘a ticket’ to us.
No matter the level of support you’re seeking, you should always feel like a priority with your IT partner.
3) Look further than a ‘sticking plaster’ solution
While it can seem convenient to pursue quick-fixes for your of-the-moment IT needs, it can end up costing your business more in the long run.
To get the best from your IT solutions, your external support provider should take a strategic view of your needs and deliver honest, innovative results that are built to last.
4) Gather references from longstanding clients
At Central, we pride ourselves on nurturing genuine, long-term relationships – some of our customers have been with us for over 20 years!
With this expansive history, we can offer valuable insight into the trust and credibility of our business through testimonials from real people. And we don’t just pick and choose the best bits – we offer connections to existing clients so you can discuss thoughts and experiences directly. And this is something you should look for when choosing your outsourced technology partner.
If a company is reluctant to give you the contact details of their clients, this should start to ring alarm bells as to why…
5) Look for an organisation with ‘soul’
Searching for the right IT partner is about more than just the provision of service of course, that has to be great – it’s about finding someone who operates as a true extension of your team. That’s not to say your values and ethos should be identical – rather that they should be complementary.
At Central, we don’t just serve SMEs, we’ve built a rich reputation within the social housing sector as part of our commitment to people. This has included partnerships with local housing associations to provide free Wi-Fi access and food donations to residents in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
6) Check them out on social media
When investing time and money into an external partner, a comprehensive examination of their social media is a must.
Not only will this allow you to evaluate the size and scope of their existing customer base, but it also provides a great cross-reference for their company values, culture and tone of voice – consistency is key!
There’s no denying that the search for the perfect IT partner is no overnight solution, but the benefits that coincide – from cost efficiencies and increased internal productivity to the introduction of fresh expertise and growth opportunities – make it a worthwhile effort. For more information on the range of support we offer, contact one of our specialists today or visit our services page.
Here at Central, people are at the heart of the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of everything we do.
We started out on our IT journey back in 1991, and our mission and ethos haven’t changed. We’re a family-run firm that pride ourselves on our integrity, honesty, and objectivity – and we make IT stress free by keeping it as simple as possible.
But it’s our people who make this all possible. Get to know them more in our staff spotlight.
Name: Amanda Partington
Job title: Finance administrator
Department: Accounts
Sum up your role at Central in one sentence:
I manage the accounts and day-to-day reception and administration duties.
What three words would your colleagues use to describe you?
Friendly, caring, and positive.
And what do you enjoy most about your job?
The interaction with customers and colleagues – I’m very much a people-person.
Check your phone, what was the last emoji you sent?
A heart emoji ❤.
Who was or is your biggest inspiration?
My dad. Aside from teaching me how to tie a few knots and buff my shoes, he always taught me to be kind to others.
You’re hosting a three-course dinner party, what’s on the menu?
Garlic mushrooms, salmon linguine, and strawberry cheesecake – my favourites!
Back to Central, what makes the company stand out?
Central is a family and each and every employee is a part of it. We truly care about the people we work with – both colleagues and customers – and we go the extra mile for every single client.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself we might not know:
Apart from spending lots of time with my two children, I am – as a member of the school PTA – dedicated to fundraising. In fact, my next costume is always at the ready for any upcoming events!
What would the title of your autobiography be?
Here to help. 😊
Central’s mission is to ‘restore faith in IT’ – tell us more about what this means to you:
Central makes IT available to everyone – it’s family-run and has a friendly, thoughtful, and strategic approach to customers’ individual needs and their technology projects.
If you’d like to receive more news and updates from the Central team, why not head over to our Twitter page or connect with us on LinkedIn?
The New Year provides a great opportunity to truly reset, and to think of a plethora of ways you can make this year better than the last – whether that’s through financial changes, a focus on better health, or perhaps something less intense like simply living more in the moment!
For many, goal-setting can often link to professional situations, too. And with technology playing such a crucial role in today’s SME and wider business landscape, taking control over your data and enhancing your organisational skills might just make your working life easier throughout 2022.
So, without further ado, let’s dig in to five tech resolutions SME owners should be committing to over the next 12 months…
Regularly back up your data
If you take one piece of advice, let it be this – online cloud storage is your best friend.
Not only is it easy to use, but it also plays dividends in the event of inevitable data-loss scenarios – from system crashes and malware infections to power outages and full-blown hard drive corruptions. And, because most backup services offer automated and encrypted protection, data on the cloud is more secure than ever.
