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The need to be connected with external people

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How do successful companies connect their global workforce? - The Manufacturer

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The success of large organisations is increasingly down to the ability of employees to leverage communication and productivity-enhancing tools to work collaboratively, regardless of distance or time. Thanks to the advent of digital, internet-enabled technologies, the world has never been more connected; yet our ability to create deep, meaningful connections appears to be diminishing.

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They find the most reliable and financial efficient way to be connected to the world

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Are you curious to know the most common IT problems your business is facing? These IT problems could even be occurring in your business every day without your knowledge.

One of the best ways to plan for the future of your business is to learn about the current struggles your company and employees face on a day-to-day basis. This knowledge brings the power of change and better ways to implement strategies for growth and success.

Technology is an ever-changing part of our world today. Right as we seem to get the latest and greatest piece of technology, a newer and smarter model is hitting the market.

To avoid some of these technology issues, it's essential to learn the most common IT problems that are taking place at your workplace.

Issues can be as small as slow performance or as drastic as the infamous "blue screen of death". Many of them can be resolved with as little as restarting your computer.

The more you know about these IT problems, the easier it'll be to control and resolve them.

Before we get into these common IT problems, you might want to read an article we published, Basic IT Skills - How Do I Teach Myself Basic IT Support?

Computer problems and technology issues are bound to happen, even if you have an experienced IT team. It's a smart idea to teach yourself some basic IT support skills that could potentially help you solve your most common IT problems.

Now, let's dive into some of these common IT problems and take a look at possible solutions!

Common IT Problems: Is Your Business At Risk?

Even if you have the best team of IT experts with the most secure databases in the world, your company is probably still at risk. We hate to say it, but you might not have as much control over your network and servers as you think you do.

Investing your time in knowing and understanding your office technology is important. The more you know about common IT problems, the better you'll be at preventing them from happening!

Also, keep in mind that some of these common IT problems are much different for businesses than they are for your personal or home devices.

1. Poor (or nonexistent) Network Security

Network security is considered one the most critical parts of keeping your business safe, along with avoiding common IT problems that little or no network security could bring.

Having a safe and secure network is important for any sized business, even if your company only has 5 employees.

Hackers don't discriminate when it comes to attacking your business files and employee data. Sometimes, cybercriminals specifically target small businesses because they know a smaller business might not have a robust security policy or can be breached with as little as a friendly phone call to your staff.

Cybersecurity is something to be proactive about, and you can take many steps to ensure your network and technology devices are safe and secure.

Make sure your employees are well-trained in security principles, your company's firewall is enabled, all company data is backed up, and you're maintaining the upkeep of your passwords.

To learn more about these IT security tips, read our article, Network Security Issues: 10 Tips to Keep Your Business Secure.

2. Lack of Professional or Qualified Experience

Ever heard of Managed IT Services? Just because you outsource your managed IT services doesn't necessarily mean you have to get rid of some of the members of your IT department.

It may just mean those employees can focus on less technical issues that might be overly-complicated or overwhelming for them to tackle on a day-to-day basis.

An experienced and knowledgeable managed IT services provider can efficiently assist and monitor email and web hosting, data storage, server, and network maintenance, and much more.

A managed IT services professional monitors and works on your most complicated IT issues. They free up your in-house staff, allowing them to tackle new projects. They also create new initiatives that can improve your business operations.

3. The Downfall of Old Technology

There's nothing worse than having your old and slow-working IT systems fail and not having the resources to fix them because of how out-of-date they are.

One of the best ways to resolve a common IT problem, such as old technology, is the implementation of new technology as well as the fast installation of this technology.

It's important that either you or your IT team begin tackling your IT projects the second you receive new devices or the money to purchase them.

A managed IT team is an excellent resource for your company as they're always looking for new and updated technology the second it comes out on the market. The more updated and newer your IT systems are, the fewer IT problems you'll have now, and in the future.

4. No Data Backup / Backup Issues

Uh oh... you get to work on a Monday morning and find out all of your data is gone. This can be caused by overloaded routers.

What do you do? If you have a solid backup strategy, you'll be back in business quickly. However, If you're like 65% of SMBs, you don't have a backup strategy or plan.

Like we said earlier about security, a data backup plan is something every business should have in place, no matter the size of the company.

You might not know it, but failing to back-up your data can actually be correlated with costing your business money. The costs associated with a data breach can leave you thousands and thousands of dollars in the hole.

5. No Mobile Device Action Plan

Mobile devices (business or personal), such as smartphones and tablets, can, unfortunately, create significant security and management challenges, especially if they hold confidential information or can access your corporate network.

