PSA tools and its role in Managed Services Operations

PSA tools and its role in Managed Services Operations

Long term Business Stability and Success depends on process continuity and automation. It`s always better to delegate routine operations to managed service providers who further conduct these through various software tools, applications and high-end technologies. This way Business owner can focus more on strategic plans and pursuits.

PSA (Professional Services Automation) is one such tool which helps streamline operations and enhance efficiency. It is being widely used by many IT solution providers. Without PSA, a servicing industry would be handcuffed in it’s strive to scale further.

Available as Hosted or Software offered as a Service; it is often mistaken as a glorified Helpdesk Application. Though it does contain Helpdesk functionality, yet it is much more than it. It won`t be wrong to describe it as an operating system for MSP operations. It acts as a key repository for all process information, client data, assets and inventory, billable time etc.

As it is said, “What can be measured can be managed”. This is how A PSA tool pays off an MSP. It aids in measuring all aspects of a business like the exact time you may spent on a project, its profitability and the areas for improvement. This is called “Service Intelligence”.

An Effective PSA provides:

• A CRM System
• A Knowledge Base Component
• A Project Management Component
• A Scheduling Component
• A Dispatching Component
• A Time & Expense Tracking Component
• An Inventory Control Component
• An Asset & Resource Management Component
• A Service Request or Trouble Ticketing Component
• A Change Management Component
• An SLA Management Component
• An Accounting System
• Remote Monitoring & Management
• Robust & Customizable Reporting

Enhancing Managed Services with a PSA tool is undeniably a worth investment. The features offered are vital for your Businesses growth.

While choosing the right PSA, you need to:

• Analyze the suitability for your particular business model
• Calculate Cost and ROI
• Estimate Implementation, Training and Deployment time
• Analyze Meaningful reporting capability
• Test Vendor support quality

In nut shell, A PSA tool is the backbone of all MSP Operations which can give an edge to your Business.

5 WAYS TO SECURE YOUR DATA

Protection of data is critical for every business and sometimes even for home computer users. It is potentially dangerous if any crucial information falls into the wrong hands. Although data can be lost due to various reasons, losing it to malware infections or trackers can have disastrous consequences.
So let us look at the possible ways to secure our data from unauthorized accesses.

1.     Back up your data often
Back-ups are crucial to ensure data recovery in case it is lost. It can be done in multiple ways. You can back up your data to an external USB hard drive using your computer’s built-in backup features like Windows Backup (on Windows 7) and Time machine (on Mac). Another popular alternative is Cloud Storage Service like Drop box, Microsoft One Drive or Google Drive.

2.     Protecting data by using EFS (Encrypting File system)

EFS plays a vital role in securing information even if it is stolen, by encrypting the sensitive files. Encryption involves encoding messages or information such that only an authorized party can read it. To use EFS, you must have Encrypting file system Certificates. These are the digital documents holding permissions to encrypt and decrypt data. Also, in order to modify a file, you need to have permission from NTFS.

3.     Using Public Key infrastructure
Public key infrastructure is employed to secure the electronic transmission of data or information via internet banking, e-commerce or classified mails through a network. It is a group of policies and procedures required to provide, distribute and revoke digital certificates and administer public-key encryption. A certificate authority issues certificates to individuals and groups after verifying their identity. Certificate-based security is much stronger as only the person who holds the public key can decrypt it.

4.     Protecting through Internet Protocol Security
IPSec is a set of protocols that provides security, integrity and confidentiality of data at packet processing layer of network communication. IPSec provides two types of securities - Authentication Header that authenticates data origin and Encapsulating Security Payload that authenticates sender as well as encrypts the data.

5.     Protecting log in information
Many websites require users to login before using their services. It is important to protect the login information, which consists of username and password, because hackers may use the information to get access to your private or financial information. There are multiple password management services with web interface, which encrypt passwords in private accounts. Using these services, you can safely login to websites and enjoy their services.

In today’s world, data security is as important as physical security of your valuable material assets. Breach of your data security can make you vulnerable to multiple threats including identity and financial ones. So, be wise and employ the proven methods to protect your data.