When looking at Microsoft Office 365, in particular, be sure to speak to your technology partner about the security they offer for this, as having a multi-level archiving and backup solution in place will allow your organisation to prepare and migrate safely, efficiently and economically.
But the most effective cyber security strategies require multiple layers of protection and diverse approaches to match the sophistication of threats. Therefore, if you don’t already, it’s also a good idea to enable extra security protocols such as two-factor authentication to access your cloud data, to enhance security even further.
Start using a password manager
No matter how great your memory is, overburdening your mind to recall passwords is no joy for anyone. And with the growing need to intensify the strength of log-in information in the face of increasingly complex cyber-attacks, the task has become near impossible.
Password managers offer a central storage hub for your data – automatically filling in information when you’re ready to log into an application and providing support to improve the power of your existing credentials. With that being said, it’s important to note that utilising a password manager is no overnight solution – getting started requires a lot of manual labour to input your details, although the time and trouble it saves in the long-run is invaluable.
Stop delaying infrastructure updates
How many times have you clicked ‘remind me later’ and postponed a vital software update? Although it might seem like a tedious, unimportant exercise, keeping your devices up-to-date plays a crucial role in protecting yourself against security risks and ransomware attacks – and is one of the easiest ways to do so!
Your operating system can be a particularly vulnerable target for hackers, as it manages all the functionality of your device. To keep on top of increasingly sophisticated threats from perpetrators, you should maintain regular updates by manually checking for availability in system settings, enabling automatic updates, or even opening your devices out of hours to mitigate disruption.
When it comes to software and hardware updates though, your IT partner should be checking in with you regularly about the requirements for your business, and how your systems can be enhanced – making operations seamless and downtime minimal.
Why not speak to your service provider regarding implementing an automated patching service? That way, no important security updates will ever be missed, and you can also provide evidence that your business is fully up to date and meets compliance requirements.
Give your email inbox some TLC
Whether you’re an SME owner that’s inundated with emails or hasa steady flow of messages in your inbox, having a strategy is a great way to stay on top of your workload – and what better way to start 2022?
It may seem like a daunting task but taking the time to implement a structured approach to email organisation is a quick-win that will create a host of efficiencies in your day-to-day routine. Start by unsubscribing from unwanted communications that clutter your dashboard and addressing the flagged emails that you’ve neglected, before harnessing the true power of filtering.
You can also save yourself a few extra minutes per day by creating pre-set signatures, scheduling emails, and learning keyboard shortcuts to power through your inbox more efficiently.
Here at Central, and in partnership with Barracuda, we can provide a complete email protection portfolio in a single bundle that is easy to buy, implement, and use. This offers comprehensive security against business email compromise, account takeover and other advanced developing email threats, all delivered as a cloud-based solution with direct integration to Office 365.
Think ahead about cyber security
Of course, there are plenty of simple ways to mitigate the risks of a cyber-attack, but your security strategy should extend across every day of the year and form a fully comprehensive approach – not just act as a casual, of-the-moment management solution.
To make life easier for your internal tech teams, and to create efficiencies across the board, you could consider outsourcing some or all your IT support to a third-party expert. This strategic partner can proactively monitor and remedy any issues before they even arise – keeping your operations running seamlessly. By sourcing a security operations centre (SOC) service, for example, vulnerabilities are constantly monitored to ensure rapid response to any incidents that slip through the radar.
Cyber security certifications are also available – such as the government-backed Cyber Essentials scheme – to give peace of mind that your defences offer effective protection against a range of common attacks and to enhance your knowledge on securing IT systems. This is one of the many ‘business protection’ services we offer at Central, so please contact us if you’d like to find out more.
You can discover everything you need to know about outsourcing your IT support in our recent blog.
Central Networks wishes you a happy, successful, and well-protected 2022!
Cybersecurity and its importance within business strategy has long been a topic of discussion within the corporate world. And no matter the size or sector in which an organisation operates, being as protected as possible from online criminals should be high on the agenda.
Mike Dunleavy, client director at Central, shares his top five tips on how companies can manage – and enhance – their cybersecurity, as they look ahead and beyond the pandemic. If you missed the original article, you can catch up below:
Cybersecurity and the pandemic
The cybersecurity space continues to evolve at pace – with new threats and tactics emerging daily. And the methods hackers are using to intercept data and access businesses’ systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated, as they try to find ways to outfox the protection offered by existing security software.
