Author: Peter

How Secure are your Backups?

Posted on by Peter

Last week we were called out to a new customer due to concern regarding their current back-up state. After checking their systems we found they were not using any actual backup apart from saving to a local computer. This was all unbeknown to the user of that specific machine. Should this computer fail, all company files would have been lost.

How we Helped

Having come across similar situations previously, we have partnered with VEEAM and other companies, ensuring our customers are not left in such predicaments. VEEAM is an excellent backup system for Cloud, Virtual and Physical systems. Our team ensures the best levels of IT Security, keeping company data safe at all times.

Whether using VMware, Hyper-V, AWS, Azure, IBM Cloud, Office 365, Windows or Linux, we have a system to suite your needs. If you are looking for a backup system that is simple, flexible, reliable and trusted by 365,000 customers worldwide, let us know.

Choosing IT Support in Middlesbrough

Posted on by Peter

The importance of IT services for business cannot be overlooked. Today we are investigating how to find the best IT Support in Middlesbrough and the surrounding areas.

Defining IT Support & Consultancy

IT support and consultancy differ and it’s important to highlight the variations. IT support covers a multitude of factors including the purchase and management of equipment, cyber security, networks, connectivity and more. A support contract means company owners and management are left to concentrate on running the business. Should any IT related issues crop up, help is a mere phone call away.

In contrast, the consultancy service provides a sounding board to discuss the right IT processes and procedures relevant to the business. This service is ideal for companies on a limited budget and with some level of IT knowledge. A consultant will listen to your thoughts and ideas before providing the best way forward and information on implementation.

What to look for in the Right Support

Your quest for the right level of IT support should always begin with an adequate level of research. Take a look at online reviews, specifically Google and Facebook. Whilst a handful of positive reviews are good, multiple testimonials evoke confidence in a supplier. Make sure each comment differs and refer to numerous services as opposed to just one. 

Reviews Look Good, What Now?

Head across to the website. Does it look professional? Is information easy to find and does it make sense? Can you easily find the contact details required to make an enquiry? These are all the questions you need to ask whilst researching.

Website Looks Professional, What Now?

Take a look at the service section. Is IT support provided in Middlesbrough or the area your business is located? Does the company cover evenings and weekends as well as 9am – 5pm? IT can encounter issues at any time of the day and it’s important you’re fully covered in case of an emergency.

Take Note of Response Times

Should you be faced with downtime or an IT related emergency you need to be confident in response times. Ideally this will be clearly stated on the website, but if not we recommend getting this in writing prior to any conversations. An emergency taking you offline and stopping a business from functioning warrants action within one hour. Less urgent problems should be fixed within a maximum of four hours. If these timescales are not feasible it’s better to look elsewhere. 

A good IT support company will provide you with only the services required. Whilst smaller companies may only need access to one off, quarterly or even yearly support, medium to large may require a monthly contract. If you’re looking for the best possible IT support in Middlesbrough, Stockton, Darlington and the North East, begin your research with Andromeda Solutions.

Are you missing THE call?

Posted on by Peter

How much big business are you missing out on because of your current phone system? 

  • Do you miss calls because you are away from your desk? 
  • Are you missing calls because you don’t have call waiting? 
  • Are you missing business because you don’t have call queues?
  • Are you able to direct calls to different departments?
  • Can you identify if the call is for sale, service, accounts etc.?
  • Do you have call transfer? 
  • Do you have call recording? 
  • Do you have call conferencing? 

If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, you need to ask yourself ‘Why’?

With the right phone system, we can help to ensure you never miss an important call again. From the perfect voice mail options through to call forwarding, we have the right solution for everyone.

Give us a call @ Andromeda Solutions on 01642 903 810 and one of our team will be happy to help

How do i choose the Best VOIP provider?

Posted on by Peter

Opting to break from a traditional telephone system certainly helps. Companies save money in terms of call costs.

VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol and involves the delivery of communications via the internet. This service is becoming more popular, especially in this technological age.

Today we are providing you with some helpful hints and tips on choosing the best provider by showing you specifically what to look for.

Determine Call Rates

This may seem obvious but in order to make noticeable savings on call costs you need to fully understand the offering. Upon conversing with VOIP providers make them aware of call patterns and behaviours specific to your company. It’s also helpful to mention any destinations outside the UK that are contacted on a frequent basis. Make sure you have a firm grip on the potential call costs before going ahead.

