In striving to provide stellar client service and continuous innovation, we are always looking for ways to offer you even more value. We recently sent information about our upgraded Client Service Portal for Users, which equips your end users with an array of “self-service” options designed to make the workday easier. (If you missed the article, you can check it out here.)

As a portal admin, more features and functionality are now available to streamline your company’s operations. The client portal updates available to admins simplify overseeing IT and administrative matters (licenses, service feedback, project quotes, etc.) and provide an enhanced level of visibility.

Following are additional highlights of our client portal. Although personnel across your organization can benefit from the client portal, we have highlighted staff who may find these admin features especially invaluable.

 

 

For Your Client-Facing Teams: Service Feedback
Tracking feedback by ticket ID, this feature reports on the IT Solutions team member with whom your user interacted, the feedback they provided, the issue to which it pertained, and the user’s satisfaction rating. It reassures you and your team that we are addressing your concerns and maintaining our commitment to user satisfaction.

For Finance and Planning Teams: Block Report
This section provides project visibility and is designed to help clients with budgeting as it relates to their prepaid blocks. The report presents IT Solutions’ activity billed against those blocks of time within a specified date range, making it easy for the Finance team to keep tabs on our billing.

For Your IT Team: Online Account Data Breaches
This report lists employees and their associated email addresses that may have been exposed in one or more data breaches. It also lists the number of potential breach attempts and the attack vector, e.g., LinkedIn Scrape (a data scrape of LinkedIn data), so your team can act swiftly or request security assistance from IT Solutions.

For Planning and Procurement Teams: Project Quotes
Extremely useful for project tracking and recordkeeping, this overview provides updates on project quotes you have requested from IT Solutions. Information includes the date and the order status—whether the order is still open or has been approved by your designated decision maker.

For Procurement and Marketing Departments: Licenses
This report lists Microsoft 365 licenses we have on record for your company, with details on how many have been allocated or used and how many are still available. For budgeting and planning purposes, this report is essential.

This list is only a summary and doesn’t detail one of our most informative new portal features, dashboards, which will be explored in a future article. From cybersecurity to compliance reporting, these client portal upgrade provides robust resources to leverage. Don’t forget to browse our earlier piece on user-focused functions and self-service through the client portal, which you can explore here.

The redesigned client portal is already available to you; simply log in to your account. If you have issues gaining access or wish to request a demo of the portal, please reach out to your Strategic Advisor or call 866-PICK-ITS (866-742-5487).

It’s the middle of the night and you just remembered new employees are arriving in the morning. Normally, that would mean a fire drill with your IT staff to get desktops and laptops ready, phone exchanges set up, and more. On top of that, you are in meetings all morning and just realized that an employee is working from home this week, and that they need remote access for a video conference at noon.

As an IT Solutions client, you’ll never need to worry about these annoyances again. We challenged our developers to deliver a portal that allows staff with User Permissions to request equipment, report issues, and manage many of their IT needs themselves, so you and your team can focus on work and experience fewer disruptions.

Enhancing Outcomes with Powerful Capabilities

Our latest portal update delivers 24/7 self-service IT for staff and portal Admins. With 10 functions ranging from viewing data breaches experienced by your personnel to a comprehensive list of your domains, endpoints (connected devices), servers, and software, the portal provides incredible functionality for your teams. Moreover, ITS’ updated client portal is focused on saving time and increasing productivity, which will ultimately increase your bottom line.

For Users specifically, it empowers them to become their own “tech support pros,” freeing up the capacity of your IT staff.

The following is a list of self-service tasks available at the User level. To develop these lists, we asked our in-house ITS experts what queries and help requests they hear every day. These are the common tasks that can now be handled by an individual, instead of your IT team.

Report an Incident

In the Report an Incident menu, Users can:

• Log a problem with a computer or mobile device.
• Request assistance with your email.
• Ask for help with file access.
• Report network difficulties or outages.
• Report problems with printers and software.
• Detail an incident not listed in the menu.