The truth is, a cyberattack can happen to any organisation. Gov.uk reports that four in 10 businesses (39%) and a quarter of charities (26%) have reported a cybersecurity breach or attack in the last 12 months. It also found that these percentages are higher among medium (65%) and large (64%) businesses, and high-income charities (51%).
These figures are hard-hitting, and what’s equally concerning is that a quarter of these organisations report experiencing them at least once per week.
In another report, it was also revealed that respondents believed their company had become more vulnerable to cyberattacks since the onset of Covid-19. In reality, when the world transitioned from the office to working from home, this naturally saw an increase in the success of cyber criminals’ tactics – with a record number of coronavirus-related phishing emails, more than 18 million in fact, being sent per day.
As businesses continue to operate either fully remote and hybrid working models, it’s never been a more important time for enterprises to make sure their cyber defences are up to date and doing their job properly. Otherwise, it can inflict serious security, reputational, and financial damage on a business.
The first step in ensuring a firm is as protected as it can be against any lurking cyber threats is to stand back and get the basics right. After all, positive changes can only be made if it’s clear what the starting point looks like.
In truth, there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to IT security, so it’s crucial to take a breath and not feel compelled to compare one firm with another, and go out and buy all the ‘latest’ technology, thinking that will prevent and solve all problems. It really won’t.
Taking stock of IT infrastructure and auditing which cybersecurity software, firewalls, artificial intelligence tools, and policies are in place is the springboard to truly getting where business leaders want to be.
This will not only save organisations lots of money – by not purchasing equipment they don’t need – but it helps them to get a clearer picture of where they’re beginning and where they want to be.
If a company has experienced a cyberattack in the past, it’s important not to simply brush it under the carpet – recognising it and using it to learn from is crucial is helping to prevent history from repeating itself.
Whether an employee clicked on a phishing email, or a network was infected by a virus, knowing how and where the incident originated is key to identifying areas that need attention. Once that’s determined, this is when companies’ in-house IT teams and/or managed IT service providers can work together to assess suitable products that will mitigate any future attacks.
By ignoring any incidents that happened previously, businesses are overlooking a key learning resource.
It may – or may not – come as a surprise but human error accounts for a great proportion of data breaches.
And successful cybersecurity needs a collective effort from everyone across an organisation – no matter their job title, daily duties, or whether they’re office-based or remote. The entire workforce has a responsibility to keep the business safe from online criminals, but they can only do this if awareness and training are made routinely available.
Knowing about the security programs that are in place across the business, along with some of the most common threats – and how to spot them – can go a long way in helping staff to feel more in tune and comfortable in knowing what to do if they think they’ve come across an issue.
Hosting virtual, interactive, and bitesize cybersecurity sessions, for example, could help personnel to recognise the tell-tale phishing email signs, and be aware of the most common ways bad actors try to gain access to systems and sensitive data. Without shining the spotlight on these issues, workforces likely won’t know about them – and where cybersecurity is concerned, ignorance is anything far from bliss.
Linked with the point above, even if organisations feel their staff are ‘bought in’ to the cybersecurity tools they implement, it’s super important that they don’t rest on their laurels.
Regular ‘penetration testing’ – effectively, a simulated cyberattack – is an effective way to determine exactly how personnel would approach a real-life incident.
Everyone makes mistakes, that much is true, but when it comes to cybersecurity, organisations can’t afford to slip up. That’s why ‘ethical hacking’, as it’s often referred to, is a useful tool that helps to uncover where potential internal or external vulnerabilities are within the system – before cybercriminals get there first.
There’s no need to panic though. These tests mimic the real thing but don’t cause any damage. Conducting them frequently helps to keep everyone alert, ensures a business’s current security strategy is working, and identifies any flaws in software, hardware, endpoints, or servers etc.
Another potential access point for online criminals can be opened up if security patches, policies, or software and hardware updates are ignored.
And at a time when hybrid working models are more popular than ever, it’s easy for security upgrades on remote workers’ laptops or smartphones, to be missed. That’s why it’s vital that all organisations have a robust mobile device management policy in place – making sure that all company equipment is updated at the same time, no matter its location.
Again, this is also linked very closely with staff awareness. They may see a pop-up about installing a new version of cybersecurity software or operating system, and if they always click ‘remind me later’, this can prove detrimental. Knowing that these updates contain essential bug fixes and security enhancements should hopefully make employees more clued-up on what it could mean if they don’t install them.