Quality is King

It may be that from the three quotes received, one is notably cheaper. Ask yourself why this is and investigate quality levels. Cheaper costs are fantastic for every company but not at the risk of poor quality when speaking with clients and potential customers. If your business happens to be rely on ‘over the phone’ customer service, optimal voice quality is an absolute must.

Ensure VOIP Provider Reliability

With an array of VOIP providers all over the UK and indeed worldwide, it’s a highly competitive marketplace. What you need to make sure they’re reliable. Are they an established company with numerous online reviews? Worst case scenario sees you taking a punt on a provider based on cost and quality and they disappear leaving you without telephone access. Do some research first.

Availability & Business Relationship

It’s important to know the availability of a VOIP provider should you need help or find there’s an issue. As business owners and managers we often experience gut feelings when speaking to different companies about required services. Trust these instincts and back them up with relevant research online. Approaching VOIP services in this way help to ensure the growth of long term business relationships.

There are a number of technical aspects to consider when beginning a VOIP journey. The right company, however, will not baffle you with these as opposed to telling you the important factors specific to your business.

So give Andromeda Solutions a call on 01642 903 810 and start saving

Is IT Support Necessary?

Posted on by Peter

Today at Andromeda Solutions we are going to look specifically at IT Support, it’s importance within business and why this service is necessary. As industry experts with many years of experience we have seen first hand what can happen to companies working without the right support in place.

What exactly is IT Support?

Covering servers, networks & connectivity, PC, laptop & tablet security, VOIP systems and more, IT Support is there to keep you safe and functioning at all times. What do you currently do if your PC freezes? Who do you turn to with a computer virus? What would the implications to your business be should you experience a data hack? These are just some of the factors to consider if you don’t currently have support.

Can’t I just ask for help from an employee who’s technically minded?

Yes! You absolutely could do this, but does that person have full knowledge IT support requires? In addition, if you’re taking an employee away from their usual tasks, productivity is likely to drop.

Can’t I just hire someone?

Yes, you absolutely could. The average cost of hiring an IT Technician to work in-house is between £25k & £30k. On top you have additional insurances to pay. Outsourcing the service is considerably less per month and year.

What are the benefits of IT Support and why is it a necessary service?

Cost Management: Keeping a hold on outgoings is imperative to every business. Cash Flow is king, even for established companies and getting this right in the first instance successfully underpins growth. IT expenses can mount quickly especially if services cease to function. Should ordering systems or a website go down, this could result in the loss of reputation for example. Outsourcing IT is either on a ‘pay as you go’ option or a monthly contract. This inevitably works out cheaper for companies.

Increased Security: Each and every piece of data your company holds is required to be fully secure. This is a necessity in terms of data protection and inline with GDPR. Do you know the steps required to ensure data is safe and can’t be accessed by an external source? We recommend leaving this to the professionals.

Efficient Disaster Recovery: A disaster could happen to any company at any time and its important to have an effective recovery strategy already in place. A professional IT support company will ensure you have relevant backups in case something should happen that results in a data loss. Without this in place a business could be in real trouble.

Professional Availability: Outsourcing the role of IT Support is becoming the norm across the UK. Just like you would pay an accountant to manage tax returns, a dedicated professional will be there as and when you need them, to answer questions and fix any issues that may arise.

Stay Updated: To avoid being hacked, software and hardware is required to be updated. Software companies continue to play a game of cat and mouse with hackers. When a safety breach is found it’s imperative to update immediately. From here, hackers begin their process again.

IT Support is a necessary service for most companies. Not only are you ensuring to keep systems and data secure, but you’re also avoiding hefty costs should anything go wrong.

Give us a Call on 01642 903 810

How We Can Help

Posted on by Peter

Pioneering the latest technology, we strive to deliver cost effective IT Support & Solutions, feature rich to our customers. Interested in learning how we can help you further? Get in touch with local experts today.

Our VOIP telephone system has just saved one customer £850 per month! That’s a huge saving and when cash flow is king in a company, every little helps!

Our specialist team covers Teesside including Stockton, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool & Darlington. We also have customers across the North East in Newcastle & Durham.