Managed IT refers to the practice of outsourcing the responsibility for maintaining and managing an organization’s information technology (IT) systems and infrastructure to a third-party provider. In a managed IT services model, the provider takes on the proactive monitoring, maintenance, and support of the company’s IT resources, typically on a subscription basis.

What does LBMC Technology Solutions provide as an MSP?

We offer a range of services designed to meet the specific IT needs of businesses. These services include:

1. Network and infrastructure management: This involves managing the organization’s network infrastructure, including routers, switches, firewalls, and servers. We ensure that the network is secure, reliable, and optimized for performance.
2. Data backup and recovery: We implement backup solutions to protect critical data from loss or damage. We also develop disaster recovery plans to minimize downtime and ensure business continuity in the event of a system failure or data breach.
3. Security services: We provide security measures to protect the organization’s IT systems and data from cyber threats. This includes implementing firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, antivirus software, and conducting regular security audits.
4. Help desk and technical support: Our services often include a help desk or support center where end-users can seek assistance with IT-related issues. We provide troubleshooting, problem resolution, and remote support to ensure smooth operations.
5. Software and application management: We handle the installation, configuration, and maintenance of software applications used within the organization. We ensure that software is up to date, patched for security vulnerabilities, and compatible with other systems.
6. IT consulting and strategic planning: LBMC Tech can offer expertise and guidance in IT strategy and planning. We work closely with the organization to align technology with business objectives and recommend solutions to improve efficiency and productivity.

The primary benefits of managed IT services include reduced IT costs, access to specialized expertise, improved system performance and reliability, enhanced security, and the ability to focus on core business activities without the burden of IT management. It allows organizations to leverage external resources and stay up to date with the rapidly evolving technology landscape.

There are several compelling reasons why organizations should choose to use LBMC Tech as their Managed Service Provider for their IT needs:

1. Cost savings: Outsourcing IT services to an MSP can result in significant cost savings compared to maintaining an in-house IT department. MSPs typically offer their services on a subscription or fixed-fee basis, which allows businesses to budget more effectively without unexpected expenses related to IT support, infrastructure upgrades, or hiring and training IT staff.
2. Access to specialized expertise: MSPs are staffed with professionals who possess a wide range of technical expertise and certifications. By partnering with an MSP, organizations gain access to a team of professionals with specialized skills and knowledge across various IT domains. This expertise may not be readily available or cost-effective to develop in-house.
3. Proactive monitoring and maintenance: MSPs take a proactive approach to managing IT systems. They use advanced monitoring tools and proactive maintenance strategies to monitor IT systems, detect vulnerabilities, and address them promptly, before they become critical. This proactive monitoring and maintenance help improve system performance, minimize downtime, and enhance overall operational efficiency.
4. Focus on core business activities: By outsourcing IT management to an MSP, organizations can free up their internal resources to focus on core business activities. IT-related tasks, such as system maintenance, troubleshooting, and upgrades, are handled by the MSP, allowing employees to concentrate on strategic initiatives and core competencies.
5. Scalability and flexibility: MSPs provide flexible solutions that can scale to meet the changing needs of an organization. As a business grows or experiences fluctuations in IT demands, MSPs can easily adjust their services to accommodate the changing requirements. This scalability ensures that IT resources are aligned with business needs without incurring unnecessary costs or delays.
6. Enhanced security and compliance: MSPs place a strong emphasis on cybersecurity and can implement robust security measures to protect sensitive data and IT systems. They stay up to date with the latest security threats and industry best practices, ensuring that organizations have a solid defense against cyberattacks. MSPs can also assist with regulatory compliance by implementing the necessary controls and processes.
7. Access to advanced technologies: MSPs have access to the latest technologies and tools in the IT industry. By partnering with an MSP, organizations can leverage these technologies without the upfront costs associated with purchasing and implementing them internally. MSPs can also advise on technology trends and recommend solutions that align with the organization’s goals and objectives.

