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5 Essential Questions You Should Ask Your IT Support Company

Posted on November 14, 2021 by GPK Group

5 Essential Questions You Should Ask Your IT Support Company

These days, every business has an IT support service. But there may come a point where you want to upgrade those services, and look for another provider that suits your evolving needs.

When you do, you want peace of mind; you’re making the right choice.

So more than the standard services they provide, more than the software and tools they use, here are five essential questions to ask your new IT support company in Adelaide to ensure you’re getting the most out of your relationship with them.

What are your service-level agreements?

Getting the right service-level agreement (SLA) is a crucial step in ensuring you’re getting the best level of IT support for your Adelaide business.

The SLA sets the baseline of their service delivery to your business. It clearly lays out what you can expect from them, the level of service they provide, and how they measure performance when working with your business. It helps to cut out any ambiguity, so there are no miscommunications, no misinterpretations, and both parties know exactly what level of service and expectations are out on the table.

It includes things like their response time, hardware and software fix & repair time, downtime, case priorities, change requests, and escalations.

While SLAs can be fairly standard, every business is different. So your IT support provider needs to offer flexibility in their SLA too. It needs to be tailored to your business, so your specific needs and requirements are met. It can also define who your main point of contact is, and what to expect when dealing with this person.

Can you advise me on the best IT hardware and software for my business?

This question helps determine whether the provider is the right IT company in Adelaide to deliver on your business’ requirements.

They can work with you to assess your IT needs—not just now, but for the future. They can ensure your IT budget and infrastructure needs are planned out for the long term, and are matched with your business goals.

This isn’t just about getting the best equipment. It’s about the best equipment for your business. It’s also about confirming that you’re working with a team with your business goals in mind, and not just about what’s best for their bottom line.

What’s your step-by-step process for managing IT support issues?

This is a crucial question to ask, and one any good IT support company will be happy to answer. This helps you identify if their service is right for your needs.

Ask to see their workflow for managing your issues. They should be able to help you understand each step, and what this can deliver for your staff. Is it more streamlined than what you have now? Does it offer more in terms of solutions?

They’ll be able to clearly show you how your problems get escalated and solved, and the platforms and software they use to achieve this.

Look at all the communication touch points, too. Is it a simple IT ticketing system, or do they have instant messaging systems as part of their support service? This indicates how responsive and available they’ll be to your staff.

What are you doing to continually improve your services?

It may sound like an obvious question, but this one is what separates the good IT services from the great. A mature, experienced IT company in Adelaide will have a long-term plan in place for growth. Not necessarily in terms of size, but in terms of evolving as the industry does.

And while they won’t necessarily walk you through this in detail (it’s likely highly confidential), they’ll be able to have a chat with you broadly about what they’ve got planned to ensure their staff, teams, infrastructure capacity, and business as a whole stays at the top of its game.

This gives you a good indication on just how this business will be placed to grow with your business as it scales.

How will you keep my business’ data secure?

Data security is your business’ safety net, so you want to make sure that your new IT support company can deliver. So be sure to ask about their data security practices.

Identify whether they offer on-site data storage and backup, remote storage, or cloud backup solutions. Determine what their protocols are for IT security: what are their processes when any threats are identified, and their response plan for neutralising threats? What does their incident response plan look like, and what does it cover?

These questions are all designed to give you peace of mind that you’re getting the right IT support for your Adelaide business.

The first step? Getting on the phone and organising a discussion with your new IT support company.

GPK is an experienced IT company in Adelaide that delivers comprehensive, cost-effective, and—most importantly—powerful IT support services. Get in touch with us today to discuss what we can do for your organisation. We can even prompt you on the right questions to ask, to demonstrate what we can help you achieve.

What Are The Different Types of Cyber Security?

Posted on November 11, 2021 by GPK Group

What Are The Different Types of Cyber Security?

Cyber security is an industry that has greatly appreciated since the rise of technology. It is also one of the few industries that have benefited from a worldwide pandemic, with many employees forced and elected to work from home. When it comes to cybersecurity, most of us know a little about the industry and what basic things we can do to keep ourselves from being exposed to blatant cyber threats—but lack anything more than superficial knowledge on the different types of cyber security.

Now, if you’re looking for premium cybersecurity solutions and don’t need (or want) to know the nitty-gritty details of this rapidly evolving digital landscape, then contacting the best Perth cyber security team should be your first step before reading on.

With that being said, as a business owner or professional part of this new digitised world, it’s always better to broaden your understanding of the systems around you.

So, let’s dive deeper into the types of cybersecurity you will likely come across and use in the future.

Categories of Cyber Security

With dozens of new cyber attack tactics seemingly rearing their ugly heads every day, businesses and cyber security firms have to tighten their defences on all fronts. Given that simple phishing attacks are capable of causing millions in damage and occur very frequently, knowing how to protect your data from cyber attacks is key to keeping your business moving forward.

Password Cyber Security

You and your employees likely use passwords for every account you manage. The most common way of breaching these passwords is via phishing attacks, breaching less secure accounts such as social media or email, or just bypassing the password entirely if it’s an especially simple one. Although obvious, many individuals underestimate the power of a regularly changed, strong password that does not follow patterns.

The best part of this type of cyber security is that it’s simple, easy to do and free! If you or your employees use the same passwords for multiple accounts or haven’t changed them in a long time, it’s probably time to do so!

