Top 3 reasons to have JLex as your Outsourced IT company

Top 3 Reasons to have JLex as your Outsourced IT Company

Outsourcing your IT to JLex has many benefits to your business, not least because we make it so easy for you. Here are at least three more reasons…

1. Award-winning customer service

We were thrilled to win the Silver category for Best Customer Service of the Year award in the 2023 SME London Business Awards. The criteria for this was the need to give outstanding assistance and advice to those who use our services. We had to back this up with customer testimonials.

Winning was such an honour because the JLex Networks ethos is to offer affordable, effective IT solutions, delivered in a simple, jargon-free way. This award proves that we put our customers first, keeping IT easy to understand – who doesn’t want an IT system like that?

2. First-rate family business

JLex operates like one big, happy family – partly because it is family-run, but also because we treat our customers like family and maintain family values through all we do. So it was a delight to win the Silver category for Family Business of the Year award in the 2023 SME London Business Awards. It is awarded to a company who combines their passion in business with their shared family values and the judges looked at how we grow the business, keeping our core family values at the heart.

We’re always happy to have new family members join our happy gang – the more the merrier!

3. Rapid response time

There’s nothing more frustrating in business than IT systems that aren’t working properly but are stopping you working properly. Not a problem with JLex though – our current response time is just 19 minutes. So in less than 20 minutes we’ll be sorting your issue and working on getting you back up and running – you’ll barely notice any downtime.

Those are our top three reasons, and all pretty convincing ones, we think. Apart from these, you’ll also find our services are cost-effective and give you specialist, up-to-date knowledge for the fraction of the cost of an in-house IT team.

We also save you time by having a dedicated out of house team to take carry of any IT issues or questions. Plus we can advise on the best systems for your business, transition you to Office 365 or VoIP, and make sure your business and data is safe, secure and free from cyber-attacks.

If you’d like to talk to us more about our award-winning service, drop us a line or give us a call.

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IT Audit – Can your business survive without it?

Picture of Auditor Pointing
IT Audit

The Importance of an IT Audit

If your business is going to stay ahead of the competition, you need a reliable IT department. They provide key support for businesses in every sector. However, the growing sophistication of both internal and external threats means that you must perform a good IT audit, even if you outsource your IT to another company.

94% of companies suffering from a catastrophic data loss do not survive – 43% never reopen and 51% close within two years. (UoT). An IT Audit makes a significant dent in these statistics dropping them. Don’t become one of the statistics.

 

Understanding IT Audits

So, what exactly is an IT audit?

An IT audit is a specific process for looking at your organisation’s technical configuration from top to bottom. Audits look at infrastructure, Disaster Recovery plans, Data security and policies.  

The purpose of an IT audit is to objectively examine the operating profile, software and security and configuration that the IT system of an organisation has. It helps to identify areas where you might be weak to attacks, disaster recovery issues, or possible areas for data loss.

By examining the security and configuration of the infrastructure used by the organisation, businesses can ensure that their IT system is not only protected from data loss but is also safe and secure. Think of an IT audit like a check-up at the doctor’s office – issues are found and identified during the process.

An Audit provided by JLex Networks is presented in non-technical English, split into organisational sections, and gives high level impacts on business operations and recommendations moving forward.

 

What does the IT Audit Cover?

Amongst many items, these high level categories are covered:

 

On premise Network hardware

This covers all switching and core network equipment on site, including connectivity. Often the lifeblood of the organisation. Potential issues identified here can cause a higher likely hood off major connection outages, that will often stop an organisation in its tracks.  

 

On premise Servers and highly available hardware.

This is an in depth coverage of physical and virtual servers on premise and covers a large number of items to ensure a major outage or irrecoverable data loss isn’t just around the corner. This section also covers all items linked to this including UPS systems, DR policies and plans, onsite and remote backup and more.

 

Cloud services

This sections covers all cloud services that the organisation is using, public or private. This covers in depth analysis of the configuration, license usage for cost saving and whether you are using the correct service for the workload. Cost savings are often significant and items that could cause major business outages are frequently identified.

 

Security and AV

This category includes in an in depth look at the currently patching policy, remove monitoring of virus threats on end user computers and infrastructure. This is often the highest cost impact when things go wrong. The Sony Wannacry hack caused Sony Pictures to cease all USA business operations for a period of over 14 days whilst their infrastructure ground to a halt. This was caused by a combination of poor AV management, poor and outdated patch management, and social engineering. All items that are highlighted on our audit, and items that are often neglected.

