One of the great things about being a managed IT provider in San Diego County is the outstanding organizations and people with whom we get to work.
This year, we were excited to kick off our first annual jacket and toy drive with MAAC. MAAC is a non-profit organization that has supported the San Diego County area for over 50 years with advocacy and high-quality programs that maximize self-sufficiency among the vulnerable members of our communities.
Generous donations from centrexIT families filled up our server room this year. MAAC will distribute the warm clothing articles and gifts to families in North San Diego County.
How Can We Help?
The more we’ve worked with MAAC this year, the more we’ve come to realize how life-changing their programs are, and the more we are impressed by the dedication and commitment of their staff to the individuals and families they serve. The last couple of months offered us an excellent opportunity to participate by donating warm clothing items and gifts for MAAC to distribute to the children within their programs.
Who is MAAC?
Since 1965, MACC has helped increase the self-sufficiency of individuals and families in San Diego County by using a holistic approach focusing on five different areas of service: Economic Development, Education, Health & Well-being, Housing, and Advocacy & Leadership Development. These Pathways of Service provide many different channels of support and advocacy for those who need it.
For instance, programs such as the STEP (Striving Towards Economic Prosperity) Program helps individuals gain self-reliance. Other Educational programs, like Head Start, help nearly 2,000 children and their families in the North San Diego County areas by giving early educational support.
Filling a Real Need
Many of the families participating in MAAC’s Head Start and Preschool programs have children who qualify for seasonal outreach programs such as Toys for Tots. However, the teachers and staff at MAAC know that it’s not just gifts that make a difference this time of the year. As mild as San Diego County is, compared to the rest of the country, it still gets uncomfortably cold in the winter. Thus, MAAC commits to providing warm clothing to families during this colder season as well as outreaching with gifts.
Our employees collected jackets, warm lap blankets, and hand-knitted hats to send to MAAC for their winter warm clothing drive.
Grateful to Give Back
Providing managed IT support for clients is rewarding for us at centrexIT because we love geeking out with technology. Still, more than that, we love supporting the missions of the organizations we work with every day. Participating in the jacket and toy drive this year allowed us to provide direct support to an outstanding San Diego non-profit organization, MAAC. Thank you, MAAC, for all that you do!
Other Ways of Giving Back
For those interested in more information about MAAC’s impact on the community, you can find it on their website. And of course, donations are always welcome.
A multi-million dollar deal between San Diego and Verizon will lay the groundwork for 5G technology, the mayor announced Monday.
San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, City Councilmember Chris Cate and San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit joined Verizon executives to discuss a partnership that will expand Smart City capabilities.
Faulconer said the expansion would be at no additional cost to taxpayers while mentioning that permit times will be reduced to allow Verizon to install technology faster.
“We can’t yet announce 5G for San Diego but [this deal] will build the foundation for a 5G network here,” Verizon Senior Vice President of Engineering Ed Chan said.
Verizon first launched its “5G Home” service in certain areas of Houston, Sacramento, Los Angeles and Indianapolis in October.
Then, just last week, the company rolled out its 5G wireless network in Chicago and Minneapolis. Residents in those market with a compatible phone could download movies in seconds instead of minutes, according to Verizon.
One model phone works with the network currently with another model phone expected to be released later this quarter, CNBC reports.
The company estimates 5G will deliver speeds approximately 20 times faster than what is possible with a 4G system.
To put it in perspective, 2G allowed us to send text messages, 3G connected us to the Internet, 4G made that practice faster. Developers say 5G will change our world.
“We are together laying the foundation for a smart city and a smarter city for generations to come,” Faulconer said.
The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department will receive 50 new tablets with the San Diego Police Department getting 500 new smart phones in the deal.
“Just about everything we do has to do with wireless technology,” Nisleit said. “That’s what allows us to get there quickly and provide that piece of public safety that is needed.”
Nisleit said during a critical incident more communication through the new smart phones will increase public safety.
Verizon is going to be installing new technology at 5 of the city’s most dangerous intersections to help the city better assess those problem areas.
“5G provides traffic analyzing capabilities for us to make traffic flow better in San Diego,” Chan added.