Network Cyber Security

This sort of cyber security involves safeguarding the network on your computer from both internal and external cyber threats. It utilises a variety of ways to keep dangerous malware and other information leakages that could cost your business at a minimum. To prevent assaults, this is a type of cyber security that still allows permitted users access to a protected network.

One of the essential parts of establishing network security is initialising a firewall that functions as a buffer zone of sorts with the network you’re using and the threats to which it is exposed. When you engage GPK’s expert team to implement high-grade cyber security, one of the first things we will do will be to shield your emails at greater risk of phishing attacks. A program can be implemented to examine the messages on your email, whether they’re outgoing or incoming.

App Cyber Security

Another way to safeguard you or your business is to implement application cyber security. Crucially, this is the process of safeguarding any delicate information residing on the applications currently in use by your employees. Before indulging in the next-best app that comes along, you should ensure you are following strictly app cyber security measures.

This is one of the categories of cyber security that may also incorporate elements like two-factor authentication, safety questions and other precautions to guarantee that a person is who they claim to be.

Cloud Cyber Security

Most of our data is stored in a cloud system. The most popular systems online are Google Drive, Apple iCloud, and Microsoft OneDrive storage. There are huge volumes of data stored in these systems, most being highly valuable to cyber criminals. This is why it’s of utmost importance to keep these areas of your business as secure as possible to keep valuable data falling into the hands of cyber criminals.

Although storing your data on a cloud is a safer alternative to on-site, outdated databases, there are still cyber security measures that must be followed to shield the data stored inside reliably. One of the simpler ways you can achieve this is to use a premium program that can keep an eye out for any potential attacks being initiated in your cloud storage—alerting you or your IT team immediately if something triggers the warning system.

Operative Cyber Security

Operative cyber security refers to the risk of management procedures for different corporate types of cyber security solutions. This form generally uses a series of regulatory experts to guarantee that if a user’s data is compromised or breached, a fail-safe plan is initiated. This is often a reactive step that only needs to be taken when all the other aspects of cyber security have failed to prevent an attack, but is fundamental to any holistic cyber security plan.

Workers must be trained on keeping their personal and even corporate details and credentials extra safe as part of the operational security procedures.

Types of Cyber Security Attacks and Putting a Stop to Them

Aside from a scary amount of phishing links, dozens of other cyber security attacks occur on a yearly basis. The categories of cyber security solutions that we’ve mentioned earlier have their strengths and will deal with the types of attacks differently—reaffirming the need for a comprehensive cyber security plan.

A few more known types of threats are DoS and DDoS attacks (Denial-of-service and Distributed Denial-of-service), malware, drive-by downloads, man-in-the-middle attacks, SQL Injection, and the ever-so-popular, password attacks.

These attacks, in turn, have their ways of infecting your data and comprising every piece of information in it. For instance, the Malware and SQL Injection implement a worm, trojan, virus, or spyware type of threats. In contrast, the DoS or DDoS attacks are implemented to get information from larger businesses and computers with a really big database.

While on the topic of how to stop these attacks, you can use methods such as VPNs, email scanning programs, advanced firewalls, strong anti-viruses, software for preventing malware and simply not clicking on suspicious links.

What Types of Cyber Security Are The Most Appropriate?

The answer to this question lies in the type of cyber security threat or attack you want to be defended from. If you have sensitive data stored in cloud-based databases, it’s imperative to implement strong cloud security. On the other hand, if you need to shield your private network or the corporate network of the business, then focusing your budget on stronger network cyber security will be a more efficient use of your resources.

When you work with GPK’s elite team we will help you find the exact cyber security needs of your business—guaranteed!

Cyber Security for Remote Workers: 7 Ways to Work Safer

Posted on November 11, 2021 by GPK Group

Cyber Security for Remote Workers: 7 Ways to Work Safer

As the pandemic took hold of the world, 64% of employees have reported switching to working remotely from their homes. This number was already trending upwards—the restrictions of the pandemic undoubtedly acting as a catalyst, combined with the continued digitisation of our lifestyles.

While there are many benefits to this remote shift, one of the less glamorous downsides is the increased exposure of remote workers to cyber security attacks. Working from home has brought with it all of the dangers of existing cyber threats and made new and more advanced techniques even more likely to be attempted by cyber criminals.

For this reason, GFK’s expert Perth cyber security branch has put together the 7 key takeaways for our clients who have remote workers they wish to keep safe. Ranging from simple to more complex, these tactics will protect your business’s data and that of your employees.

Let’s jump in.

Alternating to Stronger Passwords

This is step one. Something so simple, yet something that so often gets overlooked. If you feel like you haven’t changed your passwords for years, it’s because you probably haven’t. Since easy login credentials make you much more prone to cyber threats, simply educating your remote workers of the risk and setting guidelines that ensure regular password changes, could prevent data from being hacked easily.

A few simple rules to implement—don’t use extra simple characters or digit numbers like 1 through 9 or your name and surname. These are not strong passwords, instead, use a random password generator and write it down somewhere appropriate so you don’t lose it. Finally, it should go without saying, but using the same password for different accounts is a bad idea. A pro tip—for those that tend to forget their passwords, a password manager that keeps all your different passwords in one place is a good solution to this problem.