Service Requests

In the Service Request menu, you can ask ITS to order new applications and features, and you can search for productivity ideas. Some User requests include:

• Set up a new employee account.
• Order printers, laptops, computer accessories, etc.
• Set up OneDrive on your device.
• Configure calling capabilities from a desktop, laptop, etc.
• Implement password theft protection.
• Connect an external (e.g., remote/home-based) workstation to the company network.
• Set up Office 365 on a mobile device.

To view all Service Request features, reach out to your Strategic Advisor or call 866-PICK-ITS (866-742-5487) to request a demo.

Ticket Updates

Once a request has been submitted, Users can follow-up on the status—no more, “Do you know when I can expect to get my computer fixed?” Additionally, users can filter tickets by opened and closed tickets, and they are able to download an Excel Spreadsheet containing comprehensive information from all tickets. Need to request service after reviewing a ticket? The client portal includes shortcuts to create Incident Reports and Service Requests right from the Ticket Updates page.

Get Started

To ensure your staff can benefit from the revamped client portal as soon as possible, links to various IT Solutions’ Knowledge Base articles are available in the portal. To guarantee that your team will always be able to reach the correct IT Solutions employee for a particular issue, the portal also includes a “Department and Team Overview” section with the names and phone numbers of current contacts.

The redesigned client portal is already available to you; simply log in to your account. If you have issues gaining access or wish to request a demo of the portal, please reach out to your Strategic Advisor or call 866-PICK-ITS (866-742-5487).

Since our founding over 25 years ago, IT Solutions has received more than 100 awards, including a seven-year “fastest-growing” streak with Inc. 5000 and more than 50 “Best of Philly” awards in various categories. Never content with resting on our laurels, ITS continuously strives for excellence. Supporting our clients and employees is our priority — we recognize that we could not succeed without their dedication.

We are proud to include three new honors on our “virtual awards wall” — CRN Solution Provider 500, The Consulting Report Top 50 Service Firms, and Channel Futures MSP 501 (where we ranked in the top 10). Being a top-10 managed service provider is not only an honor but also an indication to maintain our process-driven, customer-centric approach to providing organizations with well-designed technology solutions.

1. Channel Futures MSP 501, the world’s first, largest, and most comprehensive survey and ranking list in the IT channel, is widely considered the gold standard for managed service providers who aren’t simply delivering today’s technology solutions — they are envisioning and developing those of the future.
2. CRN Solution Provider 500 is the benchmark for top technology integrators, strategic service providers, and IT consulting firms based on revenue — another indicator of top-performing solution providers.
3. The Consulting Report Top 50 Service Firms ranks service providers globally, recognizing the most experienced and respected in the IT industry. Making the top 50 is based on bringing unmatched service and support year after year and sustained high performance.

As we frequently remind ourselves, none of this would be possible without our clients, many of whom have been with us since our inception. All of us at ITS extend a heartfelt thanks — you make this all possible.

If you have any questions regarding the technology solutions we deliver or suggestions about innovations you would like to see, please reach out to your Strategic Advisor for a chat.

If you are not yet a client, we would be honored to explore your needs and challenges while sharing unique insights for your specific technology situation. To request a complimentary, no-obligation consultation, please call 866.PICK.ITS (866.742.5487).

Savvy business leaders know that great workplaces, where employees feel valued and engaged, experience higher levels of client satisfaction due to their workers’ dedication and enthusiasm. We have always believed that to be the case, but it’s not the main reason our staff just gave us another vote of confidence.

We work hard, every day, to deliver a productive, rewarding and healthy work environment for our teams, and they just reconfirmed once again that we have succeeded in that goal. This achievement not only enables us to retain employees but also to attract the attention of other talented professionals who want to work for a company where they will love what they do.

