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An increasing dependency on computer systems to manage every aspect of a business, from invoicing to job management systems, is one of the reasons David Cooper doesn’t see himself retiring anytime soon.
David has recently relocated his home-based IT support business Madcat to Tamariki Plaza in Orewa. The new office has allowed him to expand his team of IT professionals, who specialise in on site and remote support for small to medium sized businesses.
“They are also friendly and know how to communicate with real people without using ‘geek speak’,” David says with a smile.
This means ensuring that customers’ hardware and software is properly maintained, data is reliably backed-up, and files are safe from viruses and malware.
David started in IT around 40 years ago. Over the years he has written games and programmes including some for special needs children. He moved to the Hibiscus Coast 20 years ago and has been involved in support and data management ever since.
He says it still surprises him how little attention some companies give to properly backing-up their data.
“It can be confusing, but that shouldn’t be an excuse for not backing up at all,” he says. “We can give customers advice on the best back-up system for them, enable it and maintain it. The cloud is an obvious choice because it can seamlessly transfer data to new devices, as well as enabling shared calendars, email and so on.”
David recommends regular maintenance on computers to ensure machines are up-to-date and running at full speed. This is also an important part of protecting computers from viruses.
“A ransom attack, which you normally don’t know you have until it’s too late, can be a very costly exercise. I know of one business that had to pay a $10,000 ransom to retrieve their data, and unfortunately, even if the ransom is paid, there is no assurance you will get your data back.”
Education of staff is another key factor in keeping company data safe.
“Nothing’s foolproof, but having staff who think before they click on emails and webpages means there is less chance of being infected.”
David says there are always a lot of IT options for businesses, whether they are looking to replace their CRM system or upgrade their phone systems.
“It pays to speak to a professional so you know you are getting the right product for your business.”