Utilise VPNs

Without the safeguards of in-house IT infrastructure, remote workers are often using their IP address—which is fine in itself if there’s no sensitive data at risk—but it does make them more vulnerable to cyber attacks. That’s why utilising a VPN is a great first line of defence. If remote workers don’t want their IP address to be breached, they should consider using a VPN and remember to keep it on at all times, especially when using work devices outside of work hours.

By keeping the VPN on, the IP address can’t be triangulated to one location, significantly improving cyber security when they are working from home. For remote workers wanting in-depth guides on how VPNs can help with cyber security, reading this guideline thoroughly will help them out immensely.

Track and Avoid Phishing Links

Phishing links or emails use malware to get the credentials from remote workers when they follow links and enter sensitive data unaware that they have entered a website or workspace via a fraudulent link. Because of this, our expert team will be sure to install high-grade anti-phishing software which scans and secures any inbound suspicious material that could be a phishing attack.

The things we recommend our clients’ remote workers look out for in dubious links are grammatical errors, wrong or unheard of domains, and carefully opening emails from unknown addresses from domains that aren’t as well-known as Google or Outlook. It’s safe to say that cyber security for remote workers will greatly improve if employees don’t click on every link they come across.

Implementing a Credible Antivirus

This is by far the most practical and constructive way remote workers can dodge cyber threats or direct attacks. Global cyber crime has taken its toll, with one study suggesting that the costs will continue to grow exponentially in the upcoming years.

As a measure to reduce the cyber security risks of working from home, implementing a credible antivirus program will sidestep threats such as malware, daily breaches, worms, trojans and notorious phishing links. Interestingly enough, remote workers rarely even notice when antivirus software is working full throttle to disarm possible cyber threats—not knowing that this sort of software is installed on work devices in the office.

Auto-lock Any Device

Sometimes, remote workers like their cup of coffee fresh and hot (and not instant), so they visit a coffee shop and work some hours from there. Although a great use of this new remote model, it can lead to problems if the devices that you work on aren’t properly locked. So, while going to the bathroom or when leaving a device unattended it’s always best to enable an auto-lock system.

This will help your remote work cyber security by requiring a password after a fixed period. When remote workers come back to their device; they would need to enter the password to start working again. 3 to 5 minutes is enough for your laptop, while 30 seconds at most will suffice for your smartphone. It sounds simple, but the tiniest details can save a lot of headaches in the future.

Shield the Home Wi-Fi

As with strengthening the passwords from the remote worker’s account, shielding the password of your Wi-Fi, and making it more powerful is also a must. This is one of the simplest yet most efficient ways to elevate cyber security for remote workers. Besides changing the password, all they need to do is switch the SSID so it’ll be even harder for cyber criminals to breach it.

It’s advised not to leave out the SSID or even passwords with sensitive information such as your address and name or surname. Additionally, changing your router settings is highly recommended.

Install Systematic Updates

Yes, we get how software updates are a real nuisance, and everyone thinks that when the update finishes, nothing significant has appeared to change. This is simply not the case, since the apps you’re using may be at risk of cyber threats just by being not updated. It’s straightforward since updates are automatic most of the time; you just need to choose to update the software while you’re dozing off at night. This should be highly encouraged within remote workers.

So, What’s The Best Way to Keep Your Data Safe?

Well, as cyber security providers and enthusiasts, we hope you agree—all of the above! As remote workers are more particularly at risk of viruses and phishing attacks due to not being protected from in-house IT infrastructure, we would first advise to install advanced antivirus and phishing software. The experts at GPK can help you choose the best providers and implement these systems for your business. Secondly, making sure your remote workers are changing passwords regularly, enabling locks on devices and using VPNs at all times are great cyber security measures that are easily implemented.

Remember, the best offence is a good defence. Do the simple things right and you will be working safer as a remote worker!

Budgeting for IT support? Our must-have services!

Posted on November 8, 2021 by GPK Group

Budgeting for IT support? Our must-have services!

Well-managed and maintained IT infrastructure plays an ever-important role in business success.

In the earliest stages of establishing a business, the owner or another member of the in-house team is likely to take responsibility for this aspect of the company’s operations, alongside their regular role.

However, the growing demands of an expanding business, alongside technological complexities and frustrations soon tends to require the oversight of an expert, usually in the guise of a managed services provider (MSP).

An MSP will step in to ensure your IT needs are met in a way that best suits the specific needs of your business, and sets you up for future success.

This type of support can come in a variety of ways. You might turn to your MSP to handle network issues as they arise. Equally, it could mean ongoing, daily support to handle all IT requirements, or even a complete redesign of your network.

Whatever your solution looks like, having a team of external experts on-hand allows continual access to the skills and knowledge needed to guarantee your network doesn’t negatively affect your team’s productivity or your company’s reputation.

While the specifics of the IT support your business requires will depend on the nature of your operations, there are a few areas that every modern business should consider …

A whole-of-network audit

Our first (and possibly most important!) piece of advice is to look for an MSP that will conduct a thorough audit of your network at the beginning of the relationship. By reviewing your current set-up and processes, working to understand the distinct nature and requirements of your business, and considering all current and future needs, they can make informed recommendations on the IT solutions that will work best for you.

Ongoing network monitoring and support

An MSP will offer unfettered access to a team with broad expertise, available to provide 24/7 support. This level of access means problems are identified and managed quickly, for minimal impact on your daily operations and productivity, as well as on the customer experience.

