Managed IT Services Archives

What is an IT Service Provider?

An IT Service Provider (sometimes called a Managed Service Provider, or MSP) is a proactive IT firm that anticipates the needs of its clients and delivers a wide array of technology services. The primary roles of an IT Service Provider include streamlining the day-to-day technical operations of a company and providing the cost benefits of bundled services. Services from an IT Service Provider include: Network and Cloud Security On-Demand Data Backups 24/7 IT Help Desk Support Office 365 Installation, Training, and Maintenance On-Site and Virtual Technicians Cloud Services and Storage Consultation, Strategy, and Roadmaps Disaster Recovery Services Application Development and Hosting Business Process Automation Data Analytics Digital Transformation Why do companies prefer IT Service Providers? SAVINGS. Companies save considerable amounts of money on technology, maintenance, repairs, security, and data recovery by purchasing bundled services DISASTER RECOVERY. The country has been facing more natural disasters than in past decades. Natural disasters ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:18+00:00

How to Choose the Right Managed IT Company

When looking for an IT company to manage your firm's technology, reading reviews is an excellent first step. We often choose our lawyers, healthcare providers, and even phone carriers based on word of mouth or reviews. Choosing an IT provider is no different. Start with reviews. Just don't stop with reviews. A company may have dozens of 5-star reviews yet be unable to service your firm. Some IT companies are specialized, while others may lack the necessary experience in your industry. We've compiled a list of IT-specific questions for you. These aren't questions you will get answers to out of a Google review. Some of them may not apply to your situation, but most will. You should be familiar with these before deciding on a provider. Experience in our industry Some newer IT startups will try to use their "new company vibe" to entice clients. However, think about the ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:20+00:00

Emergency Time Block of Helpdesk Services

Our work lives changed so quickly in the last 30 days. The speed of change has left many businesses looking for help. Does your company have the right tools, technologies, and talent to survive and thrive as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic? The Good News: Red Level is here to help. For a limited time, Red Level is offering NEW clients an EMERGENCY TIME BLOCK of 25 or 50 hours of Helpdesk Services to set-up, secure, and maintain these critical technologies for your company and your remote workforce. This one time, no long-term commitment, discounted block of time is simple and easy to use with full access to our helpdesk team. The entire Red Level team is working to keep businesses in business. We're securing data, connections, and operations while helping companies transition their employees to work-from-home. How are we doing this? Through: Virtual Private Networks (VPN) to protect sensitive ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:23+00:00

Wind River VxWorks and URGENT/11: PATCH NOW!

Notice: SonicWall physical firewall appliances running certain versions of SonicOS utilize third-party TCP/IP code for remote management that contain vulnerabilities named URGENT/11. At this time, there is no indication that the discovered vulnerabilities are being exploited in the wild, however: SonicWall STRONGLY advises applying the SonicOS patch immediately. Patches are available for all recent SonicOS versions. Detailed instructions are provided in the Security Advisory. SonicWall provides the patched versions of SonicOS at no charge, including for customers not currently covered by an active support contract. SonicWall also recommends updating to the latest SonicOS release (6.5.4.4), which provides firewall capabilities to help protect other devices vulnerable to URGENT/11. Wind River VxWorks and URGENT/11 vulnerabilities Security researchers at Armis have discovered and responsibly disclosed 11 vulnerabilities in the TCP/IP stack of Wind River’s VxWorks real-time operating system, which is utilized by millions of devices around the world, as well as in space, ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:27+00:00

Red Letter IT Newsletter – June 2018

There's nothing like jumping right into a summer heat wave! With sunblock, beaches, parks, and vacations, let's take a look at these 5 quick but important IT stories you should know about: MICROSOFT 365 BUSINESS - BETTER WORKFLOWS & PROCESSES: Detroit Wallpaper Engaged with Red Level to Implement Powerful Tools to Consolidate and Simplify Everything from Finanical Data to Sales Presentations "I would say that we have probably reclaimed at least 10–15 percent of our budget by preventing waste through timely collaboration." (Andi Kubacki, Co-Founder, Detroit Wallpaper) TECH NEWS: Save Money & Time in Your Journey to The Cloud Learn how reserve instances, automation, auto shut down features, and more can give you smart strategies for better security, performance, and cost savings. BLOG: Red Level Expands Datacenter Presence = More Flexibility, Choices, Power, & Protection Datacenter capacity doubled in Grand Rapids for expanded services and advanced solutions like added redundancy and data security. ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:37+00:00

