What's the point of technology if it is not helping you succeed? If your IT is too complicated or causing expensive downtime, you're not getting the most out of your technology. There are a number of reasons why businesses consider using a managed IT services provider. At its core, each reason is the same – business technology simply isn't working well enough to support the company.

By offering an impressive suite of managed IT services, the professionals at Aqua Sierra Controls can help streamline your business processes and empower your workforce. You don't pay for technology you don't need, and you don't have to commit to a long-term contract. This flexibility means your IT managed services are fully flexible and scalable. As your business grows, we are more than happy to explore options that provide you with everything you need to remain leaders in your industry.

Our approach ensures productive businesses partnerships. As your company succeeds, so does ours. Technology should drive your profitability, efficiency, security and productivity. As trusted managed services providers, we make technology work for you so you can focus on your bottom line.

Managed Services that Specifically Meet your Company's Needs

Your business is unique, which means your IT should be custom tailored to drive your vision forward. However, the foundation of robust managed services is surprisingly similar. A one-size-fits-all approach to technology often falls short because you either lack some important element, or pay for services you never use.

Our IT support professionals start with a solid foundation and then work as your partner to fully realize a comprehensive IT infrastructure based on your needs, budget and culture. When problems arise, we offer unmatched customer support to ensure costly downtime doesn't derail performance. Just some of the managed services we provide include:

• Network management
• Server management
• Network design
• Deployment and migration solutions
• Remediation and repair services
• Comprehensive IT planning
• Uninterrupted support
• Security and software updates
• Network installation

This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it gives you an idea of how our knowledge can help your business grow and become more profitable over time. What are the benefits of allowing our team of professionals to handle all or part of your managed IT services?

• Increased employee productivity – If you try to take shortcuts with technology, it leads to problems and expensive downtime. We can also provide you with cloud-based managed services that allow your workers to safely access your IT infrastructure from anywhere on almost any device. Not only does this empower your employees to excel, it also significantly reduces the risk of costly downtime.
• Increased security from cyber threats – Let's face it, cyber security has become one of the most important aspects of business technology. Small businesses are at the greatest risk, so it's essential to work with a managed services provider that understands the value of your data and how to keep it secure. We employ a variety of cyber security protocols for clients who simply cannot risk a data breach.
• Increased knowledge to support your business – Technology should help you succeed by providing you with data you can use to refine your business focus. Detailed reports and constant monitoring provide you with data you can use to streamline processes, maximize productivity and develop creative solutions to complex problems.

Get the most out of technology with help from the full-time staff and certified team of technicians and engineers at Aqua Sierra Controls.

Cyber security is one of the most important measures your organization should make as a priority. Cyber attacks and unauthorized intrusions are ever evolving and escalating at lightning speed. The statistics on data breaches are staggering, and increasing in severity as well. There are several factors to consider when a business is hacked. Number one is the cost associated with these crimes. It is crucial to understand the general landscape of metrics surrounding the host of cyber security issues, such as malware, viruses, ransomware, etc., and what it can cost your business.

Did you know employees are the weakest link in network security and can create the greatest cyber security risks? With new threats emerging every day, making company-wide changes, improving overall security behavior and training your employees in cyber security, it is possible to protect your company from most cyber attacks.

Make the right choice

Choose a cyber security services partner that offers not only solutions and security in defending against non-stop universal threats to protect your business around the clock. Improve your overall operations, efficiency and security and rest assured that as your managed service provider, we are protecting the livelihood of your business.

Let us handle your cyber security needs while you focus on your bottom line. Technology should be working for you, not the other way around. We are ready to help.

The internet is changing the way people conduct business, and cloud services are making it more versatile. Cloud computing is becoming more popular than the traditional ways due to infrastructure costs, scalability, business continuity, collaboration efficiency and flexibility for anywhere, anytime access to resources. It is best described as renting versus buying server space or access to software from a cloud service provider and paying for only the services needed. Cloud services are usually segmented into public (internet – online services), private (internal – on premise) or a hybrid of both.

With our cloud IT solutions, we offer tailor-made IT solutions that are secure, scalable and most suited for your individual needs. It typically means a split between public and private cloud services, a hybrid of both, for performance and redundancy purposes. We partner with only the top players in the field, such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS).

As your Managed Service Provider (MSP), we can provide you with a suitable strategy for your cloud computing security considerations.

Cloud Computing

There are three basic varieties of cloud computing, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. When working with clients, one of our primary goals is to develop an IT cloud computing solution that meets their needs. This sounds easy enough, but there are many factors to consider. The most effective way to build an IT infrastructure foundation is to understand the basics and then build from there. Let's review the three varieties of cloud deployment.

Private Cloud services are used by a single company or organization. As the name suggests, data is not exposed to the public, which allows for enhanced security. Only the company that houses the private cloud can access the data and manage it. The private cloud is also protected behind a firewall. Features of a private cloud include:

• Single tenancy
• No public exposure
• Data Center located in the company's network
• Hardware owned by the company
• More expensive than alternatives

Some organizations and companies require private cloud IT infrastructure because they must protect sensitive data.

Our team of engineers can help customize a private cloud solution specifically tailored to your company needs. You have complete control over the way your cloud services are customized and controlled. Privacy and security are maximized, and there are a variety of tools we may suggest to help you reach business objectives.

Public Cloud services are totally virtualized and provide an environment where shared resources are leveraged while maintaining the privacy of each user’s data. They are highly beneficial for many companies, however, mostly larger companies use them. They reduce the need for them to purchase and maintain their own in-house servers and storage. Some of the features of public cloud services include:

• Multi-tenancy
• Public access to cloud services
• Internet access
• Cloud services provided by your managed services provider
• Hardware provided by cloud services provider
• Less expensive than a private cloud

There are a number of reasons why companies choose public cloud services. We can help you explore this option in full to maximize the value of your IT infrastructure and cyber security budget.

