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January 2017CONTENTS Features3 what's the difference between managed services and staff aumentation? When looking at managed service providers and staff augmentation firms, which is the better choice for your business?5 Help Desk VS. Service Desk The terms Help Desk and Service Desk are often used interchangeably, but the two are actually different services. Do you know the difference?10 Ten Factors to consider when selecting a managed services provider Selecting an MSP is one of the most important choices your company will make. Be sure to consider these 10 criteria before you make your decision.15 You're working with an MSP now what? Your MSP is already having an impact at your company, but how will they keep the momentum going? Learn how Continual Service Improvement can help.Also in this issue 2017 Trends pg. 17 - Being prepared for new IT trends can help your business succeed in 2017. Is your company ready?2017 Trends pg. 17 - Being prepared for new IT trends can helpyour business succeed in 2017. Is your company ready? 2017 Trends pg. 17 - Being prepared for new IT trends can help your business succeed in 2017. Is your company ready?2017 Trends pg. 17 - Being prepared for new IT trends can helpyour business succeed in 2017. Is your company ready? 2017 Trends pg. 17 - Being prepared for new IT trends can help your business succeed in 2017. Is your company ready?2017 Trends pg. 17 - Being prepared for new IT trends can helpyour business succeed in 2017. Is your company ready?

Foreword When Milestone Technologies, Inc. was first created, it was company of two people that provided IT relocation services to Silicon Valley businesses. As the industry evolved with the fear of Y2K and new computer technologies, we recognized a need for a wider range of services and adapted as a company, developing into a full-fledged Managed Service Provider. By our fourth year, we became the largest provider of desktop and server relocation services in Northern California, and by our tenth year, we had offices in Ireland, Australia, Israel, and South Africa, serving some of the largest enterprises in the tech industry. From a two-person operation, Milestone has grown into a global, trusted expert in all things IT. We’ve done this by pursuing our mission for the past 20 years – to revolutionize the way IT is deployed and supported worldwide. Because our clients trust us to take care of their technology, we’ve been able to build solid relationshipswith large enterprises that are drawn to our innovative people and personalized support. In the end, Milestoneisn’t just about IT—it’s about connection.Much like the rest of the tech industry, Milestone360 is built from the spirit of sharing ideas, promoting dialogue,and inspiring innovation – all in the name of progress. We hope you find this knowledge as valuable and thought-provoking as we did.-Prem Chand



Three IT Trends to Have on YourRadar in 2017As we enter the new year, we are poised to see some of the most innovative andrevolutionary changes from the technology sector yet. With businesses makingrapid innovations, it’s important for your company to be cognizant of how totake advantage of these technology advances. Here are three IT trends that canenhance your company’s performance in the next year:1. Artificial Intelligence natural language processing, AI apps such as ChatBots and automation not only redirect your calls, butThe market for Artificial Intelligence is expected have machine-learning mechanisms to diagnoseto grow to $16.06 billion by 2022, representing a and troubleshoot even the most advanced issues –Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 62.9% from potentially without constant human intervention.2016 to 2022.[1] Applications based on AI have alreadymade their way to the healthcare, transportation, 2. Virtual Realityeducational, and entertainment industries, and areexpected to penetrate a growing number of other The continued rise of globalization coupled withindustries. Current popular use cases of AI include: the millennial workforce has created a demand for the opportunity to work remotely. Currently, 3.7 • Siri (Apple) million employees work from home 50 percent of • Alexa (Amazon) the time, a number that has grown by 103 percent • Self-driving cars (Tesla) since 2005.[2] Imagine a future when everyone is • E-commerce (Google) working remotely. How will this impact your company • Face recognition (Facebook) beyond just the tools and applications it currently • Personalize playlist based on music uses? Accommodating a remote working model poses new challenges for the people, processes, and preference (Spotify) technology behind traditional IT service delivery – Will your employees require a 24/7 global supportAs AI gains momentum, enterprise IT leaders would plan? What level of flexibility will your business needbe well served to evaluate AI use cases to improve for delivering assets? Are you prepared to invest inend user support. Business leaders are constantly automation tools and secure self-service solutions?challenged with reevaluating their customer service The rising trend of the remote workplace demands aprocesses and technology to see if there is room for comprehensive internal IT support model to ensureimprovement, especially in Remote Help Desks and strong communication and culture amongContact Centers. To be competitive in today’s team members.[3]market, businesses must deliver an exceptionalend-to-end customer experience. That means Cutting-edge technologies like Virtual Reality (VR)providing superior support throughout every stage have the potential to increase in the workforce inof the customer journey. 2017. Businesses that have not already adapted to remote working may argue that existing collaborationAI introduces the potential for predictive behavior technologies such as Skype or WebEx cannot matchby tracking the caller’s past issues and history prior the immersive experience of an in-person interaction.to maaking a diagnosis. This capability can enable Yet, as VR technology continues to mature, it willbusinesses to deliver better customer service by fixing enable remote colleagues to be completely immersedongoing problems, determining the root cause of an in any setting. For IT teams, this can prove incrediblyissue, and reducing time spent getting up to speedwith customers. With the ability to harness

