Managed services providers (MSPs) are lifesavers for business owners and executives to manage their IT equipment and services. Among many other things, MSPs update software, provide data backup solutions, and keep files safe from hackers.
As the industry trade group CompTIA noted in a March 2015 report, over 70% of small and midsize businesses (SMBs) used a third-party IT company at least occasionally, if not more frequently, during a 12-month period. This popularity highlights just how useful and versatile MSPs can be for small companies.
Here are 5 ways in which an MSP can make your life easier:
1. Using a Team of Focused Experts
Many organizations lack the resources for hiring dedicated IT staff members. Instead, they task employees from different departments with managing their computer systems, even though this work is not part of their job descriptions. These employees usually have trouble juggling their regular work with their IT obligations. As a result, they are unable to successfully do either one of these jobs. Companies that outsource their IT work, in contrast, don’t have to rely on non-technical staff members trying to squeeze IT tasks into their busy schedules.
Even some companies with full-time IT departments struggle to keep up with the work. These staff members are so busy handling day-to-day maintenance tasks that they are unable to focus on their companies’ long-term goals. By partnering with a team of experienced outside professionals, these firms free up their IT staff so that they can concentrate on more strategic issues.
2. Offering a Cost-Effective Solution
Budgets in most organizations are tight. You want to make sure that you are investing your hard earned money in the most effective way. Some executives believe that the money spent on an MSP could go to other uses. However, they don’t realize that using an outside partner could save them a tremendous amount of money in the long run.
MSPs fix many of their clients’ IT pain points and make their operations more productive. This translates into increased efficiency and lower IT costs. Additionally, these service providers can prevent security incidents and assist companies that are forced to recover from computer disasters. By helping businesses avoid data breaches, MSPs effectively save them the money that would have been lost.
Outside firms offer a wealth of IT expertise at an affordable price point. Transparent billing models show exactly what these service providers have been doing for their clients. This allows executives to plan out their IT budgets in advance without worrying about hidden fees or mysterious charges.
3. Performing Proactive Preventative Maintenance
The well-known break-fix approach to IT stems from a reactive mindset. This approach means that if there is a problem, you fix it. But it doesn’t call for determining how you can prevent problems in the future.
MSPs, on the other hand, help you take a more proactive stance on IT issues. Together with a team of outside experts, you can discover how to keep things from breaking, rather than just fixing them when they do. Your MSP will ensure that you do not miss a software or firmware update in order to keep your systems running smoothly and securely. This ongoing maintenance keeps your computers operational for longer periods of time, and lets you avoid problems that would have caused downtime.
4. Providing Timely Resolution to IT Problems
Many MSPs provide a quick way to reach an IT professional in case you encounter a problem. Downtime is expensive. If you have an in-house IT person and they are out sick for the day or on vacation, that downtime can become extremely expensive. The longer IT issues go unresolved, the more likely you are to lose money. Using an MSP allows you to have a reliable expert on-call to address any issues that come up, regardless of when they occur.
5. Helping to Scale
Since MSPs are already familiar with your IT assets, they will know which products can improve your computer systems and which ones are compatible with your existing infrastructure. This will help you scale your IT infrastructure and facilitate your organization’s growth in a reliable way.
Contact us for examples of how the managed IT services provided by MicroAge can save you time, money and help you sleep better at night!
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