Blog

Managed IT Services are most frequently described as technology tasks handled by a third-party vendor. In recent years, they have become very popular practices among organizations of all sizes. Companies can rely on managed service providers (MSPs) to handle their IT operations, leading to increased productivity and efficiency.

The key idea here is to offload general tasks to outside experts to improve the workflow. Some organizations have dedicated internal teams for such issues. However, outsourcing IT services has proven to be more cost-effective. Here, we’ll explain everything you need to know about managed IT services and how they can benefit your business.

The History of Managed IT Services

For a long time, business owners only called IT support when something went wrong. Of course, this meant lots of downtime until their computers were up and running once again. However, at that time, people didn’t rely on technology that much.

Towards the end of the ’90s, there was a massive spike in the number of computers in the overall marketplace in the U.S. The gap between the number of IT specialists and the number of computers they could service grew significantly. This led to the immersion of managed IT services in the early 2000s.

Maintenance, upgrades, and system monitoring were now in these MSPs’ hands. This proactive approach allowed the prevention of problems before they even occurred. As a result, business efficiency, resource management, and client satisfaction were through the roof. Nowadays, managed IT services have become the industry-standard approach for organizations of all sizes in the U.S.

The Biggest Benefits

Mundane technology-related tasks can take up a lot of time and effort. Outsourcing them can reduce the strain on your in-house IT staff. This way, your core team can focus on growing your business while outside experts tend to your day-to-day IT chores. Here is a list of the top five benefits of managed IT services.

Scalable IT Needs

As your business evolves, so will your technology needs. Scaling your system can be expensive and time-consuming. MSPs are highly scalable by design so that they can respond to changes in demand in real-time.

Items like maintenance, repairs, and hardware failures are calculated into your operational budget. This means you won’t have to break the bank when something unexpected occurs. What is more, you can be sure that all those issues will be handled in a timely manner.

Keep Costs Low

Cost efficiency is one of the main reasons managed IT services are so popular nowadays. Basically, they drastically lower overall labor costs and practically eliminate the need for hiring and training additional IT staff. Some MSP providers even offer a hybrid model that ensures onsite and offsite resources for greater efficiency. By utilizing managed IT services, your business can save on the following:

• Licensing
• Training
• Emergency repairs

Quick Response Time

Instead of waiting around for something to go wrong, MSPs adopt a more proactive approach. Thanks to remote monitoring and management, they can identify and troubleshoot any issue before it poses a problem for your business.

Eliminating network downtime is a priority with all managed IT services. Given how much a minute of network downtime can cost, keeping the whole network operational at all times is crucial. Many MSPs offer 24/7/365 support to ensure that your team can always be productive.

Industry Expertise

Not everyone is tech-savvy nowadays. For some, new technologies mean new problems. You could try to take on new IT staff, but the process of hiring and training new employees is both timely and costly. Plus, there is an ongoing shortage of talent in the IT industry.

On the other hand, MSPs offer an entire team of IT professionals at a flat monthly rate. These experts include functional, technical, and training consultants who can help your business run smoothly. They employ the newest technologies on the market and are able to implement them quickly.

Security and Compliance

Managed IT services analyze an exponential amount of data to ensure that it is compliant with relevant industry regulations. If your company is obliged to meet strict standards, you can rely on MSP support.

Cyberattacks have become an enormous nuisance in the IT industry. The risk associated with the leakage of client data or any other sensitive information is substantial nowadays. However, having a team of IT experts working on minimizing the threat of a data breach will buy you peace of mind.

Managed IT Services vs. Cloud Services

While these two sound similar, there is a big difference that you need to be aware of. Many people get confused when figuring out which to purchase. By understanding how they differ from one another, you will be able to easily accomplish your business goals.

Cloud-based services typically charge fixed fee-based data usage. These organizations provide their services on their cloud infrastructure. By choosing a cloud service provider, you can save money by not having any in-house servers. This allows teams to collaborate remotely because all software syncs automatically on all devices. You can access all your data if you are connected to the internet.

On the other hand, managed IT services are much more complex. They allow you to manage and maintain your IT infrastructure. You practically get all the functionality you would with cloud computing. Additionally, they provide monitoring, analytics, and IT support.

Choosing what’s right for your company comes down to assessing your needs and budget. While cloud providers are less expensive, they offer much less in return. Managed IT services have a much more robust offering that can cover all your day-to-day IT needs. As most companies see these tasks as a burden, they hire outside experts to help them optimize their workflow.

Are Managed IT Services Right for Your Business?

If you are thinking about hiring third-party experts, Stargel Office Solutions will transform your business. Our company was founded in 1987, and we have been helping local businesses in Houston for over three decades. If you are interested in streamlining your business operations, feel free to contact our team today.