Does My Business Need Managed IT Services?
As your business grows, you will one day encounter a difficult dilemma: the tradeoff between the cost and the convenience of having IT staff on your payroll. Managed IT services present a strategic solution to this challenge, allowing you all the benefits of in-house IT with minimal cost. If you're curious about the benefits of making the jump from break/fix IT services or in-house IT to a managed solution, keep reading.
What Are Managed IT Services?
Managed IT services are many businesses alternative solution to staffing an internal IT department. It implies a business partnership with a managed service provider (MSP) to proactively handle all of your businesses IT needs. Though contracts vary from business to business, most MSPs provide help desk support, repair faulty devices, handle any network or software outages, and diagnose potential issues ahead of time. A good MSP is grease in the wheels, preventing problems, smoothing out roadblocks, and ensuring your business' IT moves as fast as you do.
On the other hand, break-fix IT services are reactive. You call a provider only when something goes wrong, leading to unpredictable costs and potentially significant downtime, as issues are fixed on a case-by-case basis. Additionally, many IT companies will prioritize clients with managed service contracts over break-fix clients. A managed services contract with your IT provider ensures you are their top priority at all times.
Advantages of Managed IT Services
The advantages of Managed IT Services are numerous:
Cost Efficiency and Predictability: With predictable monthly fees and dedicated labor hours, you'll maximize your IT spend and ensure your budget is rarely hit by sudden swells in break/fix costs.
Proactive Support: With remote monitoring tools and extensive industry experience, your MSP will ensure potential problems are addressed before they disrupt your operations. With a proactive approach, you will experience less downtime and more communication.
Specialized Knowledge: When you provide IT services to dozens of different organizations, you tend to learn a thing or two. Working with an MSP means access to industry veterans for a fraction of the cost.
Advanced Security: Your MSP should enroll you in an organization wide anti-virus and threat monitoring system, ensuring your data is protected and threats are caught in real time. It is your service provider's duty to protect your business from sophisticated cyber threats.
Adaptability and Focus: Managed IT Services can quickly adapt to your changing needs as your business grows, whether expanding your team or adopting recent technologies. This allows your team to focus on strategic initiatives rather than dealing with IT issues.
Data Recovery: Your data is valuable, which is why good service providers will work with you to create comprehensive backup and recovery plans. With an MSP you will be immune to large disasters or device failures, as spare copies of your data will be well kept in case of emergency.
- Consistency and Longevity: Many organizations have suffered from knowledge loss due to the departure of an experienced IT administrator, but with an MSP, you'll never have to worry about gaps in knowledge or staffing. With an MSP, you have an entire team of technicians available to you, ensuring no fluke lapses in coverage. Additionally, your MSP will keep a well documented knowledge base on your business, ensuring no matter how many technicians work for your company, they will be prepared to tackle even your most niche issues.
Disadvantages of Managed IT Services
Making a commitment to a managed service provider is no easy task. Understanding the disadvantages is crucial when deciding to pursue a contract:
Onboarding Pains. Some MSPs have high initial setup costs and will require you to adapt to new technologies. The first few weeks or even months of an MSP transition can be fraught with newfound issues if your business is not carefully transitioned and onboarded.
High Costs. Proactive monitoring tools, high priority technical assistance, and dedicated service times means an MSP contract is both an investment and an insurance policy. If the costs of your downtime are low, break-fix IT is likely to be a better fit.
Reduced Control. Partnering with an MSP often means forfeiting your direct control of your network. For some businesses, this is a great relief and weight off their shoulders, for other, it can be a hassle to constantly compete or cooperate with an MSP to get IT administrative tasks done you might be used to performing yourself.
Is My Business too Small for Managed IT?
Knowing when its the right time for your business to make the jump is no easy task. For most small businesses, the costs of downtime don't outweigh the cost of managing the risk. Alternatively, for most small businesses, the costs and risks of hiring an internal IT administrator don't outweigh the money saved via a managed service contract. With 6-month and yearly contracts, it's always something you can try out and take quarter by quarter. If you're anticipating a jump in employees or capabilities, or the inverse, hiring an MSP for that duration can greatly reduce your headaches.
How to Choose a Managed IT Service Provider
Beyond the difficulty of deciding if an MSP is ideal for your business, its even more difficult to decide which MSP is right for your business. When beginning your investigation, consider the following:
Prioritize Required Services: Identify which IT services are essential to your business and which MSPs strongly align with those.
Compare Providers: Look for managed service providers with solid experience and positive feedback. Seek referrals from other businesses in your industry.
Consider their Scale: Ensure the provider can adapt to your business as it grows and work with you at any size.
Schedule Consultations: Demonstrate your business and its needs to your potential managed service provider. Allow them to audit your network and create a clear scope of your needs.
Why Choose Abstract?
Abstract has been providing IT clarity to small and medium businesses in Indiana for more than 15 years. Our managed IT services are highly referred and our customers are very loyal. Abstract can meet with your business for a free IT audit to discuss what might be the right fit for you. You will never be pressured into paying for services you don't want or need. We work hard to provide fast, quality service to all of our clients. Contact us today to explore how Abstract's Managed IT Services can make IT simple for your business.