Adam Quan

Adam Quan

Adam Quan is the President of Charlotte IT Solutions, an award-winning provider of managed IT services that serves over 200 businesses and nonprofits in the Southeast region. With an emphasis on excellence, Adam has been instrumental in positioning Charlotte IT Solutions as the go-to provider for organizations looking for simple, yet impactful, IT solutions without an in-house team.

Under Adam Quan’s leadership, Charlotte IT Solutions has grown into a staple in the Southeast IT landscape as well as an innovator and reliable service provider. His strategic vision has propelled Charlotte IT Solutions to the forefront of its industry with an enviable reputation for client satisfaction and excellence. By keeping abreast of technological advancements, we ensure our clients not only remain ready for today but are prepared for what lies ahead – challenges or opportunities

Adam stands out from our competition by offering cutting-edge IT solutions with unparalleled support and through his meticulous cybersecurity services. Charlotte IT Solutions’ tailored solutions reflect Adam’s dedication to comprehensive support, helping businesses thrive in today’s ever-evolving digital environment. Clients continue to entrust Charlotte IT Solutions as their indispensable partner over seventeen years due to Adam Quan’s dedication to delivering cutting-edge IT solutions with outstanding support.

He and his team specialize in providing tailored solutions, helping many small, medium, and growing businesses thrive. With extensive expertise in managing IT and business technologies that not only ensure smooth day-to-day operations but also prepare our clients to adapt and thrive with future technological changes.

One of our core strengths lies in being cybersecurity experts, specializing in preventing security breaches, identity theft, and other cyber threats to ensure a safe digital environment for our clients.

Charlotte IT Solutions offers clients the expertise and support required to effectively manage their business technology infrastructure. For over 17 years, our dedicated team has been at the forefront of managing and supporting IT systems in Carolina businesses, under Adam Quan’s guidance as a key partner who delivers cutting-edge IT solutions with unparalleled support.

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ARTICLES BY Adam Quan

Your Law Firm Data Security & Why You Need an MSP

January 15, 2024 Compliance, Security No comments yet
law firm data security

Key Takeaways:

  • Security Audits: Regular audits by a managed service provider (MSP) help identify potential threats and vulnerabilities in the network.
  • Real-Time Monitoring: MSPs provide constant network monitoring to detect and address unusual activity or potential cyberattacks.
  • Disaster Recovery: An MSP ensures that law firms have backups and disaster recovery plans in place to protect client data in case of system failures.

As a law firm, you work with confidential information all the time. Everything that is said between you and your client stays between you and your client. While much of this is word of mouth, you and your staff likely have extensive records and research stored on computers. However, whether you store the data on local hard drives or in the cloud, it is critical you do everything in your power to keep this information protected. That is where law firm data security comes in.

Small businesses are at constant threat of phishing scams and data siphoning from outside sources. In the event of a data leak, this confidential information might make it out onto the Internet. Or even worse, into the hands of others who may attempt to extort your firm or your clients. Whatever happens on the back end it puts your firm directly in the crosshairs of all kinds of problems. Not to mention, future clients will likely look elsewhere. They won’t want to work with a firm that has leaky data services. To avoid these kinds of issues you need to invest in an MSP.

Here are a handful of reasons why your law firm data security is better off in the hands of a managed IT service provider.

Security Audit

When was the last time you took a full invoice of your network security? Maybe when you signed up for the cloud service provider? Perhaps when you installed the last computer update handed down to you by your operating system? This leaves you exposed to potential threats, and your network security is only as strong as the weakest link. With a managed IT service provider such as Charlotte IT Solutions, your entire network is regularly audited. This way, the MSP can identify threats faster. It is far better to identify a problem before the problem comes to you.

Real-Time Monitoring

An MSP is able to perform real-time monitoring over your network. There will be times when unusual amounts of traffic around your network spike. This can be a red flag for potential threats. However, your network may not function any differently, so your team on the inside will have no idea there’s a simmering threat on the outside. Like a king in his castle, if he doesn’t have a view of what is behind the walls he won’t know there’s an imminent attack.