With as much remote work we all do nowadays, a mobile device plan is pretty imperative when assessing common IT problems.

Make sure you require all mobile users to password-protect their devices (change them regularly), encrypt their data, and install security apps. This helps prevent criminals from stealing information while the mobile device is on public networks.

Since these devices are portable, be sure to set reporting procedures for lost or stolen devices and communicate this to your staff.

6. Unplugged: Which Cable Goes Where?

This common IT problem for businesses might seem more like common sense, but hear us out.

Most printers, copiers, and computers offer so many different functions. With an increase in function comes an increase in the number of cables and cords attached to a machine.

You might even feel overwhelmed by the number of cables running in and out of the system that you're afraid to touch anything at all.

However, most of the external cables connected to your machine are simple, typically consisting of:

The power cable

The USB cable

The Ethernet cable

The printer, copier, or computer cable (today this is most likely an Ethernet or USB cable)

Extra hook up cables, such as a mouse or keyboard

Take a little extra time to learn what each cable does and where each cable is supposed to plug in to, whether it be the wall or a device. This tip is helpful the next time an IT problem appears.

Sometimes you have a loose cord that continues to slip out of your machine. Double check all your wires and cables when a problem arises to make sure the cables are all securely plugged in.

7. Poor Judgement of Online Safety

Safety, safety, safety. We can't stress this enough! Using good judgment when using the internet is so critical in protecting your company, and avoiding the common IT problem of an unsecured network.

Ever see something like this?
"CONGRATULATIONS! You're the 1,000,000 visitor to our website! Click here to claim your prize of $1,000,000!"
We hate to break it to you, but you didn't win. Advertisements like this are ripe with malware and other software that puts your computer at a high-security risk.

Learning how to judge the relative safety of a website helps avoid those that may harm your computer. The reason that these types of email offers exist because they work.

The amount of scams taking place every day on the internet is frightening, but also something you can prevent by being cautious of the sites you visit and the information you release.

Read more on online safety from an article published by Consumer Reports, The Data Breach Next Door.

8. Hardware or Software Issues

Are you getting sick of seeing system failure or error messages? When it comes to software and IT, it's no secret that it's not a matter of "if" it will break, but "when."

Unfortunately, when it does break, a simple reboot of your smartphone or laptop isn't going to fix it. If you don't have the necessary resources present to replace and repair the software, you're looking at a significant loss, possibly even company-wide.

Many businesses also forget that all technology devices have a lifespan, no matter how advanced they might seem. Manufacturers are in the business of selling you their latest and greatest products so sometimes, repairs can even cost more than purchasing a brand new machine or device.

Learn the life cycle of all IT devices, and put it to rest at the proper time and standardize your hardware components and software applications. You don't have to do this on your own. If you don't already outsource your IT, look into doing so.

9. Too Many Employees Have Access To Data and Information

Although it's important that all employees at your company are equipped with the tools they need to do their job. However, there's no need to give them access to things they don't need access to, such as network passwords and information.

It might make sense to have just one employee control all access to your company's data systems. However, this is not the best way to prevent network security issues.

Employees should only be given access to the specific data systems that they need for their specific job duties and should not be able to install any software without permission from you or the IT controller.

10. Lacking an IT Plan

There are certain things you can prepare for when it comes to IT, but not when it comes to a security breach or natural disaster. This is where an IT plan and a managed IT services team comes in handy.

Outsourcing your company's IT needs is certainly a big move to make that takes careful consideration and planning. Becoming educated and more familiar with managed IT services significantly benefits your business in more ways than one.

Managed IT services saves your employees time, saves your business money, provides you with remote monitoring for a safer network, brings subject matter experts, and even gives you access to more customizable services.

For more information on everything to do with Managed IT Services, check out our resource page, here.

To learn more about managed IT services and how these services benefit your business, read our article, Top 5 Things You Should Know About Managed IT Services.

Knowing all there is to know about the most common IT problems for businesses probably doesn't sound so basic to you, and that's perfectly ok. Computers, copiers, and printers can be challenging to learn, which is why we want to give you the resources to do so. If you want to learn more about tech support and resolutions, reach out to us here and let us know. Don't forget to check out our latest informative and entertaining videos on, The Copier Channel. Our job is to give you peace of mind to help you win more business.