useful for troubleshooting or training purposes. If a Is Your Business Prepared?technician in a remote location needs to be trainedon how to use a specific technology, VR can give In order to capitalize on these trends, businessesthat employee the capability to enter and assess need advanced IT support from specialized or highlythe situation up close and from multiple viewpoints. skilled employees. Thus, as your business evaluatesHence, the potential for VR to improve IT service its strategy and processes going into 2017, it’s crucialdelivery for remote working models is well within to consider whether or not you have the capability toreach for businesses. accommodate new technologies. Can your IT team automate using AI software, develop an innovative,3. Cybersecurity Awareness “A total of 980 data breaches wereAn unprecedented number of cyberattacks plagued accounted for in 2016, an increase ofboth businesses and consumers in 2016, the mostsignificant of which involved Dyn and Yahoo. A total over 200 versus the prior year.”of 980 data breaches were accounted for in 2016, anincrease of over 200 versus the prior year.[4] With global model to support a remote workforce, orthe ever-increasing frequency of security breacheslike these, companies must prepare themselves “leverage new cybersecurity awareness programs? Ifby constantly refactoring their security plans. So,what should businesses be doing to bolster their not, then what gaps can you identify, and how can yourcybersecurity for 2017? business close them?As cybersecurity awareness becomes more important, According to Computerworld’s Forecast 2017 survey,businesses should place more emphasis on increased 61% of rising employment in the IT industry will beand improved training on warding off phishing driven by the need to accommodate new systems andschemes – the leading cause of security breaches projects.[7] This indicates that many companies areover the past year.[5] Common phishing schemes focused on investing in resources that can help theminclude impersonations of legitimate organizations or leverage the latest technologies. By creating employeeexecutives via fraudulent e-mails or hosted websites roles focused exclusively on innovation or outsourcingthat use threats, hacking attempts, or a sense for specialized IT talent, priming your organization’sof urgency to trick users into releasing sensitive skill set to support the above trends can position yourinformation. While every business should ensure that business for greater success in 2017. To learn moreits applications, operating systems, and anti-virus, about relevant issues in the IT industry, read our postspyware, and malware software are up-to-date, the on the Five Challenges that IT Leaders Face.reality is that most cybersecurity breaches result fromhuman error.[6]Internal end-user education is often an overlookedmethod of securing data – yet every employeeexchanging sensitive information over email, VPN, ordocument-sharing must be viewed as a potentialvulnerability. As part of every business’ securityprogram, employees should be advised to: • Implement two-step verification for all logins • Inspect URLs when redirected to a website • Be aware of typos or grammatical errors • Avoid authorizing financial transactions via email • Refrain from publishing personal information on social mediaAs phishing schemes become more adept at targetingend-users, internal education will become a majorpriority for enterprises looking to bolster theircybersecurity in 2017.