Advice on upgrading and maintaining vital hardware, software and licenses

Don’t let an unwieldy system slow you down! Outdated legacy equipment can easily overstay its welcome as part of your IT network. Not only does this place you at a disadvantage in terms of efficiency, but it can also leave you wide open to security risks … more on that later!

Businesses have little option but to remain updated on the latest tech innovations and trends, and place a focus on continuously updating their systems. The alternative sees businesses trail behind competitors that do choose to utilise leading-edge technologies for ultimate productivity, protection of valuable data, and superior customer experience.

The good news is MSPs tend to possess a natural curiosity that sees them remain continuously up to date on industry-leading technologies globally, placing them in a solid position to ensure networks remain fit-for-purpose and equipped to meet immediate and future business goals.

A focus on security

In a world where cyber criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated, regular IT security reviews and corresponding upgrades are vital to protect any business from harm.

In addition, the recent shift towards remote working has resulted in the need for businesses to enable staff to access critical data from more devices and locations. This has brought a host of additional risks that need to be factored into security planning.

Your MSP can utilise current knowledge to ensure the most powerful security measures are in-place to detect threats and protect your network.

To begin, consider requesting a security-specific audit of your network. This will identify current weak links in protection, and inform solid recommendations for the improvements.

Underpinning all of this, your MSP can work with you to develop the most effective disaster recovery plan.

As part of this, make sure you consider implementing regular data back-ups as standard practice. Having your business data backed up and stored safely in on-site and remote storage locations will place you in the best position to make a swift and full recovery in the event that disaster does strike. Failure to do so could be devastating for business continuity, not to mention your reputation.

Enabling best-practice around remote working

Going back to our previous point about increased remote working, all businesses should investigate new methods that allow teams to seamlessly access information and collaborate, regardless of location.

Applications such as Microsoft 365 are soaring in popularity, and allow easy, secure access to company files from any device, alongside in-built features such as virtual meetings, instant messages and live document editing. These are all vital tools for supporting worker mobility.

There are many such platforms to choose from, and many ways to use each of them. That’s why it’s important to work with your MSP to identify the right approach to remote working for your business.

Maximising the benefits of the cloud

As an increasing number of businesses turn to the cloud as a secure, scalable, affordable data storage solution, others remain hesitant to embrace a solely cloud-based approach. One reason might be sensitive information that needs to be stored on-site for reasons of compliance.

However, your MSP should have the necessary understanding of the different storage solutions available to advise on a customised, hybrid solution that meets all your business requirements. In addition, with a view to keeping storage costs to a minimum, your MSP will work to reduce any unnecessary complexities in your approach to storage, and ensure it remains within budget.

If you’re looking for the best IT support Brisbane has to offer, give GPK Group a call today to kick start the conversation!

4 Cost-Saving Benefits of Outsourcing Your Business IT Support

Posted on November 8, 2021 by GPK Group

4 Cost-Saving Benefits of Outsourcing Your Business IT Support

Every business, of every size, and across every sector requires well-managed, up-to-date, effective IT support solutions to thrive. This should be a key area of focus to ensure ultimate productivity and profitability is always maintained.

Whether it’s immediate troubleshooting of pesky IT issues as they arise, or upgrading an entire network to best serve current and future business needs, outsourcing this area of your operations to an expert managed services provider (MSP) can yield endless benefits. What’s more, many of these benefits will save you money!

Indeed, turning to a quality MSP will be a cost-saving exercise in itself, when you consider this approach will generally cost less than the salary of a permanent in-house IT professional. And in addition to saving on a full-time salary, an external partner will offer access to an entire team of people, each with varying and up-to-the-second expertise. And that’s not to mention 24/7 support!

Basically, engaging an MSP will reduce your IT spend and capacity, which has surely got to be a win/win?!

Over and above these obvious benefits, access to expert advice will ensure leading-edge technology solutions are integrated into your business operations, leading to a variety of extra cost-saving benefits …

Comprehensive, ongoing network monitoring

By monitoring your network all day, every day, your MSP is likely to identify potential problems early and resolve them quickly, before they have the opportunity to escalate and disrupt productivity. This will ensure minimal impact on your day-to-day operations and productivity, negating potential financial losses.

Once an issue has been resolved they will likely work to identify the underlying cause, before developing and implementing a solution that will prevent the same problem from recurring. This will negate the need to waste time, resources and money in the future, to troubleshoot the same issue.

Effective data management and security

All businesses depend on some level of critical data which is vital to their daily operations, and some of which is probably sensitive. Effective data storage and management is therefore crucial, and your IT solutions will play an important role in this.

An MSP will be up to speed on the most cutting-edge systems and processes in data management, and will therefore be in the strongest position to advise on the best approach to protecting your company information.

But how does this save you money? The loss of vital data can have a devastating impact on your ability to conduct core business operations, severely impacting productivity. Worse still, losing sensitive data can affect perceptions amongst customers, leading to reputational damage. All of this can, of course, impact profitability, and even the viability of your business going forward!

By updating and effectively monitoring your computer systems, your MSP can help prevent your business from falling foul of these potentially costly risks.

Your expert IT partner will work with you to rethink your security measures to avoid cyber breaches. By conducting an audit of your current security measures, they will identify current gaps, and make recommendations for improvements that will protect against malware, ransomware, viruses, malicious bots, and so much more!

Over and above this, they can ensure regular data back-ups occur, to enable your business to recover quickly in the event a damaging security breach does occur.