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Top 10 Most Common IT Problems For Businesses (With Easy Solutions)

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Are you interested in learning the Top 10 Most Common IT Problems for Businesses? We walk you through IT issues your business might currently face, as well as great ideas for preventative measures and quick resolutions. READ TIME: 8 MINS

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Communication service

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Communication is a vital part of our life. In today's technology-driven world, most of the communication is through electronic means termed as "Telecommunication". The term telecommunication is also referred to as Telecom through which we exchange information with each other over certain distances by electronic devices or mediums. This includes all types of data, voice, and video transmission. Most of the time, we interact with our Smartphones or laptops by using internet technology. So, different devices related to transmitting information such as phones (wireless or wired), televisions, laptops, satellites, radios, internet, etc. rely on telecom for providing us various content related to education, work, and entertainment.

The telecommunication industry consists of telecom companies that are telecommunication service providers for providing data or voice transmission services. Communication on a global scale is possible through these companies by means of phone or airwaves or the internet or cables or via wireless medium or wired. The technology infrastructure developed by telecom companies allows sending of data throughout the world in the form of voice, audio, words, or video. The various segments of these companies include telephone operators, cable network companies, satellite companies, cellphone and wireless service providers, and ISPs (internet service providers). So the telecom companies provide infrastructure facilities for communications and data transmission. Telecommunication services offered by telecom companies are mainly of two types, i.e. Wireless telecommunication services and diversified telecommunication services. Diversified telecommunication is further categorized into alternative carriers and Integrated telecommunication services. The description of these can be viewed in the below chart:
Types of Telecommunication Services
Few such renowned telecommunication service provider companies are Verizon, AT&T, Airtel, Idea Cellular, Reliance Jio, Vodafone, Airtel, Tata communication, BSNL, and many more.

Telecommunication or telecom word is derived from combining two words i.e. tele (means distant) which is a Greek prefix and communicare (means to share) which is a Latin word. The beginning of the telecom sector in the 1830s is associated with telegraph invention, which is considered as the first mechanical device for communication. This device facilitated a reduced period of communication, i.e. from days to a couple of hours. Earlier, physical wires were required to connect businesses and homes. Today, the primary way of communication is through wireless digital technology. The telecom system has become more decentralized from a few big players. In present, telecom is more about images i.e. video streaming, high-speed broadband internet access, email communication.

Current Business Models of Telecom Companies

Different elements mentioned in the above business model canvas of Telecom Companies are as under:

Offerings or the value proposition refer to different products and services as well as their key benefits offered by different firms.

For individuals and households

The value proposition of telecom companies aimed at providing communication services to customers and providing access to the internet, own network access, network access of other network operators.

Telecom companies provide data and voice services i.e. phone service (both wired and wireless), television, internet, business, and home networking, etc.

Various services and benefits are offered by telecom companies like Wireless telecommunication, Fixed telecommunication, and Fixed broadband facility. Apart from providing Fixed telecommunication or landline traditional communication services, telecom companies also facilitate data service and wireless systems. Also, the television set is available of higher bandwidth speeds through fibre optics which is improved infrastructure.

For fixed telecommunication or basic landline, various options are available for end-users. Basic voice packages are offered by telecom companies that include calling, caller ID, and call waiting features.

Broadband internet access is one of the beneficial and most popular services provided by telecom companies. Discounted packages are also available for offering different services altogether, i.e., telephone.

One unique service offered by telecom companies is Mobile money or mobile wallets. Various main telecom companies have facilitated users with mobile wallets such as Reliance Jio Wallet, Airtel Money, Vodafone M-Pesa. for the purpose of providing digital payment facilities to customers. The various benefits of mobile money include money-saving in an efficient and effective way, means of transferring funds that is both inexpensive and easy, providing access to unbanked people for basic financial services, and other financial service access i.e. loans, insurance, etc.

For businesses or corporate

The Value proposition offered by telecom companies to corporate or businesses are as under:

Better communication: Telecom companies provide information networks that can be electronically exchanged using both wireless and wired methods. This information is sharable across the country and in different rooms. Few examples are fax machines, telephone, handheld devices for communication, and computers that are internet-connected. Capabilities have increased through mobile communication devices offered by telecom companies, i.e. tablets and smartphones. Using these devices, employees can access various applications and information, exchange emails, work on different documents, and attend conversations through teleconference.

Team collaboration enhancement: Most of the organizations or businesses have cross-functional teams who work together on various business aspects such as new product development, corporate initiatives, marketing campaigns, etc. For these, they get together in the form of various meetings regularly to discuss plans, progress, and ideas. Telecom companies support this get together of employees by providing the access and capabilities for communication.

Flexibility enhancement: During global crises like today's Covid-19 pandemic, organizations prefer remote working of employees for safety. Also, different roles demand excessive travelling for client meetings or training purposes. For all these requirements, telecom companies provide appropriate communication and data services to let the employees and their superiors stay connected to each other.