5FIVE CHALLENGES IT LEADERS FACEInformation technology provides solutions to countless business problems. Itallows us to work more efficiently, process massive quantities of data, andcommunicate more effectively across large organizations. But, as helpful astechnology can be, anyone who interacts with it on a daily basis understands thatIT poses as many challenges as it does opportunities.IT challenges are often nuanced and specific to individual companies, but all ITleaders can expect to identify with at least one of the five challenges below.

1. Staying Current 4. Making Tactical DecisionsBusinesses need to remain agile to succeed, but Most companies can testify that issues withmany IT leaders are unprepared for the rapid change technology can grind business to a halt. IT leadersrate that accompanies technological advancement. must be proactive to effectively manage and supportThe Tech environment is shifting to a mobile, their infrastructure. However, many companies doremote workplace, with access to IT service from not have access to the information needed to performanywhere. This means a shift in IT needs for managing, strategic and tactical analysis of their environment.monitoring, and supporting this new mobile workforce. The majority of IT environments rely upon reactiveIf IT is not prepared, or enabled for success, workers alerting, email-based notifications, or end-userswill be affected, ultimately impacting productivity and notifying IT of an issue.the bottom line. IT must be enabled with the skills,technology, and infrastructure to succeed in this new There are great platforms out there for ingesting andagile workplace. analyzing systems and infrastructure data in multiple formats. The goal is to develop, automate, analyze,2. Spending Wisely and trend your company’s data, and then create events based on the potential impact of the analysis.Coming to grips with the new normal is a big hurdle for Your IT Engineers need actionable information that allows for quick analysis of an event, prior to an“IT to overcome. While new technology often runs more incident occurring. The days of parsing through emails, traps, and log files are gone. Aggregate, analyze, andefficiently on a tighter budget, the initial spending then assign. These platforms enable efficiency andshock of migration poses a challenge for many potentially eliminate that call from your user. “When we expand the idea of “the 5. Finding the Right Resources customer” to include end-users, end- and Talent user service becomes yet another The increasing prevalence of the mobile worker priority that business need and information sharing has certainly made the to consider.” IT landscape more challenging. Knowing which technology is right for your business can be difficult,businesses. Refactoring IT can be disruptive to an and it’s possible to become so bogged down in theenterprise, and even after new technology is deployed, decision-making process that you lose track of youradditional funds most likely will be spent on training goals.and ongoing support. Today’s tech landscape requiresincremental, precise, surgical change that caters to a Once you have found the right technology, you needsociety searching for instant gratification. the right people to harness its full potential. Technical skills need to be matched with the appropriate soft3. Optimizing Customer Experience skills. Time spent on maintenance shouldn’t outweigh the amount of time spent on innovation, and IT teamsCustomer demands are a moving target that must find a way to focus on making the businessbusinesses have to hit. But now that customers are better rather than simply making it work. When itmore tech-savvy than ever, their demands change as comes to evaluating new IT business applicationsquickly (and as often) as technology itself. IT leaders or services, customer satisfaction and end-usermust have the foresight to implement products and experience have now become critical factors toservices that support the customers’ needs, versus consider.forcing them to adapt to standard platforms. Each of these challenges is made even more complexWhen we expand the idea of “the customer” to include when you consider how closely intertwined they are,end-users, end-user service becomes yet another and most businesses are likely to experience multiplepriority that business need to consider. As end-users challenges at the same time. In order to alleviateconsume internal services, businesses must learn to these issues, many businesses are turning to Managedcapture, analyze, and improve upon IT service levels in Services Providers (MSPs) for help. But what, exactly,addition to satisfying their external customers’ needs. does an MSP do? Click here to learn more.

What's the DifferenceBetween ManagedServices and StaffAugmentation?Managed services and staff augmentation are oftenused interchangeably, and that’s understandable—considering that they both have their roots in IToutsourcing. In reality, comparing managedservices and staff augmentation is likecomparing a telescope to a microscope;despite a couple of basic similarities,the two are entirely different inboth form and function.

