Many businesses choose to manage their IT hardware and infrastructure in-house. Whilst managing your own IT has its advantages, it also places the responsibility of updating software and making any repairs solely down to the business itself. This can cause huge cashflow issues and puts a strain on IT teams who are too busy troubleshooting user issues to work on bigger, more strategic business IT projects.
Managed IT is a service with which businesses can hand over the maintenance, upgrading and scaling of their IT infrastructure to a trusted partner supplier. The flexibility of this service means that costs can be managed efficiently to match the ever-evolving needs of the business.
Aside from general upkeep for software and hardware, Managed IT also allows businesses to remain secure and operational. A managed services provider will make sure your network issues are monitored proactively and troubleshoot user issues, so your team doesn’t have to.
Below we’ve outlined 5 of the main areas Managed IT can help with.
1. ROUND-THE-CLOCK COVERAGE
Keeping eyes on your network 24/7 can be difficult with many businesses struggling to have the headcount to maintain IT operations all the time.
Who’s monitoring your network on Christmas Day, or when the clock strikes 5:00pm on Friday afternoon? Equally, is there enough resource on your helpdesk should anything go wrong? Managed IT can take care of tricky issues such as out of hours support.
Most businesses operate on core hours, so to support your business’ infrastructure with your own IT team could mean increasing your headcount and IT expenditure or risking that out-of-hours support levels deliver a poor customer experience.
With Managed IT, you can outsource any support or maintenance functions, and know that at whatever time of day, your IT services are always supported by a specialist external team that’s on top form.
2. UTILISING EXTERNAL EXPERTISE
You’ll be aware that it can be difficult to maintain an IT team with the level of knowledge and expertise that you need.
When we’re talking about businesses and their security measures, it’s vital to have the resource to maintain your security whilst also keeping you financially afloat.
When used strategically, outsourcing has great potential to make a long-lasting impact on business performance. Outsourcing can also give reassurance that projects are being taken care of by experts, which can ultimately help eliminate unnecessary stress or worry.
3. LET YOUR IT TEAM FOCUS ON BIGGER PROJECTS
Your in-house IT team often has to be reactive to business-critical issues and needs to be focused on bigger strategic projects.
This leaves little time for carrying out fault-finding exercises or carrying out routine maintenance tasks that can prevent more serious problems over time.
An MSP can proactively maintain your infrastructure, whilst also addressing incidents using recognised, proven, industry-standard processes. Their IT engineers are constantly monitoring your systems and are alert to the warning signs that might signal a major problem.
4. BETTER SECURITY
Applying security patches and software updates can take a significant amount of time. Overlooking this vital task can lead to serious security risks.
More often than not, your IT team are preoccupied with keeping your business functioning. Managed IT options allow your business to call upon additional resources to apply security updates without over-burdening your own team. Bolstering the security of your systems helps to protect your data and prevent your business from being subject to cyber-attacks.
5. SCALE YOUR IT COSTS WITH MANAGED SERVICES...
It might cost less than you think to outsource certain areas of your IT function. When enlisting the help of a Managed services provider, you are billed on a monthly basis, with all your support services included. It also means you can scale your operations depending on the needs and numbers of your customers.
Whether your organisation requires round-the-clock service support or more strategic input, click here to download our IT Outsourcing eGuide.