With an MSP, there is real-time monitoring, which can help pinpoint when there might be a spike in network activity. It might be nothing, or there might be a small hole in the firewall and other protective measures around your network. With the help of real-time monitoring, the MSP can then move in and provide the necessary improvements and deterrents to keep you and your network safe from outside threats. This is something you simply wouldn’t have the ability to do without an IT professional always at your disposal.

Support Is Always Available

Along with real-time monitoring, you will at times need real-time support. Without an MSP if there is a problem with your network security or you’re running into some kind of issue you’ll be stuck attempting to troubleshoot the problem on your own. Even if the issue is minimal this can take hours out of your day. And, as a busy law firm, these are hours you just don’t have to waste. It can be pretty frustrating to have your entire network locked down for what turns out to be a very small issue.

With the help of an MSP like Charlotte IT Solutions, you’ll have real-time support. So if you’re struggling with something, have run into some kind of problem, or just need some basic help, all you need to do is pick up the phone and call. The MSP will either be right there or walk you through the method of correcting the issue remotely. They can also check the network through their own software to see what is going on. The staff can then make the necessary corrections or upgrades on their end. All of this will help save you a significant amount of time, which in turn will help save you money as well.

Disaster Recovery

While nobody likes to think of a worst-case situation, it is essential to plan for it. You never know when your entire network might crash or when all local storage drives are fried. A major electrical storm can cause more damage with a single bolt of lightning than just about anything else if you are not prepared for complete data loss. If your hard drives are ever fried, corrupted, or there is a problem with your cloud service provider, you will need to have access to all of your files via a different method. This is where your backup and disaster recovery comes in. An MSP will work with your law firm data security to make sure everything you have is regularly backed up and stored via another method. This way, if the worst-case situation does play out, you’ll still have access to all of your files and records.

Protect Your Firm And Your Clients

You do everything in your power to fight for your clients, to make sure they are properly represented, and receive the highest quality legal counsel around. However, all of this is for not if you have a data security breach and confidential records are lost online. Once anything is lost online it is nearly impossible to expunge the information from the depths of the world wide web. To avoid these kinds of catastrophic situations it is critical to turn your law firm data security over to an MSP.

Charlotte IT Solutions is here to help you with exactly that. No matter what kind of law you specialize in or how large your firm is, when it comes to law firm data security, now is the time to turn to the professionals. Charlotte IT Solutions is just a phone call away and is ready to help safeguard you and your clients.

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Managed IT Services Versus Break Fix: Which is Right for You?

January 12, 2024 Managed Services No comments yet
Managed IT Services Versus Break Fix

Key Takeaways:

  • Proactive vs Reactive: Managed IT services offer continuous monitoring and maintenance, while break/fix only responds when issues arise, leading to potential downtime.
  • Predictable Costs: Managed services come with a fixed monthly fee, allowing for easier budgeting, whereas break/fix can lead to unpredictable, high costs.
  • Increased Security: Managed IT provides proactive security measures, while break/fix may leave systems vulnerable between issues.

Back in the day, the one thing a company knew when it came to IT Services was “Break/Fix”. When something breaks, and only when something breaks, then you fix it. This was how it worked, and for many businesses, this is still how it works.

While this is what many businesses have come to know as the norm, this is a very dangerous game to play.

When it comes to your technology and your productivity, you and your team want things to work at all hours of the day. You don’t want to endlessly go through a cycle of Break/Fix, Break/Fix, BreakFix. This process only leads to downtime, lost opportunities, and more unneeded stress.

What is the difference between Managed IT Services and Break/Fix?

Managed IT and break/fix services play vital roles in the realm of IT support for your small or medium sized business. Too often, businesses are faced with the choice of choosing between break/fix and managed IT. This is often compounded with trying to determine the capacities of what IT resources and personnel the business already has in place.

Consider managed IT services and break/fix wacky relatives in the information technology family tree — both share the goal of addressing key IT concerns such as system repairs, installations and updates through hardware, software and networking platforms. But just like your wacky relative, there are some key differences between the two offerings. Let’s take a deeper look:

What is Break/Fix?