Using an MSP allows businesses to leverage external expertise, improve operational efficiency, enhance security, and reduce costs. It enables businesses to access a wide range of IT services and solutions without the need for extensive internal resources or expertise.

Cloud Infrastructure

Cloud infrastructure provides anywhere, anytime access to your data on any device. Solutions, security, and disaster recovery are cost-effective, efficient, available, and scalable for any size business.

Cloud infrastructure has grown in popularity. To meet the specific needs of different users, several models and deployment strategies have emerged. Each type of cloud service and deployment method provides you with various levels of control, flexibility, and management. Understanding the different types (Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, and Software as a Service), as well as what deployment strategies you can use, can help you decide what set of services is right for your needs.

LBMC Technology Solutions is uniquely positioned to assist organizations. They can help determine how best to use cloud software and services to save time and money. This will allow organizations to “stretch” resources and focus on their growth.

Benefits of Cloud Infrastructure

• Gain a global footprint in hours, not months – Building a data center footprint to support the global operations of your business isn’t just expensive – it’s also very time-consuming. With cloud computing, you can access a reliable, high-performance global IT infrastructure with just a few clicks.
• Focus on your core business activities instead of IT infrastructure – Focus on projects that differentiate your business, not the infrastructure. Cloud computing lets you focus on your own customers, rather than on the heavy lifting of racking, stacking and powering servers.
• Achieve enterprise-class IT performance without upfront costs – Cloud infrastructure offers value by enabling elastic consumption that scales with your needs and pay-as-you-go pricing models. Some providers do not require minimum commitments or long-term contracts.

vCIO Services

Strategy

1. Technology Roadmap: Establish hardware and software life cycles in alignment with planned business growth.
2. IT Budget: Aligned with technology roadmap, determine schedules with projected costs for procurement and implementation.
3. Cost Control: Expense analysis and review of third-party vendor solutions and services.
4. Stabilize the Client’s Environment: Scope, assess, and align our security and hosting services to provide stable and scalable solutions.
5. Core Application Integration: Review vendor selection and specifications for third-party integrations.
6. Alignment of Technology to Business: Identify specific business requirements and alignment to technology solutions.
7. Collaboration Systems: Review and recommend appropriate solutions for telephony (VoIP), workgroup, and enterprise collaboration.
8. Business Downturn Planning: In the unfortunate event of a downturn in business, work together to craft unique and creative solutions to support sustaining business operations.
9. Mergers & Acquisition Planning and Execution: Advisement/representation of IT on client merger and acquisition assessments, scalability and due diligence.
10. Threat Awareness: Communicate current trends in threats and known vulnerabilities with recommendations to mitigation.

Managed Risk Management

1. Alignment of Technical Solutions and Processes to Compliance Requirements: Ensure that technology solutions meet compliance requirements.
2. Cyber Insurance Applications: Guidance on cyber insurance application processes and aligning of solutions to potential gaps.
3. Cyber Incident Response: In the event of a breach, serve as point person for response and incident management tracking.                                                                                                                 4. Risk Assessment Representation: Advise and participate in formal risk assessment procedures including attending risk meetings and documentation review.
5. SWOT Analysis: Perform technology SWOT analysis.
6. O365/M365 Security Review: Produce and review Microsoft Security Score. Review opportunities for remediation and drive solutions to enhance environment and score.
7. IT Disaster Recovery: Collaboratively determine appropriate risk factors associated with the unique client environment. Create an IT Disaster Recovery plan as part of a Business Continuity Plan.

Vendor Management

1. Third-Party Service Provider Management: Manage relationship with other service providers including Internet Service Provider, core application providers, and print management solution providers.
2. Contract Review and Execution: As delegated, review and execute IT contracts.