Red Level Expands Grand Rapids Datacenter Presence

Sometimes, important changes happen without anyone noticing. That was the case recently as Red Level greatly expanded our West Michigan datacenter footprint. We’ve been watching closely as the Grand Rapids-area market has grown and changed in recent years. Grand Rapids has been emerging as a powerful new hub for information technology-focused companies, both in the form of innovative start-ups and as a destination of choice for established companies looking to expand into a new market or relocate their operations. At the same time, a lot of the area’s established businesses have been embracing cloud-based solutions as a means of building their capabilities and modernizing their IT operations. Naturally, as the markets we serve and our clients’ needs grow, we need to grow as well. The time was right for us to make a sizeable, forward-looking investment in our capacity on the western side of our state. We effectively doubled our ...

Robert Tessanne2023-02-16T16:01:37+00:00

Red Letter IT Newsletter – April 2018

Are we skipping spring and going right into a summer heat wave? With the constant weather changes in Michigan, let's take a look at these 5 quick IT stories you should know about: BUSINESS GOES ON WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OFF!: A powerful Disaster Recovery plan from Red Level, Bower Management is building a stronger, more resilient business Can your company weather any storm? TECH NEWS: By the end of 2018, spending on IT-as-a-Service will be $547 Billion! Cloud platforms and Cloud services adoption are increasing in the mid-tier and small & medium businesses (SMB), leading researchers including Forrester to adjust their forecasts upward. BLOG: MiCloud - Enterprise-Grade Cloud Services for SMBs MiCloud offers significant advantages - Scalability, control, and personalization TECH SPRING CLEANING 2018 = SUCCESS: Dell Technology Roadmap + Client Device Security, Patching/Updates & Network Security We were able to recycle many more devices, servers, phones and old IT junk than last ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:37+00:00

Email Phishing Becomes A Bigger & Bigger Threat

Phishing threat is no joke, despite the widows and princes. The phishermen are out there – just make sure you don’t get caught. Imagine: You come into work one morning and open a typical, innocuous-looking email. Unknown to you, that sets in motion a chain of events: Malicious code within the virus embeds itself within your laptop, forcing it to perform a series of hidden procedures that open gateways to your data, send spam emails to your contacts, and reproduce copies of the code. By lunchtime, several of your colleagues’ machines are doing the same thing. Twenty hours later, your entire network is infected, and all 70 employees are idled for two days! Can it happen? It happened recently to a Red Level client. By opening a single email, business ground came to a complete halt for two days, costing the company capital, revenue, and opportunity. Sadly, it’s something we ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:38+00:00

April Showers Brings May Security By Avoiding Attacks

The cyber security threat landscape is evolving, most companies’ solutions are not solving these attacks. Attackers are spending more than 287 days on average in companies they breach – and the amount of damage done in that time is astonishing. Three-quarters of those breaches are directly linked to the mismanagement or theft of user credentials. What is most alarming is that companies’ solutions cannot solve the problem. Expect breaches to happen, instead of struggling to protect your business from outside threats. So what can you do? Rely on detection and containment to best secure your environment. What if your employees need to access information from outside the office and often from their own devices? More importantly, how do you ensure that your data stays safe and out of the reach of likely attacks? One recommendation is to rate your mobility landscape. One question to ask yourself is, “How well am ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:38+00:00

Red Level’s Kyle Hildebrand is Unstoppable!

Our very own Kyle Hildebrand was recently promoted to Network Administrator from his previous role as a Senior Helpdesk Specialist to meet our clients growing needs. He's unstoppable as he also won the Red Level 2017 Professionalism Award where he demonstrates enthusiasm, openness, diversity, teamwork, accountability, and a sense of purpose for the company. Kyle received high praise for his Office 365 migration project including OneDrive and Skype for Business training with a prominent automotive and aerospace organization. Some of his expertise includes: Support relating to complex technical issues involving Microsoft’s core business applications, especially Office 365 and directory synchronization Support for backup systems/disaster recovery solutions Support of peripheral devices/technology such as printers, copiers, scan-to-email/folder Mobile device support for various platforms including iOS and Android Do you want more information on Office 365, Skype or Disaster Recovery? Maybe superstar Kyle will work on your next project!

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:38+00:00

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