5 Questions You Need To Ask Your IT Department

Choosing the wrong IT company to support your network can be incredibly frustrating and expensive, and could end up costing you in downtime, data loss and expensive repair bills, not to mention the headaches and frustration.

It can be difficult to know the things you should look out for in an IT company, especially when the industry throws a lot of jargon around which may overwhelm someone who doesn’t specialise in the field.

This is why we put together this report, to arm you with the information you need to make an informed decision and avoid getting burned.

Here are 5 questions you need to ask your IT department.

Best Practices for Remote Working This Winter

It’s that time of year again – the weather is unpredictable as ever, and we can rely on one fact – it’s going to be freezing cold. With erratic weather, there may be days where it is simply not safe enough for your employees to travel to the office. At such a busy time of year, this could have a big impact to your business; loss of productivity, getting quotes out to clients, or processing payroll. This is why business owners need to have policies in place in the event of staff working remotely. Among the many factors to consider, below we list the best Cyber Security practices you need to protect your company.

Thrilled: we have been shortlisted for an Excellence in Customer Service Award

As our customers will know, customer service is at the core of everything we do at m3. It’s what motivates us every day. Nothing gives us more satisfaction than happy customers. We aren’t just content with being merely good enough – we are committed to be the best. Our 99% Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) score with 4500+ reviews proves that we are way above industry standards.

Therefore we are delighted to share that we have been shortlisted for the Perthshire Chamber of Commerce Eva Lucia Excellence in Customer Service Award!

Email Filtering: A Key Part of Cyber Defence

It is well acknowledged that emails remain the most important vehicle for business communication. With the number of emails being sent per day expected to reach 246 billion by the end of 2019, this heavily utilised tool can be a dangerous trap for unsuspecting users; as much as it can be a business life-line. Most of us already spend enough time using our emails, and with more important things to attend to than figuring out what’s a genuine email and what’s not, keeping on top of it all can be difficult. A great way to make the most of email, and to utilise it as safely as possible, is through mail filtering.

Over 90% of cyber attacks begin with an email

So what is email filtering exactly, and what makes it such a great tool?

What could your business do with £1000?

For most businesses in this difficult financial climate, £1000 is an amount of money which could be of great use. For some companies, cyber security goes un-prioritised because business owners may think they simply don’t have the budget for it (even if it means risking money and sensitive data in the long run). This is why the Scottish Government have opened up a funding programme for cyber security; specifically towards Cyber Essentials certification.

We are a Saint! How we help our community through IT

At m3 Networks we believe that giving back to the local community is a responsibility which should be fulfilled by all capable businesses. m3 Networks are delighted to support Saints in the Community for the second year in a row. This charitable organisation offers a range of activities for both adults and children, as well as informative events and campaigns.

10 Years of Success: a sit down with m3

From redundant to robust, we are thrilled that we will be celebrating our 10^th birthday this Sunday, 18^th of August 2019! It has been 10 years of hard work, and although there have been a few bumps on the road, we believe it has made us stronger than ever.

In 2009, m3 Networks started out as three colleagues made redundant due to a business closure. Mark Lamb, Mary Brodie, and Mark Riddell decided to set out on their own journey. m3 was formed the day after leaving their previous employer; they believed they could build something great, and here we are!

After 10 years in business, 5 office moves, hundreds of clients later, and now a team of 11, our founders sat down and discussed what 10 years of success means to them.

Why SMEs Fear and Ignore Cyber Attacks

Yes, we all fear cyber-attacks, but the reality of the threat doesn’t come into the picture until your network is down and so is your business! According to research by Close Brothers Business Barometer, businesses in the UK are more worried about cyber-attacks now than they were a year ago. Cybercrimes are becoming more devastating for SMEs than natural disasters.

10 IT Terms That Every CEO Should Know

If you are a CEO and sometimes think your IT team speaks a different language, then you are not alone. Many CEOs find it challenging to understand IT terminologies. This blog identifies ten of the most important IT terms which are necessary for CEOs to be aware of. Knowing standard IT terms will give you credibility, broaden your knowledge, and allow you to ask the right questions to help your business stay competitive.

What is your IT support provider costing you?

“Around half of all enterprises (49%) in the UK have outsourced some part of technology to an IT support provider. Also, outsourcing is more common among small and medium businesses than others” – Cyber Security Breach Survey 2019

Almost half of SMEs struggle to find IT staff with the necessary level of skills and experience. This is just one of many reasons why many SMEs look to outsource their IT operations. Outsourcing IT can either be merely offloading support and maintenance, or outsourcing an entire IT department. More often than not, small companies find it difficult to justify the cost of more than one full-time IT support person. Whereas, working with an IT provider can mean having access to a full team of experienced consultants.

However, not all IT support providers offer the same quality of support and services. Outsourcing should not be viewed as a simple cost-saving exercise. An unsuccessful IT support provider can cost more than you can imagine. The cost can be in terms of money, operational downtime, company reputation, losing your competitive edge and loss in staff time. So, it boils down to one question: what does your IT support provider cost you?

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