You’ve probably heard the term, ‘Managed IT services’ more than once in recent times and it seems like every business, large and small, is getting on board with this innovation.
In fact, the industry is currently worth around $205 billion and growing at a rate of 11.27% annually.
So, should you hire managed IT for your business? Keep reading to find out.
About Managed IT Services?
Most businesses have a wide range of IT-related facets associated with their daily operations. Few small businesses can afford the costs of hiring an in-house team to keep all of these up and running.
These businesses easily become trapped in catch-22 situations between growing their business using the latest technology and keeping costs under control.
That’s where IT support for businesses comes to the rescue. These professional teams look after your business’s IT needs as if they were their own, at the fraction of the cost of hiring your own personnel.
Instead of taking a reactive response to IT problems as they occur, these service providers manage and monitor your IT systems to ensure they operate at an optimum non-stop.
That way, you can focus on managing and growing your business without giving your IT systems a second thought.
How Do Business IT Services Work?
The ultimate aim of managed services providers is to keep your business up and running.
They do this by harnessing a wide range of IT expertise to monitor systems and resolve issues efficiently. They use the latest software and processes to keep an eye on endpoints and keep systems updated.
Usually, the client pays for all the IT equipment and the service provider keeps everything running smoothly. They work 24/7 so that the client doesn’t have to.
MSPs usually offer various levels of service depending on the client’s needs, so you don’t have to pay for the things you don’t need. You can also increase or downgrade your package according to your changing business requirements.
Some of the offsite facilities offered by MSPs include:
- remote monitoring and management
- help desk solutions
- backup and disaster recovery
Managed IT services are a far more cost-effective and efficient way to keep core operations up and running than outdated fix/break models.
The Benefits of Managed IT Services for Business
Apart from allowing you some well-deserved time off, managed IT services have a host of extra benefits for businesses. These include:
Freeing Up Your IT Professionals
If you already have an IT professional on board, hiring an MSP doesn’t make them obsolete. On the contrary, it makes them more valuable than ever.
When they needn’t worry about the nitty-gritty of operational aspects, your IT pro can focus on more innovative functions such as taking on larger more complex projects to help your business thrive.
Up-to-date Knowledge
When you hire an MSP, you needn’t worry about ongoing training for your in-house IT personnel.
Your service provider ensures their team’s up to date with all the latest innovations in tech, so they’re ready for system upgrades long before they happen.
You also receive the benefit of their combined experience and skills for a far cheaper price than sourcing the relevant experts for each task yourself.
Increased Security
Good MSPs are 100% on track with all the latest IT security measures, ensuring ultimate protection for your valuable data.
They’ll ensure your business firewalls stay up to date with the latest security measures for optimum protection from hackers and viruses.
In the unlikely event of a security breach, constant monitoring means they’ll know the instant something goes wrong and can take action against further infiltration and harm.
Less Downtime
Faulty servers, desktops, email servers, CRM systems, and networks can bring your business to a grinding halt and cost your business thousands of dollars.
With a team of IT experts on your side, you’ll experience fewer (if any outages). Continual surveillance, maintenance, backups, and upgrades mean your systems are up and running when you need them.
In today’s fast-paced and competitive environment, no business can afford a moment’s downtime, so a reputable MSP’s a huge asset.
A Business Partner You Can Count On
Modern-day MSP’s operate on monthly contracts, not one-off incidents. So, unlike break/fix services that rely on things going wrong, it’s in your MSP’s best interest to keep your business thriving.
As such, they work hard to help you thrive and grow so that their business can do the same.
In this way, you can rely on them to work with you to streamline your operations in the most cost-effective way possible so that they can also benefit from your success.
Tips for Hiring Managed Services
Googling ‘IT services near me’ is the obvious starting point for your search, but there are other ways to find the best experts in your area.
Talk to other businesses in your neighborhood and ask them to recommend a good provider.
Be sure to check reviews on the companies you’re researching. Not only will these reveal information about their competence, but they’ll also give you an idea about how they resolve disputes.
Take Your Business to the Next Level
As technology continues evolving, there are ever more tools available to streamline and enhance your business procedures. Managed IT services are one of the ways to harness the power of emerging tech as affordably as possible.
For more tips on how to streamline and enhance your business processes, keep browsing our blog.