What Are The Functions Played By IT Consultants?

According to a global industry research firm IBIS World, IT consulting companies in the US have seen a growth of 2.8 percent over the last five years. Frequently in need of IT consulting, Tampa and other developing cities have been the biggest contributors to this phenomenal growth. However, the role of IT consultants is a lot more than giving advices. Broadly speaking, these consulting agencies plan and design communication infrastructure, support on-site data processing, and test custom hardware and software of their client companies. Nonetheless, there is a lot more than what meets the eye.

If you are planning to hire IT consultants, it’s better to have an in-depth understanding of their responsibilities. Let’s have a detailed look at their traditional as well as additional functionalities.

Traditional roles

Most businesses opt for the standard services while hiring these consultants. Their main aim is to receive insightful and up-to-date information about the market, and therefore, they choose IT consultants to:

1. Obtain current data and statistics
2. Create an innovative plan of action
3. Diagnose problem areas
4. Get assistance in implementing the solutions

IT consultants are generally called for by a business when it needs to resolve the existing issues and find a clear path to successfully outdo its peers. In such scenarios, a helping hand is all one seeks out. While a little modification in internal communication can fill up the gaps, a business fails to allocate the work to its limited resources. This is where IT consultants step in to take care of such groundwork, allowing the client to focus on other important matters.

Additional roles

Smart businesses tend to invest a little extra, and request for additional consulting services that most of their competitors neglect. These additional solutions include:

1. Client learning to fix future issues
2. Improvement of overall effectiveness

Every business, at least in developing cities such as Tampa, should focus on utilizing these added services in order to facilitate a comprehensive growth for the organization. If a business is given the training to handle crisis situations by IT consultants, it is bound to get benefited with an increased efficiency in the long-run.

If you want to get in touch with IT consultants, Tampa can offer you with some of the most trusted solutions among the Southern states. Therefore, hire your IT support system, breathe easy and start focusing on greater goals.

Three IT Support Services That Are In High Demand Across Tampa

According to recent Bloomberg report, information technologies (IT) service is an 890.18 billion dollar market globally. In the US, spending in IT support services has been growing steadily over the past few years, and it is expected to reach 180.5 billion dollars by 2018. Tampa, a bustling commercial region in the state of Florida, is riding the tech-wave, too. Companies in this sunny city – even small businesses with local presence – have embraced technologies to increase productivity. Competent support services are essential to maintain good health of technology assets, and when it comes to availing IT support, Tampa businesses prefer to go with the most reputable brands in the industry. If you are one of those Tampa-based entrepreneurs, looking for topnotch IT support for your business, here are three services that are in great demand. You can opt for these in order to off load some in-house dependency and costs, apart from arming yourself with no less than a shield to battle emergencies:

1.     Hardware Support

Be it tourism, breweries, healthcare, banking or defense sector, over time, companies across the sectors face technical glitches with their computer hardware parts.  You need to resolve these issues quickly so that they do not affect your employees’ productivity. Hardware support services not only keep your computer systems in tiptop condition, but also reduce the risks of their sudden break-down.

2.     Telecommunication Support

Telecommunication is one of the most important aspects of any business process. No wonder, the telecom support service sector is currently a 1,668 billion dollar industry. The sector encompasses all sorts of digital communications transmitted electronically over a variety of internet and intranet networks. A temporary fault in the telecommunication system can stall the entire operation. Telecom support enables you to identify and troubleshoot any problem as and when it occurs.

   

    3.     Network Security

Network security issues can bring all your transactions to a grinding halt. Such an episode can badly impact your brand image. By outsourcing these tasks to your IT partner, you can ensure that your network is being constantly monitored for the latest threats and vulnerabilities so that your mission-critical data stays secure.

You can save a lot of money by outsourcing support tasks to a reputable IT provider. If you are Planning to outsource IT support, Tampa-based IT firms can help you obtain great services at an affordable cost. However, always take time to research well in order to ensure that you are working with a trusted brand.

THE GREEN BENEFITS OF SERVER VIRTUALIZATION IN TAMPA

When it comes to producing renewable energy, the city of Tampa, being a part of the Sunshine State – Florida, is already miles ahead of other cities across the Southern US States. The city’s fascination with Green Revolution is so intense that its IT sector has also embarked on the road to a sustainable future. Therefore, if you are looking for eco-friendly IT services, Tampa is definitely the place to be.