In reality, while these are five fundamental ways companies can get ahead of the cybersecurity curve in a post-pandemic world, every individual business – from its tech infrastructure to wider corporate objectives – is different. And this means the risk of being cyber-attacked varies too.
But by going back to basics and assessing what cybersecurity measures a firm has in place, this will equip teams with the tools to make informed, evidence-based decisions that will help the enterprise grow and reach its goals. And, ultimately, it’s the role of an IT partner – whether in house or outsourced – to ensure any gaps are plugged and the right solution is in place to facilitate this.
In a year replete with uncertainty, one thing has become clear – digital transformation is essential if businesses wish to keep pace with the ongoing challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022 and beyond.
From general workplace restructuring and a surging demand for enhanced connectivity, to a complete overhaul in logistical processes, organisations of all shapes and sizes have felt the brunt of the coronavirus crisis. And as a result, some business leaders across the globe are still reluctant to implement any kind of strategy in a climate that’s so uncertain.
Although IT infrastructure plays a crucial role in organisational success, many companies fail to recognise that streamlined user interfaces and expert analytical reports merely lay the foundations of a successful digitisation project.
So, what exactly constitutes digital transformation success? People – it’s all about changing your approach from the inside out, incorporating state-of-the-art tools and systems into your business the right way and enabling your teams to work with them effectively.
It’s important to acknowledge that there is by no means an overnight, ‘silver-bullet solution’ to propel your firm forward, but here are some of our tops tips for digital transformation success to support your initiatives in 2022 and beyond…
Define your transformation goals
Start your journey by conducting as much research as possible about digital transformation – searching for insight into any relevant systems and technologies and, vitally, understanding the true purpose of your project. Whatever the driver – be it to improve customer experience or enhance operational efficiency through automation – it’s crucial to define these from the offset to ensure that clear goals and lines of accountability can be maintained throughout.
Collaborate with key stakeholders to create a cohesive vision
It’s important to establish a plan that has input from all the relevant stakeholders, as this will then mean that any output aligns completely with the business goals and vision.
And by collaborating with key contributors – such as senior management, business unit leaders, technical teams, and/or an outsourced IT team – you can bolster the implementation and execution of your digital transformation strategy with company-specific knowledge and insight. For example, company leaders can identify the staff members who know a certain process inside-out, including how to enhance it.
Having all key partners, suppliers, and technical representatives involved is a key part in the planning stage and mustn’t be overlooked when starting up those digital transformation conversations – otherwise, the project could soon fall flat.
Obtain support from the top
‘Buy in’ and sponsorship from senior management is a ‘must have’ when it comes to driving your transformation strategy forward, because once you have leaders hooked, budgets and resources will soon follow. But it’s not just about money – it’s about commitment too. With engagement from leaders throughout the project, you can ensure that any new tools and techniques are complemented by the successful management of internal teams.
Involve employees from across all areas of the business
Digital transformation affects every department within an organisation, which is why everyone should play a role in the planning and execution of your strategy.
For digital transformation to occur, there must first be a shared understanding of not only the need for change, but how individuals can contribute and add real value to making it happen. From key decision makers and suppliers to technical front-line members of the team, every staff member should be involved to ensure that your entire strategy is being adopted in every corner of the enterprise – thus increasing the likelihood of success.
Manage risks through outsourcing
Whether planning or implementing your strategy, you should evaluate how to best streamline digital transformation. Outsourcing is one of the many ways you can do this – mitigating risks through access to scalability, industry experts, and high-quality resources to improve workflows and reduce costs.
You may or may not have an internal technical team, but if you do, outsourcing alleviates your in-house staff so they can focus on core business activities, while your external partner takes care of your digital transformation. Our recent blog delves deeper into the ins and outs of outsourcing – so you choose a partner that’s right for your business. While digital transformation certainly offers a whole host of benefits, implementing change can be daunting for many – so be sure to give your strategy the attention it deserves. By allowing time to process a new way of working and reach a shared point of understanding, you can ensure both your employees and digital transformation succeed.
As the year is coming to a close and we’re looking ahead to 2022, we wanted to take a moment to step back, reflect, and appreciate all the good things that have happened over the last 12 months here at Central.
And we’d like to take this opportunity to say a massive ‘thank you’ to all our staff, clients, and friends of the business for being a part of our journey.
