Hiring a new company to take over all of your IT services can most definitely be intimidating. At the very least, it is a carefully made decision. Not only is expertise and availability considered, but so is the level of trust you have or could establish with the IT service company in mind.
Up until now, you may have had an internal IT team, outsourced adlib IT projects, or even relied on an employee to handle IT issues. Whether you are quickly scaling your business and now seek a committed team, or your demand for IT services has increased beyond what your current department or team can manage, a managed service provider could be the best, easiest solution.
What are managed IT services?
Simply put, managed IT services are the best way for small businesses to proactively manage their IT needs through an outsourced provider at an agreed upon monthly cost. A managed service provider focuses on all aspects of IT including your business’s network, troubleshooting, cloud computing, cabling, and more. While this is a remotely operated service, they work with you on a full-time, rather than an as-needed basis.
Why you may want to switch to a managed service provider
Having the ability to set up your IT department for success and then essentially walk away, saves you both time and money. Switching from a break/fix model to a full-time provider broadens your abilities as a company, increases productivity, and best of all, gives you peace of mind and security. You’ll no longer have a waiting period between issues being fixed or needs to be met.
However, with this in mind, it is still important to understand that outsourced managed IT services may or may not be the best fit for your business. Let’s consider the pros and cons:
Pros of MSPs:
Savings and a Predictable Budget
When something goes wrong, two questions are presented: 1) how fast can the problem be solved, and 2) how much will it cost to solve the problem? While both are equally as important, the latter cannot happen if you do not have the proper budget.
Having a managed service provider eliminates the possibility of sneaky fees and unexpected costs. Knowing what you will pay, when you will pay, and why you will pay is much better than waiting for price quotes, making comparisons, and then hiring a company that may or may not be able to successfully fix the problem in the ideal timeframe. Plus, with one planned cost per month for an IT provider, an unlimited number of issues can be fixed all for the same price.
Improved productivity
No matter the scale of the issue, it can cause bottlenecks in your day-to-day operations and hinder your productivity level. When daily tasks are handled at a faster rate, your employees are able to focus on what they do best and can better focus on your business’s core objectives.
Not only can your team perform better and faster with the support of a managed service provider, but the task at hand can also be completed with immediacy and accuracy.
Unmatched expertise
While you may currently hire an expert to help with specific tasks like cloud computing or network design, you are hiring someone with a specific skill set. Why not hire a business that has all-encompassing expertise, or one that handles any and all needs?
A managed service provider can get straight to the point. Given their expertise, they have already dealt with or learned about all IT aspects. Whether you have an issue that needs troubleshooting, you have a new piece of technology that requires proper cabling, or you need help with strategic planning, your provider will know exactly what to do. Don’t waste time trying to find the right person for the job when you could have an entire team of remote workers who live and breathe IT.
Reduced risk
This pro makes opting for outsourced managed IT services a no-brainer. The level of risk associated with 1) hiring individuals for adlib projects and 2) compromising your ability to carry out necessary tasks in your business, is more than enough to choose a provider.
A provider will ensure you are fully taken care of at any point and time by responding immediately to any and all, handling emergencies with ease, and even suggesting ways to improve your IT security as a whole.
Cons of MSPs:
Physical presence
Outsourced managed IT services are provided remotely. The benefits of hiring this remote team include a wider knowledge base, better capabilities, and faster production time. If you prefer to have an in-house employee or IT department with a dedicated job description, then you may need a bit more of an incentive to make the switch to a remote provider. We encourage you to reach out to our team of experts to see if we might be a good match for your business.
Limited flexibility
While a managed service provider has a wide range of support capabilities, two things are set in stone in the onboarding process: time and budget. All providers require a contract to be carried out on a monthly basis, and with this, comes a monthly cost and dedicated plan.
Prior to signing, be sure to agree to a response and solution time that works for both parties.
Additional costs
Paying for what you do not truly need for your business to operate successfully is a business owner’s worst nightmare. Why pay for a full-time service when you do not actually need full-time care? While this absolutely provides an additional layer of security, it may not be cost-efficient for your business.
However, if you are consistently facing IT issues, always monitoring your business’s network, or are working toward implementing newer, advanced technology, then you don’t even need to second guess yourself on this. A managed IT provider would definitely serve as a benefit to your company.
If the pros mentioned above outweigh the cons here, and you believe managed IT services could serve as a benefit for your business, then we would love to hear from you. It is our job to make sure your IT department is successful and drives incredible growth for your business.