Superior customer service: Through 24/7 internet broadband services, landline, and wireless phone services; it is convenient for customers to communicate for any query or service. The telecom companies facilitate effective communication between organization and customers with various offerings that helps organization to strengthen its customer relationship both with current and prospective customers as well as brand value.

This includes different segments of customers to whom telecom companies deliver their offerings or value proposition.

Wireless consumer segment: This includes different residential customers and corporate. Different residential customers mostly take data and voice services. This segment is further categorized into Post-paid and Pre-paid customers.

Wired or Wireline customer segment: Businesses i.e. medium and large enterprises fall under this category as they mostly have a worldwide presence. The need for telecommunications services for these enterprises is much wider than individual residential customer needs. Their requirement includes geographic coverage, customized, and reliable services. Networking solutions, advanced voice and video communications, fixed-line infrastructure are also required by them. So, large multinational companies look for heavy investment in telecom infrastructure to facilitate wide operation network.

Other telecom companies: Telecom companies also provide network connectivity services to different other network companies that require it.

This includes the network of different partners and suppliers that facilitate a business model to operate.

In the case of telecom companies, various infrastructure vendors, network operators, device or equipment manufacturers, etc. are the main key partners. Telecom service providers purchase mobile devices from manufacturers of these devices, i.e. device manufacturers. They further sell the devices to customers or end-users to enhance or make their customer portfolio. To build networks, service providers take services of infrastructure vendors and also, tie-up with other network operators for traffic agreements in order to allow the access of other networks to their customers.

All those primary activities that a business is indulged into for the main purpose of earning profit are considered as key activities of a business model.

The key activities of telecom companies consist of mainly 4 activities i.e. voice, data provision, messaging, and provision related to broadband services.

Voice: Voice telecommunication or Telephony communication is related to a sound communication between people over a distance through wireless or wire phones and other related technology. Different telecom service providers supply voice telecommunication services by either their own network infrastructure or using the network infrastructure of a network operator.

Data provision: This includes all the multimedia content traffic between different parties i.e. application, service, end-users, etc. Telecom companies provide a lot of products and services to facilitate customers with increase access to data services. Few of such services are related to supporting access to music, internet, television, and game services.

Messaging: Another key activity of telecom companies is message services that include both SMS and MMS services. SMS stands for short message service and MMS is a multimedia messaging service. Both services are used for sending and receiving messages through the mobile handset and different other devices. SMS allows customers to exchange short messages in the form of text messages to and from mobile phone devices. Wherein, MMS service offers customers to send and receive multimedia based messages in the form of music, pictures, videos, sound, and text as well.

Broadband services: Broadband internet connection services are also provided by telecom companies.

The key resources are as under

Physical network infrastructure e. towers and cables that enable telecom companies to operate their telecommunications network across the globe. The network infrastructure of telecom companies is the main source to deliver their voice, data, and messaging services to customers. Customers are connected through the network's access part which ultimately links to the core network. The core network manages routing and set-up of calls, message transfers, and data connections.

Licenses: Through licenses, telecom companies can deliver mobile and fixed communication services to customers.

Human capital: Sales and marketing team, technical team, supply chain management team, etc. play a significant role in the operation of telecom companies.

Suppliers or supply chain management: Handset or device manufacturers, network equipment manufacturers, IT, and marketing service providers are also key resources of telecom companies.

Apart from above, a few other key resources include IT capabilities, partnerships and alliances, Research & Development, etc.

Channels

Different channels which facilitate telecom companies in communication with end-users include retail chains, internet, own physical stores, sales and marketing team, Mobile apps, websites, social media, etc. Telecom companies have direct stores that they own and sell their services to customers and for customer support services. The sales force is also an important key channel for promoting and selling telecom products and services along with providing customers with a user friendly and easy way to access support and manage their services. Different indirect distribution channels such as retailers, distributors, third-party service providers, dealers, etc. are also key channels of telecom companies.

Telecom companies build and enhance customer relationship through providing a bundle of services along with more attractive data plans. The regular investment in their network up-gradation also facilitates them to offer much better customer services. The sales team of telecom companies is available for accessing their services in the store or over the phone. Also, customers can take services from their website and mobile app as well. Customer interaction is also available through social media such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. An exclusive help and support section is usually maintained by telecom companies on their website to support customers in their issues and queries.

Expenses of telecom companies include infrastructure development and network maintenance cost, network installation cost, after sale support services, IT capacity development costing, Licenses cost, etc. Other elements of cost structure comprise salary and benefits to staff, retail outlets, etc.

