If the IT team you still rely on is the in-house one, then you need to start considering a switch. Technology just like everything in our world has evolved, and it would only keep on evolving. The sad reality however is most in-house IT teams do not have the means to stay up-to-date with the innovations in technology.
You can visit here https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/heres-how-technology-has-changed-and-changed-us-over-the-past-20-years/ to learn more about how technology has changed the world in the past 20 years. Since these in-house IT services may not be in tune with the current trends, most organizations’ IT departments tend to be reactive instead of proactive.
This is why every business owner has to reconsider the need of outsourcing this service. In this article, we will be discussing some of the benefits of managed IT services. But before we go into all that, let us first discuss what this concept is even all about.
Managed IT Services – What Exactly is it?
Managed IT services are a means through which organizations outsource their IT jobs to subscription services or contracted vendors.
The service can either replace the in-house IT unit or help reduce their workloads and help them meet up with their demands. They are very helpful for organizations that need to ensure round-the-clock IT coverage. They can also contribute expertise or special knowledge that otherwise isn’t available.
Services Offered
Managed IT services usually offer several roles and responsibilities, however, some very common ones include:
- Communication support; this often includes IP telephony roles.
- Cyber security services like incident response, threat hunting, penetration testing, and monitoring. You can read this to learn more about cyber threats and how to protect your business from them.
- Monitoring and managing infrastructure and hardware.
- Server maintenance.
- Disaster recovery and data backup.
- Authentication
Managed IT services demand has grown greatly in current times. As of 2019, the global market was about 185.98 billion dollars, and analysts are projecting it to get to a whopping 356.24 billion dollars by 2025.
The obvious growth is chiefly because of SMBs who typically need to stay current with technological advances so they can retain their competitive edge while ensuring they keep growing. Oftentimes, they cannot afford an in-house IT unit, so they need a budget-friendly solution that can help them achieve this without breaking the bank. Luckily, managed IT services provide them with just this service.
Benefits of Managed IT Services
Now that we have a proper understanding of what managed IT services are all about, it is time we discuss some of its major benefits.
1. Ensures You Don’t Get Sidetracked From the Business’ Core Objectives
Your business IT needs will only keep growing as you record growth in your business. For a while, your in-house IT unit may properly handle the increased workload. However, after a while, they may begin to get overwhelmed by the weight of it all.
At which point, you may decide to assign IT jobs to workers that aren’t even on the team. This alone can be enough to distract both you and the employees from your business’s core objectives.
This is where managed IT services come in. When you outsource this service, not only will your employees be free to stay focused on their primary assignments, but it will also help your company fill up the gap.
2. Cost-Effective
From a financial standpoint, hiring this service can help you save some cash. This is because the money which you would have to pay to hire and train new IT employees would be eliminated.
A great managed service will provide an agreement that ensures that the services you get will be specifically tailored to match the needs of your company. This way, you won’t have to pay any unexpected costs down the line.
Hence, your company’s model can be shifted from capital expenses to operating expenses. To save more, you can find an MSP that shares a strong and strategic affiliation with your cloud or solutions provider. In this case, they will advocate and escalate for your sake; the money saved can then be reinvested into your company.
3. Get Support When Necessary
When you hire an MSP, your worry of availability will be put to rest. This is because most or reliable MSPs often offer round-the-clock flexibility, weekend support, and so on (although these may be costed options).
Whenever you are looking to hire an MSP, be on the lookout for one that is global, these usually support several times zones and would therefore have 24/7 support. This way, you are always assured of getting support or help at any time.
4. Expensive Downtime can be avoided
Instead of sitting and waiting for things to become wrong, an MSP’s maintenance approach is proactive. Remote monitoring is used to access, diagnose and then troubleshoot potential issues even before they become issues.
Nowadays, businesses can pay almost 5,600 dollars per minute for downtimes (that’s about 300 dollars in an hour). You can visit https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2019/03/12/the-hidden-costs-of-downtime/?sh=320d322074ce to find out more about downtime and its hidden cost. Due to this, it can be said that getting an MSP is not necessarily an added cost.
If for some reason things go bad, the MSP hired can provide disaster recovery and backup services to help get every system back online.
Things to Consider When Hiring an MSP
Throughout this article, we have highlighted some qualities that would make an MSP ideal for you. Let us, therefore, review some of the things that will make an MSP ideal:
- Flexibility
- Shares a strong and strategic affiliation with your cloud or solutions provider.
- Supports several time zones
- Offers 24/7 support
- Offers a solid disaster recovery and backup strategy.
Conclusion
MSPs are a great way to ensure that your company’s IT needs and jobs are properly handled. It is a way through which organizations outsource their IT jobs to subscription services or contracted vendors. They, therefore, offer businesses several benefits and can help an SMB handle their expanding IT needs without having to break the bank.