Hybrid Cloud services are a combination of private and public cloud computing solutions. You may need to use a private server to house sensitive data and applications while using a public cloud for those that are less sensitive. Users have access to both private and public clouds, so their experience should be seamless. Some hybrid cloud features include:

• Both single and multi-tenancy (based on where data is stored)
• Public cloud accessible by anyone versus private cloud accessible by user
• Private cloud located internally versus public cloud accessible via the Internet
• Private cloud managed internally versus public cloud managed by cloud services provider
• Cost benefits may be substantial or minimal, depending on the circumstances

Integrating public and private cloud usage into your cloud computing solution may be a viable and more affordable IT solution. With cyber security issues at an all-time high, you will also have to weigh your business' data protection needs. We can help you develop a comprehensive solution based on your company's unique demands.

Customizing a cloud computing solution for your business

Competing in today's global economy requires getting the most out of your technology. We can help you craft a solution that maximizes your business's potential and reduce the cost of maintaining a fully-staffed in-house IT support team. You can focus on business as we ensure your IT operates as expected in the background. Indeed, the best IT infrastructure is one you seldom notice, and that's where our team of professionals excel.

Customizing your cloud services starts by understanding your business and workflow. With a host of tools at our disposal, we can develop an IT support solution that grows along with your business. Best of all, you won't have to pay for services you don't use.

Contact one of our experienced IT engineers today and find out if there is a cloud solution that will work for you.

Your data is as a precious commodity, and your business depends on it for everything. If your network should ever fail for any reason, albeit a natural disaster or other, you need a backup service to recover and restore everything you lost on your server. You can be prepared for the unexpected with complete data recovery solutions to eliminate the risk of losing your data in the event of a catastrophe.

Understanding Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR)

There is no escaping this unavoidable truth – all technology eventually fails. When hardware that stores your data fails, it can be costly or even disastrous unless you're prepared. Every business owner's continuity plan should include a disaster recovery solution that acknowledges the inevitable.

Hard drives are unpredictable pieces of hardware and can malfunction at any time. But hardware failure isn't the only issue that can lead to data loss if you're unprepared. Natural disasters and cyber attacks can also cripple companies without a disaster recovery plan in place. Not only should data be backed up, but it must also be quickly recoverable so that downtime is limited if an unforeseen event takes place.

Not so long ago, backup and disaster recovery was cumbersome and had to be performed manually. Today's backup and disaster recovery solutions are often cloud-based, which means they are more secure, monitored and reliable. Continuous backup means that all data is protected in real time. Our BDR systems are also highly customizable, so we can work with you to develop a backup solution that compliments your workflow.

The Different Varieties of Backup

Every business employs its own workflow. Understanding the different varieties of backup can help you determine what would work best for your company. Let's review these options one-by-one.

• Full backup – All folders and files are entirely backed up. Full backup is often accompanied by differential or incremental backups when it's used initially. Full backups contain all data every time it is performed. While this process is simple, it consumes a lot of storage space and takes longer to perform than other options.
• Differential backup – After a full backup is performed, subsequent backups only include changes that have been made. Backup speeds are increased and storage is used more efficiently, but restore times are slowed.
• Incremental backup – After a full backup is performed, subsequent backups store changes whether the previous cycle was full or incremental.
• Mirror backup – Real-time duplicates of the source are referred to as a mirror backup. If a source file is created or deleted, it is created or deleted in the mirror backup. Mirror backups are vulnerable to user error and cyber attack because an accidentally deleted file will be deleted in the mirror, and a virus can be copied in the same manner. Some mirror backup services will not delete files within the mirror for a period of time to protect users from accidental data loss.
• Local backup – If the storage medium is maintained on-site, it is referred to as local backup. This is the most rudimentary variety of backup but does not offer any redundancy or cloud-based protections.
• Cloud backup (remote backup) – Data is stored offsite at a remote location and backed up through the cloud. This technology offers the highest levels of protection from data loss caused by unforeseen events like natural disasters.

Our data recovery solution is a proven way to ensure your business is quickly backing up and running when disaster strikes. This comprehensive disk-based, full-image solution for business continuity works by taking server snapshots during the day and storing them at a remote location. Your business data is protected while you maintain productivity and limit financial losses that a failure can cause.

If you would like more information about our BDR, our experienced client success managers can help. Contact us today.

There’s more to leveraging IT than just buying the latest device or installing the newest software. These generic solutions can be superfluous to your business model and goals, as well as expensive. A one-size-fits-all approach will often cost more than the return it provides, leaving you in the red on your IT expenditures.

Aqua Sierra Controls' experts leverage their technology expertise and business acumen to understand your business model and IT environment to recommend specific, personalized IT improvements. Whether you need unbreachable cybersecurity defenses, cloud consulting, technical support, or a virtual CTO, our business savvy tech experts will optimize your systems for leaner operations and higher productivity, taking your business where it needs to go.

Contact Aqua Sierra Controls today for your personalized IT solution.

Here is where the power of cloud services and a fully supported IT infrastructure comes into play. Here at Aqua Sierra Controls, we can connect your SCADA systems, which are used to monitor and control a plant or equipment in industries such as telecommunications, water and waste control, energy, oil and gas refining and transportation to your IT infrastructure so it can fully integrate with your Cloud Services, your Managed Services, your Managed Security, and Backup & Disaster Recovery systems.

Aqua Sierra Controls is uniquely positioned to offer this service of full integration!

Contact Aqua Sierra Controls today for your personalized SCADA IT solution.