In the survey, which was conducted by the Philadelphia Business Journal and Quantum Workplace, IT Solutions was a top-rated company in the Medium Category (firms with 50 to 99 employees). Reasons employees cited for their support was our strong, dedicated leadership team, open door policy and commitment to work/life balance. They also indicated that helping us advance our goals as a company facilitates career growth for themselves and their co-workers.

According to Quantum Workplace, the firm that runs the Best Places to Work competition, this honor is only given to supportive organizations where voices are heard, cultures are thriving and employees are engaged. In essence, the organizations who receive this honor are those where people love to work.

That’s a pretty high bar and we are indebted to our personnel for helping us meet it. Our head count has grown by 30% in the past year as we increased our staff to 94 while continuing to maintain high levels of employee retention. We believe this is due to superior employee engagement and job satisfaction, and this accolade just confirmed that belief.

Kudos to our team, whose enthusiasm is a cornerstone of our success. We look forward to many more great years together! 

To learn more about IT Solutions and the dedicated personnel that would support your firm across our Mid-Atlantic region service area, we invite you to call 866.PICK.ITS (866-742-5487) and request a complimentary consultation.

While it’s been widely reported that unemployment is low, and the U.S. labor shortage won’t be resolved quickly, few media outlets are reporting this:

Talent shortages are currently the biggest barrier to adoption of emerging technologies — a pursuit that can be mission-critical for the success of firms in a highly competitive environment.

So bad is the situation that the majority of business leaders place worker shortages ahead of implementation costs and security risks, in terms of corporate challenges. Exacerbating the issue are other factors such as robust technology job growth and the outflow of skilled technology pros for the work workforce. Per one survey, only 29% of global IT workers have a “high intent” to remain in their current roles.

Many say the pandemic has changed their outlook on work and life, with 65% saying it has made them rethink the importance that work plays in their lives. All of these factors combined are creating a serious problem. In the cybersecurity industry alone, experts predict there will be 3.5 million unfilled jobs by 2025.

At IT Solutions, we recognize that a lack of skilled workers can prevent organizations from seizing new technology opportunities that would boost efficiency, profits and more. Some of these opportunities could even reduce the need for workers… but without talent to implement and manage those technology enhancements, corporate achievement and productivity are being stifled.

Enough gloom and doom. Let’s talk strategies.

Rather than attempt to hire skilled IT workers (which also means recruiting, interviewing and reference checking), why not consider outsourcing your IT support and related services by working work with a seasoned firm that already has IT professionals on staff? For more than 25 years, IT Solutions has been providing superior technology service and solutions for companies in all industries.

Behind each successful relationship is a group of highly trained and certified experts who ensure our clients are never left without the technology support they need. Examples of the IT support services we provide for our clients include:

•    Comprehensive range of Managed IT Services
•    24/7 local and live Help Desk
•    Fully Managed IT Security
•    Infrastructure migrations, upgrades and hardware
•    Strategic guidance from a dedicated Strategic Advisor
•    IT Project Management and application development, implementation, and roll-out support

From remote and onsite user support focused on accurate and fast resolution, to proactive cybersecurity provided by experts, IT Solutions’ services boost clients’ efficiency, productivity and security and scale their operations. Your Strategic Advisor understands your operations and business goals and will use that strategic understanding on a daily basis to help you achieve your desired outcomes.

We would be honored to help you alleviate your tech crunch with the help of our tenured technology staff. So efficient is this approach that most of our clients choose to retain our expertise long-term because they see a consistent commitment to their long-term success.  To learn more, call 1-866-PICKITS (866.742.5487).

With inflation pressuring employees, many are expecting salary increases greater than businesses can afford to give. So serious has the situation become that 97% of business leader respondents in a Salary.com survey are worried about the effect of inflation on employee compensation. At the same time, technology continues to evolve, and organizations need a way to “train up” personnel to higher skill levels. This may seem like a challenge, but in reality, it presents an opportunity that can be a win-win for everyone.