Telecom companies make money in various ways. Earlier just telephone calls were the only source of the biggest revenue for the companies but now due to advance network technology, the revenue scenario is evolving. Now telecom is focusing less on voice and more focus is on text, video, and data. More revenue sources are inclined towards services that are delivered over mobile networks. Internet access that provides computer-centric data apps like interactive entertainment and broadband services is contributing to revenue generation of telecom companies.
Revenue Model of Telecom Companies

Telecom companies generate revenue via subscription mobile services, fixed landline, and wireless broadband services. These companies offer a high-speed broadband facility, wireless network, and mobile security-related services to businesses. Money is earned by providing entertainment services such as television and advertising facilities, etc.

Income from fixed-data services: Such as IP, satellite, Integrated Services Digital Network, etc.

Retail fixed-voice service revenue: Comes from the sale of all services to end-users. This includes voice-related long-distance and local services such as line subscription/rental, calling charges, and fee-related to the connection.

Mobile telecom services revenue: This includes income earned via mobile data usages such as SMS, mobile data access, and mobile phone calls.

Mobility segment i.e. wireless and mobile subscription services also contribute to the revenue of telecom companies. These companies charge from big multinationals for premium services such as video-conferencing and high-security private networks.

Telecom companies also source revenue from other telecom companies by providing them with network connectivity.

Emerging Business Model of Telecom Companies

The telecom companies play a significant and central role in the lives of people and businesses. To ensure innovative communication services such as broadband and other services like 4G or recent 5G up-gradation, these companies are required to bear huge investments. The appropriate return on these investments is connected and challenged by the extremely competitive environment of the telecom sector. Today, telecom companies work in saturated and much mature markets. To add new products and services is becoming challenging as severe competition with over-the-top service providing companies such as WhatsApp.

Below are the different aspects that are creating demand for adopting new business models by telecom companies:

Voice service demand declining: One of the key challenges telecom companies are facing today is the maturity of their mobile voice services and declining of the traditional business i.e. fixed-line. Nowadays data connectivity or network access is the primary or main product and voice is considered as a feature of any app rather than the main product.

The entry of over-the-top (OTT) players: OTT apps such as WeChat, WhatsApp are over-taking the traditional ecosystem. The free voice and video calls, text messages, etc. are the benefits of these OTT players over similar paid services of telecom companies.

Evolving customer priorities: The rapid changes in expectations of customers are also key reasons for restructuring the business model of telecom companies. For example, people now use multiple devices for internet access.

So, the rapidly changing business environment of telecom companies demands a more innovative business model. The new era of the digital customer, a decline in revenue streams, and also upcoming opportunities in emerging sectors, etc. are the clear indication that the current business model of the telecom industry demands innovation-based on the latest and advanced technology system.
The emerging business model of telecom companies in a world of 5G technology
In the coming 5G technology in the communication industry, different emerging business models can be adopted by telecom service providers. The two main alternatives available for telecom companies are:

Continuation of their core operations

Diversification into digital services and transformation into a digital enterprise.

Telecom companies as a provider of connectivity: In this business model, the main focus is on the core business of telecom companies i.e., connectivity. Different key factors to be considered are growth in ARPU (Average revenue per user), IoT (Internet of things) connectivity, subscriber growth, etc.

Partnership-based business model: This business model includes the partnership-based business of telecom companies. The partner may be an application provider of 3rd party for providing content or a Virtual Network Operator.

Business model as a provider of digital services: In this business model, telecom companies provide services beyond the services of core connectivity i.e. digital services such as smart homes, financial services, and Video content.

Location-based service business model: Telecom companies are coming up with various services that are based on usage data of cell-phone and location tracking. For example, the tracking of agents of insurance companies can be easier using this data and it will be easy to monitor the time spent by them with clients. Moreover, different services are being tested by telecom companies to enable truckers to reschedule deliveries or reroute through real-time based traffic information.

The tremendous growth in the telecom industry can be seen over the last decade. Though the telecom industry provides a lot of services to its customers, the telecom companies are still struggling to choose an appropriate business model in today's technology-driven environment. Business models of telecom companies are being transformed. New opportunities for these companies have emerged due to the adoption of social networking, the proliferation of devices, cloud computing, and wireless mobility at a much wider level.

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Communication is a vital part of our life. In today's technology-driven world, most of the communication is through electronic means termed as "Telecommunication". The term telecommunication is also referred to as Telecom through which we exchange information with each other over certain distances by electronic devices or mediums. This includes all types of data, voice, and video transmission.

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They cater for any business and offer solutions from different providers

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Lascom Solutions VoIP Telephone Systems - Lascom Solutions

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Lascom Solutions Telecommunications for all business sizes, VoIP telephone systems, Broadband, Business mobiles, Leased lines, SMS text message marketing