Skip to main content
SolarWinds MSP
  • Login
  • Support
  • Partnerships
    • Solution Provider Program
    • Technology Alliance Program
SolarWinds MSP
  • Products
    • Remote Monitoring & Management Protect your customers with a platform from the global leader in monitoring and management.
    • Backup & Recovery Manage backup for servers, workstations, applications, and business documents from one cloud-based dashboard.
    • Mail Protection & Archiving Protect users from email threats and downtime.
    • Password Management Easily adopt and demonstrate best practice password and documentation management workflows.
      • Passportal Demo
    • PSA & Ticketing Manage ticketing, reporting, and billing to increase helpdesk efficiency.
    • Threat Monitoring Detect, respond to, and report on threats across your managed networks.
    • Remote Support Help support customers and their devices with remote support tools designed to be fast and powerful.
  • Solutions

    I'm looking to...

    I'm looking for...

    • Drive Efficiency with Automation
    • Manage my MSP Business More Efficiently
    • Manage my IT Department More Efficiently
    • Layered Security
    • Data-Driven Insights
    • Cross-Platform Support
  • Resources

    Webcasts & Events

    Resource Center

    • Ask the N-Central Experts
    • Daily Live Demos
    • Backup Foundations Training
    • RMM Foundations Training
    • Upcoming Events
    • Upcoming Webcasts
    • Resource Library
      • Case Studies
      • Product Information
      • eBooks
      • White Papers
      • Infographics
    • SolarWinds MSP Free Tools
    • GDPR Resource Center
    • Security Resource Center
    • MSP Institute Webinar Series
    • MSP Advice Project
  • About
    • Contact
    • Worldwide sales and support
    • Careers
    • Awards and Recognition
    • Get A Quote
    • Newsroom
      • Press Releases
      • In The News
      • Media Contacts
    • Leadership Team
    • Legal
      • Cookie Policy
      • Privacy Notice
      • Software Services Agreement
      • Terms of Use
      • Backup Fair Use Policy
    • Security
      • SolarWinds Security Statement
      • Vendor Data Protection Requirements
    • Support
  • Blog
  • Contact Sales
    • Get A Quote
    • General Inquiry
  • TRY NOW
    • SolarWinds RMM
    • SolarWinds Backup
    • MSP Manager
    • SolarWinds Passportal
    • SolarWinds Mail Assure
    • SolarWinds Risk Intelligence
    • SolarWinds Take Control
Filter Blogs
  • Filter by:
  • MSP Business
    • Automation
    • Backup & Disaster Recovery
    • Security-series
    • Best Practices
    • Business
    • Business Growth
    • Business Risk
    • Cloud Computing
    • Customer Service
    • Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity Awareness Month
    • Data
    • GDPR
    • Internet of Things
    • IT Support
    • ITSM
    • LOGICcards
    • Machine Learning
    • Mail
    • Managed Services
    • Marketing
    • Mobile
    • Networking
    • Operations
    • Podcast
    • Product
    • PSA
    • Remote Management
    • Research & Trends
    • Risk Intelligence
    • Security
    • Security Vlog
    • Service Desk
    • Services & Support
    • Tips & Advice
    • Training
Home Blog MSP Business How much can you handle? You're about to find out
MSP Business

How much can you handle? You're about to find out

By Marc Thaler
16 December, 2014

So you think you’re busy now? In the giving spirit of the holiday season, here’s some free advice: Rest up between now and New Year’s, if possible.

Once the ball drops, your next 12 months will likely look like this:

juggling

Maybe that doesn’t seem like a departure from your current day-to-day routine. Wearing many hats, and juggling a variety of jobs, is often a requirement for in-house IT pros. If this is you, hopefully 2014 provided ample time to master the art of multi-tasking.

Your on-the-job training will be tested in 2015.

“IT departments are going to get even busier,” LOGICnow Security Lead Ian Trump says. “The pressure will be on to maintain operational efficiency, but at the same time handle new services and new devices that need to be added to the networks they look after.”

Of course, adding more services to the network gives cybercriminals more avenues from which they can hack and attack. For this reason, IT pros must remain diligent when it comes to guarding against data breaches.

Your network, Trump says, “is going to be under attack.” IT admins can expect to see a rise in the number of patches and vulnerability updates required to protect their networks, which underscores the need for a comprehensive service that automates the process.

