Benefits Of Managed IT Services for Your Computer Needs


Running a business of any size is no small task for a person to accomplish. It can be quite stressful to always be deciding what is best for the company and finding new ways to make it more profitable and efficient. Knowing the ins and outs of your business is key to being successful but what happens when you require additional services such as computer IT that personnel at your business are not familiar with? We live in a world full of computers that are designed to make our lives and businesses easier to run and maintain but when the systems potentially go down or need upgrades as time continues to change rapidly with technology you will find there is a new problem to resolve. Outsourcing your IT needs or more specifically using managed IT will benefit your business dramatically and below you will find exact reasons why.

Preventative solutions that reduce risk

Every business investment will require some type of risk. When utilizing a managed IT company to service your computer IT needs, much of the risk is removed since you will gain the expertise and knowledge of the professionals in the IT field and will understand the compliance and security issues to be on the lookout for. Also, with the expert knowledge, precautions will be installed and will receive better performance with little to no downtime. Daily system scans are done on the entire network of the company to verify no security issues or will be informed of smaller issues that can be repaired faster than if a problem was neglected and became much larger in turn saving more money.

Predictable and Controlled Expenses

A customized plan will be designed by the managed IT consultants to provide the best solutions for your business no matter size if a small business or a global industry leader. Considerations that will help determine the plans that are enough for your company will be details discussed such as budgets, timelines, and future upgrades that are required to take place.  Once the proper plan is decided, it will give a peace of mind knowing that your IT will be able to maintain and provide quality service that you will not have to question what will be covered and what repairs won’t. Having managed service providers also help minimize the likelihood of inconvenient, and sometimes very expensive network disasters. 

Quicker Service

When businesses work with managed IT consultant’s they will receive the quickest response time support. Wide range of services include 24/7 system and network monitoring, server/ workstation installation and maintenance, security audits, employee troubleshooting and much more. At CPS, we also have a customer support portal that allows customers to request immediate support through in house IT ticket system that consultants can receive day or night. Proper monitoring of systems will inform your IT professionals when an issue is found before it becomes a large issue to save more downtime as well. Communication with software and hardware vendors can be done directly through managed IT company so that a business owner does not have to take additional time trying to understand technical terms or complicated conversations.

Creative Programs and Systems is an all-inclusive tech company that specializes in Custom DevelopmentManaged IT Services, and Digital Marketing.  All work is done in-house, we never outsource services from custom server builds and workstations, custom software programming and phone app development, to search engine optimization and paid advertising, our professionals provide results.  For more information on CPS check out our website at https://www.cpsmi.com.



Networking Services Create Continuity Between Household Technologies

Very few of us have ever experienced a time without computers, cell phones, Netflix, and the likes.  No longer are we looking for homes with big backyards but instead homes that have access to high speed internet and cable.  Our generation experiences things differently than past generations.  We desire reliable home networking, we want to be connected at all times.  In order to do this, we need methods to distribute audio, video, and data throughout our entire home, as we would the networks in our workplaces.  We accomplish this through structured cabling, also known as low-voltage wiring, that is professionally installed to allow the technology within our homes to work together.

Home networking allows our private collection of devices (computers, phones, gaming consoles, printers, and more) to connect to one another through a router or switch thus creating a local network.  A network within your home creates an environment where your devices are able to communicate with one another.  This leads to endless opportunities such as media streaming, network backup, multi-player gaming, and more. 

Without any knowledge on how to network your devices the process of connecting all the pieces together can seem daunting.  There are many companies, like Creative Programs and Systems, that offer both residential and commercial networking services, including structured cable installation.  There are a number of devices that are at the center of connecting devices within your home or business alike.  Routers, switches, and modems are all equally important entities in creating an efficient network. 

  • Modem: A modem is a device that can either be rented through your internet service provider or you can purchase your own.   A modem turns their network signal, which runs through a phone line, copper coaxial, or glass fiber, into a normally accepted computer network signal.  For some generations this connection came from the modem dialing into a telephone in order to establish a connection.  You could hear the connection trying to be established back in the day, today’s connections are silent and operate over a different infrastructure then a landline telephone.
  • Router: The router is a central point of contact between the devices within your network and the internet connection that is provided by your modem.  In some cases, the modem will be built directly into the router.  If you have both a separate router and modem, the router will plug into the modem with an ethernet cable plugged into the Wide Area Network, WAN port on the router.
  • Switch: A switch is used to extend your network.  It takes one port and turns it into many.  Switches can be purchased in a number of sizes from 4 ports to 24.  Most switches that are used in networking homes are unmanaged, which means you just plug them in, and they are already configured correctly.  Managed switches are mainly installed in commercial settings where different priorities are assigned depending on their importance.

