IT Services for Businesses in Philadelphia: Keep Running Smoothly

In today's digital age, finding reliable IT services for businesses in Philadelphia can be a daunting task. With the rapid advancements in technology and the ever-increasing complexity of IT systems, it is crucial to find the right provider who understands the unique needs and challenges of industries with high-performing professionals.

As an example of all this innovation? Ninety percent of all the data that has ever existed was generated between 2019 and today. What’s more, cyber security attacks are growing just as fast. Phishing attempts increased by 48 percent in the first half of 2022, costing businesses more than $12.3 million, while the frequency of ransomware attacks increased by 41 percent during the 2022 calendar year.

Between this change and the growing risk of cyber threat, there’s certainly an increased need for small firms and businesses to keep up with all this data—but how? With constant updates, security patches, system upgrades, and daily operational duties, plus accounting for human error, security threats, and the ever-evolving technology landscape, it can be hard for busy or specialized professionals to stay on top of it all.

The solution? Partnering with an IT company that understands your unique needs as a professional; a managed service provider that responds quickly and is informed about what drives your industry. Here’s why you need to have a reliable IT partner in Philadelphia—and how to find one.

How IT Services Can Help Your Business

IT service companies provide a wide range of services to businesses of all sizes, from small businesses to large enterprises. These services can include:

• Hardware and software support: IT service companies can help businesses with the installation, configuration, and maintenance of their hardware and software. They can also provide support for users who are having problems with their computers or other devices.
  
  
• Network and security management: IT service companies can help businesses design, implement, and manage their networks. They can also help businesses with security assessments and penetration testing to protect their networks from cyberattacks.
  
  
• Cloud computing services: IT service companies can help businesses move their applications and data to the cloud. They can also provide support for cloud-based services such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.
  
  
• IT consulting: IT service companies can provide businesses with consulting services on a variety of IT topics, such as business continuity planning, disaster recovery, and IT strategy.
  
  
• IT asset management:  IT service companies help keep track of their IT assets and equipment such as computers, printers, and software licenses.
  
  
• IT compliance: IT service companies can help businesses comply with government regulations, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

Why IT Services for Your Philadelphia Business Are Vital

The greater Philadelphia area is brimming with experts in their fields, which makes the region incredibly competitive. Why should you consider enlisting the help of a managed service provider for IT support?

You can limit downtime when things go wrong thanks to the help of experts who are always at-the-ready to resolve issues quickly.

You can enhance your cybersecurity measures with the aid of professionals who can implement the necessary tools and strategies to mitigate the risk of attack.

You can contact someone who knows the inner workings of your tech infrastructure whenever you run into a roadblock during the daily operation of your business.

You can outsource the routine maintenance and management of your technologies to stay current with security patches, software updates, and other advancements and free up valuable time to take on more important tasks.

You can gain expert insights on the strategies and solutions to carry your business to the next level, improve your current system, optimize your network, strengthen security, and take on new business objectives.

While these benefits apply across industries, there are also some regional and industry-specific benefits to securing a reliable IT service as well:

The Healthcare Sector

It’s important to note that the top three employers in the greater Philadelphia area include health systems or hospitals:

• The University of Pennsylvania and Health System: 46,554 employees
  
  
• Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health: 42,700 employees
  
  
• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia: 24,945 employees

What does this mean in terms of needing an IT services provider? Competition is high and medical professionals need to stay at the top of their game—but that doesn’t mean they have time to manage their technology infrastructure. Especially for providers who are not part of a large health network, an IT partner can help you keep pace with the tech solutions these massive systems have at their disposal by choosing the right technologies and strategies and maintaining your IT on your behalf.

Financial and Accounting Firms

When it comes to finance and certified public accountants (CPAs) in Philadelphia, many accounting firms are facing scarcity in the talent market. It’s already a challenge for these CPAs to juggle an ever-growing workload without a full team, but to also have to manage their IT needs? It’s just too much.

This is especially true when you consider the intricacies of maintaining compliance with finance-specific cybersecurity regulations when handling and storing sensitive client data. Over half of financial firms struggle to keep up with legislation for IT security and compliance. A reliable managed IT service provider that specializes in the accounting and finance industries can safeguard client data and help meet these regulatory requirements.

Philadelphia-Area Legal Firms 

Many law firms in the greater Philadelphia area are looking to hire new talent in 2023 and beyond, and a great number of these firms also plan to focus on mergers and acquisitions.

Overseeing mergers and acquisitions—and just maintaining client privacy through data security—means having the right tools and cybersecurity strategies to ward off bad actors is more important than ever. Having a managed IT partner can free up valuable billing hours from tasks like security patches and software updates. 

Choosing the Right IT Partner

How can Philadelphia-area businesses find a managed IT service provider that’s the right fit for their industry-specific needs?

Here are a few considerations to keep in mind as you search for reliable IT services Philadelphia businesses trust:

• Does the IT service provider have a deep understanding of your industry’s unique technology needs, concerns, and compliance regulations?

• Is the IT partner local to the Philadelphia area and available to address your needs both virtually and in person for software and devices like desktop computers, laptops, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices?

• Can this managed service provider help you meet future goals for things like cloud computing, disaster recovery, data backups, IT project management, network security, and virtualization?
  
  
• Can this IT partner serve as part of your existing team by managing your daily technical needs and routine maintenance?

• Do you understand the pay structure for this IT partner, and do they have standardized costs, or will there be unexpected fees and hidden charges?

• Does the managed service provider have established, efficient workflows to ensure continuous support?

• Do you know what fees may be like to host complex software (like a complicated legal program) in the cloud?

• Can this IT partner educate your team on best practices and cybersecurity strategies to strengthen your operations and safeguard your data?

Managed IT Services Philadelphia Professionals Can Count On

At Christo IT, we specialize in IT services for all kinds of industries and serve a broad range of businesses right here in our area—and we excel in supporting businesses in the legal, financial, accounting, and healthcare fields.

We understand that in your line of work, you don’t have the time or luxury to deal with a crashed laptop or malware attack, which is where we come in. Our experienced team is well-versed in the ins and outs of your industry and has a full menu of managed IT services and hard-earned expertise to help you tackle new initiatives, explore innovations in technology, and safeguard what matters most to your organization; we’re with you every step of the way with the service, maintenance, management, and guidance you need to take your business to the next level. And we’re transparent about our service costs, so there are never any surprises.

Ready to learn more about how Christo IT can help you? Get the IT Buyer’s Guide to learn more.