Improved decision making

Your business technology is the collection point for your valuable company data. A passionate expert in the fast-evolving IT space will always remain up to date with the latest software and other innovations. Used properly, these tools can collate and interpret data in meaningful ways, offering enlightening insights to aid smart decision-making, solve complex problems, and add significant value to your business operations.

The most successful and forward-thinking businesses are likely to turn to an MSP with a thorough understanding of enterprise technology and automation. They will be able to advise on how it can most effectively be utilised to cut costs, and improve productivity and profitability over the long-term, within their specific operating environment.

Streamline operations through automation

The enterprise level technology referred to above is, thankfully, more affordable than ever before. This has made it a viable option for many small and medium businesses. But what are the benefits of using it?

Various automation tools exist which offer opportunities for businesses to streamline processes, and eliminate mundane, routine and time-consuming tasks. With the right combination of tools, things like double handling can be eliminated, information can be found easily, meaning you’ll save time and money, and efficiency will be improved.

In conclusion, information technology when combined with the right level of expertise can be deployed to perfectly meet the distinct needs of your business. Done right, this will boost the capacity of your team, protect your ability to perform your daily operations, and save you money at the same time!

For the best IT support Brisbane has to offer, contact GPK Group to discuss your specific requirements.

Everything You Need to Know About IT Support

Posted on November 5, 2021 by GPK Group

Everything You Need to Know About IT Support

A lot of people have misconceptions about IT support services and what they actually deliver for a business.

Many people think all they really do is catch errors, fix bugs from time to time, and help you when your computer is doing something funny.

But tech support is much broader than that, and often a massive range of IT support services are provided by these companies.

So below, we’ve outlined everything you need to know about IT support (hopefully giving you a better understanding of what this industry does).

What are IT support services?

“IT” stands for information technology. And in a nutshell, IT support involves the delivery of technical assistance by computer experts.

But digging a little deeper, a quality IT service has the role not only to address every IT query you have but tackle the problems you didn’t know you had.

The trick you have as a business when finding IT support companies in Brisbane, or whatever city you’re in, is locating a proactive service that anticipates your tech issues before they actually become issues. This can range from updating your software and installing the latest cybersecurity measures to protecting your data and confidential information.

Exceptional IT support is supposed to act as not just a service provider, but a partner to a business – helping it focus on its core work so it can grow to its maximum potential.

What does an IT support team do?

What an IT support team does will different depending on its skill set and expertise, as well as what your company requires them to do.

Generally, however, an IT support team is capable of performing the following type of services.

Consulting

This involves assisting you on any ongoing IT projects you have, and advising what strategies you can put in place to ensure your systems and networks are as robust as possible.

Installing hardware and software

An IT team can get your entire network set up, and install all the required software you need to do business whether it be simple word processing, bookkeeping, video editing or complex financial trading.

Monitor your systems and networks

A managed IT services provider will routinely observe the status of your networks to make sure all the latest patches, software and cybersecurity measures are installed. That way, your data can be protected as much as possible.

This is becoming more and more important with the ongoing threat of cybersecurity breaches. During the 2020-21 financial year, the Australian Cyber Security Centre observed an increase in 13% of cybercrime reports from the previous financial year.

Ongoing tech support and maintenance

If any staff member in your business comes across an IT issue – whether it’s a computer that won’t turn on, a faulty printer or a systems outage – an IT support services company can jump in to fix the problem.

Crisis handling

The unexpected sometimes happens, whether it’s a data breach or a complete shutdown of your network. An IT support team with quick response times can step in and save the day.

IT training

IT support personnel can help educate your staff on basic cyber hygiene, ensuring they are trained in the right behaviour when navigating your network

Sometimes the most catastrophic cyber breaches can happen because an employee clicked a wrong link or opened a dodgy attachment.

Benefits of IT support

Save valuable time

The great thing about hiring an IT support company to manage all your technology issues is that you don’t have to sit there and solve every single issue that comes across your desk.

You and your staff probably don’t have the knowhow, experience or time to fix every glitch, bug and malware that pops up on your screen. You also may not have the time to manage everything that happens behind the screen either.

A business IT support team can fix your computer and network when issues arise, minimising the amount of downtime your organisation experiences.

This can be especially important if you run an ecommerce store or an internet-based business, where a website outage literally means your business becomes closed (just look at what happened to Facebook and Instagram recently).

Streamline your resources (and save money)

If you don’t have the right IT support in place, you could be losing hard earned money.

That’s because mistakes are taking longer to fix, software is outdated and slows your systems down, hardware breaks and your team keeps waiting for a solution (or tries to fix it themselves, only to make it worse).

A good IT support team are experts in their field, providing both a fast response and cost-effective solutions that mean in the long term, you keep more of the cash you make.

Peace of mind

Don’t let your data fall into the hands of the wrong people. An IT services provider can prevent that from happening, giving you the peace of mind necessary to focus on growing your company to its fullest potential.

Proactive IT support in Brisbane when you need it

Exceptional IT support in Brisbane has never been easier to find.

Our expert Brisbane based IT professionals at GPK Group are ready to deliver a tailored set of technology solutions for your company, whether you’re a small and medium sized business, or a large-scale organisation.

As a leading IT company in Brisbane, we’re dedicated to providing tech services to businesses of unparalleled quality, being your long term partner.