A faster network will also allow for autonomous driving in San Diego. Smart cars will rely on sensors around the city to pick up on someone running across the street or another car turning the corner.
“If that information comes to the car a little too late that’s a problem,” Chan added. “But with 5G the car will get the signal quickly on a reliable network.”
NBC 7 reported on the technology for 5G being developed by Qualcomm in 2016.
San Diego received some good news when AT&T, the first carrier to roll out 5G, announced that the city will be one of the first 12 places in 2019 to get the mobile and wireless communications technology. Here’s what 5G in San Diego means for the burgeoning city.
For San Diego, the arrival of a 5G network is a game-changing moment. The technology has the ability to push San Diego into the future and stimulate development and growth across many industries.
Why is 5G in San Diego so important?
As the fifth generation of wireless technology, many view increased speed as the most notable characteristic of 5G. Greater speed is what will reduce latency, allow more devices to communicate with one another, and enable new innovations, such as driverless cars, to be safer and more efficient.
Qualcomm has run simulations to see real-world speeds of 5G networks. In Frankfurt for instance, Qualcomm found that download speeds increased to 100 Mbps on 5G, up from 8 Mbps on LTE. In San Francisco, browsing speeds jumped from 71 Mbps for 4G users to 1.4 Gbps for 5G users.
Clearly, 5G is incredibly fast and will greatly benefit mobile-based users and technologies, like the Internet of Things.
5G also will replace wired broadband services. How is this possible?
Currently, 4G LTE isn’t fast enough for a home or office full of people to stream 4K videos or play games simultaneously. With 5G, that will be possible. That means companies and families across San Diego and the country can forget the cords. The modem will connect to the 5G network.
5G will catalyze an upgrade cycle for businesses in San Diego
San Diego is a natural choice for AT&T to launch their first 5G networks. The reason perhaps starts with local tech giant Qualcomm. The chip-maker has not only been instrumental in positioning San Diego as an early adopter of 5G technology, they also possess the know-know to successfully bring the ultra-fast technology to businesses and consumers.
Qualcomm’s presence is crucial for San Diego. After all, there’s a high density of life sciences and biotech companies here, with names like Takeda, Pfizer, Illumina, and Thermo Fisher Scientific operating in the city. According to EY, San Diego ranks third globally in biotech venture investment, behind only New England and San Francisco.
As the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation notes, “the life sciences cluster is a major driver of San Diego’s innovation economy.” This is why 5G can have a tremendously positive impact on the city.
For instance, since 5G will improve any applications that require high-speed video or real-time responses, it will certainly enable better telemedicine. It will allow more technologies to be integrated (like AI tools), enhance patient monitoring capabilities, make remote surgeries possible, and expand the reach of healthcare in rural areas and to those with mobility issues.
To fully take advantage of 5G, companies in San Diego will certainly implement plans to upgrade equipment and software. This will undoubtedly not just boost economic activity, but also spur innovation.
5G and the New Wave of Innovation in San Diego
Just as 4G technology vastly upgraded the mobile user experience, unleashed the era of big data, and provided the foundation for technologies like ride-sharing, 5G will propel the next age of possibility.
In San Diego, that’s being seen firsthand in the fostering of 5G startups. XCOM, a 5G-focused startup, is one firm that aims to invent the future of wireless technologies. They plan to invest in 5G startups, as well as nurture and develop ideas in-house. XCOM was started by three former Qualcomm executives in 2018.
Additionally, Apple, who recently opened a campus that’s expected to bring more than 1,000 jobs to the local economy, will attract new talent to the area and offer players across many industries the chance to leverage new opportunities. For example, partnerships between Apple and healthcare startups could be mutually beneficial. Apple could gain more momentum in the healthcare space, and startups in the industry could learn how to use 5G and other technologies to their advantage.
5G and San Diego: A bright future
5G technology presents an unparalleled opportunity for the city of San Diego to build a more prosperous, connected, and secure future.
Companies that rely on mobile technology should learning how to use 5G to their advantage early on. That begins with doing the right research, allocating resources properly, making good partnerships, and bringing in it services and tech talent. This is how a competitive edge is gained.