 

 

The IT Audit Process – Step-by-Step

 

1. The Planning Stage

A preliminary assessment is done to identify the operating environment, the structure of the company and what software or hardware is being used. This is often done onsite with the on site IT Staff or operational staff.

The IT auditor uses this information to identify auditable categories, plan for the data collection and work out timescales and objectives.

 

2. Process data collection

A successful IT audit process should cover all parts of your IT process. It should also outline the objectives for the audit and talk about the extent of the audit regarding duration, location, and what areas you’ll cover. Its at this stage that data on internal processes and procedures is obtained.

 

3. Collecting and Evaluating

Site visits will be carried out to obtain pictures, infrastructure information and identify hardware that is not managed. A remote software scan will also identify all equipment on each logical network and provide a landscape that we can map the data against.

 

4. Reporting Findings

The Audit findings are written into a comprehensive bound document. This document is split into organisational sections, similar to above, and gives a high level non-technical overview, and low level technical information on each section. Each section gives a grading from A to F, and an overview of what needs to be updated and its impact on the business.

The findings will often then be filtered back into a change management or consultation process to enact these changes. We often carry out these IT Audits for other businesses that have onsite IT resources or a managed support service with a third party. These Audits are used in the latter to ensure that the company is meeting their requirements and to ensure no large holes exist in the configuration.  

 

Final Thoughts

Any IT infrastructure you rely on needs to be audited, whether it’s the in-house team, outsourced IT, cloud service or a mixture. You need to perform regular audits to identify potential major weak points that are unidentified and prevent major outages before they affect your bottom line.  7 out of 10 small businesses that experience a major data loss go out of business within a year! (Source)

 

For more information on IT audits or to see how JLex can help with yours, contact us today.

 

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The Dental Box

Man brushing teeth

JLex helped us design, a tailored, secure, organised and compliant Dental telephone and Ethernet network.

We wanted a smooth and seamless set up which covered our communication and dental IT Support needs. Jlex organised everything, from the telephone line install with open reach to the professionally recorded greetings on our VoIP system.

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Destiny Devon

Retail IT support

Destiny Devon are a spiritual shop and lifestyle centre, operating from the famous Coffin house in the heart of beautiful Brixham. Destiny Devon have over 20 years’ experience sourcing exquisite and bespoke crystals from all over the world. Hosting fantastic workshops and Yoga classes. It is hard not to be drawn in by the shear passion from the owners.
JLex have been working with Destiny Devon since 2011 working closely together to ensure they receive they have the best IT support as well as IT consultancy to aid their Growth.

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Capable Travel

JLex undertook an infrastructure refresh for Capable Travel Ltd with a particular focus on updating the infrastructure for future growth and requirements. Particular effort was spent to track down the root cause of the many service interruptions they were experiencing and upgrading the infrastructure to prevent these from recurring.

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Membership to Sussex Chamber of Commerce

Sussex chamber of commerce logo

We have joined the Sussex Chamber of Commerce

We have proudly joined the Sussex chamber of commerce.

With an ever increasing business presence in the South of the UK, we have decided to expand our networking group to include the Sussex chamber of commerce. 

Take a look at their post regarding our membership below:

Here

JLex have one mission for 2023 and that is to expand our clientele with 5 star service and integrity. 

By joining The Sussex chamber of commerce, we hope to increase our visibility throughout Sussex as well as allow us to meet other businesses through networking events throughout the county.

We are completely location independent and can meet our fast response time and customer services goals, anywhere across the UK. Touch base to see how we can help you!


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What is Cyber Security and Why Do You Need it?

What is Cyber Security and Why Do You Need it?

Cyber-attacks can disable your business, costing money and customer trust. They can be avoided by having a solid Cyber Security plan in place, allowing business continuity and data security.

Cyber Security is critical for businesses. Digital engagement with customers is second nature now and those customers expect you to look after their data. If you want to capture data, you need to show you’re serious about looking after it. Yet only 13% of small businesses have cyber insurance and many do not have a Cyber Security plan, policy or protection in place.

Why the surge in cyber-attacks?

Cyber-attacks have been on the rise for some years. There are more and more ways for breaches to occur. Many of them are human – it just takes one click on a rogue email attachment to disable a whole system and render the data unusable.

Many businesses have a large network of remote connected devices, all of which are susceptible to cyber security breaches, data and privacy risks. The more your organisation becomes connected internally and with others – supply chains for example – the more exposure you have to cyber-attacks. Are you aware of what’s going on with every device? Do you have policies and procedures in place to deal with breaches and security? That includes monitoring all devices on a network.