As its name implies, break/fix IT services only interact with your company when IT issues strike. Break/fix vendors send a professional IT technician to your place or can work with you remotely to examine and determine system difficulties. Once they have assessed the situation, they can then offer a solution to solve whatever the issue might be. The business is then billed at an hourly rate for both the assessment and the execution of the solution. Issues can range in difficulty as well as hours it will take to make sure all is resolved.

This ad-hoc approach to IT means organizations get the IT services it requires only when it is in need of them. Little, if any, pre-emptive or continuous support comes with hiring a break/fix technician. Think of it like a plumber, you really only call one when there is an emergency — same goes for Break/Fix IT Services.

Pros for Break/Fix

While there are not as many pros as there are cons, there are a few notable pros we should mention:

  1. No Monthly Contracts or Service Fees: For many businesses, they do not feel the need or have the budget to maintain a monthly cost associated with their IT. Additionally, many businesses are so small, that they feel ongoing IT investment is not needed. If this is you, Break/Fix may be something to consider. However, it is important to keep in mind, that without a monthly fee, when you do need IT services, the unknown cost could come back to haunt the company’s bottom line.
  2. Total Control: Often times, businesses like to maintain complete control over their IT needs by only paying for the services when they absolutely need them. Break/Fix does solve this problem. But, when something goes wrong, the ability to control the costs goes completely out the window anyway.

Cons for Break/Fix

Break/Fix disadvantages far outnumber the pros. Here are some of the top cons:

  1. Budget Buster: It is impossible to accurately budget for unexpected problems. When something does go wrong, which is even more likely if you are not taking preventative measures, the cost could be enough to completely throw off your budget for the year.
  2. Reactive not Proactive: When you are not taking preventative measures with your IT, you are just waiting to put out the next fire.
  3. Stunts Productivity: If your in-house IT person is the most tech-savvy team member at the office, this will get old quickly. Though this might seem like a good solution, in the long run pulling that individual from their actual job is killing their productivity and wasting your business’s valued resources.
  4. Lurking Threats: When it comes to IT, there is too often a threat lurking just around the corner. By the time you realize there is a threat, the damage will have already been done. With Break-Fix, there’s absolutely no one monitoring your system, so there’s no way to catch these problems when they are small and there is still time to intervene.
  5. Increased Downtime: Time is money. If an IT issue occurs, every second your systems are down will cost your organization money.

What are Managed IT Services?

Rather than opt for situational assistance, managed IT creates a holistic, continuing relationship between a business and their chosen IT service partner. Managed Service Providers (MSP’s) predominantly work off-premise, using their own network of systems and trained personnel to actively track and tackle IT issues as they’re recognized.

Service Level Agreements (SLA’s) provide pre-established terms for the range of benefits and services. This means, for a flat, typically monthly fee, MSP customers will receive:

  • 24/7/365 Monitoring and Alerts
  • System Maintenance
  • Live Helpdesk
  • Remote and On-site Support
  • General IT Management
  • And more…

Managed IT Services goes beyond Break/Fix, in that, the company you select will look to be your partner — both in IT and in business. Their goal is to see your company grow and succeed while they keep you safe along the way.

Pros for Managed IT Services

The advantages of Managed IT Services are endless, but here are our top five:

  1. 24/7/365 Monitoring & Alerts: With managed services, experts are constantly monitoring your systems for threats and/or irregularities. Your business will be quickly alerted of potential dangers and problems that arise are resolved before they can impact your system.
    Preventative Maintenance: Your Managed Service Provider will monitor and resolve issues, but they will also be proactive in their approach to avert potential issues from causing issues to begin with. They will use cutting edge technology to make sure that your systems are safeguarded against threats.
  2. Helpdesk and Remote Support: Having access to your IT partners is key. With managed IT Services, you will have access to a helpdesk as well as remote support when you need it. In some cases, on-site support might even been provided. This is typically on a case-by-case basis depending on the need.
  3. Ongoing Updates: Your IT partner will ensure your software is always current, that your information is backed up and will also assist with third-party applications.
  4. Set Costs: Managed Services come at a fixed monthly rate that you can rely on month over month. Often times, price is per user, which allows you to accurately plan for scale.