LA Bioscience is welcoming a new addition to its corridor, and it’s bound to “hatch” new opportunities for bioscience companies to leverage. This new addition is appropriately named Hatch LA Bioscience, HATCHlabs or HATCH and it stands to provide bioscience companies with a space to create, experiment and innovate.
This office space and multi-tenant lab is the result of a partnership between Hatchspaces LLC and the LA Bioscience Hub and offers promise for life sciences, bioscience and tech companies in Los Angeles’ ever-expanding biosciences industry. Here are some important aspects of this incubator program:
HATCH LA Bioscience Offers Plenty of Space
With more than 22,000 square feet of office space, HATCH is set to be a hub for bioscience companies that have outgrown their incubator spaces and want to take advantage of a large facility. Agora Partners and ASG Real Estate spearheaded the buildout of this hub and worked together to convert this 80-year-old building into a robust space to drive industry-disrupting innovation.
This space used to be home to several types of businesses, including art studios, metal works businesses and furniture fabrication companies. Now this space has transformed from a vacated industrial park to a wet lab facility for LA’s innovative talent in the bioscience industry.
Under the leadership of these two partners, the once-furniture fabrication and metal works facility, now is a home for bioscience companies. Bioscience companies stand to benefit from the resources at HATCH, including its large lock-out suites and co-working amenities.
There’s a Space for Research and Testing
Biosciences companies often must invest in research and development heavily to stay competitive and ensure their products and services are at the level of quality their customers and key holders expect. However, a challenge to achieving this goal is having access to the resources that can facilitate research and testing.
HATCH helps solve this issue by providing a place for bioscience companies to test their products and services and conduct quality research. Moreover, HATCH offers a place to support operational efficiencies and facilitate the radical and rapid advancement of bioscience companies’ research and development efforts.
The incubator also hosts a clean room and supports collaborative environments to facilitate innovation and research and development. With these capabilities, HATCH presents a unique position to enable innovation and industry disruption.
HATCH is Near Tech Talent
Bioscience companies that find it challenging to connect with industry leaders, life science IT companies or other tech talent pools may find HATCH a place that can solve these problems thanks to its convenient location in the LA Bioscience Corridor. The incubator space is located in the El Sereno neighborhood in northeast Los Angeles on Alhambra Avenue and conveniently across local cafes and coffee shops.
The USC Health Sciences Campus, the LAC+USC Medical Center and Downtown Los Angeles are also within proximity to HATCH and the LA Bioscience Corridor. The LA Bioscience Corridor’s growing eco-system of academic institutions, early tech startups, investment groups, growing life science companies, medical facilities and various other organizations in the nonprofit, private and public sectors makes it an ideal location to support successful innovations by biosciences companies and the opportunity to meet, learn and collaborate with like-minded people.
The LA Bioscience Corridor is also home to a community of tech talent and startups, which makes it easy for HATCH tenants to access L.A.’s tech and life sciences talent.
An Incubator for Innovation and Change
As an incubator for innovation, HATCH stands to help usher in new best practices for bioscience companies and organizations in the life sciences industry. This change may likely start with expanding talent beyond typical demographics in the tech and biosciences industry.
One change has been mandated by new changes in California law. By 2021, California life science companies in the public sector will need to include a minimum of one female board member. This change helps open up an opportunity for changing the face of tech talent and balancing the scales of executive leadership in the life sciences industry from a male-dominated industry to one that is more inclusive.
HATCH Wants Tenants
It’s not always easy to find a space to innovate, experiment and be around like-minded individuals in the bioscience industry. However, HATCH solves this issue and it’s currently seeking tenants for its new space. This rare opportunity provides bioscience companies with the ability to be one of the first tenants in the space. That means they can find ideal units to house their early operations or support existing ones that are experiencing a rapid growth stage.
While the office space opened in early December 2018, it is still seeking new tenants to fill its units. The incubator and office space office also offers flexible lease terms for bioscience businesses that may only require temporary housing.
Final Thoughts
It’s not always easy to find a space to innovate, experiment and be around like-minded individuals in the bioscience industry. But with the opening of HATCH, small business owners and innovators in the bioscience industry can expect this all to change. By taking advantage of this innovative incubator and office space, bioscience companies can effectively support the innovative products and services they plan to bring to the market.