Empowering Employees Through Training

Thanks to the evolution of training technologies, boosting employee skill sets no longer needs to be cumbersome or costly. Learning Management Systems (LMS) allow personnel to take training lessons anytime and anywhere — and at their own pace. IT Solutions recently launched a portal that enables its clients’ personnel to take training remotely. Available on-demand from any device, these training modules streamline the process of personnel onboarding, essentially “prepping” them into your business.

Fully self-paced, they focus on key applications your business uses. Not only do these courses enable personnel — including new hires — to gain knowledge that helps them thrive in your workplace; they also enable them to attain a certification for that knowledge.

Meeting a Critical Need: Cyber Security Training

The first LMS module IT Solutions launched focuses on security training. With 90% of data breaches occurring due to successful phishing attempts on employees, and those attacks being responsible for more than 80% of reported security incidents, employee security training has become an imperative. Available as part of our Security as a Service offering, the LMS Security module covers mission-critical educational needs — starting with multi-factor authentication (MFA).

Driving Worker Productivity: Microsoft Training Delivers 

In addition to our LMS Security module, IT Solutions now offers expert-developed training on Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365, as well. These two productivity drivers are top components of the widely adopted Microsoft 365 suite, which is currently in use by more than 1 million companies worldwide.

IT Solutions basic LMS portal includes two free courses by default, with additional courses available as add-on modules. It also includes a visual dashboard for management to see who has completed which course, and how they ranked in terms of their lesson scores.

Given that 89% of employees want anytime, anywhere training and 91% want training that is personalized and relevant, implementing a flexible, customizable LMS for training simply makes good business sense. Further, user adoption of training supports the need for LMS as many organizations are rapidly changing business processes and workflows by leveraging more cloud-based technologies.  For a complimentary discussion of your firm’s specific needs, call 1-866-PICKITS (866.742.5487).

As a company whose corporate philosophy involves good works and not just profit seeking, we founded Smiles for Success in 2019. This month, we announced our latest winner: Garfield Park Academy (GPA). Our $1,200 donation will help fund GPA’s “Go Play” campaign, which will assist the school in building top-flight recreational facilities for their students.

Throughout its existence, Smiles for Success has funded nine charities ranging from a community cupboard to a children’s hospital and a veterans’ center. As IT Solutions President Garrett Graney noted in our recent news release about the initiative, “When we founded IT Solutions, we were dedicated to delivering ‘outside the box’ of the traditional IT Service Provider model, and that dedication continues to this day. We believe wholeheartedly that companies should be more than a profit machine. In that pursuit, we made a lasting commitment to corporate giving.”

“This donation holds special meaning for the IT Solutions team,” Graney noted, “because it represents a memorial tribute to a Garfield Academy team member with whom IT Solutions staff worked for many years.”

IT Solutions has already announced its next Smiles for Success recipient: The Arc Alliance, a family of related agencies that work together to support individuals with disabilities throughout life and advocate for their inclusion in the community.

If you are an IT Solutions client, please urge your employees to support our giving initiative by completing survey responses we provide. If you are not a current client, we would be honored to speak with you about our services, solutions and philanthropic efforts.

Learn more about or Smiles for Success program.

To request a consultation or learn more, call 866.PICK.ITS (866.742.5487). 

Since our founding over 27 years ago, IT Solutions has been 100% committed to one thing — promoting the success of our clients. We understand that hard work and diligence yield big benefits, and that is precisely what we deliver for every client. That effort, paired with our dedicated team of talented employee-owners and operational maturity, enables us to deliver extraordinary outcomes for the many companies we serve.

Now, we’d like to introduce our Business Development pros — the first contacts clients have on the journey to solving their problems. Their passion is delivering exceptional customer service.

This talented team is responsible for nurturing every client partnership at IT Solutions and helping them identify the unique combination of services and solutions that will deliver the best possible IT outcomes while meeting their strategic goals. As Business Development Executive Sheila Brown notes, “We want IT Solutions’ clients to know, ‘We are here to help’.”