Tactical Direction

1. Human Resources Administration and Staff Reviews: As delegated, review and administration of time off and time and attendance matters.
2. Managing Client Teams: As delegated, manage client IT teams.
3. Invoice Approval: As delegated, approve vendor invoices ensuring that expenses are in alignment with IT budget and contracts.
4. Audit Remediation: Review and implement, as appropriate and approved, audit remediation plans.
5. Project Management: Ensure projects are managed and completed per plan.
6. Space and Infrastructure Planning: Consult on technology requirements, MDF, IDF, and cable plant services for office build, moves, and expansion.
7. Escalation Point: Whether related to a client emergency or service and delivery, be a contact for escalation.

vCISO Services

The Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) plays an integral part in development of strategic policy, technology planning and investments in Information Security technology. The CISO is an expert advisor to executive leadership, senior management, and across the organization reaching into departments such as information technology, operations, and communications.

• Provide an outsourced Chief Information Security Officer to assist with strategic planning and implementation of security processes and controls in collaboration with the customer’s team.
• As a part of the services for this engagement, LBMC will provide a seasoned information security executive to provide direction as well as operational support to oversee the execution of and ensure the effectiveness of the customer’s security and compliance initiatives.
• The Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) helps organizations protect their infrastructure, data, people, and customers. The vCISO is a skilled security expert dedicated to building and maturing the organization’s cybersecurity program. The vCISO works with existing management and technical teams to provide flexible cybersecurity leadership and services tailored to the needs of the organization.
• vCISOs will build necessary security safeguards into the organization over time, with the goal of reducing overall cyber risk to the business. The vCISO also serves as a cybersecurity strategy sounding board and subject matter expert to the board of directors, internal stakeholders, and external auditors.
• The vCISO brings cybersecurity expertise across the domains of proactive security, offensive security, security engineering, security operations, digital forensics, threat intelligence, incident response, and more. This means organizations can focus more attention on strategic business matters, knowing that a top-tier professional is skillfully managing the business’s day-to-day information security.

VisionFlex Hosting Options & Components

-VisionFlex Hosting Platforms

• Amazon Web Services – By default we host all new VisionFlex deployments at AWS.
• Microsoft Azure – Legacy VisionFlex deployments were built in Azure. We still support these in Azure. If a client prefers Azure, we can support new deployments in Azure.

-Standard Components of a VisionFlex Deployment

• Servers – Active Directory, Database and Remote Desktop (option for VDI)
• Applications/Licenses – GP & Modules, MS SQL SAL, MS Office, RDS SAL, Endpoint Protection, Splunk/Monitoring, Kaseya Agent/Monitoring and Duo MFA

-MS Office can be licensed using the client’s M365 suite or through SPLA

-SQL can be licensed runtime through the Dynamics Price List or we can license through SPLA.

-Services

Network Engineering

1. Daily – Monitoring, patching, backups, tenant management, security management and infrastructure support.

2. Quarterly – Routine maintenance testing the systems against best practices and LBMC standards. Test restores.

GP Team – Varies based upon contract, but 1 major upgrade per year and 1 tax update per year are common.

VisionFlex – Dedicated vs. Shared

Dedicated vs. Shared

• Dedicated – The tenant is dedicated to one client and is built to only support that client.

–Choose this option if the client needs a dedicated IPSEC tunnel, access to the desktop of the DB server, administrative access to all servers, wants to join their local AD, requires a custom/advanced configuration or is highly security conscious.

• Shared – The tenant contains components that are shared by all clients in that tenant. This offers a reduced cost but does include some restrictions.

–Shared Components:  DB server/licensing, tenant, Active Directory and some software licensing and support services.

–Dedicated Components:  RDS server.

–Choose this option if the client is highly cost conscious, is fine sharing components with other tenants, does not mind having a separate login and does not require permanent IPSEC VPN connectivity.

Firewall Management

What is a firewall? At the root, a firewall is your first line of defense in network security and monitors incoming and outgoing network traffic. This is the core component in your business security.

Whether you are a large corporation or a small business, the barrage of attacks and malicious software against your systems and users is constant. For this reason, it is critical that you have a strong firewall solution that includes the latest threat protection using the best types of network security.

