Tag: IT Specialists

From Physical to Phenomenal: Scaling Your Business with Andromeda Cloud Servers

Posted on by Marley Watson

In the modern business landscape, the question is no longer if you should move to the cloud, but how you can make the transition work for you. At Andromeda Solutions, we see the cloud not as a replacement for your business infrastructure, but as a powerful evolution of it.

Why Make the Move?

Many businesses feel “stuck” with aging on-premise servers. They are expensive to maintain, take up physical space, and pose a significant risk if hardware fails. By migrating your servers to the cloud—specifically through platforms like Microsoft Azure—you unlock a new level of operational freedom.

1. Scalability on Demand As your business grows, your tech should grow with you. Cloud servers allow you to scale your processing power and storage up or down in an instant. No more ordering new hardware and waiting for installation; with Andromeda, you only pay for what you need.

2. Enhanced Security & Disaster Recovery Data loss is one of the biggest threats to SMEs. Our cloud solutions include automated backups and multi-layer security protocols. Because your data is stored across secure, redundant data centers, even a fire or flood at your physical office won’t stop your business from running.

3. Work from Anywhere The modern workforce is mobile. Cloud servers allow your team to access files, applications, and collaborative tools securely from any location. Whether they are in Middlesbrough, working from home, or traveling abroad, the “office” is always within reach.

The Andromeda Difference: Expert Migration

We know that “moving to the cloud” sounds daunting. That’s why the team at Andromeda Solutions takes a hands-on approach. We don’t just give you a login and leave you to it. We provide:

  • Cloud Readiness Assessments: To determine the best path for your specific needs.
  • Hybrid Solutions: Keeping sensitive data on-premise while utilizing the cloud for everything else.
  • Seamless Migration: Moving your legacy systems into virtual environments with minimal downtime.
  • Ongoing Support: We manage the updates and security so you can focus on running your business.

Ready to elevate your IT?

Don’t let outdated hardware hold your ambitions back. Whether you’re looking to go fully virtual or want to explore a hybrid setup, our award-winning North East team is here to help.

Take the first step toward a more flexible future. Book a Free Consultation or call us today on 01642 903810.

Benefits of IT Support as a Service

Posted on by Peter

Since the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent lock downs, businesses have forever changed the way they operate. With staff members all over the country forced to carry out duties from home, higher management and company owners have realised the benefits attached. Today we’re investigating the advantages of outsourcing IT Support as a service.

Onsite & Remote IT Support

Remote IT support involves troubleshooting and fixing computer related issues directly from another location. Technicians have the ability to remotely connect to a device when needed. If onsite help is required, a specialist will travel to the required location.

Will my business benefit from remote IT services?

Outsourcing IT support is not a service reserved for larger businesses. Smaller companies will save time and money when opting to outsource. Remote IT services provide a cost effective solution to gaining the same support levels received by corporate giants. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of remote IT support and Help Desk services.

You’ll Experience a Rapid Response

If experiencing issues, your remote specialist can jump on the problem immediately without having to travel to your place of work. This process ensures maximum uptime and uninterrupted workflow.

Operational Costs are Reduced

The savings a company makes when opting to outsource IT support is potentially rather large. Because the cost of a dedicated support contract is significantly lower than hiring a specific individual, companies are able to manage cash flow much more effectively whilst passing these savings onto customers.

Productivity Increases

Because remote IT support means there’s always someone on hand, productivity naturally increases. Updates, changes and fixes can be actioned at any time so employees are free to focus on daily tasks without interruption. With the right support contract in place that’s bespoke to the needs of your business, less time is required managing employee schedules.

Employee Benefits

Giving employees the option to work in the office, from home or using the hybrid method offers trust and respect. Creating an efficient, relaxed environment where people can work where they feel most comfortable means productivity increases alongside loyalty. Giving employees such freedom reduces staff turnover whilst creating a solid work environment.

Knowledge is Shared

With inhouse IT support, employees bring problems directly to the responsible specialist who will make the fix alone before moving on. With remote support services, knowledge is shared between the contractor and employee, helping improve staff’s overall ability to restore or maintain operations.

Early Access to New Technologies

It’s easy to rely on exissting technologies whilst carrying out the same processes over and over again. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it right? Becoming stuck in your ways means you could be missing out on not only utilising some of the newest technologies but creating further time and monetary savings. Specialist IT support companies receive all the necessary training and guidance regarding brand new technology. In turn, applications worth considering for your business are offered quickly and sometimes with discounted access.

Patches, Updates & Maintenance

Outsourced IT support services cover everything required for a safe and smooth user experience including cyber security. The provision of regular maintenance means downtime decreases whilst viruses and cyber threats are closely monitored. In addition, the risk of data breaches is reduced alongside compliance violations and damage to brand value. When researching IT support companies, choose one that provides managed security services. With cyber threats at an all time high, this is the ideal solution for smaller companies without an in house IT team. Specialists have the ability to manage integrations, permissions and more.

Andromeda Solutions Wins 2022-23 North England Prestige Award For IT Support!

