If you’re a business owner or an administrator, the importance of managed IT services revolves around improving productivity and accelerating growth. Teaming up with a reliable provider minimizes network downtime and allows you to focus on more important tasks.
Managed service providers (MSPs) take charge of the legwork associated with keeping your IT infrastructure afloat. Their offerings usually include the following:
- Cybersecurity
- Data center management
- Cloud computing and storage
- Help desk support
- End-user assistance
This article explores the benefits of managed IT services and how having them in your organization can help you thrive in the digital age.
1. Streamline Your Operation
Not all businesses are inherently technological. However, modern society has made digital transactions and data processing vital in almost every industry. With managed IT benefits at your command, you can leave the technical legwork to professionals. You can focus on what you do best.
That is great for small- and medium-sized businesses, which can focus on their day-to-day operations without worrying about IT-related things like security, monitoring, and storage. IT think tank Spiceworks revealed that 45% of SMBs plan to increase budgets for information technology—and a part of it is going to managed IT services.
It makes digital transformation more feasible because most services are handled by a single partner MSP. It also reduces the need to assign multiple people for different responsibilities, letting your company enjoy a single partner for all your IT needs.
An MSP also streamlines the responsibility expected from your in-house IT teams, if you have any. As the business grows, so will the technological needs. Your IT professionals, as in most cases, won’t be able to meet the wide range of demands. With an MSP, they can focus on their respective specializations without having to sacrifice quality, efficiency, and productivity.
2. Receive Only the Services You Need
One of the chief benefits of managed IT services is versatility. The client and the service provider are usually aligned on what to expect from each other through Service-Level Agreements (SLA). This documented agreement details the extent of the managed IT services, usually including frequencies and schedules for specific tasks.
Scalability remains one of the leading strengths of managed IT services.
Being capable of changing the services you subscribe to is important, especially among SMBs that can see drastic growth or downsizing across their lifespan. During periods of growth, MSPs generally allow you to avail of additional services, and the same flexibility is offered during weaker seasons.
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Imagine being able to open up additional server locations or getting more cloud-based storage when you need them. This is one of the numerous benefits of managed services.
Unlike traditional vendor arrangements, many MSPs usually allow you to make changes to your subscription in as fast as a month. Among the managed IT benefits is the lack of long lock-in periods lets business owners adapt more rapidly to changes in their capabilities and needs.
3. Save On Costs
Larger companies can easily address their changing needs by investing in IT infrastructure or hiring new IT professionals. However, this comes with skyrocketing costs, not to mention the ongoing IT skills shortage.
Gartner reveals in a 2021 survey that the shortage of skilled professionals in the IT sector is behind 64% of emerging technology adoption, compared to other challenges like implementation costs (29%) or security concerns (7%).
That means that the competition for keeping top talents has just intensified, and companies not in the tech sector are at a disadvantage. Aside from the compensation and onboarding costs required, there’s always the risk of high turnover rates. The same can be said for IT infrastructure investments, which may or may not pay for themselves in the immediate future.
Another of the managed IT services advantages is that you directly subscribe to the core business functionalities. There’s no need to worry about human resources or equipment supply, as the MSP also ensures those aspects.
Additionally, there are even providers that offer break-fix services. These are smaller providers who only charge you based on the technical issues they resolve, as opposed to the fully managed IT service providers. Either way, both outsourcing options are more cost-effective than trying to do everything in-house.
Credits: Markus Spiske
4. Minimize Downtime
Most businesses in the digital age are connected to the Internet in one way or another. Whether it’s for business communications via email and social media or using remote monitoring tools for other sites, staying online has become a non-negotiable aspect. That means every minute spent in downtime equates to a loss in productivity and opportunity for the company.
Unexpected downtime has become a critical issue, especially for a small-sized business without the necessary infrastructure for in-house continuity. A survey showed that about 37% of SMBs complained about losing customers because of downtime.
Entrusting your IT upkeep to certified professionals minimizes the risks of missteps that can get your entire system down. Among the managed IT services benefits are enterprise-grade firewalls and security measures—often offered with a fast response time.
In the event that the unthinkable happens, like natural disasters, business continuity and disaster recovery efforts help you get back on your feet faster.
Overall, the reduced downtime is one of the managed services advantages that seem negligible at first but builds up and creates massive value for your organization.
5. Future-Proof Your Business
Most companies, in response to the changing landscape, are looking to adopt a digital transformation plan. However, it is important to recognize that this strategy never really ends; it just prepares you to keep up with the ever-changing needs of the digital world.
In today’s landscape, you can achieve a full digital transformation without having to overextend your resources. There are service providers that offer long-term support, starting from the assessment of your current infrastructure through to the monitoring and management of implemented changes.
MSPs can aid in your transition to a fully-digital system, one that is deployed online and is powered by cloud computing technologies. In doing so, it makes it easier for you to get upgrades and implement changes to your IT infrastructure. You no longer need to undergo time-consuming processes commonly associated with on-premise or legacy systems.
Final Word
By finding a managed IT services provider that can offer your exact needs, you not only ensure your company’s survival but can even accelerate growth and wealth-building.
Make sure you reap all the benefits listed above and more with a reliable partner. Contact Outsource Solutions Group for a fully managed IT service package that meets your unique needs.
Featured Photo Credits: Mikhail Nilov