Change is happening more quickly than ever and technology is developing at a rapid pace. That means businesses look to their cyber tools to deliver more value and efficiency to clients. At the same time, you need to say ahead of the curve with potential cyber risks and threats.

How can you maximise your cyber security?

There are steps every business should implement to help minimise their risk of a cyber-attack.

1.  Education. Not everyone understands the risks, where they come from, or the damage they can have. If you can train your teams and help them appreciate how damaging a cyber breach can be, you can change the culture of your workforce. The more understanding they have, the more equipped they will be to safeguard your business.

2. Improve Security. This one sounds obvious, but many businesses assume that their current processes are enough. Your data is the biggest asset you have. Is your security up to the job of protecting this vital part of your business?

3.  Find your weaknesses. Have a security audit to find out where your weaknesses are. Could it be your hardware, your software or your staff?

4.  Remove the risk. Look at your network and all those potential points of entry for a cyber-attack. Make your network watertight and remove the risk.

Cyber Security is an essential part of any organisation’s set up. It takes time and resources to get it just right and keep on top of the ever-evolving technologies but it’s too important to ignore. JLex has the expertise and time to set you up with a fit-for-purpose Cyber Security process, highlighting where any likely breaches might occur and implementing the tools to prevent breaches and substantial cost to your business.

 

Contact us to find out how we can work with you on your Cyber Security. We won’t blind you with technology, just explain it all so you can understand and see how it will benefit your business. 

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What is IT Management?

IT Management

What is IT Management?

It is essential for any business to make sure your IT infrastructure is up to date and working effectively. There is a large capital investment in IT and not only does this need to be looked after, but the systems, processes and planning you have in place can help move your business forward too.

As technology develops at an ever-increasing pace, so do the resources available to manage your IT. These now include hardware, cloud-based systems, mobile devices, and data collection technologies, not to mention the constantly emerging new tech. Unless you have a large IT team, with a suitably large budget, it can be hard to keep on top and ensure everything is in place to let your business run effectively. Outsourcing your IT management is a perfect way to get the best results.

What does IT Management include?

The IT professionals who look after the management of your IT have many hats to wear. Not every business needs every function covered, but responsibilities may include:

·        Supporting users

·        Implementing and adhering to security procedures

·        Database management

·        Website maintenance and development

·        Network administration

·        System upgrades and updates

·        Software maintenance and development

·        General project management

·        Recruiting and training new staff

It is common to outsource many of these tasks and remote IT management can be a highly cost effective option. You also have the benefit of increased flexibility, often with 24/7 cover, as well as alleviating the worry about holiday or sickness cover.

Why is IT Management so important?

When a company’s systems go down – even just their email – panic sets in. We are all so reliant on technology that we can’t afford lengthy downtime. Having a proper IT Management plan in place will include disaster recovery, easily accessible backups and business continuity. It also means there will be solid preventative measures in place too, such as firewalls and cyber security.

What skills are needed for IT Management?

Such a varied workload calls for a wide skillset. There are specialisms within the IT management field, such as programmers, analysts and network administrators. But some of the key skills needed across the IT board include:

·        Up-to-date technology knowledge

·        Budget management

·        Strategic thinking to maximise budgets, hardware and software, all the time looking to increase business productivity

·        Time management to ensure projects are completed on time and to budget

·        Leadership skills in driving projects forward and getting the most of our resources to hand

 At JLex, we are experts in IT management. We have the skillset needed to look after any aspect of your IT. We work remotely, taking the burden from you and freeing you to get on with the aspects of your business that need you more.

 

We pride ourselves on taking the mystery out of IT. We always speak to you in your language, not expecting you to understand our jargon. This way, you’ll always know what we’re doing, why we’re doing it and the impact it’ll have on your business. Most of the time you won’t even know we’re there, things will just get done.

 

To talk to us about outsourcing your IT Management, contact us and we’ll be delighted to look at some options tailored for your business.  

The Benefits of Microsoft 365

The Benefits of Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 is a powerful tool that helps businesses be more productive. You can use Microsoft 365 to collaborate on projects, manage your team’s workloads better and generally improve productivity. Best of all, it’s pretty intuitive too, so you don’t need to be an IT genius to make it work to your advantage.

What is Microsoft 365 and how does it work?

Microsoft 365 is Microsoft’s suite of applications that streamline your work admin processes. It includes Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel, as well as sharing services such as One Drive and SharePoint, plus the messaging and video app, Teams. You can manage it yourself via a purchased license, or your IT service provider can supply it for you if they are a certified Microsoft reseller.