Cons for Managed IT Services

The disadvantage to Managed Services are relative and are in direct contrast of what are considered the pros of Break/Fix. It all depends on how you operate your business. Here are the cons:

  1. Requires Trust: In order for this type of partnership to work, you must have trust in the provider you select. They are going to have full access to your system and will be in charge of its upkeep. For a lot of business owners, this may feel like less management than that which they had with Break/Fix, but the truth is quite the reverse. With Break/Fiz, you might have control over who and when you call for assistance, but you still need to trust them to enter your system and make decisions on how best to repair it. With Managed Services, you have a contract that summarizes what your MSP can and will do for you. They also offer you strategic reviews, recommendations, and action plans.
  2. Contracts: Often times, Managed Service Providers require contracts. While some may see this as too much of a commitment, it is important to keep in mind that the contract is not just to protect the MSP, but also to guarantee that you as a business are being given the services you were sold on. Plus, who doesn’t want to lock in a rate — again now surprises when it comes to how much you will need to spend.

Managed Services or Break/Fix? The Choice is Yours

In order to make the right IT Services decisions for your business, it’s important to factor in all of the pros and cons discussed above. Break/Fix often feels like the right idea, but too many times we have seen the shocked look on faces when Break/Fix literally breaks the bank.

With decades of IT experience, the Charlotte IT Solutions team is here to provide you with your IT needs, small and medium sized businesses alike. With our help, we can keep your system up and running so that last thing on your mind is an IT emergency. If you are interested in learning more about Managed IT Services will transform your business, give us a call today!

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Our Guide to All Things Mobile Device Security and Management

January 12, 2024 Mobile Device Management, Security No comments yet
Mobile Device Security and Management

The world of business has certainly changed over the years. Now, more than ever, employees and clients alike depend on mobile devices to stay on top of services and utilize better what your company offers.

Whether it is employees performing some of their work functions over a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet, or you offer customers very specific mobile features to improve their own business, your ability to quickly and effectively provide updates while staying secure is a must.

All of this is possible with mobile device security management. But what is mobile device management, and why is it something you need to utilize within your own business? Here are the ins and outs of the service and why your company absolutely needs to harness its potential.

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IT Pain Points for Small Business Owners Solved by Managed Services

January 12, 2024 Managed Services No comments yet
IT pain points

Key Takeaways:

  • Data Loss Prevention and Business Continuity: Data loss due to unforeseen events can be catastrophic for small businesses. Implementing a business continuity plan is crucial, but many businesses lack the resources or expertise to develop one internally.
  • IT Department Turnover and Resource Optimization: Small businesses often struggle with IT department turnover, which leads to higher costs and service disruptions. Managed IT services offer a solution by providing consistent support without the challenges of hiring and retaining IT staff.
  • Cybersecurity and BYOD Management: With the rise of remote work and the “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) trend, small businesses face increased cybersecurity risks. Personal devices accessing company data can expose vulnerabilities. Managed IT services specialize in managing and securing these devices.

(more…)

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Google versus Microsoft: An IT Perspective

January 11, 2024 Cloud Services No comments yet
Google versus Microsoft

Key Takeaways:

  • Cost Differences: Google tends to offer more affordable plans compared to Microsoft, but Microsoft provides greater storage capacity.
  • Application Robustness: Microsoft Office applications are more robust and versatile for power users, whereas Google’s applications excel in real-time collaboration.
  • Cloud Storage: Google offers less storage at the basic tier, which includes email storage, while Microsoft provides larger storage options, including a dedicated email storage allowance.

Taking your business applications to the cloud comes with a number of desirable benefits. From giving you access to essential files anywhere there’s an Internet connection to easy system backups and upgrades, there’s no shortage of benefits in moving your business system off of a locally stored drive and up to the cloud.

However, you need to decide which cloud service is right for you. Both Google and Microsoft Cloud Office applications offer a number of desirable benefits, yet one will better fit your company’s needs than the other. Here are some of the pros and cons of Google versus Microsoft coming from an IT perspective.

Google versus Microsoft: An IT Perspective

Google Suite Cost

Google has come a long way in a short amount of time. The Internet company continues to add to its impressive list of applications. Just a few years ago it wasn’t really possible to create written content on anything outside of the Microsoft Office Suite of programs, but Google has changed that.

