Managed IT Services or Managed Service Provider (MSP) are terms you’ve probably heard thrown out from time to time. Unfortunately, it’s not always clear exactly what “managed” means and how it can benefit your business.
If you’re curious about managed IT, what it means, how it works, and why so many businesses are choosing this option for their IT, then you’ve come to the right place. Our goal is to answer these exact questions and pinpoint areas of your business that will benefit from choosing a managed IT service.
Managed IT simply means outsourcing your IT. It means that your IT is being managed by an outsourced team. It means less time and money and resources being spent on internal IT and more time, money, and resources going towards the people and solutions that make your business unique.
How Does it Work?
Outsourcing your IT can work in a variety of ways, but if your IT company is doing it right, they’ll offer a managed IT service that provides support for anything and everything you might face when it comes to technology. This means not just reacting to IT issues, but proactively addressing issues that might arise in the future and protecting your business from unnecessary downtime, cyberattack vulnerabilities, and other time-wasting and/or costly IT-related issues.
What Benefits Can I Expect from Working With a Managed Service Provider?
Managed IT services have become a hot topic in the business world and a lot of that has come as businesses become more streamlined, more focused on providing a smooth online experience, and increasing their own internal online communication. We’re obviously living in a technological age, but what’s the benefit of hiring a Managed Service Provider over hiring your own personal internal IT team? Wouldn’t an internal team provide better, faster, more comprehensive support?!
1. Managed IT Services Cost a Fraction of an Internal IT Team
We have found that this is easily explained by communicating this fact in dollars and cents. Basically, you can get a team of IT professionals with various levels of knowledge and expertise for about the same price as the annual salary for one IT professional on your team.
While we would not discourage an internal IT team by any means, the reality is that most companies cannot afford the level of IT they would need on an internal level. Because many of the upper-level services of IT are not a daily need for most businesses, it makes more sense to have those experts available, but maybe not in the office 24/7!
2. Managed IT Services Diminish Unnecessary Lost Time
You’ve been there… your computer is running slow. Maybe you’re in a meeting. The page isn’t loading. You’re embarrassed – maybe you blame it on the wifi or on the age of the computer itself – but what you really need is for it to work so you can get on with your day!
Now, your email won’t open. One of your employees, Freddy, gets up to help, but there’s no guarantee he can fix it. He’s not in IT – he’s a videographer, but he likes to play computer games on the weekends and dabbles in the technological world, so he’ll spend 20 minutes trying to “figure it out” with a confused, but confident look on his face. In the end, you’ll both agree to try restarting the computer and “see if that helps.”
This is a common reality in today’s world. Wouldn’t it be nice to make one call or send one email and then instantly have an IT professional remotely access your computer, find the issue, and resolve it? Think about how much time (and money) this would save you!
3. Managed IT Services Protect Your Business, So You Can Focus On What You Do Best
The biggest benefit that we see in choosing managed IT services is that you don’t have to worry about it. Sure, if there’s an IT issue, you make a call and your IT team will get it resolved quickly, so you can get back to work. But, that’s not even the best part.
As a business owner, there’s a lot on your mind – ideas, opportunities, sales pitches, financial strains, etc. The beauty of having a managed IT service is that they’re not just looking at the day-to-day, but they’re actively working to make sure that your tomorrow is better – whether they’re improving your internet connection or closing the door on hackers. IT is no longer a concern for you because, that’s right, it’s being managed for you.
Choosing a Managed IT Service that’s Right for You
If you’re considering outsourcing your IT, then we recommend you consider two important factors:
- Response Time
- Proactive Approach
The last thing you want is an IT “support” team that is unresponsive. When your employees are experiencing IT issues, every second counts! Secondly, you want to make sure that you choose a team that will proactively address your IT needs, from cybersecurity to the latest technology and trends. If they’re not looking forward for you, then you will only continue to face issues – both minor and major.
We hope this blog helped to answer some of your questions about managed IT services! If you find yourself with more questions or ready to move onto the next steps of find a managed IT service that works for you, let’s have a conversation and see how we can help you “The ABS Way.”