Jim Higgins, Principal, Vice President, Sales 

Serving as VP of Sales and Marketing since 1999, Jim oversees all new client acquisitions. As an early hire of IT Solutions, he helped drive the growth of the company from a three-person start-up to a regional IT leader without ever losing sight of what matters most — its clients.

Eric Patel, Director of Innovation

As a valued member of IT Solutions for more than a decade, Eric helps our clients develop a well-rounded, focused business strategy. A 15+ year Managed Services veteran, Eric brings his big-picture perspective, expertise and aptitude to help clients identify their optimal mix of technology services.

Ben Prorock, Business Development Executive

Ben guides business leaders through identifying the best IT services for their goals. His extensive expertise with small and midsized business technology and security is perfectly suited to helping clients refine their strategic business objectives.

Sheila Brown, Business Development Executive

As the newest member of the Business Development team, Sheila applies her 16+ years’ experience managing client relationships, as well as her creative and analytical skills, to translate client needs and provide high-touch service in support of corporate business solutions.

Every member of the Business Development team wants our clients (and future clients) to know that their only goal is to promote our clients’ success. As Ben notes, “We always make the effort to put ourselves in our clients’ shoes — sit on the same side of the table and look at things through their eyes. We look at their technology and develop the strategy that will serve them best.”

Have questions or want to learn more, call 866.PICK.ITS (866.742.5487).

Endpoint protection platforms vary, but our commitment to you never does. ITS has expanded services to help keep your firm productive and secure. 

After several years of escalating cyberthreats driven by both pandemic-related remote working and increasingly well-organized cyber criminals, business owners are feeling a little weary. Nevertheless, there is no sign that this advanced threat scenario is going to abate any time soon. In fact, experts predict they will continue to escalate.*

The unceasing evolution of technology is propelling this outcome. In addition to the “traditional” attack surfaces, from networks to computers and mobile devices, growing and emerging technologies are generating additional risk.

For example, the increasing use of contactless technology on mobile devices, whether in airports, retail environments, restaurants or other public spaces, is compounding users’ vulnerability to advanced attacks. Digital ID schemes such as drivers’ licenses and healthcare records are also becoming more widely used, creating even more points of exposure.

Furthermore, in addition to proving they can hack into poorly secured networks with ease, dupe gullible users with phishing attempts, and even attach their malicious code to anti-malware software, malicious actors have also discovered how to bypass basic antivirus solutions. They achieve this feat by writing malware in a very specific way. It only activates the bad behavior outside the criteria that antivirus solutions use to filter incoming email. Taken as a whole, these dire scenarios are making the threat landscape look pretty grim.

To help companies address one of their greatest exposure points — the end user — IT Solutions is including Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) with all our support offerings. This endpoint security solution incorporates the most sophisticated EDR available, giving it the ability to detect previously unknown threats using artificial intelligence (AI) and behavioral analysis.

EDR is much more powerful than just antivirus, which ONLY aims to stop cyber threats from entering a network. When threats such as cyberattacks slip past an antivirus solution, EDR detects that activity and allows teams to contain the threat before it can flow across the network.

Fully managed by IT Solutions security experts, our EDR service is completely transparent to users other than addressing such issues as computers that have gone offline with the system. In addition, since our experts receive all notifications, they personally work on fine-tuning the solution so users don’t see false positives.

As a final but critical point, EDR is one of 10 core protections cyber insurance providers either highly recommend or require. Review the full list of recommendations here as detailed by our friends at JKJ Insurance:  (Our Security Offerings cover all of them. For a deeper dive, call us at the number below.)

We believe EDR is so important that we are currently rolling it out for all clients. Consider becoming one of them and you will gain its benefits immediately. Call us for more information and we will also give you a complimentary security capabilities checkup to help you determine whether your technology is endangering your firm.