At the heart of this busier, faster-paced 2015 is the “Internet of Things” (IoT) – the interconnectivity of web-enabled devices. Yahoo Finance reports that we’re about to embark on a 10-year stretch when business opportunities around IoT are projected to boom:

“The Internet of People runs to billions of devices already. The Internet of Things will involve ubiquitous smart objects that sense and communicate directly over the Internet creating better data without human intervention. Its time has come because there are now enough IP addresses available for tens of billions of items, hardware costs are now affordable and large companies are backing it.”

An increased IoT presence in the workplace will directly impact how corporate networks are managed. The test for IT pros, Trump says, will be meeting the demand while adhering to a budget that is limited in flexibility.

“You have to maintain the same levels of service and take responsibility for the Internet of Things,” Trump says.

And that’s without factoring in the burden IT typically shoulders for policing the likes of voice over IP (VoIP) phones, alarm systems, workstations, laptops and employee’s personal mobile devices.

Searching for the silver lining? While you’re about to face new challenges, you can apply a practice that is tried and tested: Prioritize the projects you deem most important to the livelihood of your business. Address those issues first.

“2015 should be about focusing on what the business needs and not getting distracted with the ‘nice-to-haves,’” Trump says. “Keep the critical business systems running, the email system operational, the database secure. Clean up the shared drive that could be archived.

“Now, you have less data to worry about.”

And, with any luck, perhaps you’ll have a little less juggling to do.

You might also like...

MSP Business

What you need to know to get into Linux administration

MSP Business

3 key benefits to proactively monitoring your IT networks

MSP Business

How to keep your IT skills up to date

MSP Business

IT Continuity: providing enterprise level IT support to SMBs with MAX

MSP Business

Hack Labs, Part 2: Examples From the Trenches

MSP Business

How an Integrated Framework can boost IT efficiency

Want to stay up to date?

Get the latest MSP tips, tricks, and ideas sent to your inbox each week.

Loading form....

If the form does not load in a few seconds, it is probably because your browser is using Tracking Protection. This is either an Ad Blocker plug-in or your browser is in private mode. Please allow tracking on this page to request a subscription.

Note: Firefox users may see a shield icon to the left of the URL in the address bar. Click on this to disable tracking protection for this session/site

Recent Posts

  • 3 Ways to Say Goodbye to a Problem Customer
  • Taking the Fear Out of Backup and Recovery
  • Find Out Which SEO Keywords Your Competitors are Using
  • Why MSPs Should Team Up with MSSPs
  • Why Properly Documenting Non-Technical Conversations and Decisions is Essential

Categories:

  • Business Growth (421)
  • Security (346)
  • Tips & Advice (334)
  • Managed Services (303)
  • Best Practices (247)
  • Business (214)
  • Cybersecurity (194)
  • Backup & Disaster Recovery (117)
  • IT Support (109)
  • ITSM (78)
  • Data (64)
  • Product (63)
  • Cloud Computing (61)
  • Marketing (57)
  • Mail (53)
  • Networking (34)
  • Risk Intelligence (31)
  • Customer Service (29)
  • Remote Management (27)
  • Automation (19)
  • GDPR (17)
  • Services & Support (16)
  • Operations (16)
  • Service Desk (15)
  • Research & Trends (14)
  • PSA (12)
  • Business Risk (12)
  • Internet of Things (11)
  • Mobile (11)
  • Training (11)
  • Security-series (8)
  • Cybersecurity Awareness Month (6)
  • LOGICcards (4)
  • Machine Learning (3)
Show moreless
SolarWinds MSP

© SolarWinds MSP Canada ULC and SolarWinds MSP UK Ltd.
All Rights Reserved.

Products

  • SolarWinds RMM
  • SolarWinds N-central
  • SolarWinds Backup
  • SolarWinds MSP Manager
  • SolarWinds Mail Assure
  • SolarWinds Risk Intelligence
  • SolarWinds Take Control
  • SolarWinds Threat Monitor
  • SolarWinds Passportal

Solutions

  • How We Help MSPs
  • Layered Security
  • Cross-Platform Support
  • Data-Driven Insights

About

  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Leadership Team
  • Upcoming Events
  • Privacy
  • Legal
  • Security
  • Subscription Preferences
  • SolarWinds

Support

  • SolarWinds RMM
  • Solarwinds N-central
  • SolarWinds Backup
  • SolarWinds Mail Assure
  • SolarWinds Take Control
  • SolarWinds MSP Manager
  • Solarwinds Risk Intelligence
  • Solarwinds Threat Monitor
  • SolarWinds Passportal
  • SolarWinds Take Control Downloads
  • Backup & Recovery Downloads
  • Sitemap
  • Service Status