 

What are the benefits of Microsoft 365?

Microsoft 365 is a cloud-based service so always accessible and guarantees safe storage of all your documents. You can use it across multiple devices and platforms, such as desktop and mobile, so you can work from anywhere in any way that makes sense for your business.

 

When using all of the tools in Microsoft 365 effectively, it can have a positive impact on your business’ productivity. You can share documents, create projects, manage deadlines and communicate across teams, just for starters.

 

·         Security: set up multi-factor authentication to stop others accessing your files. Plus Microsoft’s threat detection stops any such threats in their tracks.

·         Accessibility: cloud storage means you can access from files from any device you’re logged into, anywhere with an internet connection. Perfect for mobile and hybrid working.

·         Communication: keep in constant contact with your whole team from one platform. You can chat via Teams or Skype, email easily and reference the same documents in real time.

·         Budget friendly: no hidden costs with your Microsoft license. There are different pricing options according to your usage and you only pay for the licenses or users you have.

·         Business continuity: with all your files stored in the cloud, should your servers go down or worse, you can still access your work.

·         Latest version: upgrades are automatic with your Microsoft O365 subscription, so you don’t need to worry about not having the latest version. You will be notified when it’s time to download any upgrades.

·         Collaboration: with shared mailboxes and calendars, and shared folders and documents in SharePoint, collaboration between teams and individuals is straightforward.

 

How widely used in Microsoft 365?

More than a billion people globally use Word, Excel and PowerPoint in 105 languages. It’s no surprise then that it’s the most powerful suite of productivity tools available today. Whether you’re working on a spreadsheet, sending emails to your team, writing a report or creating a presentation, Microsoft 365 has the power to help you get it done.

 

With Microsoft 365, you don’t get just a single tool, but rather a suite of tools that all work together to help you communicate with your team more effectively. It is mainly designed for teams and sharing information, but works well for individual usage, given its adaptability and ease of use.

 

Integrating the power of Microsoft 365 into your business processes can help you work better from anywhere in the world. It’s a great tool to help you get things done faster and more efficiently wherever you and your team are based. JLex Networks can help you make the move to Microsoft 365, or support you if you already use it. We are also always happy to answer any questions you have about Microsoft 365 or any other IT-related issue.

What Is VoIP and What Are the Benefits?

Voip Phone

VoIP is the technology that allows you to make calls using a computer connected to the internet. It is short for Voice over Internet Protocol and essentially switches your voice into a digital signal, enabling it to be sent over the internet. No more handsets or copper wires. All you need is an internet connection, a computer and a headset.

VoiP services can be adapted for different businesses, and you can either manage your own VoIP system or another company can host it for you. The biggest advantage of a hosted service is you don’t have to worry about anything, such as software updates and hardware, and can just use it as you would a standard telephone service.

Benefits of VoIP

  • Adaptable: VoIP works for all sizes of team, remote or office-based. You can choose your preferred hardware too, depending on whether you prefer desktop phones or want to route calls through your computers.
  • Reliable: VoIP calls made and received are clear and of high quality because they are made through your internet connection. No crackly lines or signal dropping.
  • Cost Effective: Because you are using existing internet connections, there’s no extra cost for arranging and maintaining separate phone lines, and potentially very little cost for hardware. 
  • Simple integration: VoIP integrates with most other business software. This makes it easy to transition to VoIP and once your systems are integrated, can help you capitalise on your software’s features. For example, sharing data between your VoIP system and your CRM.
  • Customer satisfaction: It’s easy to have several VoIP lines to manage call queues and avoid placing customers on hold. You can also use AI services to help customers, and route them to the right place.
  • Business growth: New team members can be added quickly and easily to a VoIP system. If you’re moving to bigger premises or expanding into a different country, your VoIP system can move with you.
  • More services: VoIP systems offer several communication methods on top of regular voice calls, such as text, email and video calling. Giving your customers different methods of getting in touch with you is great for the customer journey.
  • Improve productivity: VoIP is great for group calls, making it perfect for remote teams. You can also tailor the system to your specific business needs, including answering services, voicemail delivered to your inbox and call reminders. No more missed calls and messages!

Is VoIP Right For Your Business?

VoIP works for any business. Like with any new systems, the key is in making the right choices before you invest. Always speak to a professional partner who can advise on the best system or package for your specific needs.

JLex has extensive experience in the VoIP sector. We can convert your existing telephone systems quickly and painlessly, whatever the size of your company. And we will always make sure you know exactly how it works and what extra benefits VoIP will bring to your business. Get in touch with us for an initial chat and to find out more.