Please note that we will remain fully open during the Christmas period – with 24/7 access provided to customers with 24/7 support as part of their package.
Rebranding Central
To kick things off, we couldn’t talk about our annual highlights without mentioning the rebrand we undertook in the first half of the year.
As well as revamping our aesthetic – shifting to our monochrome colour palette – we also reworked our website content, tone of voice, to create a more accessible stage for our ‘knowledge’ pieces. This means we now have a hub of industry insight, blogs, and case studies.
Celebrating our 30th birthday
2021 has been a milestone year for us, seeing us celebrate three decades of trading!
We’ve been helping businesses nationwide with their technology needs since 1991 and have been the trusted partner for over 2,000 clients with their IT and support needs – including SMEs across all sectors, as well as a large proportion the housing association market.
We’re extremely proud of our heritage and enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane in our blog post, from earlier in the year.
Launching our employee spotlight
For anyone who knows the Central brand, you’ll be aware that people are at the heart of everything we do. We pride ourselves on being thoughtful, reliable, resilient, gritty, and assured, but all of this is made possible by the people who are at the very heart of the operation – our staff.
That’s why we’ve recently launched our Q&A series which showcases the humans behind the brand. We’re so lucky to have such a talented bunch of individuals working at Central, and we want our customers and prospects to be able to get to know them a little more, too.
Being shortlisted in the Housing Digital Innovation Awards
With over 30 years’ in the industry, it comes as no surprise that we’re deeply passionate about the work we carry out for our clients. We have extensive experience within the social housing sector, too, and are a trusted partner for many providers in the UK – including Regenda, Eastlight Community Homes, Bron Afon, and Horton Housing.
This saw us make the shortlist for the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Northern Awards, along with the ‘Best technology Partner’ category in the Housing Digital Innovation Award – and we’re looking forward to the awards night in February 2022, fingers crossed for a win!
Donating essential food items to Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH)
As part of our birthday celebrations, we wanted to give back to charity, which saw us donate 30 bags of food to the RBH’s Kirkholt, Smallbridge, and Freehold community pantries.
And in the words of our co-owner, Jo Berry: “We genuinely care about making a difference. Providing services to those operating in the not-for-profit sector is really important to us, and that’s why charity work [has formed] part of our 30th birthday celebrations.”
Ramping up our service desk offering
You may or may not have heard about our collaboration with HaloITSM, but for us, this was a key partnership from the year which has really helped us to deliver more value for our clients.
This has enabled us to strengthen our customer communications by offering more of a self-service approach. In addition, it also integrates with our automated monitoring software that repeatedly assesses the performance of our customers’ systems – helping our engineers to prioritise and streamline tasks. This investment is in line with us always keeping ahead of the curve and taking away the pain associated with IT.
While there’s another year on the horizon, our mission remains the same – to be at the heart of business and to restore organisations’ faith in IT, and we look forward to supporting our clients and partners in 2022 and beyond.
All that’s left to say is a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from our team to yours, and we look forward to sharing more news and insights.
If you’d like to find out more about how Central can help your organisation with its IT and technology requirements, head over to our dedicated website.
Here at Central, people are at the heart of the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of everything we do.
We started out on our IT journey back in 1991, and our mission and ethos haven’t changed. We’re a family-run firm that pride ourselves on our integrity, honesty, and objectivity – and we make IT stress free by keeping it as simple as possible.
But it’s our people who make this all possible. Get to know them more in our staff spotlight.
Name: Darren Crompton
Job title: Finance and business manager
Department: Finance
I ensure that the key core functions of the business operate at optimum efficiency. I manage the finances for Central as well as implement effective in-house processes and procedures.
2. What three words would your colleagues use to describe you?
Loyal, trustworthy, and helpful.
3. And what do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy working with figures and Excel spreadsheets.
4. Check your phone, what was the last emoji you sent?
The red heart emoji–♥
5. Who was or is your biggest inspiration?
My Dad, he was always there for me when I needed him, and he always looked out for others.
6. You’re hosting a three-course dinner party, what’s on the menu?
For starters, it would have to be a classic prawn cocktail, followed by a medallion of fillet steak with new potatoes and salad, for the main. And for dessert, I’d choose something refreshing like lemon posset – all of it made by yours truly, of course!
7. Back to Central, what makes the company stand out?
We are a close-knit organisation, and everyone pulls together to get the job completed to the customers’ requirements in a timely fashion.
