As a business owner, you know how important information technology (IT) is. You couldn’t run your company without it. But do you invest in IT support?
Maybe you can’t afford to hire the IT staff you need because you run a startup and don’t have the budget for it. After all, IT experts demand high salaries. In 2020, IT managers made a median salary of $151,150, while the best-paid 25% of them made $191,470!
Or maybe you can’t find the staff you need due to the IT worker shortage. According to SHRM, skilled IT workers are hard to find and keep right now.
If your IT needs are being neglected and you don’t know how to solve the problem, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll go over what managed IT services are, what benefits they offer, and the different types of managed IT services out there.
Let’s get started!
What Are Managed IT Services?
Managed IT services are third-party companies that provide IT support as a service. They offer a way to outsource your IT needs so you can just focus on your business.
Most managed IT services are governed by a service level agreement (SLA) made with the customer. It sets the terms and conditions of the relationship, what services will be provided at what times and at what level, and how success will be measured.
Small and large companies alike partner with managed IT services to take advantage of IT experts, better IT resources and tools, and predictable IT costs. It’s like having a one-stop shop for all of your IT needs.
The Benefits of Managed IT Services
Let’s go over some of the benefits of hiring a managed IT service in more detail:
- It lowers your IT costs. Developing an in-house IT team can get expensive fast. First, it requires finding, hiring, and training qualified IT staff. Then it also takes investing in expensive hardware and software. Plus, you have to pay for employee benefits like health insurance, retirement account contributions, sick leave, and holiday pay. In contrast, when you partner with a managed IT service, you don’t need to do any of that. You can have access to IT experts and the latest IT technology for the fraction of the cost of what it would take to bring it in-house. Plus, you get it at a more reliable fixed monthly rate, which can help with budgeting.
- It offers more flexibility and scalability. The nice thing about managed IT services is that you can increase or lower your service level based on your business’s current needs. For example, you may pay per device, peruse, or an all-inclusive flat fee. This highly flexible pricing structure makes it easier to increase your IT service as your business grows. Plus, most managed IT services have a subscription-based payment model, meaning you pay as you go. So if you ever no longer need the service, you can cancel it.
- It improves your network reliability. Minimizing downtime is crucial for any business. Why? Because if business operations stop, you aren’t making any money. By outsourcing IT to a managed IT service provider, you can have someone monitoring your network 24/7. If and when an issue comes up, they can respond quickly to keep the network running. This lets you rest easy, knowing your network is in good hands and not having to rely on in-house IT staff who may be juggling many responsibilities at once.
Types of Managed IT Services
The first managed IT services appeared in the 1990s. Since then, many different types of managed IT services have emerged. Here are some of the most common:
- Managed network service. This is your standard managed IT service. It monitors and manages your servers, computers, and other devices.
- Managed security service. This monitors and manages your company’s network security by performing regular security audits, penetration testing, and more. Because cybercrime is a growing threat, 24/7 cybersecurity monitoring is a must-have for many businesses.
- Managed cloud services. These days, most businesses store their data in the cloud via cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud. A managed cloud service helps implement and manage your cloud data infrastructure.
- Managed platform service. Businesses rely on a growing number of software solutions. A managed platform service can manage sales platforms like Salesforce for you or customer relation management (CRM) platforms like Hubspot.
Wrapping It Up
Whether you need comprehensive IT support or help with something more specific like cybersecurity, a managed IT service may be the answer.
Review how your business’s IT infrastructure is performing and identify where it is lacking. Then, research managed IT services that specialize in your industry and compare them. Choose one that best meets your needs and watch your business operations improve as a result.
