Manually installing software patches and updates is a time-consuming process. With only so many hours in the workday, technicians have to sacrifice time they would spend on more important IT tasks. In many cases, automation can take these routine tasks off the hands of your techs. With more time available to them, technicians can focus on improving infrastructure and handling more complex issues they weren’t able to deal with before.
A common way to implement automation into your small business is with Remote Monitoring and Management, or RMM. An RMM system continuously monitors your network for a variety of routine checks. Here are a few ways in which automation can make your business’ IT more efficient
Patching and Updates Automation
The easiest and most overlooked, way to keep your network secure is to install security patches and updates. We say overlooked because if you aren’t notified a patch or update is available, you won’t think to install it. If a perfect world everyone would check for updates every day, or better yet, receive an alert when it is released. However, as work begins to pile up, installing software updates gets pushed further into the back of your mind.
Of course, manually checking and installing the updates takes time and resources away from more important tasks. As the number of workstations, servers, and other network components grows, so too does the amount of time the installations take.
Enter remote monitoring and automation. As a patch or update is released, the monitoring system will be alerted and automatically have it installed. As a behind-the-scenes process, these installations will likely occur when your employees are not using their workstations.
This dramatically reduces the amount of downtime a user will experience while they wait for updates to install. Nobody enjoys sitting and watching a computer update first thing in the morning.
Network Security Management
Prevention is crucial to keeping your network secure. After all, a virus or piece of malware can’t inflict any damage if it can’t reach your network in the first place. Unfortunately, no network security practice is effective 100% of the time. There will come a time when an attack will make it through your defenses.
By automating your network security management, you will have an around-the-clock watch over your infrastructure. Think of it as a security guard for your network who never takes breaks, vacations, or goes home at the end of the day.
This works much like the update automation. When a threat is detected, the system isolates it and alerts a tech of the issue. The tech can then implement the tools needed to remove the threat for good.
As automation improves, the entire process can be taken care of in an instant without the need for a technician or human interaction.
Save Time and Resources
The main advantage of automated remote monitoring is that it eliminates the need for a technician to be on-site to resolve an issue.
Many issues your network will face can be addressed without a visit. In the long run, this saves your business time, money, and worry.
If you’re looking to start automating your business’ network security, reach out to IT Support Guys today. We’ve spent the past decade perfecting our remote monitoring system and have the results to back it up. To learn more about how we can make your business more efficient, talk with a specialist today at 855-4IT-GUYS (855-448-4897).