Not only are there a variety of devices used to centrally connect your home there are different types of network connections. 

  • Ethernet/LAN: The physical cables that plug into your router or switch into a LAN port are known as providing a LAN or Ethernet network.  LAN cables can be run up to 100 meters without any lag in performance.  The only factor that really limits this connection is messy cabling between doorways and through walls.
  • Wi-Fi/Wireless LAN: This type of connections functions similar to Ethernet or LAN without the need for cables.  Instead the connection occurs through radio waves and doesn’t require messy cables.

There are also several methods of connecting to the internet including: Dial-Up, DSL, Cable, satellite, and USB dongle.  A lot of different pieces need to come together to create a flawless system when it comes to creating a home network.  The professionals at CPS specialize in both commercial and residential networking including structured cabling installation.

Creative Programs and Systems, CPS, is an all-inclusive IT solutions company offering a variety of services including: managed IT services, IT consulting, residential computer services, custom programming, website design, iphone & android app development, and more.  More information can be found at https://cpsmi.com.

Basic Elements Used In Networking: What You Should Know

The term networking is used a lot in both IT and business a lot.  Creating a successful IT network is crucial to the growth of a business.  When people within an organization are able to share and merge information in real time an increase in efficiency naturally occurs.  IT networking is a concept that many of us are familiar with but unsure of what it takes to create.  A network is a system where computers, phones, peripherals, and even IT devices are connected.  Some basic essential needed to create a manage this system include routers, switches, and wireless access points.  These units connect the devices on your network and allow them to communicate with one another as well as outside networks such as the internet.

The Foundation: Switches

A network switch is the backbone of many networks within companies large and small.  It acts very much like a controller and connect devices such as computers, printers, and servers to the network within a location.  A switch creates a link of communication on your network, allowing devices to work with one another and outside networks, thus creating a system in which resources can be shared.  When information is shared, in real time, across sources and available resources are shared businesses save time and money while increasing productivity.

There are two types of switches that IT professionals can install within your networking system: managed and unmanaged.

Managed Switches: A managed switch allows techs the ability to configure it for the needs of the network.  Monitoring and adjustments can be made locally or remotely.  This gives companies a greater control over the network’s traffic and accessibility.

Unmanaged Switches: An unmanaged switch is one that works right from the box however cannot be configured.  This type of switch is most often not used in commercial IT but instead home networking equipment.

The Dispatcher: Routers

A router is used to join the devices on the network together.  A router is also used to connect computers to the internet.  Using a router in networking allows one single internet connection to be shared amongst users.  Paying for individual internet connections for each computer within a company would be a huge expense without a beneficial increase in function performed.

As a dispatcher, a router examines the data that is sent across the network and pick a proper route for the data to voyage through the network to its final destination.  A router is used to connect your business to the outside world while protecting the data from threats and deciding a priority over systems in the network.

There are a few types of routers to choose from including:

  • Routers with firewalls
  • Virtual private networks (VPN)
  • Internet Protocol (IP) communications system

Routers make basic networking functions possible while making networking easier and more secure.

Accessibility: Access Points

Access points are added to network to allow for connection without cables.   This makes the process of bringing new equipment online simpler and allows for flexibility to mobile employees.   An access point works in a similar fashion as an amplifier for the network.  Routers provide bandwidth and the access point extends the bandwidth amongst many devices that are able to access the network from a near and far.

An access point is more than just a unit that extends the Wi-Fi signal.  A network access point allows useful information about all of the devices on the network and provide proactivity security while serving other practical functions.

Creative Programs and Systems, CPS, is an all-inclusive IT solutions company offering a variety of services including: managed IT services, IT consulting, residential computer services, custom programming, website design, iphone & android app development, and more.  More information can be found at https://cpsmi.com.