8. Tell us a fun fact about yourself we might not know:
During the first lockdown, I took up whittling for a short time. I am also an avid fan of bonsai trees!
9. What would the title of your autobiography be?
Going the extra mile.
10. Central’s mission is to ‘restore faith in IT’ – tell us more about what this means to you
With technology evolving at such a rapid rate, the Central team are here to help our customers face these ever-increasing challenges with ease – helping and supporting them every step of the way, with a truly thoughtful and personable approach.
If you’d like to receive more news and updates from the Central team, why not head over to our Twitter page or connect with us on LinkedIn?
Technology has made some significant advancements in recent years – from the evolution of artificial intelligence and virtual reality to the increasing role of cybersecurity in organisations large and small.
And as the digital revolution continues to take place across the globe – and IT becomes more sophisticated than ever – departments are facing increased pressure to innovate, with most internal services unequipped to keep pace with the demands of a growing business.
And outsourcing responsibilities to a managed IT service provider –either as a complete solution or partial management strategy – is one way to overcome this pressure. However, despite the fast-growing deployment and reliance upon outsourcing in organisations worldwide, the misconception of ‘stealing’ that prevents business owners from considering this as an option, remains a pressing issue throughout the industry.
Rather than viewing managed IT service as a ‘competitor’ or ‘outsider', it’s important to evaluate the true value that outsourcing can bring. Let’s delve a little deeper, to see exactly what the perfect partner could bring to your company…
Although it might sometimes seem daunting, outsourcing IT resource – whether fully or partially – can effectively remove the burdens and pressures from your internal teams by providing ongoing management and support, allowing them to place a heavier focus on core objectives and deliver the best possible service to both employees and customers.
And at Central, we think that service is even more important than the product itself. We always go the extra mile to look after our customers – and we’ve been doing this for 30 years. We’re committed to making IT as seamless as possible and placing people at the heart of everything we do.
If you’re looking for flexible, customer-focused support, why not contact our specialists?
We’re really excited to share the news around our most recent company investment – new IT service management software from HaloITSM.
Anyone who knows Central will be aware that people are at the centre of everything we do, with a goal to make IT as stress free and simple as possible. And we like to think that our latest investment has our staff and customers at its very heart.
As a managed IT service provider, one key element we use day to day is our service desk. This acts as the main form of contact — not only between our customers and the Central team but their systems and ours, too.
The change has arisen, as we wanted to move to a new solution that’s cloud-based – making it accessible from anywhere for both Central employees and our customers.
It was also important to us to introduce new queue types into our service desk, and also offer more agile forms of communication for our customers – and now we have!
What does the investment mean for Central customers?
With HaloITSM, we’re able to offer more of a self-service approach, meaning our clients can quickly and easily raise tickets, access their requests, and live chat with the team, via their own personalised dashboard in the Halo web portal.
In addition to strengthening our customer communications, it also collects all relevant information – such as calls logged and emails – and orders it into a priority-ranked service desk queue. As a result, this enables our tech support team to resolve any issues at a rapid rate.
It doesn’t solely track and organise reactive support requests though, it also integrates with our proactive, automated monitoring software that continually evaluates the performance of our clients’ systems. For example, if a hard disk is filling up, CPU usage is high, or humidity is detected, this is also recorded and fed into our HaloITSM, which then adds it to the queue in the relevant place for our tech team to tackle.
This direct integration means that if a system issue resolves itself, it will automatically be removed from the support request queue – meaning our engineers never spend time on problems that have already been rectified.
This live, agile system improves and streamlines customer communications and, we believe, plays an integral part in helping us to continue fostering long-term partnerships with our clients.
That’s because to the Central team, customers’ requests are never just a ‘ticket’ for us to resolve – we approach every piece of work we do with the highest level of care and importance.
The impact so far
Some of our customers enjoyed using the HaloITSM system so much when communicating with our team, that they’ve even enquired about moving their service management process to Halo too.
This makes us feel incredibly happy and proud that we’ve not only implemented a solution that makes our clients’ lives easier, but that our commitment to investment in the latest technologies has inspired them to affect transformation in their own organisations.
Love it or hate it, technology is advancing at an astonishingly rapid pace – and it’s no secret that 2021 has been a tumultuous year for cyber.