So give our offices in Brisbane a call today, or submit an online enquiry, and let’s discuss what IT services are right for you

Common Frustrations Every IT Support Company Should Avoid

Posted on November 5, 2021 by GPK Group

Common Frustrations Every IT Support Company Should Avoid

In the world of tech support, there are fundamental basics that every information technology company needs to understand – and it all comes down to one simple thing: customer service.

It’s not uncommon to hear that dealing with tech support is a frequently intolerable experience. The New York Times even called it ‘purposely unbearable’. With more people working from home due to the pandemic, frustrations with remote IT support are also very real.

Sadly, this is due to a number of common frustrations that every IT support company should commit to avoiding.

Regular frustrations with IT support companies

For a customer, choosing a tech support company is a massive relief for a range of reasons. Their IT is consistently facing roadblocks, malware is infecting their computer networks or they simply just don’t want to worry about the machinery behind their screens.

Small and medium sized businesses, as well as large corporations, expect an IT company to give them the technology solutions they need so they can continue doing business. But far too often, their experience frequents frustrations.

And it’s frequently a primary reason why people decide to upgrade their service provider by moving elsewhere.

We’ll outline some of these common frustrations below.

Being unavailable or slow

The most common frustration we find is that IT support companies are unavailable, display slow response times, or are just not there when their customers need them.

Reasons behind this could be:

The provider is understaffed
They don’t have the capacity to meet customer expectations
They don’t understand the urgency of the situation
A customer is not a priority when compared to other clients or projects

These issues often stem from a lack of communication, which should be nipped in the bud sooner rather than later. If a customer needs a fast response, then the company needs to know this from the get go.

Lack of technical knowhow and experience

Customers sign up with an IT services company because they perceive them to be the expert in all things IT support. Sadly, some companies out there take on a little more than what they can handle.

Customer reps may not know about a particular product you’re asking about. Perhaps some IT support reps don’t have the breadth of experience necessary to service a particular customer.

This can be excruciatingly painful for a business, who too often has no idea how to diagnose a tech problem and who expect their service provider to know all the answers.

Being reactive (not proactive)

Sometimes, you’ll come across an IT support company that responds to customer problems as they arise, but they don’t actively monitor their IT situation to prevent problems from happening in the first place.

This can lead to major headaches, especially if a computer network is facing constant malware threats on a regular basis and requires active supervising.

You know something’s wrong if a customer is calling up their tech support personnel every second day with a new problem that could easily have been prevented with basic ongoing maintenance. Hence why high-quality managed IT services are absolutely paramount.

Providing standard ‘cookie cutter’ responses

Generic responses are another complaint we hear from customers seeking business IT support. Rather than providing a tailored response to suit a specific client need, a company may provide a standard ‘instruction manual’ response or – worse – direct them to some article that might explain how to fix the problem.

The reason for this is sometimes a little more complicated than we initially think, but some underlying explanations could be:

They are following company protocol
Their supervisors are telling the customer representative what to say
They lack the specific knowledge required to answer the customer’s question

Overcharging

This is a massive bug bear – and a lot of the time it is unintentional. Different IT support companies provide different services to businesses and may charge them in various ways, resulting in clients paying for much more than the quality of the service they receive.

This may be because the customer doesn’t really know what they want, and they end up purchasing a service package that goes way beyond what they actually need.

Gold-plated managed IT support is not going to be necessary for a business that keeps most of their records on paper. But, obviously, a bookkeeping company or a techy law firm that rely on access to electronic data are going to need that high-end computer support to do their jobs properly.

This is why it is so important for IT support companies to ask the right questions to their prospective customers before signing them up, finding out exactly what they need so that expectations are crystal clear from the outset.

Proactive IT support in Brisbane

If you’re looking for a leading IT company with offices in Brisbane (that’s proactive, knowledgeable and available when you need them), give us a call. Our extensive range of IT services are specifically tailored to your industry, so you only pay for what you need.

We focus on one thing – and one thing only: delivering a seamless IT user experience so that you can focus on growing your business long term, doing what you do best and never worrying about tech support again.

High-quality IT support Brisbane isn’t hard to find when you’re dealing with our team of experts at GPK Group.

IT Support: Why It’s Crucial to the Overall User Experience

Posted on October 21, 2021 by GPK Group

IT Support: Why It’s Crucial to the Overall User Experience

Businesses don’t simply rely on their IT these days. Instead, it forms the ecosystem in which your business processes, practices, and all your data exist. So it makes sense then that IT support is an integral part of your business user’s overall experience.

Good IT support builds a level of trust with your users

Knowing that you have the right IT support team available to support your users provides them with peace of mind, wherever they’re located. They know that they can contact someone with their IT issues, or that there are protocols in place to ensure a safer day-to-day working experience. It sets a base level of trust and security between your business and its users.

But it also enables your users to build a rapport with your IT support team—a level of personal trust, so to speak. By interacting with a friendly, professional IT team, and engaging with them regularly (but hopefully not too regularly), this builds a connection where your users feel they can trust them with any issue. It helps to improve communication, and delivers more efficient working relationships.

IT support saves time—for everyone

Having an expert IT company in Adelaide on call to solve your IT needs serves to minimise the amount of downtime your users experience. Nobody likes infuriating wait times caused by technical issues, and having a team on hand to get your users up and running faster provides them comfort that they won’t be staring at an error message any longer than they have to. Proactive support, too, means they’re able to catch IT issues before they become problems, and reduce any potential downtime your users would otherwise face.

