Information technology can be a powerful equalizer in the world of business, allowing SMBs to compete with large enterprises. Like every tool, an organization’s IT infrastructure must be well-maintained to serve its intended purpose. Organizations can choose from several different maintenance approaches, with managed IT services being one of them.
The idea behind managed IT services is simple: an organization outsources the responsibility for maintaining its IT infrastructure to a third party, typically using a subscription-based pricing model. As such, the managed IT model contrasts with the break/fix method of providing IT services. But is it better? To answer this question, let’s look at the top 10 benefits of using managed IT services.
1. Ongoing Access to IT Expertise and Experience
Navigating today’s complex IT landscape to pick the best solutions based on your current and future needs, implementing the selected solutions and integrating them with existing infrastructure, and then maintaining them in good working order is a gargantuan challenge that’s best left to professionals.
By partnering with a managed IT services provider (MSP), you can enjoy ongoing access to IT expertise and experience without draining your resources by staffing an in-house IT department, a task made even more difficult by the ongoing talent shortage in the tech industry.
2. Central Point of Contract for All IT Issues
When small organizations are presented with an IT problem, they often spend the entire day calling and emailing different vendors, trying to find someone who can get to the bottom of the issue and solve it. This already tedious process can be further complicated by a language barrier, a common occurrence when non-IT people have to communicate IT issues.
An MSP provides a central point of contract, acting as a middleman between your organization and the vendors who are ultimately responsible for the solutions you pay for. Because the best MSPs are deeply familiar with their customers, they often know what needs to be done when they see an issue exists.
3. Around-the-Clock Support
Downtime is expensive, and its consequences can go far beyond the immediate loss of review if it continues for too long. When you partner with an MSP, you sign a Service Level Agreement (SLA) that clearly defines partner obligations, including service delivery times and the scope of work.
The SLA guarantees that you’ll always receive customer support when you need it, instead of your calls going straight to voicemail while you’re in the middle of an IT disaster and are desperately trying to reach someone who can help you fix it.
4. Predictable Costs that Reflect the Size of Your Organization
MSPs use various pricing models, such as per-device, per-user, or value-based pricing. What these pricing models have in common is that they reflect the size of your organization and reduce your IT expenses into a single predictable figure. When something breaks unexpectedly, the bill stays the same.
The predictable nature of MSPs can be further amplified by moving IT infrastructure, which requires large capital expenditures, to the cloud. Combining the two unlocks elastic scalability, allowing your organization to scale your resources (and your expenses) based on your current needs and save substantial money.
5. Access to Up-to-Date Technology
The managed IT services market is highly competitive, and it’s expected to reach $274.20 billion by 2026, up from $152.05 billion in 2020. To attract and retain customers, MSPs can’t afford to offer anything less than up-to-date technology.
Their customers are the ones who benefit the most from this because it’s in the best interest of MSPs to promote solutions that perfectly meet their needs actively. This contrasts with direct relationships with vendors, who may know that their products are inferior to their competitors but still try to convince their customers otherwise.
6. Holistic Approach to IT Value Creation
Implementing a new IT solution is just the start of the IT value-creation process. To work as intended and serve the business and its employees, you must integrate the solution well with your existing infrastructure and ensure that it won’t become a source of more issues than it solves, especially when cybersecurity-related.
Because leading MSPs establish long-lasting, mutually beneficial partnerships with their customers, they can provide a holistic approach to IT value creation. They assist with everything from selecting the ideal solution through its implementation to its ongoing maintenance – all while having a sound understanding of your infrastructure and its peculiarities.
7. Improved Protection Against Cyber Threats
Gone are the days when cybercriminals largely ignored SMBs because they saw them as low-value targets. Today, cybercriminals are keenly aware that small fish can be used to lure big game, which is one reason why everyone—from the smallest local business to large international corporations—must take cybersecurity seriously.
Most MSPs offer managed cybersecurity as part of their portfolio of services, making it easy for their customers to implement state-of-the-art defenses to improve their protection against cyber threats.
8. Regulatory Compliance Made Easy
Cybersecurity and compliance go hand in hand. MSPs understand that customers in different industries must comply with security and privacy standards. Examples include:
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
- Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act
- Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)
- Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC)
The experts MSPs employ can help you navigate the complexities associated with these and other standards, making compliance easy by removing the regulatory burden your in-house staff would otherwise have to bear.
9. Preventive Approach to IT Maintenance
The biggest issue with the break/fix method of providing business information technology services is that it doesn’t address its root cause. It’s as if firefighters were constantly putting out fires set by an arsonist without ever telling the police to catch the person.
When it comes to most IT issues, their root cause can be traced to poor hardware and software maintenance. MSPs are paid to keep all systems running without a hitch, so they constantly monitor them for signs of problems, which they address as soon as they’re discovered to prevent them from growing into significant issues.
10. Sharp Focus on Core Objectives
Employees at small businesses must frequently wear several hats, which is perfectly fine if the hats they wear fit them. Problems start to happen when organizations stretch themselves too thin by preoccupying themselves with problems they’re not competent to solve, such as those related to information technology and its security.
By partnering with an MSP and making it responsible for aligning IT with your business, you can maintain a sharp focus on your core objectives and accomplish them much better than you could otherwise.
Experience the Benefits of Managed IT Services with Aligned Technology Solutions
We would be thrilled to help you experience the benefits of managed IT services first-hand. Thanks to our wealth of experience with helping small and medium-sized businesses navigate the complexities of IT and cybersecurity, we can expertly deliver unrivaled experiences and solutions to help you achieve your goals and align technology with your business. If you’re ready to transform your business, book a free consultation!