Managed ServicesMuch like a telescope helps you see the big picture and observe objects in the distance, managed services helpcompanies make large-scale personnel decisions to guide them toward their long-term goals.Following a managed services model, management ““The services provided are consideredresponsibilities and strategic functions are outsourced “managed” because the MSP isto a Managed Services Provider (MSP) under a pre- responsible not only for the work, butdetermined contract. Services and prices are defined also for the delivery model, people,and negotiated between the client and the provider. training, processes, and tools used toThe services provided are considered “managed” complete the work.”because the MSP is responsible not only for the work,but also for the delivery model, people, training, who represent the provider.processes, and tools used to complete the work. MSPs play a proactive role, focusing on findingWhen an MSP offers a service, it establishes a series opportunities for ongoing improvement. As a result,of formal commitments to the client. Together, the they consider the existing situation as well as theMSP and the client use key performance indicators business’s future goals, which often lead to a strong(KPIs) to measure the provider’s performance against partnership between the MSP and the client.the Service Level Agreements (SLAs) tied to thosecommitments. This process not only creates animportant level of accountability for the MSP, but italso creates a sense of ownership for the employees

Staff AugmentationStaff augmentation behaves more like a microscope; rather than scanning the horizon for areas of improvement,staff augmentation narrows in on one identified focus area to solve a problem.Staff augmentation is aimed at closing skills gaps ““By nature, staff augmentation is moreamong the client’s existing employees for a specific reactive than managed services; theproject. Staff augmentation firms provide personnel narrow focus on projects and shorterbased on their clients’ needs. Because they sell engagements do not allow time fortime-in-seats rather than services, costs are often personnel to help shape the client’sassessed incrementally—either per resource or per larger business goals.”hour worked. Typically, resources are managed by theclient—not by the firm—which can sometimes provide By nature, staff augmentation is more reactive thana greater sense of control for the customer. managed services; the narrow focus on projects and shorter engagements do not allow time for personnelIf a business is struggling to meet looming project to help shape the client’s larger business goals.deadlines, staff augmentation can be a quick andeffective source of momentum. The extra resourcescan help complete projects without incurring manyof the additional costs and risks associated withhiring internally.Weighing the OptionsSome IT leaders may be concerned about the potential loss of control often associated with adopting an MSP;others may worry about transitional disruptions or resistance from their internal IT teams. These businessesoften prefer staff augmentation because of perceived cost savings and notions of greater control. And, forbusinesses who only need help with one or two quick projects, working with an MSP may not be the right option.While there are some benefits to staff augmentation in the short term, staff augmentation over an extendedperiod of time—or across multiple projects—has several hidden costs compared to managed services.For example:Specialists may not require subject-matter training, but every new staff augmentation resource must be trainedin client-specific processes and tools. Once an MSP understands your environment, they train their resources.Even though you may save money associated with hiring internal employees, staff augmentation increasesmanagement overhead. MSPs manage their own resources, which reduces both of these cost areas.If you need more staff augmentation resources, your rates increase significantly because you pay roughly thesame price for each additional resource. With an MSP you’re paying for a committed service at a set price.Managed services are also a more attractive option for IT leaders looking to receive improved results overtime across all IT projects. Staff augmentation is about getting projects done, but it can be difficult for a staffaugmentation resource to produce results using the same, flawed internal processes that prevented internalemployees from solving the problem on their own.MSPs offer not only people to solve problems, but also people who understand why the problems are occurring.As a result, IT projects get done and clients proactively improve the way they work through careful guidancerelated to industry best practices—all under a predictable cost structure. Click here to learn more about howworking with an MSP can help businesses solve their IT problems.

Why Workwith an MSP



ManagedServicesJourney

Ten Factorsto Consider whenSelecting a ManagedService ProviderSelecting an MSP is one of the most important choicesyour company will make. Be sure to consider these 10criteria before you make your decision.Youre Workingwith an MSP:Now What?Your MSP is already having an impact at your company,but how will they keep the momentum going? Learn howContinual Service Improvement can help.Buildinga SuccessfulMSP RelationshipBuilding a successful MSP relationship can turn a simpleproject into a lasting partnership. Find out how thesebest practices can help.

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