IT support works to reduce friction in your users’ day-to-day activities. Your IT support team lays the technical groundwork, and deliver ongoing maintenance, to ensure your business systems run as smoothly and as efficiently as possible. By optimising your systems and networks, your IT becomes so seamless that your users don’t even think about it.

IT support delivers a safer internal and external security environment

Your business users probably go about their days with a pretty high level of comfort. They access your network, systems, and platforms without even worrying about external security threats.

And this is all due to your Adelaide IT support team. They’re the ones working behind the scenes to patch your programs, update your antivirus software, tweak your firewall settings, and optimise your VPN, to deliver the safest possible working environment for your users.

Without an IT support team, you’d be operating on eggshells. One wrong click here, the wrong email downloaded there, and your systems would become the victim of malware or cyber attacks quicker than it takes to forget your “extra secure” password.

You can support your users better, wherever they’re working

Without the right IT support on board, your users wouldn’t be able to work remotely. This service is crucial in setting up and maintaining your remote workstations, setting up and optimising the VPNs, and even providing the suite of tools and platforms that your users access on a daily basis.

And having an expert and professional IT support team on board makes this infinitely easier. Your teams know that they’ll be able to contact a person who can fix their problems. They won’t be left waiting, won’t be treated with disdain—they’ll be able to work with someone who helps them actually feel supported.

The right IT support is critical in delivering the remote work experience. It helps to improve the flexibility of your users and streamline how your staff operate, whether they realise this or not.

And as well as ensuring your staff are set up correctly, they can actively help you optimise the experience as it continues to roll on, and can provide advice and guidance on the best tools to use for your specific user needs. It might be as simple as suggesting a better team communication tool, or as wide-spread as initiating a more collaborative whole-business intranet.

Your IT support team in Adelaide streamlines how your users collaborate, wherever they’re working. And this is a crucial part in the modern user experience that people often take for granted. They just expect it all to work.

But without IT support, it doesn’t.

It’s critical to bring them in at the beginning

But good IT support doesn’t just happen. It’s crucial to bring your IT support team on board as soon as possible to help get them involved in improving your overall user experience.

By involving your IT support in the initial stages of your planning and projects, they can work out an IT roadmap with you. This ensures the IT user experience is taken into account with your long-term business planning. It ensures your plans for scaling, for upgrades, for software changes, and even how you bring new users online, are all considered and taken into account within your broader business plan.

Involving your IT support right at the start ensures it all happens smoothly. And after all, if you users don’t notice anything, then your IT support are doing the right job. That’s the optimal user experience.

Ready to improve your business user experience?

At GPK Group, we deliver managed IT support for Adelaide businesses, to help you streamline your user experience, and deliver an optimised tech ecosystem for your business.

Get in touch with us today to discuss how we can help you deliver the best experience for your users, wherever they are.

When Should You Outsource Your IT Services?

Posted on October 21, 2021 by GPK Group

When Should You Outsource Your IT Services?

For most growing businesses there will come a time when it makes sense to outsource your IT services. But how do you determine when that is? You don’t want to leave it until your internal IT starts to fall apart.

Here are some of the key factors that help make the decision easier to outsource your requirements to an experienced IT company in Adelaide.

You want to save time

Your business might be growing, and your in-house IT team are stretched to their limits. In situations like this it makes sense to outsource your IT services. Outsourcing your IT needs to a dedicated IT company in Adelaide ensures that your tech requirements actually get taken care of. It allows your internal IT teams to take care of the day-to-day operational tasks, and your outsourced IT support team can work with them to cover the requirements they don’t have capacity to work on.

Your business is looking to scale

A rapidly growing business needs more IT support than your internal team can provide. This is an important point in your business plan, so it pays to outsource your IT needs.

Outsourced IT companies are made to deal with businesses at scale. Their processes and technological capabilities are designed to manage the IT needs of teams of all sizes, whether it’s 20 people, or 200. With extra support, flexible staff hours, and the capacity to manage your external storage needs, engaging an outsourced IT service in Adelaide just makes sense for businesses with eyes on the horizon.

You want to improve your network security

It may feel like your in-house IT team are the best option for your business’ IT security. Given their proximity and knowledge of your system, it’s logical to think so. But an outsourced IT service actually boosts your company’s security posture.

As an external resource, they’re able to see your business’ network from a birds’ eye view. They see the bigger picture, so understand the broader context of your IT needs. This means they’re able to better understand the minutiae of your day-to-day IT security, too.

Their whole role centres around keeping their clients’ data and networks safe, so typically they’re more skilled at delivering IT security. They’re better prepared at managing and mitigating security threats, and have the latest security software and processes already set up and ready to go. And as an external, remote team, they’re not bound by company working hours, either. They have the capacity to be available at different hours, to deliver a more holistic security service.

Outsourced IT support for your Adelaide business gives you that added layer of data security. Your external team can provide secure off-site data backup solutions to ensure your data is stored safely, with the opportunity for cloud backup solutions as well.

This doesn’t just provide better data security; it offers more security for the real-world, too. Should anything physically happen to your office, such as a fire or severe storm, your IT team offsite will have the most recent data readily available to get your business back up and running quicker—it’s not all stored in one vulnerable location.