Apple is continuously innovating and spreading its influence across industries, and its most recent moves focus on life sciences, healthcare and biotech, including its expansion in San Diego with a new campus. With Apple’s new San Diego campus, life sciences companies can expect several opportunities they can leverage. Here are some key aspects to consider:
New Jobs Means New Potential Partnerships
Apple’s new San Diego campus means job creation and partnership potential for the San Diego life sciences market. Within five years, the company plans to create at least 1,000 or more new jobs in San Diego alone. This is just a fraction of the 20,000 new jobs Apple plans to create in the United States by 2023.
Apple’s San Diego campus will most definitely attract more talent in the area, and the company has the opportunity to review thousands of applications from San Diego’s tech-educated population to fill the new positions in IT services.
This access to Apple’s talent can mean opportunities to connect with tech industry leaders and talent who can help life sciences companies accelerate their endeavors.
This expansion can also mean partnership opportunities with life sciences companies to support applications and innovations, including having secure access to patient health records and other vitals with the patients’ permission.
Apple’s foray in the biotech, life sciences, and healthcare industries has resulted in its partnership with several hospitals and electronic records companies across the country to simplify access to medical records so that patients can easily view their records via their mobile devices and future partnerships can result as Apple continues to expand its presence in the region.
Enhanced Access to Quality Resources
Procuring quality resources has long been a challenge for life sciences companies, whether it means finding the right suppliers to help organizations in the life sciences industry support research and development, enhancing operational efficiency or ensuring the integrity of raw materials.
Apple’s interest in expanding in San Diego means that the city is increasingly attractive to technology companies. This can pose as an opportunity for life sciences to expand their options for obtaining high-quality resources.
Apple’s goal to produce more of its products and parts in the United States gives the company better control over the quality of its products. Life sciences companies that use Apple products to improve its operational efficiencies may have better access to the high-quality resources they need that may play an important role in helping them accelerate their speed to market their products or services.
Ability to Achieve Compliance
With a younger and more tech-savvy consumer base, life sciences companies face the challenge of ensuring their devices, products and services can provide consumers what they need while staying in compliance with local and federal privacy laws.
However, achieving compliance is complex as devices, and products, such as smart watches and apps, can both serve customers while collecting too much data with can create a gray area concerning privacy. But Apple’s presence in San Diego can play an important role in help life sciences companies achieve compliance success.
Apple’s expertise in consumer trust and design have made it successful in its pursuits in the healthcare industry. Users of Apple’s apps and devices, such as the Apple Watch, can store and access their medical information securely thanks to its encrypted passcode.
By figuring out a way to keep consumer information private, Apple presents a unique way for life sciences companies to comply with HIPAA and other privacy laws while staying competitive in their fields.
Final Thoughts
With Apple’s new San Diego campus, life sciences have much to look forward to. From potential partnerships to increased opportunities for resources that can help support innovations, life sciences companies can take advantage of the potential opportunities that Apple’s expansion in San Diego will bring.
Life sciences companies must focus their energies on research and development and not be distracted by other business needs such as complex IT services. You deal daily with the intricacies of your industry and bringing breakthroughs in science to the general public. Your IT needs are many, but you may not be able to adequately deal with them in-house without allocating it a chunk of your budget that is best used elsewhere. Life sciences companies should consider outsourcing their IT needs to an expert life sciences managed service provider. Doing so offers you a number of advantages that will enhance the productivity of your company.
Look Toward Outsourcing Your IT
Many companies simply cannot afford the cost of maintaining a full IT staff. IT employees must have a high level of training and update their education continually. When you outsource your IT needs, you have access to a bigger talent pool, one full of the specialists that you need. You get advanced service while lowering your IT budget, and you can feel certain that you’re getting the best service possible. The significant funds you save can better be used for R&D.
