Outsourcing aspects of our lives to people who specialize in those markets is becoming increasingly popular—we hire others to take care of our lawn, get our groceries for us, or even drive us around town. The business world is no different, with many companies opting to outsource important functions like human resources, marketing, or managed IT services.
The IT sector is one of the most commonly outsourced areas in businesses today. About 37% of IT tasks in U.S. businesses are outsourced as of January 2022, and the market is expected to grow 4% annually.
Managed IT services providers offer a comprehensive and proactive approach to managing a company’s IT. These services can be customized to meet the specific needs of each business, and typically include 24/7 monitoring, help desk support, data backup and recovery, cloud services, and more.
What Exactly is Managed IT?
The term “managed IT services” can be a little confusing because it covers such a broad range of services. In general, managed IT services refer to the proactive maintenance and management of a company’s IT infrastructure. This can include everything from ensuring that all software is up-to-date to more complex tasks like monitoring for security threats.
Managed IT service providers typically offer their services on a monthly subscription basis. This allows businesses to budget for their IT costs and avoid the large, one-time expenses that can come with expanding or repairing an in-house IT support system.
One important thing to note is that managed IT service providers are not the same as break-fix IT service providers. Break-fix providers do exactly what the name implies—wait for something to break before they fix it. On the other hand, managed IT service providers work to prevent problems from happening in the first place.
What Can I Trust My IT Service Provider to Do?
This list just scratches the surface of what a managed IT service provider can really bring to your business, but it’s a great place to start:
- Network Monitoring
- Network Integration
- Data Backup and Recovery
- Cloud Solutions
- Cybersecurity
- Unified Communications
- IT Support
- Exchange and Office 365
Managed IT services can give your business a huge advantage!
What are the Benefits of Managed IT Services?
When making a decision for your business, you have to weigh the pros and cons of a particular service to see if it’s worth the cost. With managed IT services, you’ll quickly see a positive return on this small but impactful investment.
Some of the main benefits of managed IT services are:
1. Improved security: In 2021, there were nearly 20 attempted ransomware attacks every second! Let that sink in. With managed IT, you have a team of experts that have one goal—to keep your data safe. This peace of mind is priceless for any business.
2. Increased efficiency: When your IT infrastructure is being managed by a team of technicians, you can be confident that it’s running as efficiently as possible. They’ll keep an eye on your software and hardware so that you can update them when needed, stay compliant with developing regulations, and utilize the newest digital advancements.
3. Reduced costs: Managed IT services are often more cost-effective than maintaining an in-house IT team, especially for small businesses where one in-house IT employee would cost $50,000 or more. When you factor in the increased efficiency and improved security, managed IT services are a smart investment for any business.
4. Increased flexibility: Managed IT services give you the flexibility to scale up or down as your needs change. This can be a lifesaver for businesses that experience seasonal fluctuations in demand or rapid growth.
Is It Time for You to Consider a Managed Service Provider?
There are a few key questions you can ask yourself if you’re thinking about partnering with a managed service provider:
1. Is my company experiencing rapid growth and doesn’t have time or resources to manage IT infrastructure?
2. Is my company’s data security at risk and do we need an expert team to help keep our information safe?
3. Do we want to free up time and resources so we can focus on our core competencies?
4. Are we ready to take advantage of cloud-based solutions but don’t have the expertise in-house to do so?
If you answered yes to any of these, it might be time to consider working with a managed IT service provider!
At MTSi, we know that you want to balance efficiency with security and that’s why we offer custom-managed IT service packages for businesses of all sizes. If you’re interested in learning more about what we can do for you, contact us today!