LBMC Technology Solutions partners with industry leaders to offer clients best-in-class firewall products. We use a wide variety of network security services, ranging from standard intrusion prevention systems (IPS), URL filtering, Gateway AV, application control, and anti-spam services for combating advanced threats such as file sandboxing, data loss prevention, ransomware protection and more to increase your endpoint security.

Benefits of Firewall Management

• Firewall configuration to meet industry security best practices
• Threat monitoring
• Threat and user activity reporting
• Next Generation Firewall – Firewall software updates to protect against the latest threats

Mobile Device Management

Mobile devices are a way of life for most businesses. Keeping these mobile devices secure is a huge challenge for many organizations. Developing a mobile application strategy that fits the needs of your business while helping your team stay productive and secure is important in any business strategy.

LBMC Technology Solutions is proud to offer Mobile Device Management through Microsoft Intune. Mobile device ecosystems can be very diverse, and Intune can securely manage iOS, Windows, Android and MacOS devices from a solitary, unified mobile solution. Provide your users what they need to do their best work wherever they are, on whichever device they choose.

Benefits of Mobile Device Management

• Cloud Security – Achieve higher IT efficiencies with cloud based protection – no more on-premise servers
• Protect your sensitive data regardless of device enrollment
• Support mobile devices of any kind
• Variety of management scenarios available

Multi-factor Authentication

The old days of having a good, strong password are gone. And, let’s face it – most people never really had a good password; and if they did, it was taped to their monitor allowing anyone access to network. That is where multi-factor authentication (MFA) comes in. It combines something you know (i.e. your password) with something you have (i.e. code from your mobile phone) to deliver a much more secure authentication method.

Since everyone now carries a mobile phone with them, you no longer require expensive token cards or key fobs to implement MFA. A company can send a temporary code to your mobile phone via text or call to complete the authentication process. Even if someone knows your password, they will not have the code, which only lasts for seconds. LBMC Technology Solutions can assist your business with securing your authentication process with an MFA solution.

Benefits of Multi-Factor Authentication

• Secure Networks
• Token cards and key fobs no longer required

Antivirus & Anti-Malware

The threat of viruses, malware and other cyber terrorism acts have sadly become a part of our daily lives. Computer viruses were once simple and limited…now we are faced with advanced malware threats, phishing scams, key loggers, ransomware and more. These virtual threats will attack you through every electronic method possible; infected bogus package delivery messages, the infamous rich Nigerian prince, an email attachment that attempts to encrypt every file in your organization, accidentally visiting an infected website – the perils are virtually everywhere.

Your organization needs a vigilant protection system. LBMC Technology Solutions provides a layered approach to addressing this ever-present threat. Our antivirus and anti-malware solutions are configured to provide highest levels of protection, while having minimal impact on system performances.

Benefits of Antivirus and Anti-malware

• Safeguard against hackers, viruses, malware and leaks
• Peace of mind knowing your technology infrastructure is secure
• Robust protection and around-the-clock monitoring
• Scalable services to meet your organizations budget and evolving risk profile

Intrusion Prevention

Just as we protect our homes and personal belongings from intrusion, the same diligence must be made for our organizations’ computer networks. Intrusion prevention is the preemptive measure taken to identify potential threats and respond to them immediately.

At LBMC Technology Solutions, we take a two-part approach to Intrusion Prevention: managed intrusion prevention, and managed intrusion protection.

We first identify hostile activity in real time and take immediate action to block and thwart undesirable network traffic; combine this with our 24/7 monitoring to immediately detect and report unauthorized access attempts and suspicious activities. Each intrusion detection and intrusion prevention alert includes a thorough analysis and specific steps to take to eliminate the threat.

Benefits of Intrusion Prevention

• Safeguard against hackers, viruses, malware and leaks
• Peace of mind knowing your technology infrastructure and computer systems are secure
• Robust protection and around-the-clock monitoring
• Scalable services to meet your organizations budget and evolving risk profile

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