The G Suite works directly off of the Internet, so while there are offline ways to use the applications, Google is at its best when it is online. However, when looking at Google versus Microsoft the first point of concern needs to be the cost. There is no one-time purchase price, but instead, as is the case with a number of applications, you now pay a subscription fee (like it or not, most companies have gone this way instead of allowing customers to traditionally buy the program). With the G Suite, you have a basic plan, which is $6 a month, a “Business” plan, which is $12, and an “Enterprise” plan, which is $25 a month.

The basic plan does give you a business email address ( the email will be @yourcompanynamehere.com , which instantly adds to the professional look). You’ll also receive video and voice calls, a secure IM, shared online calendar, online documents, presentations, and spreadsheets, 30GB of cloud storage, plus security/admin controls, 24/7 email and chat support, plus Google Sites for building a website.

The other features plans will build on this, offering more data, data loss prevention, email archives and so on. There is also a free G Suite option, which is great to test out some of the features to see if it works for you, but the free option doesn’t allow you to have custom emails, and everything comes with advertisements placed on it.

Microsoft Office Suite Cost

When considering Google versus Microsoft, the cost will likely be a factor. However, Microsoft complicates the pricing point. Unlike Google, which charges a plan fee, Microsoft charges a number of tier fees per user. For example, the Small Business “Business Essentials” service starts at $5 per user per month and goes up to the Business Premium of $12.50 per user per month. Jump to the “Enterprise” level and you will spend anywhere from $8 to $35 per user per month. So there’s a good chance you will spend much more with Microsoft than with Google.

Storage Needs

In general, Microsoft will give you more storage than what you’ll receive with Google (so while you’re paying more, you will receive more storage for that price). For example, the Office 365 plan gives you 1TB with the Business Essentials package, while Google only gives you 30GB. Google counts email storage toward that 30GB limit, so if you’re someone who doesn’t regularly clear out your email, this storage amount is eaten up quickly (Microsoft gives you an added 50GB just for your email).

If you’re willing to jump up from the entry-level Google Suite plan to another tier, you’ll match what Microsoft has to offer for less money, but it does depend on the number of features you actually want. Also, if you’re unsure what your storage needs really are, then give Charlotte IT Solutions a call and an IT professional can help assess those needs and guide you to the right solution for your business.

Applications

If you’re really diving into Google versus Microsoft to determine the best cloud office suite, you’ll want to know more about the applications. With Microsoft, you do receive full versions of its popular programs Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and others. Plus, these applications work offline as well. This can be extremely beneficial if you like to work disconnected from the Internet (or if your Internet tends to go down from time to time).

The Microsoft applications are far more robust in performance. These are applications that have been developed and evolved over the decades. There’s a reason why each is known as the cream of the crop. If you’re a power user of any of the applications you’ll likely be better with Microsoft. However, for general usage, Google performs well.

One of the main benefits when using the Google Suite of applications is everything is automatically saved. If you’ve used Word for an extended period of time you know how frustrating it can be for the computer to crash, resulting in you losing hours of work. That’s not a problem with Google. Because it is online everything is saved in real time, so you’ll never run into this problem. With Microsoft, you do have to manually save everything you do.

Real-Time Calibration

You can real-time calibrate in Microsoft. However, it can be a bit sluggish when compared to Google. All of the Google applications are created in the cloud and run through an Internet browser plug-in (such as a plug-in via Chrome). There is almost no lag time when working on a single document with users from around the world. There are also more features when it comes to this kind of a feature. Microsoft does have some collaboration features, but it is by no way as performance-driven as Google. Plus, most of the Google cloud communication applications do tend to work better than what Microsoft’s Skype allows.

There are a number of variables to consider with each application though, so before you settle on one suite of applications over the other you should sit down with an IT professional and go over what is important to your business and what you’ll actually use. This will help you understand what to look for when selecting the best cloud office suite.

The Best Cloud Office Suite For You

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to selecting the best cloud office suite. What works for you may not work the best for your neighbor. That is why you need to go over the best cloud office suite options and decide which best addresses your company needs. If you need help selecting the best cloud office suite for your business make sure to contact the team at Charlotte IT Solutions. The company will walk you through the selection process and help connect you with the best cloud-based service for your budget and business.

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