The Green Path

The very first thing that comes to the mind on hearing the term “green IT” is server virtualization. It is a process in which a software application is used to divide one physical server into numerous virtual servers. This helps to run several virtual operating systems (OS) on a single physical server, thus sparing organizations from investing in extra operational expenses. According to Derive Technologies, a US-based marketing automation platform, server virtualization is capable of lowering energy expenditures by 10 to 40 percent. However, there is a bigger picture behind the high adoption rate of server virtualization in Tampa. The city’s IT sector is focusing on virtualization because it is the most effective way to reduce carbon footprint, and pave the way for corporate sustainability. If stats are to be believed, energy usage can drop by almost 80 percent if virtualization is used in the right way.

Reducing carbon footprint

IT companies need cooling solutions to tackle the heat generated by physical servers, thus leading to more power consumption. On the other hand, energy consumption sees a sharp fall with virtual servers. Furthermore, obsolete hardware is known to cause electronic-waste pollution. Hardware tools cease to exist with the virtualization technology, and as a result, it increases hardware utility. With a few dozen servers handling the workload managed previously by a hundred servers, it can save thousand kilowatts of energy annually.

Are you awed by the sustainable benefits of server virtualization? If you’re looking for green IT services, Tampa is home to some of the most reputed firms that can help you with server virtualization. Therefore, embrace the change and contribute to a greener future.

DESKTOP VIRTUALIZATION IS A GREAT SOLUTION IN THIS BYOD ERA

Are you a small business operating on a limited budget in the Bay City of Tampa? Desktop virtualization should then be a must-have strategy in your business model, as it encourages employees to adopt the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) model. It can do wonders not only in keeping your employees happy and satisfied but also save costs on equipment and space, yet increase engagement with employees working out of home.

In this process, virtual desktops are created on a remote central server. Employees are then allowed to work from remote locations by using their own devices to access company data and applications. Being home to providers of some of the finest and most effective IT solutions, Tampa based companies should immediately embrace the desktop virtualization model on their enterprise wireless networks to make the most of this employee monitoring solution.

Interesting Finds: BYOD using Data Virtualization Based on a research, Microsoft has recently revealed that 67 percent of US workers are already bringing their own personal devices in workplaces and using them to meet daily deadlines. Furthermore, a study by Cisco, a US-based manufacturer of networking equipment, shows that US workers save over 80 minutes every week by using the BYOD model, as they are more proactive and comfortable in using their own devices.

Desktop virtualization for Tampa businesses

The impact and efficiency of virtual desktops depend on the strength of the existing infrastructure. Tampa, being one of the fastest growing cities among the Southern States, holds an immense potential to evolve into a superpower.

Setting up desktop virtualization by client-server model of computing can not only help Tampa businesses manage disaster failover situations, but also save a lot of resources when employees start bringing their own devices to the workplace. According to various r

eports, the BYOD practice has been seen to improve overall productivity of a business. On one hand, employees remain happy with using their own devices, and on the other hand, IT staffers become relieved from the duty of supporting the endpoints themselves. This overall harmony in work procedure results in an increased output level.

If you are looking for companies that provide desktop virtualization ITsolutions, Tampa offers some of the most reliable names in the market. Give you employees a chance to embrace the BYOD model and enhance the productivity of your organization.

Four Facets of Custom Enterprise Application Development

Besides being a tourism heaven, Tampa has remained at the forefront of information technology (IT) innovation since the 1990’s. Enterprise mobility is the latest buzzword in the city’s highly segmented IT sector that offers different categories of services including application development services, infrastructure services and business process services. In a city, where industries range from tourism and cigar making to technologies and finance, the percentage of in-field, on-the-go workers is on the rise. This surge in mobile workforce has been driving demands for bespoke enterprise apps that keep on-site employees constantly in touch with in-house teams, enable them to analyze real time data on-spot or send them back in the system in form of business intelligence for the benefit of other team members, improving productivity and team collaboration. In response to increasing interests in custom application development, Tampa firms are offering solutions for various industries.

Below are four aspects that the city-based IT firms consider when developing enterprise apps:

1.       Right Connectivity

The very essence of enterprise app is lost if it fails to connect the users to data they are trying to access.  The apps, therefore, should have a kind of connectivity that is not session based, yet works well in limited-coverage scenario, helping conserve battery life of mobile devices.

2. Open Source Platform 

Given the growing popularity of open standards-based platforms and a flourishing open source community, reputable development firms in Tampa are leveraging open standards to build their apps.

