As more and more businesses rely on technology in their day-to-day operations, we have seen an increase in efficiency, production, and sales generation for those who are tech-forward. Consequently, there is now a need for an IT infrastructure and network to process and manage your business-related information. That is why you must design and implement a secure and reliable network for data processing.
By working with a third-party partner to implement Managed IT services, your business’s network and infrastructure can have a smooth and seamless operation. Instead of delegating the information-driven tasks to an in-house IT employee or team, your service provider will enact trusted and proven Managed IT services for your business. Through this, you can delegate value-adding tasks to your IT team, while having the peace of mind that your IT networks and infrastructure is secure and working at peak performance.
Defining Managed IT Services
Managed IT services is the outsourcing of your IT network and infrastructure’s maintenance and management to a trusted third-party Managed Service Provider (MSP). In today’s world, an IT infrastructure is a necessity for almost every business. Still, it can be expensive to employ an in-house IT team, with IT professionals’ salaries skyrocketing annually. The cost can further increase when you consider the costs of hardware, software, and continuing education required to keep your in-house team up and running. This is where Managed IT services can help. Managed IT services can save small businesses money while also increasing efficiency and data security.
When you hire a Managed IT service provider, you can expect them to:
- Manage Network Administration
- Provide Data Backup
- Ensure Network Security
- Provide Proper Communication Channels
- Have 24/7 Technical and IT Support
Unveiling the Benefits
If you’re a business owner, you may have already experienced the unfortunate moment of having your computer server go down. If you have an in-house IT team, your IT staff would need to troubleshoot the issue, possibly requiring overtime pay. Or, if you didn’t have an in-house team, you would have to call a third-party service provider to address the problem at hand, paying exorbitant fees to get back up and running. This approach is expensive, time-consuming, and can sometimes lead to deeper issues. This conventional approach is known as a “break/fix” method to IT management.
Fortunately, there another solution available: Managed IT services. A reliable MSP can be the solution to your IT problems, as they provide continual monitoring of your complex business data and can run your computer network and system seamlessly. These services offer a remote-based monitoring system that is reliable and trustworthy. A Managed IT service provider typically addresses issues before you even notice there is a problem because their main goal is to provide you with proactive solutions and consistent monitoring of your IT networks. If you’re still not convinced that Managed IT services would help your business, here are five benefits to consider:
1. Low Cost
Compared to an in-house IT team or a third-party service provider, the cost for Managed IT services is affordable and predictable. Although it may seem counterintuitive, these services are typically offered via customizable packaged services. So, if you’re working with an MSP, they usually provide a contract-based service at a fixed monthly rate. If you’re going to compare this with an in-house IT team, the cost is far different because an in-house team can bring with it unexpected costs that can affect your budget allocation, such as hardware updates, raises, and continuing education costs. These costs are absorbed by your MSP and spread across their client base, reducing your total expenses for services.
Furthermore, the upfront cost of working with an MSP to incorporate Managed IT services is dramatically lower than taking on the task in-house. If you’re a business entity that starts from scratch, working with an MSP is a practical solution that will save you money. Otherwise, the costs of starting on your own will add up, including those for your entire IT infrastructure network, maintenance, and staff.
2. Minimized Downtime
Downtime is a common problem that can negatively affect business operations and your bottom line. Often, this problem is associated with equipment issues, an outage, server failure, or a simple computer malfunction. Getting your business back up and running can be challenging for an in-house staff, as troubleshooting issues takes time and a certain level of expertise in most cases—which costs you money. It’s also best to consider the necessity of providing backup systems to manage your business data when the central system is in trouble.
Moreover, cybercriminals are always an imminent threat. This type of computer-centric crime can leave your company’s network susceptible, and your company and customer data vulnerable. Small businesses are just as much at risk as large organizations, and if your IT team is not comprised of top professionals, your systems may be easily hacked.
IT service providers can help reduce the impact of computer and server downtime. The service providers have enough bandwidth with backups to ensure that their services are non-stop despite the effects of the specified downtime causes.
3. Increased Scalability
Outsourcing the management of your IT networks and infrastructure can also increase your business’s ability to scale. Managed IT service providers are trained and equipped with proper knowledge and can easily expand your IT systems to add new or remote employees effortlessly. There’s also an increased level of efficiency as the service provider is taking the necessary actions related to proper coordination within the IT network and channels. Because of this, a company can save more money and resources that can then be used in other areas of the office. And you can expect this to happen even without the need to hire more expensive in-house employees to handle the expansion of your business and its IT networks.
4. An Approach of Prevention
As a usual practice inside an office, when something isn’t working, someone in the office is obliged to fix it. This includes network errors. When a network’s data is in trouble in a specific IT channel, someone needs to remedy the problem quickly. And if the problem becomes out of their control, the next step would be to bring in a third-party troubleshooter. This sounds like a good idea, but there is a drawback to this solution. A data security breach is a possibility, and it can cost a company millions of dollars.
Managed IT services can take charge of IT-related problems to prevent any security breach. Their proactive approach to determine IT issues before they wreak havoc on your systems is one of prevention, rather than reaction. That is why partnering with an MSP is so critical to the success of your business. Their proactive approach ensures your systems are monitored 24/7. As soon as issues arise—or even before something pops up—your Managed IT service provider will address the IT-related problem without you needing to shell out additional money for troubleshooting.
5. Tasks Done by Proven Experts
Hiring a team of IT experts to work with you in-house requires a tremendous amount of overhead for salaries and infrastructure costs. This is all without knowing if the team you hire will be able to handle all of the IT issues that arise. As technology changes, your team must keep up with the latest trends and best practices, which will ultimately cost you money to maintain. Moreover, you may not know the depths of their capabilities and knowledge until a specific IT-related problem occurs and you need their expertise. Are you willing to take that risk?
With Managed IT services, technical tasks are always conducted by experts in the field. They have specialized knowledge in handling IT problems that can affect your business. Your MSP absorbs the costs of continuing education to ensure their team of experts maintains the highest level of knowledgeable in the industry. Plus, service providers are always obliged to give you access so that you’re kept in the loop on everything that happens to your IT network and system.
For more information on a San Francisco based Managed IT service provider, contact Golden Gate Office Solutions today.
