Small and medium-sized businesses use different technologies, including computers, phones, networks, and passwords, to function effectively and safeguard their information. However, managing these systems in-house can be challenging for SMBs because of limited time, expertise, and financial resources.
In such an event, managed IT services are the proactive approach to managing any business’s technology. It refers to the practice of outsourcing IT functions to a third-party service provider or a Managed Service Provider (MSP).
What Is a Managed Service Provider (MSP)?
An MSP is a third-party organization that businesses can hire to manage and take responsibility for their IT services. They’ll take care of things like ensuring everything works properly and handling any technical issues.
Basically, the MSP will make sure the client’s IT functions run smoothly under a service level agreement (SLA). This agreement will have things like downtime, disaster recovery, and tech support services all spelled out.
The client can select MSP subscription packages in return for these benefits. This can help the company save money and improve its IT management overall.
What’s Included in IT Managed Services?
Getting an IT managed service can include a wide range of offerings depending on the needs of the business.
These service providers typically provide:
Internal IT Consultation
IT consulting services can offer significant advantages to your business by keeping you up to date with the latest technology trends. By working alongside your internal IT team, MSPs can provide strategic planning and goal-setting, promoting improved collaboration, productivity, and profitability. Furthermore, they can assist in maintaining regulatory compliance for industry-specific regulations while providing valuable insights on network maintenance and resource optimization.
Network Monitoring and Maintenance
Managing a network infrastructure and monitoring systems can be time-consuming for any organization. However, MSPs can take on this responsibility using a remote monitoring and management platform. This allows organizations to prioritize optimizing their network performance and minimizing losses by focusing on other critical aspects of their operations.
Cybersecurity Services Management
Security management is crucial in safeguarding sensitive data against cyber threats. Managed security services can prove to be a valuable asset in protecting your organization from such attacks. An MSP can assist by evaluating your current security measures and providing tailored advice on which options best suit your business’s unique requirements.
Data Backup and Recovery
A managed IT service provider is also responsible for maintaining the integrity and security of a company’s client data. They ensure that proper backups are always in place and that data can be recovered easily in case of a disaster. In addition, they also offer data backup and recovery services to ensure that the client can restore the data quickly in case of any data loss.
Cloud Computing Solutions
Managed IT service providers can assist businesses in transitioning to the cloud. These cloud services can offer a variety of options ranging from applications provided as a service (SaaS) to platforms and infrastructure as a service (IaaS). With cloud-based services, businesses can easily scale up to meet growing demands without having to invest in expensive data center and IT infrastructure costs.
Help Desk Support
With IT help desk services, businesses can receive remote technical assistance and troubleshooting, enabling them to resolve issues promptly and with minimal disruption to their operations. In cases where issues are too complex to resolve internally or arise outside of regular business hours, IT help desk technicians are available to provide timely remote support.
With a wide range of service offerings, an IT managed service provider can prove to be a valuable asset for any business!
Why Do You Need Managed IT Services?
Whether you have a small or medium-sized business, these service providers can help you take full advantage of the latest technology.
If you’re curious about what to get in return for investing in an IT managed service, here are some of the most common benefits:
Cut Down on IT Expenses
SMBs can get affordable IT support with MSPs rather than building an in-house team. The pay-as-you-go model allows business owners to pay only for the services they use, giving them the flexibility to scale as needed.
Their contractual terms also mean you don’t have to bother with the whole hiring and training process for IT staff. You can pay for what you need instead of worrying about the extra costs that come with having full-time employees.
By outsourcing IT managed services, internal planning and spending management become easier. Predictable and regular expenses of subscription packages can also help forecast your IT expenditures on a monthly, quarterly, and yearly basis.
Take Advantage of IT Specialists’ Knowledge
Managed IT services provide a valuable resource for businesses to leverage expert knowledge. Whether you’re in the finance, healthcare, retail, legal, or other industry-specific sectors, MSPs have the necessary experience to provide tailored solutions.
MSPs deeply understand regulations in different business sectors, compliance requirements, and the latest technologies and practices. This expertise is crucial for mitigating risks and ensuring your infrastructure’s smooth and efficient operation over time.
When it comes to complex IT projects, partnering with experts can help you develop a solution that will work within your budget and timescale. They can easily understand the industry language, thus making it easier for businesses to communicate their needs and get the desired outcomes.
Provide Service Reliability
In addition to the expertise of MSPs, your clients can also benefit from the resources they provide. Building in-house teams can be challenging, and businesses often overlook the resource-intensive nature of IT operations.