Increased Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity threats have mushroomed in recent years, and hackers have grown more sophisticated and effective. So have the number of cybersecurity companies in San Diego. Your in-house IT department may be able to deal with basic security issues but be at a loss when faced with ransomware and especially damaging viruses. A managed IT company trains its employees to meet the dangers of the latest cyber threats at a level your company cannot manage. The cost of cyber attacks can be astronomical, and the life sciences industry is a favored target. Valuable industry secrets are a strong lure for hackers and scammers, so you need the best protection available.
24-Hour Protection
Your company can experience IT difficulties at any time of the day or night. In fact, if something is going to go wrong, it will probably happen at 3 am. By the time you discover the issue the next day, you may have lost valuable data as well as hours of time. A managed IT company will monitor your company’s IT status and take immediate action if there is an outage, cyber attack or other issues. They will limit your company’s downtime, which can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars. And you’ll be able to sleep better at night knowing that you are protected.
Cloud Computing
A managed IT services company offers you cloud computing, so a break-in or natural disaster will not be catastrophic for your research and client data. Even a devastating flood will not completely close down your business. You can simply have employees use laptops off-site to gain access to their files, which are safely kept online. While you might lose computers, you will not lose expensive servers or be forced to shut down for days or even weeks.
Software as a Service
Your company will also benefit from Software as a Service (SaaS). Instead of purchasing individual licenses for software and installing them on each office computer, a managed IT company will offer SaaS. You are then charged on a subscription basis, paying monthly for the software you need. A managed IT company will help guide you toward the best programs and make certain that your business stays up-to-date by offering you the latest software.
Your employees save time and effort with this arrangement. The software is already configured and can be easily installed from the cloud. The IT company will arrange for automatic upgrades as well. If you are currently managing your software in-house, you know how frustrating and time-consuming that process can be. Outsourcing your IT also frees you from a number of other software worries.
Faster Troubleshooting
A managed IT company has the resources to develop a sophisticated ticketing system and highly trained customer service crew so that your employees do not have to wait endlessly for help. Many companies who try and keep their IT in-house are stretched thin and don’t have the personnel to deal with the many issues that can arise in your business each day. The life sciences industry, in particular, cannot afford delays during their complex processes.
Outsourcing your IT means that problems will be prioritized and help quickly dispatched. Problems are less likely to fall between the cracks because you will be working with an extensive team with the time to devote to your critical issues.
Life Sciences Companies and centrexIT
For many companies, outsourcing their IT department makes a great deal of sense. Your company will benefit financially and be better able to keep up a high level of productivity. The life sciences industry is a demanding one, and you need to focus on the research and development aspect of your business. Maintaining your servers, software and security is time-consuming and difficult unless you outsource those tasks to the experts.
You can find the IT knowledge that you need at centrexIT. Our experts offer you a true IT partnership while delivering the latest in security measures and cloud operations technology. The work you do is too important to leave your data to anyone except the experts. For more information, log into the website and take our free assessment.
From smart spaces to big data in the cloud, technology has opened the world to businesses of all kinds. Whether your company relies on an established in-house IT staff or outsources data management to managed service providers, innovations in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other kinds of technology can give your company the advantages it needs to succeed. Here are 15 ways today’s tech can help your business beat the competition.
1.Smart Spaces to Save Resources
The rise of “smart” technology – devices capable of communicating with each other as well as users – can improve not only a company’s workspaces, but also save money. Smart spaces allow users to control just about every aspect of the environment, such as turning lights and heat on and off.
2.Increased Accessibility on Every Level
Cloud computing and web-based services provide ways to stay accessible to customers, clients and peers at any time, anywhere. Cloud services offer secure data storage, round the clock IT support, and the tools to respond to issues, questions, and concerns whenever they arise from any device.
3.Constant Connectivity
Cloud services and the rise of smart mobile devices make it possible for a company to stay in touch with its customers, vendors, and others in the network at any time. Constant connectivity improves customer engagement and promotes collaboration.
4.Instant, Accurate Information
When company data and policies are accessible to anyone from a single centralized source, accuracy improves. The latest version of company documents can be instantly accessed at any time, which reduces ambiguity and enhances a company’s authority. For consumers, too, instant access to the latest company information can encourage connections and build a brand’s reputation for transparency and trust.