You want to improve your level of IT support

One downside to engaging an IT contractor, or that you may experience with your internal IT team, is that they always have other things to do. They get to your support request when they can, around their myriad other tasks。

An outsourced IT support service is available whenever you need them. They’re able to deliver ongoing support in a capacity and flexibility that’s not achievable by using once-off IT contractors, or relying on your in-house team. Outsourcing your IT support means you’ve got an expert team on call to help you diagnose and solve your problems, and offer long-term solutions that optimise your systems, when you need them.

Outsourcing your IT services to a managed service provider also allows you to take advantage of proactive monitoring. Rather than waiting for issues to occur or hardware to fail, they work to deliver proactive fault mitigation, and have a large range of tools they can utilise to catch and fix issues before they become bigger problems. You get a better, more streamlined support service.

You want to save on your IT budget

Onboarding new IT staff is always costly. Valuable, but costly. So if you’re looking to save on your IT budget, outsourcing your IT is an excellent way to achieve this.

Outsourcing your IT services enables you to reduce the need for new IT hires. You don’t have to pay for training or the associated overheads, or the ongoing salary. Instead, you pay a simple fixed fee per month, and get the entirety of your IT needs taken care of—often at a better rate than it would cost just to hire just one IT team member. And better still, you receive practically limitless IT support, and proactive mitigation, so you get a more cost-effective IT solution.

Outsourcing your IT services just makes sense

So when you start thinking about outsourcing your IT needs, trust them to the experienced GPK team. We deliver outsourced IT support for Adelaide businesses, to help you free up your time, save money, and get a better level of IT service at the same time.

Get in touch with us today to discuss your business’ shift to outsourced IT.

Common Misconceptions with IT Support

Posted on October 5, 2021 by GPK Group

Common Misconceptions with IT Support

Navigating IT can be confusing for many businesses, especially if you are considering outsourcing your IT to an external IT support provider. In fact, according to a survey completed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, uncertainty around the benefits, and insufficient knowledge of Information and Communication Technologies prevented 24% of the businesses surveyed from investing in IT.

There are many misconceptions that businesses can have in regards to IT support and this article will help sort fact from fiction to help your business make the best choice for your IT support.

Misconception: If your business has existing internal IT, you don’t need external support

Fact: Outsourcing to an external IT provider can make your inhouse IT team more efficient

Just because your business already has internal IT staff, you can still save time, money and resources by hiring external IT support. Outsourcing your IT can help your existing technology person or team with updates and technical support, allowing your internal team to work on strategic planning and company growth, and other revenue-driving operations.

Additionally, internal IT staff or support teams struggle to provide the same level of expertise that a specialist IT support provider can provide. Specialist IT providers are constantly undergoing training in the latest technology, trends and software from which your business can benefit from. By outsourcing your IT support, you can provide your business with access to IT experts with specialist knowledge.

GPK Partners work with many organisations that have multiple IT representatives, and they leverage our knowledge and expertise to meet their business goals.

Misconception: External IT support is too expensive for many businesses

Fact: There are different support options to suit most budgets

A major misconception that many business owners believe, is that they just can’t afford to outsource their IT support. Outsourced IT services aren’t just for big companies; most IT support providers have options available to support businesses at a range of different levels and budgets. According to research from Deloitte, most businesses budget about 3.5% of their total business revenue to their IT spend, but all businesses are different and particularly if your business is just starting out it may be tough to allocate a large amount of your budget to IT services.

Speak with your prospective IT support provider to decide how much budget you are happy to spend and they will be able to work with you to configure a support plan and budget that will suit your requirements.

Misconception: Managing IT internally is cheaper

Fact: Outsourcing your IT can actually save your business money

Many companies are under the impression that outsourcing their IT needs will lead to an expensive bill. In fact, outsourcing your IT needs to an experienced IT support provider can actually result in cost savings, because your level of IT support can be customised to suit your budget and unique business requirements.

Additionally, businesses that only have internal IT teams can have much higher research, development, and implementation time, all of which can increase costs to your business. Your IT support provider can help you redesign workflows, automate tasks, and upgrade your equipment so that your business can easily and cost-effectively keep ahead of your business competition.

Misconception: Outsourcing means your business will lose control of its IT infrastructure

Fact: Your business’s IT infrastructure will remain 100% your property

Businesses who are considering outsourcing their IT to an external IT support provider often worry that by doing so, they will sacrifice control of their IT systems. While your IT provider will need a certain level of access and control over certain IT systems, all of your business’s IT networks will always remain under your control.

Allowing an external IT support company to manage your IT services does not mean relinquishing control, but instead they will be optimising and improving your business’s systems.

Misconception: All IT support providers are the same

Fact: It support providers are as unique as your business

This is an increasingly common misconception, especially if a business has had a negative experience when dealing with a previous IT support provider. In fact, some IT companies specialise in working only with certain industries and business types, and just like your business, IT support companies specialise in a range of different areas, and each offer unique expertise and specialties that they can bring to improve your business.

Trust your business’s IT to the experts, GPK Group

According to a recent Smart Company business survey, 63% of businesses surveyed are looking to enter a growth phase, and a majority of businesses are planning to invest in their IT infrastructure and technology; so if your business is in the same situation, why not work with IT support Brisbane businesses recommend?

If you want to outsource your business’s IT requirements to an experienced and professional IT company, Brisbane businesses choose to work with the GPK Group, the IT experts. GPK Group is among the top IT support companies Brisbane businesses trust with their IT needs, contact us today on 1300 000 475 or claim your Free IT Network Audit here.