After witnessing immense changes in various industries under the pressure of COVID-19 – from the addition of devices to support the influx of patients in hospitals worldwide and a brand-new focus on remote/hybrid working, to the increased adoption of 5G networks and a spike in savvy Internet-of-Things tech – we’re left wondering what kind of state the cyber world will be in, come 2022.
If we’ve learnt anything, it’s that evolving our thinking and philosophy is crucial to optimising our business strategy and getting ahead of the curve. And according to business advisory service PwC, 96% of executives say they will adjust their corporate strategy due to the pandemic – considering cybersecurity and the acceleration of digitisation in every business decision, in order to grow their enterprise as a whole.
Of course, anything can happen, but the experts at Central Networks have compiled a handy list of predictions to inform your strategy for 2022 and beyond, and help you grapple with the potential opportunities and challenges emerging in the coming months.
The rise of Darktrace artificial intelligence (AI)
Founded and developed by government officials, mathematicians and cyber defence experts in 2013, Darktrace is a comprehensive software suite that uses AI to detect cyber-threats and latent vulnerabilities in operational technology. And after recently launching onto the London Stock Exchange, Darktrace’s share price rose by 40% in just one day – but why is it becoming so prominent?
As technology becomes more nuanced, so do the methods used by perpetrators to try to compromise it – but with this software, enterprises can spot anomalies and detect cyberattacks as they happen, allowing a rapid response that protects both organisations and customers from inestimable damage.
We recently wrote a blog about ‘Why artificial intelligence is the key to cyber security’, which discussed this in greater depth.
A new laser-focus on the Security Operation Centre (SOC)
The SOC comprises security analysts, engineers and responders and sounds the alarm when it detects anomalous or suspicious behaviour – enabling the crucial response to mitigate any resulting damage and prevent further threats. And no matter the size or scope of your firm, the harsh reality is that everyone is vulnerable. The most recent Cyber Security Breaches Survey found that almost half of businesses reported a cyber-attack in the 12-month period preceding March 2021.
This service market is expected to witness significant growth throughout 2022 due to the sophistication, in terms of volume and complexity, of cyber security threats and data breaches across the globe following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cloud-based telephony will upsurge
Rather than housing the network and routing elements of a business phone system somewhere in the workplace, cloud-based telephony – also known as hosted telephony – takes everything offsite and securely stores data on an internet server.
By replacing traditional on-site PBX systems, companies can improve the efficiency of their communications process by reducing costs, having better control and access to both valuable data and connected devices, and investing in a solution that is scalable to meet the future demands of the organisation.
Operational expenditure (OpEx) over capital expenditure (CapEx)
Traditionally, IT expenses have been considered as CapEx – whether that’s physical server hardware, data centre infrastructure or software licenses and equipment. But for businesses with tight-budgets or start-ups that have a chunk of savings ready to take advantage of new technology straight-away, CapEx can create a real barrier.
OpEx investments are predicted to become a long-term trend to combat this, offering a subscription-style service model over upfront payments. OpEx enables companies to spread costs over a longer period of time and use their readily available spend for core, revenue-generating operations like lead generation or research and development instead, as well as providing businesses with the flexibility to scale up or down as required.
Utilising Software-defined Wide Area Networks (SD-WAN)
The SD-WAN model offers a more streamlined way to route branch traffic, using an abstracted architecture to move networks to a centralised location – that way, it can be managed remotely, without the need for an on-site IT team.
One of the key factors behind this growth is that companies are interested in a simpler, more cost-effective management style to improve application performance and end-user experience.
Continued emphasis on flexible, agile working for staff
Like any industry, flexible working is expected to rise in cyber. Latent demand for permanently flexible working arrangements is said to have been unlocked by the pandemic, with many employers offering the opportunity to work from home or a hybrid model.
And although flexible, agile working is not an entirely new concept for those in tech, the shift to a completely remote workforce as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic was still an adjustment, to say the least. But the benefits are undeniable – improved health and wellbeing, increased job satisfaction, more inclusive working environments and heightened productivity.
The world of IT and technology is constantly accelerating at a rapid rate, and we’re excited to be spearheading innovation in the sector. In truth, no one knows exactly what the future holds, but we do know that technology developments and cyber advancements will be featuring heavily in 2022 and beyond – they’re most certainly here to stay.
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Central Networks are a strategic technology partner. Excellent technology is a given, customer service, trust and long-term relationships are what drive our business. We support CEOs, Heads of IT, IT technicians and transformation directors to ensure technology provides an edge to their organisations.
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