5.Collaboration for Better Productivity
Digital technology makes round the clock collaboration possible, which can boost productivity and build cohesiveness when members of a team are working remotely. When project materials are available from the cloud on any device, at any time, projects and products can be completed more quickly, which saves resources on multiple levels.
6.Access to a Global Workforce
Digital technology also enables companies to take advantage of the skills and expertise of a global workforce. With cloud-based data management that can be accessed from a variety of devices, your company can connect with contractors, consultants and experts from anywhere in the world to solve problems and create new products and services.
7.More Efficient Data Management
Cloud services and remote managed IT services allow companies to store more data, more securely, than ever before, and to access it whenever needed. These kinds of services allow users to access data immediately and share it as needed, without the need for on-site storage that consumes resources and requires onsite IT staff for managing the system.
8.Advanced Analytics for Better Performance
Digital technology also provides tools for advanced analytics, which provides sophisticated insights into a company’s performance according to a variety of metrics, and also reveals key information about competitors that can be useful in planning new products and strategies.
9.Improved Accuracy With Automation
Automation, driven by artificial intelligence that “learns” to adapt to changing information, can improve the accuracy of processes ranging from accounting to complex medical procedures. Without the variables of “human error,” many functions can be performed with greater efficiency and precision, freeing human resources for other uses.
10.Increased Worker Satisfaction and Support
A technologically advanced workspace increases worker satisfaction by providing user-friendly tools to make their jobs easier, and their work environment more comfortable. That can help companies to recruit quality employees and retain existing ones for a cohesive, skilled workforce that enhances the company brand.
11.Improved Experience for All Users
Technology improves user experiences of all kinds, making it easier for customers and clients to contact companies and stay engaged with brands they trust, and for others in the company network, such as vendors, contractors and colleagues, to conduct business smoothly and efficiently. With instant, round the clock connectivity, everyone involved can resolve issues and handle transactions quickly and efficiently.
12.Efficient Use of IT Resources and Staff
Digital technologies allow companies to use IT resources more efficiently. Outsourcing many basic IT functions to the cloud, or to a remote management team, reduces the need for a dedicated on-site IT team for maintaining and upgrading in house systems and allows existing IT staff to take on new roles and responsibilities.
13.Lower Costs for Computing and Data Management
Along with IT staff, in-house computing systems cost money in terms of buying and maintaining both hardware and locally installed software. But by exploiting the vast data storage and maintenance capabilities of the cloud, companies can save money on overall computing costs and also conserve energy.
14.Safeguards for Company and Customer Data
Keeping sensitive customer data safe is a key to doing business successfully in a digital world. Cloud-based storage and a growing list of cybersecurity resources allow companies to demonstrate a commitment to safeguarding the sensitive personal and financial data customers provide – and that builds trust and enhances a brand’s reputation.
15.Immediate Access to Support Services
With cloud-based technology and responsive devices of all kinds, users can get immediate access to support services from remote service providers, hosting services and a long list of other resources immediately. That kind of quick resolution can help to keep services up and running without interruption, for a better user experience overall.
Innovations in technology have changed the way the world does business. And strategic use of a rapidly growing array of tech tools is making it possible for companies of all sizes to compete in a constantly connected, digitally driven global marketplace.
Life science companies face a number of challenges that require unique solutions. Simply managing their supply purchases take an enormous amount of time and money. Those companies in the San Diego area can improve their situation if they use the services of Biocom and centrexIT.
San Diego has a thriving community of life science companies, many located in Torrey Pines Mesa. Working with centrexIT and the Biocom Purchasing Group offers each of these businesses a number of benefits that help ensure their continued growth.
centrexIT and Biocom
centrexIT is one of Southern California’s leading managed IT service providers, specializing in managing and securing life science company networks and information systems. Part of the respected Biocom network, centrexIT has been a leader in providing IT solutions that make businesses more efficient, productive, and employee-friendly.
Biocom provides an extensive purchasing network that includes top quality suppliers who sell their products to members at a reduced price. centrexIT belongs to this effective network.
Laboratory Needs
Biocom has negotiated a number of highly competitive contracts with life science providers so their members can get the supplies they need at the lowest possible cost. These contracts cover lab supplies, both new and used, gases, on-site services, etc.