Posted on by Peter

Andromeda Solutions has triumphed yet again, this time at the North England Prestige Awards, where the company has scooped a prize recognising superb performance in delivering IT Support and relevant services.

What Are The Prestige Awards?

Introduced by Corporate LiveWire, the Prestige Awards have a long and highly impressive global pedigree, having handed out plaudits all around the world. From Australia, Africa and Iceland to the USA and UK, Prestige Awards have spent a number of years dedicating their work to the recognition of the very best businesses making standout achievements in their industry or sector.

The Prestige Awards are designed to highlight that often it’s the smaller to medium-sized enterprises which are making a big impact; a category of businesses all too often overlooked for the big international prizes. As a result, the team behind Prestige Awards hones attention on varying regions and cities, choosing locations where communities of independent SMEs are thriving. Recent awards in the UK have focused around Oxfordshire, Wales, Scotland, Bristol, Central England, and, of course, the North of England, for which Andromeda Solutions was nominated.

Why The Focus On SMEs?


The Prestige Awards focus on recognising the achievements of SMEs (small to medium sized enterprises) as opposed to rewarding bigger names that may have a national or even global presence. This decision to focus on SMEs was born to the belief that independent companies are the real backbone of a nations economy whilst also reflecting unique strengths and other qualities that stem from their local environment.

Nominations for standout small businesses are invited from each region with the aim of finding the enterprise which has represented the best in its particular field over the previous twelve month period. In order for the judges to make the right decision, each nomination must be backed up with evidence of the business’s excellence, including positive testimonials from clients, details of any awards received or accreditation’s earned, as well as demonstrating how the company goes above and beyond their competition.

We are delighted to say that winning this coveted Prestige Award, Andromeda Solutions has proven it has fulfilled all of these requisites, showing yet again we provide the very highest quality of IT services in the North of England.

Andromeda Solution Delivers Standout IT Support

Our many glowing testimonials from delighted customers have proven the quality of our IT services and support, time and again. With praise for “outstanding”, “honest”, and “efficient” services, it’s no wonder we have coveted 5 star ratings on Facebook, Yell, and Google. Indeed, we’ve already been recognised by several other awarding bodies, earning an impressive array of titles from Three Best Rated, the Global Excellence Awards, and the Northern Enterprise Awards, to name but a few.

Working with both domestic customers and SMEs we’re able to help with every aspect of IT. From networking and security systems, VOIP telephony and servers, through to getting you set up with the most advanced Cloud software, Andromeda takes a corporate-style approach to small and medium-sized enterprise solutions, ensuring the most efficient and effective results. We also take care of routine maintenance and repairs at a time that best suits you or your business (many problems can even be dealt with remotely for maximum convenience).

Discover Andromeda Experience For Yourself

Andromeda Solutions is so confident your small to medium-sized business will love our award-winning IT support and services that we are offering a 30 Day Free trial, subject to terms and conditions. Why not get in touch to learn more about our incredible range of services. Your call will be put through to one of our skilled IT consultants straight away, rather than leaving you to deal with any call handlers. With transparent pricing and clear communication every step of the way, isn’t it time you tried our IT services for yourself?

Choosing Cloud Storage As Part Of Your IT Services: How does it work?

Posted on by Peter

In recent years, more and more organisations have expanded IT Support Services, embracing the latest cloud technologies, for very good reason. The cloud delivers incredible data analytics and processing power whilst offering unlimited rapid scalability. This is done at highly cost-effective prices.

Offering superb storage solutions is another of the Cloud’s strengths. Read on to discover more about what cloud storage actually means and how it works.

What Is ‘The Cloud’?

When people talk about “the Cloud”, it’s easy to imagine our data simply being held vaguely in the atmosphere somewhere. Perhaps in the very same elusive ether that provides other modern technologies, such as wireless internet connectivity or 5G. In truth, it’s a little more down-to-earth.

The cloud is a generic name for thousands upon thousands of computers linked to the internet which can be drawn upon to deliver the processing power required by its clients. The largest “clouds” can be made up of computers distributed over a number of data centres (vast premises which store and manage these machines) in a number of different locations. By offering shared computing resources in this way, cloud computing opens up incredible performance to users whilst keeping costs low.

So rather than enduring the expense of purchasing and maintaining relevant hardware to store all company data, using the cloud allows you to simply subscribe to a storage service.

What About Cloud IT Storage?

When you choose to store your business data (which can include user, organisational, or application data) in the cloud, this means that in physical terms, data will be held on servers at a data centre location, where it will be managed securely. The data centre operators are responsible for ensuring company data remains accessible.

Accessing the data can be achieved in a number of ways, too: such as through an API (application programming interface), a CMS (content management system), or a cloud storage gateway. There are three main options when it comes to adopting cloud storage services. There is the public cloud option, the private cloud option, and the hybrid cloud option. Understanding the differences between the three will help you to make the best choice for your organisation.

