Many businesses employ the services of a managed service provider (MSP) to handle IT department tasks. The MSP provides both management and system monitoring while allowing customers to retain complete control over their systems.
There are two types of MSPs that businesses can use for their IT management. The first type is the traditional MSP, which merely provides monitoring and reporting services to help maintain updated systems. The second type is the hosted managed service provider, which not only owns the infrastructure, but also monitors, manages, and installs system updates.
Managed IT Services Save Money
When businesses simply subscribe to and don’t actually own the IT infrastructure, they will have more operating expenses due to reduced capital expenditures. One recent Stanford survey revealed that 74 percent of companies were attracted more to the idea of paying a monthly fee for managed services as opposed to capital expenditures.
Focus Is Redirected to IT Strategy
With business IT monitoring and management taken care of, businesses can spend more time focusing on implementing money-making IT strategies. These are the strategies that will truly improve competitiveness and increase efficiency.
Get the Right Expertise
According to Oxford Economics’ survey in “SMEs: Equipped to Compete,” nearly 40 percent of small businesses have stated that it’s difficult finding technologically adept employees. In many instances, cost is still an issue even when the right people are discovered. MSPs offer businesses the right technical expertise at the right price.
Gain Access to the Latest Technology
In addition to the opportunity to work with a team of experts, MSPs provide businesses with access to otherwise unaffordable technology. According to a recent Research and Markets study, managed services cut costs by 30-40 percent and increase efficiency by 50-60 percent.
Stay Updated With the Latest Technology
With managed IT services, companies will be able to keep up with the latest technological updates, which subsequently helps maximize efficiency. In addition, MSPs will always notify businesses about updates. This is to ensure they are right for the company before implementing them. MSPs help manage updates for all company devices as well.
Avoid IT Disruptions
Because of MSP system monitoring, any potential problems with a company’s IT department are proactively avoided or fixed. MSPs help identify system vulnerabilities, which means most businesses will experience less downtime.
Maintain Ideal Security Levels
Few things are potentially more devastating for a business than a network security breach. MSPs help prevent vital data from being stolen or viruses from being installed on systems. Properly backing up and encrypting data, installing the latest anti-virus/anti-malware software, creating effective disaster recovery plans, and maintaining secure firewalls are a few examples of security strategies.
These are some of the many reasons why small businesses should consider managed IT services. It’s always important to compare MSPs and their options. Taking these steps will help ensure that the company receives the most compatible and affordable services.