Now, more than ever, our world of connected devices, services, meetings and communication (in all forms) is at a peak, worsened by the global pandemic. With this, the value of Managed IT Services for small-and-medium-sized businesses is more important than ever. The historical, alternative to Managed IT Service is a reactive solution known as the “break-fix” model. Under this approach, when a business experiences a problem with technology, they call an IT expert and expect a fix, but many times the symptoms don’t tell the whole story and a solution is delayed. Productivity is affected. If an easy fix isn’t rendered at once, the result is almost always downtime. Managed IT Services, on the other hand, offer constant and consistent monitoring of systems with the goal of preventing failures before they happen. Comprehensive monitoring, coupled with routine maintenance means the IT Service Provider can see what is going on and fix it before there is an impact on productivity. Moreover, when an IT Service Provider knows the technology infrastructure inside and out, they are best positioned to fix an issue quickly. Of course, like anything else, there are pros and cons to Managed IT Services. Deciding what is best for any small business requires careful consideration of not only where the business is today, but where it’s going tomorrow. We looked at some of the top benefits of Managed IT Services
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Predictable Cost
Can Managed IT Service reduce cost? The simple answer is yes, but it can also make all your IT expenses more predictable.
With Managed IT Services, costs are transparently organized and supervised by the IT provider, who has the accountability to ensure expenses are under the most favorable terms, are not redundant and are indeed necessary for business operation and productivity.
A business can all set a fixed, monthly or annual cost for IT Services to ensure that predictability. Typically, under and MSP (Managed Service Provider) agreement the IT Service provider handles the scheduled maintenance, which means the interconnectivity of all hardware, services, security and functionality are routinely examined, kept up-to-date and remain in good operational order. This helps to protect your budget from extreme fluctuations, and contributing overall to the stability of your business. Small businesses especially benefit from Managed IT Services because up-front costs are so much lower.
Scalability
Managed Service Providers typically employ talent across a broader range of technologies and depth of experience. This means when a certain problem arises at your small business, you can draw on the right talent and ability to address the problem in the most expedient fashion. This could fall anywhere from configuring a firewall to negotiating with a vendor for better pricing or terms. With the increasing pace of technology changes, the burden of training technicians falls to the MSP, rather than your business. Even with a “resident IT expert” inside the company, knowledge and expertise gaps exist that go beyond what a "part time" IT person should handle. An MSP supplies specialized services and experience to fill those gaps.
Roark Tech Services is a dedicated Managed Service Provider serving the small business community since 1998. We are experts in what we do and are uniquely qualified to help small businesses stay safe & competitive. Always consult with us first. If you don’t have an IT Partner that you can trust to give you the right support and advice, we’d love to help. Contact us.