Top 10 Benefits Of Managed IT Services
By Mike Pesina, Buchanan Technologies
Whether you’re a seasoned IT pro or a business executive, managed services can make your job easier so you can focus on the things that matter the most.
Managed IT benefits include the dedication, industry knowledge, and expertise of an entire IT department, who are focused on the delivery of your core business.
Managed IT services benefits allow you to stay focused on expanding your business's core competencies, while a managed services vendor can help you with day-to-day tasks of more time consuming and complex projects such as:
- Datacenter solutions
- Cloud computing
- Disaster recovery planning
- Cybersecurity, computer systems, and asset management
- End user support
Ultimately, providers will increase your business’s efficiency and competitiveness by providing your company with managed services advantages.
Managed IT Services Benefits And Advantages
Turning to a trusted provider brings you additional benefits, such as:
- Predictable And Scalable Spending (OPEX)
Investing in IT systems and infrastructure can be costly. When investing in IT needs up-front, predicting operating expenses can be hard as your business grows. With outsourced IT services, these expenses are consolidated into a single, fixed set of OPEX costs.
Because managed service providers typically operate with fixed monthly rates, items like hardware breakdowns, maintenance, and repairs are calculated into your operational budget and won’t break the bank when they unexpectedly occur.
- Avoid Sunk And Operational Costs
Running an in-house team means you have significant sunk costs such as monthly salaries, benefits, insurance, and office upkeep. Plus it takes both time and money to train staff members to become familiar with your existing systems and processes.
By outsourcing your IT initiatives to the professionals, you reduce large capital expenditures that come with managing systems in-house and add little to no value to your business.
In addition to lowering your capital expenditures, managed IT services also help reduce your IT costs. For instance, managed services help you save on:
- Consulting
- Licensing
- Training
- Emergency repairs
You also benefit from reduced labor rates when you sign the managed service level agreement, saving time as well.
- Faster Response Times
In today’s business world, employees can’t be slowed down by downtime or any type of technical difficulties. Especially during high traffic times, having 24/7/365 support is necessary to ensure that your team can always be productive.
With a support services provider by your side, help is always available for your users – day, night, weekends, or holidays.
- Expertise And Experience
One of the biggest managed IT services advantages is that you onboard a team that has the qualifications, training, certifications, and experience specific to your industry. A managed services provider gives you access to top-notch IT administrators with specific skillsets, negating the need to find and hire them yourself.
When partnered with an IT support company your business also has access to the newest technology on the market and the tech can be implemented quickly and smoothly.
- Proactive Monitoring And Issue Fixing
Apart from accessing experts and their skills, you also get proactive solutions when you work with managed services. Monitoring and managing your IT helps catch issues before they escalate into serious problems.
Not only is managed IT quick to respond, but it also ensures business continuity thanks to minimal downtime.
- Data Compliance Support
Many businesses are obligated to meet strict standards and requirements for integration with their IT initiatives. Some of these are the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
These standards spell out specific rules in regard to privacy, financial services, retail establishments, and reporting and security in healthcare, which managed providers are well-versed with.
- Cyber Security Support
Outsourcing to a managed services provider familiar with PCI compliance helps reduce risks related to credit card use, client data, and any other sensitive information leakages.
Managed services providers put in place security strategies that ensure your business is up-to-par with security standards.
- One Point of Contact To Vendors
Maintaining a list of vendors for every IT-related equipment is a tall order for many businesses. Fortunately, managed solutions providers handle hardware and software vendors, so you never have to engage in complicated, technical conversations and also can get the best rate for equipment on the market.
- Cut Time To Market
IT management that includes cloud computing brings high-speed resources to the table, which can eliminate IT inefficiencies. This means faster time to market and better productivity.
- Reduce Risk
Every business investment carries a degree of risk. Some of the things you must deal with include:
- Financial conditions
- Changing technologies
- Government regulation and evolving market conditions
Outsourcing your IT helps mitigate typical business risks. You will have experts on hand who know the ins and outs of the entire industry as well as security and compliance concerns.
Future Roadmapping Support
Most businesses find it better to start small and expand as you grow. Working with a cloud-managed service makes it easy for you to scale up or down, depending on demand. For example, a spike in customer requests during the holiday season might necessitate higher bandwidth. A managed provider can help you cater to this requirement.
Overall, managed services make it easier for you to expand, update and employ the latest technologies. If you want to know more about the benefits of managed IT services book an appointment with our team today.
About The Author
Mike Pesina is Director of Managed Services at Buchanan Technologies.