The 450 plus California Biocom members give the group power in the industry as does their rigorous 18-month RFP process, which assures quality products and extra purchasing power.
Human Resources
Biocom also enhances a company’s entire culture by improving hiring practices and employee benefits. Members have access to exclusive discounts on competitive employee benefit packages and retirement plans. In addition, Biocom offers culture curators, professional development courses and networking opportunities, all ways to attract and retain the best employees.
Physical Environment
People are the most important business asset, but the physical environment matters as well. A bright, comfortable interior facilitates productivity. As members of Biocom, companies have access to lower prices from well-known suppliers of office supplies, furniture, and technologies that they need to create effective workspaces.
Communication and Data Tools
More than most industries, life science companies must have the latest in communication and data tools to stay competitive. Maintaining that technological edge is less expensive with Biocom’s purchasing power. They have a premier group of suppliers that offer discounts on advanced services and programs such as virtual data rooms, e-clinical services and translational services. In addition, they have a variety of marketing and branding solutions. In the near future, Biocom’s offerings will include discounted programs for communications infrastructure, visual collaboration software and managed IT services.
Travel Discounts
Life science professionals often need to travel extensively. Sometimes budget constraints make attending conferences or other duties impossible. The purchasing power of Biocom allows these experts access to discounts on air travel, hotel rates and rental cars, which makes necessary travel affordable.
centrexIT is the only Biocom IT company in San Diego. Both companies work together to offer life science companies a way to acquire the goods and services they need at a greatly reduced cost. All the suppliers are thoroughly vetted for quality and dependability.
Life science companies cannot afford to go it alone without limiting their supply options. Using Biocom’s purchasing group allows these companies to invest their savings into other aspects of their businesses.
Today’s modern life sciences companies face several issues that make driving change in the community a challenge. From cybersecurity threats to issues with procuring resources to facilitate growth and stay competitive, life sciences companies have many challenges to overcome. However, being a part of a local organization focused on the advancement of the life sciences companies and the communities its serves helps to alleviate these issues. That’s where Biocom comes in handy. As California’s largest life science association, Biocom offers lots of services that San Diego Life Science companies can leverage. With all the benefits and value that Biocom offers, it’s not surprising that life science companies around the city join and become members of Biocom, and maybe you’ll find it right for your company, too. Here’s why:
1. You’ll Be Able to Leverage Financial Support
Being able to change an environment requires efficient resources to get it done. As a Biocom member, your business can tap into the financial resources provided through the organization’s capital development program. Biocom’s capital development program aims to connect you with venture capital so you can help enhance the lives of the people in your community through your life science business. For instance, you can request assistance for capital and get connected to different resources for funding. You can also take advantage of Venture Days and Partner Days where you learn valuable insight on procuring funding.
2. You’ll Connect With Industry Leaders
San Diego is home to a bustling life science industry and represents the third-largest area where Californians find a job in the field. The region has tons of resources you can use to help support your business goals, such as networking events. Because BIOCOM is dedicated to building a strong network of leaders in the life sciences industry, it’s not hard to connect and find resources that can help you reach your goals. With more than 15 niche communities, you can drive change when you’re part of the Biocom network.
3. You’ll Learn a Lot
Thanks to its Biocom Institute, you’ll have a lot of opportunities to learn and discover new innovations as a Biocom member. With its workforce development programs, you can easily find talent and learn about different issues that are happening right in San Diego. For instance, its Life Science Workforce Symposium gives you an opportunity to learn from keynote speakers, workshops and panel discussions on the different sustainability challenges and best practices. You can also gain insight and even find new interns to help your life science business grow by taking advantage of Biocom’s Academic Biotech Consortium. Even it’s annual student hackathon eventprovides learning opportunities that can help drive insight on new data breach issues to recognize.
4. You Can Take Advantage of Discounts
Part of being able to sustain your life science company involves being able to manage your cash flow. You can save on expenses with the help of Biocom. Biocom helps members save up to 25 times what they pay in membership dues through its strategic purchasing group savings discounts. You’ll get discounts on travel, facility operations, data communications and lab services, which all help drive down the cost of doing business.