Public Cloud

Public cloud is the easiest to get started with and makes a good choice for small to medium-sized businesses, or where it is largely unstructured data which will be stored. In this provision, the data is kept on machines owned and operated by the service provider (such as Microsoft Azure, Amazon, or Google). This means your company’s data could be held across a number of different data centres, or even different countries. This is useful, however, as it reduces the chance of substantial data loss should a disaster such as fire or flood affect a single data-holding location. In this type of storage service, you will usually “pay as you use”, making it a very cost-efficient choice, although transaction charges may also feature.

Private Cloud

The private cloud option allows a business or organisation to create their own in-house cloud, keeping data securely behind a firewall. This option is better suited to larger companies, as it requires stringent security and managed IT services, and of course, taking on the expense of both purchasing the necessary machines and maintaining them.

Hybrid Cloud Model

Finally, a hybrid cloud model blends public and private clouds to create a bespoke environment that can deliver high levels of flexibility and data deployment options. However, the task of administering a hybrid cloud can be extremely challenging because it is important to ensure that both public and private platforms and applications work together properly.

Practicalities of Cloud Storage IT Services

Whilst it’s clear that choosing to store your organisation’s data in the cloud can offer some superb benefits, it’s still important to assess whether it’s the right choice for your needs. Assess the costs of cloud storage, including the expense of setting up and running your own machines if you want to create a private or hybrid cloud environment, likely requiring a dedicated IT services team. Be sure to create a cloud safety policy for all staff to follow, in order to ensure that accessing data in this way is managed securely. That being said, for purposes such as backing up files, DR (disaster recovery), or archiving “cold” (infrequently used) data, the cloud is an invaluable tool to have at your disposal.

Our expert team here at Andromeda IT Solutions will be very happy to understand your organisational needs and offer appropriate cloud-based solutions to ensure you achieve a truly cost-effective solution.



Discover The Benefits Of IT Support For Small Businesses

Posted on by Peter

There’s no getting away from it: these days, no matter what industry your business may be operating in, the chances are that it will be dependent on an ever-growing complement of technology. From managing your cloud services and maintaining your brand’s website, through to managing equipment and staying on top of cyber security, this means that there are plenty of tasks to be added to your “must do” list.

Furthermore, the recent Covid pandemic has accelerated this trend for digitisation, meaning that more and more organisations now have remote working to facilitate, or a greater range of online services to offer to their customers, increasing the pressure on business owners to keep everything running as it should.

Of course, having the latest technology will bring a host of benefits to your organisation, from happier staff, better engagement with customers, and improved productivity.

However, maintaining it all can prove challenging, particularly if you aren’t technology-minded. That’s why IT support services can be a valuable addition to your company’s armoury of experts.

Outsource IT Support & Save Money

Thankfully, even small businesses operating on a shoestring budget can enjoy the benefits of a digitised organisation. Rather than employing an in-house IT support team, many IT companies offer a cost-effective solution in which you outsource your needs to their specialists. As a result, not only do you save money on salaries (which can be high for an experienced and skilled IT technician), but in many cases, you can pay simply for the support you need, when you need it. This makes an ideal solution for firms which may only occasionally run into tech problems, or which need assistance when new hardware or software is being set up.

There When Your Business Needs IT

There are countless times when your business could need technical help, and fast. Whether it’s a broken desktop, or a malware attack that’s stopping your usual operations, it’s imperative that a solution is found quickly if you want to minimise disruption to your business, as well as loss of income.

There are many options when it comes to IT services, meaning that whatever your business needs, you can find the perfect solution. From hiring a consultant to get you set up and running with a brand new infrastructure, through to simply paying for a backup and recovery service which is well worth investing in to protect your business against data loss, there are almost no limits to the type of service you can choose.

You can have a service that sees the third party IT firm completely take over the day-to-day running of all your IT, or simply cherry-pick the IT services that you need the most, such as setting up email, providing networking solutions, or delivering virtual desktop provision and management. Many IT companies will be able to provide remote assistance, or work at evenings or weekends, ensuring that disruption is kept to an absolute minimum.

You may decide an IT audit is a good idea, especially if you are expecting to grow your business soon. Here, an expert can assess what you may need to change or adopt in order to achieve your business objectives. Such an audit can also reveal issues such as inadequate security measures, thanks to the use of advanced diagnostic tools.

Furthermore, these professionals will also be able to train your in-house team so that your technology investments are fully optimised – another reason why choosing IT support services makes for a cost-effective decision.

It’s a good idea to talk to a few IT companies in the first instance to find out just what is available and get a quote for the kind of support you want. Be sure to ask for testimonials from their existing clients before committing, too.

A Smart Choice for your IT Solutions

In the past, even the smallest of businesses have realised that bringing in outside expertise can be unavoidable (think accountants and lawyers, for example). And in the modern world, this means that having access to specialist tech support should now be considered equally essential. When you think of the havoc that IT problems could wreak on your business – anything from lost sales due to your website going down, through to the potentially ruinous financial and legal repercussions of a data breach – it certainly makes sense to be prepared, and let the experts take care of your IT services.

With so many different options available, there’s sure to be a support solution that’s perfect for your business. Why not speak to the friendly experts here at Andromeda IT Solutions today to find out more?

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.