Partnering with a reliable MSP can show your dependable service to clients and minimize interruptions. Moreover, vendor-client agreements or SLAs clearly define expectations and timelines.
Service level agreements (SLAs) are custom agreements between an MSP and a customer that outlines the expected service quality. With this agreement in place, you can rest assured that the IT support you receive meets your specific needs and prevents any disruptions to normal operations.
Free Your In-House Team
Managed service providers have flexible schedules, which means they can work around your schedule to perform system updates and maintenance during off-hours. Your other employees can then focus on core business processes, making your business more productive.
It’s all possible with their remote monitoring services. This service provides 24/7 monitoring and proactive IT maintenance, meaning your team can rest assured that your infrastructure is running efficiently without having to be on-site all the time.
Even when your team is not working, your business will continue to run smoothly with better uptime and performance.
Secure and Stable IT Operations
Ninety-one percent of Spanish organizations, or over nine in 10 Spanish companies, had experienced a successful cyberattack, according to the CyberEdge Group 2022 Cyberthreat Defense Report (CDR). This is an alarming statistic that businesses should take heed of.
Most business owners are aware of the need to protect their data, but they may not be familiar with the best ways to do so. Plus, setting up security services tools and protocols can be challenging, especially for small businesses.
Fortunately, hiring a managed service provider gives advanced security solutions to cover your business from all angles. Their experts can help by systematically monitoring and patching your security platform. This helps protect your data and ensures compliance with industry regulations!
You can get these benefits and more from managed service providers. They can make the process of managing your IT and other computer infrastructure easy, freeing up in-house resources to focus on core business activities.
The Qualities to Look for Managed IT Services Providers
With the right MSP at your side, you can confidently maintain your business development while also gaining peace of mind.
When selecting a managed services provider, be sure to look for the following qualities:
A good track record of successful projects
No one wants to be the first to try something new. A provider with a good track record of successful projects shows that they have the experience, resources, and confidence to deliver on their promises.
Transparent pricing
An MSP should be transparent with client costs instead of leaving customers with hidden fees. A provider who isn’t transparent from the beginning is not likely to be a good fit.
Reliable customer service
From start to finish, your MSP should offer offers round-the-clock customer service to ensure that any problems or queries are quickly resolved. This means no delays in responding to queries and fulfilling expectations.
You can trust that all your IT operations are in safe hands with these qualities. Your business won’t have to worry about system crashes or cyberattacks and can start to thrive.
Top Offshore Managed IT Services Providers
If you’re thinking of reaching out to a managed IT company this 2023, here are some of the top service providers you should consider:
StarTechUP
Based in the Philippines, StarTechUP offers IT managed services that deliver real business value to our clients. With a wide range of experience, from consumer-facing mobile apps to enterprise-scale systems, they offer solutions that can help any company grow and reach its full potential.
Whether you are looking for services to help your existing staff, remove the day-to-day nuances, or help with technical support, StarTechUP offers the flexibility and expertise to meet your needs.
You can contact them here!
Accenture
Being a global IT leader, Accenture’s managed services are a one-stop shop for cloud services! They’ve got you covered, from managing your cloud infrastructure to staying on top of the latest tech trends, keeping your systems secure, and making sure everything runs like a well-oiled machine. With their help, your business can achieve new levels of performance and success in the cloud.
Send them an inquiry here.
Blackthorn Vision
Blackthorn Vision’s decades of experience puts them at the top of managed IT service providers in Ukraine. Offering business technology services, their expertise in web, desktop, mobile, and cloud development design makes them an ideal partner for your project.
Contact them here.
Turrito Networks
Turrito is a Technology Solutions Provider in South Africa that can help your business with everything from network connectivity to cloud services hosting and Microsoft deployments. They provide top-notch managed services, and IT support to ensure your business is always on top. Whether you need help with Business Intelligence or want to access the latest technology solutions, you can rely on this team.
You can send them an inquiry here.
CompuData
Women Owned Business and IT Company in Philadelphia, CompuData has covered you with their top-notch managed IT services that can help small to midsize businesses maximize productivity and profits using the right technology solutions.
They can provide the following:
- Security and system monitoring
- Remote help desk
- Cloud and email system migrations
- Mobile device management
- Vendor management
If you want to know more about their services, you can contact them here.
You can find the right fit for your business among these highly-rated IT managed services providers. With their help, you can access the latest technology and enjoy peace of mind knowing that your business is in good hands.
Consider reaching out to any of these providers today and experience the many benefits they have to offer!