Final Thoughts
Being able to conduct business while staying competitive and driving an impact on your community is crucial for life sciences company. The great news is you can leverage organizations like Biocom to help you get it to accomplish your goals. By joining Biocom, you’ll be able to extend your vision and goals beyond your current resources and receive the added benefits of a developed community of like-minded thought leaders who aim to improve the lives of San Diego’s community members and beyond.
When you’re running a small business in today’s digital world, you can’t leave out IT support. But IT support can quickly take up a small business company’s budget. According to research by IDC, small businesses spent $568 billion in 2017 on IT. Much of these costs can be attributed to labor. Thus, it’s vital for small businesses to be aware of the different costs associated with hiring the right team to take care of their IT-related issues. There are different rates that IT companies charge their clients, and much of it depends on who will be doing the work and what services they will be provided. Here is a guide you can use to help streamline the process of knowing what you should be spending on your IT support.
In-House IT Staff
It’s not uncommon for small business owners to hire an in-house team dedicated to handling IT-related issues. But this is also one of the quickest ways to add expenses to the business and consume your IT budget. You’ll need to fill roles that will be crucial to resolving both short- and long-term IT-related issues and goals, such as network administrators, software engineers, system managers, chief information officer (CIO), web developers and computer support technician. But these roles can each be very expensive. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, network administrators made an average annual salary of $81,000 per year in 2017 while computer and information system managers can cost $139,2220 on average. You also have to consider that to attract these in-demand workers that you will need to offer attractive benefits, too. In fact, benefits are responsible for a 50 percent increase in payroll expenses and cost as much an average of $11.31 per employee. Some of these benefits can include the cost of fully- or mostly-covered health insurance for the workers and their dependents, tuition reimbursement, life insurance and a generous vacation package. Some small firms and startups are even offering beyond these costs with options
Freelancers
One way to alleviate the high expenses of an in-house IT team is to get the help of an outsourced or contracted worker. Freelancers can prove to be resourceful in this case because they help small businesses save on costs for fringe benefits, such as healthcare, worker’s compensation or life insurance. However, freelancers can command the same rates as in-house staff or even more. Moreover, if you’re not careful and don’t find a way to vet the freelance worker, you can run into issues if they don’t really have the experience or level of expertise you were expecting. There is also no way to monitor what your freelancers are really doing. This is part of why 85 percent of the 2,200 companies surveyed in a 2017 Manta study did not have intentions to hire freelance workers.
MSPs
You can also consider the savings you can take advantage of by hiring a managed service provider or MSP. MSPs offer a great deal of savings for small businesses in need of IT support thanks to their ability to leverage the economies of scale. MSPs often have long and strong relationships with a variety of vendors that can help them provide critical IT support when their clients need them. For instance, MSPs offer a wide variety of services, including 24-hour support, virtual Chief Information Officers (vCIOs) and data backup using on-premise or off-premise cloud servers. MSPs also can provide these services at a discounted rate compared to an in-house team or even a freelancer. MSP costs can vary depending on the services needed but are not the same as funding a full-time employee each month, with rates averaging anywhere between hundreds to thousands per month per user ($200-$2000).
Proactive vs. Reactive
Another important factor that you should consider when choosing among IT support providers is the type of service they provide. MSPs can offer proactive managed services and reactive managed services. With proactive managed services, you can expect to take advantage of preventative measures that anticipate IT-related issues. That means you can expect your IT support team to have a mapped out plan to respond to and prevent disasters and disruptions, such as data loss due to a tropical storm or a data breach. On the other hand, reactive managed services are typical of IT support companies or personnel who act only when a problem arises. The problem with reactive managed services is that it does not take preventative measures that can save small businesses big money. Small businesses stand to save as much as hundreds of thousands of dollars when choosing proactive solutions over reactive managed services, considering that the average cost of damages to IT assets cost businesses $879,582 in 2016.
Final Thoughts
Finding the right IT team or stakeholders to help keep your company operational and efficient is crucial when you’re selecting IT support. Consider the costs associated with each type of provider but don’t forget about taking into account their capabilities. The IT support team that you choose should be able to handle your needs in the most efficient way.
