4 things managed service providers do for your business
In today’s technology-empowered business landscape, secure, easy-to-scale, and well-managed IT can go a long way in setting an organization up for success. However, many businesses, especially SMEs, don’t have the in-house resources necessary to properly manage their IT. Also, large enterprises often struggle when it comes to determining the best deployment type because there is such a wide variety of solutions and applications available.
This is where managed services come in to save the day. With an MSP, you’ll have support and services in place to help you better leverage your IT, scale your technology as your business grows, and innovate – all while streamlining your IT budget and protecting your business from the potentially catastrophic financial losses of a data breach.
Are you thinking of partnering with a managed service provider but aren’t sure what your organization stands to gain? Here’s an in-depth look at what managed IT services can do for your business.
What can you expect from an MSP?
There’s a reason the managed services market is expected to reach nearly $330 billion by 2025, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 8.1 percent over the next five years. Managed services make IT efficient and more potent.
Help desk support
In-house IT staff are often tied up dealing with a long list of routine IT tasks. With managed IT services, your staff can count on expert help desk support to handle support requests, alerts, and everything else that distracts them from core projects.
An MSP will also provide assistance with everyday essentials that are necessary for managing and protecting your networks, such as patches and software updates. This means, instead of paying your IT staff to solve mundane tech issues and to keep up with routine software updates, they can work on IT projects that will help your business grow.
IT consulting
IT support is just the tip of the iceberg. With an experienced MSP, your organization has access to a team of skilled IT experts, including security and IT communications experts. They’ll have the knowledge and expertise necessary to look at your business goals and help your organization identify and get set up with the most relevant hardware and software solutions for your business.
Ongoing monitoring and enhanced security
One of the most critical tasks a managed service provider performs is network monitoring. An MSP will monitor your network 24/7 to keep it safe from cyberattacks. They can run ongoing tests to check for vulnerabilities and alert you of any unusual activity on your systems.
Backup and disaster recovery
In 2019, the average cost of a data breach in the United States was $8.19 million, up from $7.91 million in 2018. This is why having a robust backup and disaster recovery plan in place is so critical. Even if you have a basic IT disaster recovery plan ready and you routinely backup your data, you still may be at risk.
This is another area where managed services are so important. An MSP can thoroughly analyze your hardware, software, connectivity, and network to identify loopholes. They can also train employees to help prevent accidental data loss and to ensure your staff is well-versed in cybersecurity best practices.
The cost and efficiency benefits of managed services
Ultimately, a managed service provider ensures your organization has access to all the IT services it needs so you can better leverage your business technology. Simplified IT management plus comprehensive security, streamlined costs, and expert insight to help your business cut unnecessary costs and optimize IT spend is the formula for unlocking your business’s success potential.
