An IT Support Blog from London

IT security and systems availability

IT security is one of the biggest concerns of our time. It might be identity theft from individuals or the hacking of business and corporate networks on an industrial scale by unscrupulous nation states trying to obtain commercial IP or military secrets. Whatever the threat, securing networks against attack is high priority for IT teams.

Besides viruses, malware and hacking, if we look at other factors that impact operational availability of business dependent IT systems, then there are a range of issues which need to be addressed.

Server status and Windows Services, disk space and database sizes are all factors that could  influence a business-critical failure. Storage and back up, the availability of network devices, satellite offices and websites are all hugely relevant.

Commoditised services and low value

In these days of highly competitive marketplaces, customer satisfaction is often the key to business success. Generally we can say a customer is satisfied when the service received exceeds or at the very least matches expectations. But what shapes our expectations?

Quite often it is determined by the concept of ‘value’.In today’s competitive market places commoditisation leads to lower quality services. If the price is appropriate to the service level then the value perception may be seen as reasonable or adequate. However, when the cost outstrips the level of service, then the value perception is likely to be poor. Ultimately, we expect to get what we pay for.

Benefits of BYOD difficult to ignore

Traditionally, businesses discouraged and even prevented employee-owned devices being used in the workplace for accessing company data and services. This was especially true of larger businesses or those with compliance requirements to meet.

Strong business case using outsourced services

Last year saw no let-up in the anxieties over cyber security. Criminal enterprises seem able to distribute malware via email to steal identities unimpeded by the international cyber law enforcement authorities; hackers continue to crack open customer databases of businesses as diverse as TalkTalk and Ashley Madison. It is a necessity for any business on the internet to be able to effectively defend against today’s agile threat environment.

The legal profession and exemplary compliance practice for data

HTL Support specialises in providing technology solutions for the professional services sector. Perhaps above all others, the legal profession needs to demonstrate exemplary practice. Poor practice may have very serious consequences measured in a currency that exceeds the value of mere money.

Strong business case using outsourced services

Service providers of technology solutions are a necessity for today’s businesses. Even if an organisation has technical expertise in-house, it’s impossible to operate without service provision from an external company. It may be internet connectivity; offsite data backup; or cloud applications; but it simply isn’t feasible for an organisation to be self-sufficient and operate in complete isolation.

What is the career ambition of an IT manager?

Unless they are a square peg in a round hole, which means they should get out of it and do something different, it’s a good bet IT managers have their career sights set on moving up in the world. For an IT professional this might ultimately mean the role of CIO (Chief Information Officer) or CTO (Chief Technology Officer).

What is concierge-class IT service?

HTL Support offers concierge-class IT service and support. But what does that really mean?

Every business sector has its own characteristics. To successfully offer services to clients in a sector there is a need to understand the industry in order to meet the specific requirements of businesses operating in that sector. Our support philosophy is based on understanding the needs of our customers in the finance sector.