3. Push/Sync Capability

Push technology, which enables your mobile staff to work offline, is a key factor to consider while developing enterprise apps. On-the-go employees may need to access corporate data while in remote areas with no coverage, or while in flight. Push/ synch technology helps send all enterprise content to the application and notify the user, whenever device synchronization is needed.

4. Simplified Management

In an era of bring your own device (BYOD), application development process is rife with a plethora of new challenges. Customized applications enable companies and their employees to easily manage the apps on their own.

Enterprise applications are changing the face of business in Tampa.  However, developing and maintaining robust and scalable apps require specific skills and experiences. If you want to invest in custom application development, Tampa firms that have experience in this field can help you, but make sure to choose a trusted name in the industry for the best result.

Web Application, the Hottest Pick of Tampa Businesses. Should You Embrace it, too?

In recent decades, Tampa has reinvented itself as the economic hub of west central Florida.  In order to remain productive and competitive in a tech-driven economy, city-based companies – which include both Fortune 500 companies and small businesses – rely heavily on information technology solutions, and enterprise applications make up a crucial part of their technology investment blueprint. When it comes to application development, Tampa businesses have a clear preference for web-based, customized solutions – apps that can be accesses via web browsers – over traditional desktop-based systems. Wondering what are the business advantages of these bespoke applications? Find your answers below:

Cost- effectiveness: Thanks to their simplified architecture, low support and maintenance cost, concise testing requirements and easy troubleshooting, web apps are more cost-efficient than their native siblings.

Easy Customization: You can easily customize their user interfaces to update the look and feel to match your brand, or to modify the ways you want to communicate to different user groups.

Quick Deployment: Thanks to cross-platform compatibility, deployment of web apps is really fast and easy.

Anytime/ Anywhere Access: Your clients or your company reps can remotely access them from any part of the world – all you need to do is to provide them a website address to log in to. 

Riddance from Disparate Systems: Consolidate your business data in a centralized location, and avoid storing and moving data across disparate systems. This not only reduces costs, but also makes your live data more secure.

Stronger Bonding:  Regardless of industry-types, web applications can have huge implications for your business, allowing you to improve team efficiency and boost relationship with your clients by providing them (controlled) access to your systems.

This wide array of benefits prove that it is not merely a coincidence that a growing number of organizations in Tampa –  in tourism, healthcare, finance or construction sectors – are embracing these applications. If you want to know more about application development, Tampa-based IT firms can help you find the right solution – one that is tailor-made to meet your business needs. 

How Can MSPs in Tampa Help You Overcome DDoS Attacks?

Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are becoming increasingly rampant in the United States. Rapidly advancing cities such as Tampa are more prone to be attacked by DDoS perpetrators, who use more than one – often thousand – unique IP addresses to break even the tightest of web security systems. Unfortunately, you are in the line of attack, too, if your business depends on earning revenue from Internet-based apps and websites. Is the thought making you nervous? If you want to stay protected with professional IT solutions, Tampa based managed service providers (MSPs) can offer you the support you’re looking for.

Wondering how hiring a local MSP can help your business? Well, the best part about hiring one in Tampa is that they will be able to visit your office immediately in case there is a need of physical presence in times of an emergency. While each MSP has its own unique way of preparing for the crisis, most of them follow some basic practices to handle DDoS attacks. Here are three IT solutions with which they can help you, too:

1. Authenticating Traffic Flow: If you’re trying to monitor the network patterns, such as the number of User Datagram Protocol (UDP) per second, you may end up cutting down legitimate traffic by launching counter-protective measures. Expert MSPs have smart and sophisticated tools to analyze and filter out potential aberrations from an authentic traffic flow.

2. Using Multiple Hardware:  Expert MSPs focus on integrating numerous layers of filtering to keep DDoS threats at arm’s length. Along with commercial off the shelf (COTS) hardware technology, they use their Cloud support system to create filters of unique and individual proprietary mechanisms.

3. Adopting a Bandwidth Strategy: By utilizing numerous firewalls, these MSPs distribute rollouts in order to segment the bandwidth of a client. Once the bandwidth is broken up into multiple portions, it becomes harder for DDoS attackers to figure out how to break in and damage the system.

Don’t waste anymore time! By providing well-rounded IT solutions, Tampa basedMSPs can help you overcome any DDoS attack, so go ahead, hire one, and save your business from harmful downtime and devastating losses.