According to the research carried out by The Great Learning Team, losses incurred through ransomware will grow to 57X from 2015 to the end of 2021. The number should be alarming considering losses incurred in 2015 stood at $325 million. Currently, 43% of these cyber-attacks target small businesses and it costs millions to fix them. Businesses have information technology tasks and equipment that require regular analysis and monitoring. Many businesses, especially startups can’t afford the management of these tasks and the expenses that come with them. This is where outsourcing IT managed services and the use of third-party resources comes in.
In this article, we are going to look at what MSP is, its importance, and its benefits to a business.
What is Managed IT Services?
Managed IT services occur when a company outsources given IT functions to a third-party vendor who is also known as a Managed Service Provider or MSP. Companies require managed IT services for support or if and when they lack enough capabilities to deal with IT tasks. Using managed services for small, medium, and large businesses enable growth and proper positioning in case of crisis and attacks. Companies hire managed service providers depending on their needs and internal capabilities. The most common services businesses need when it comes to offsite back-up include:
- Cloud for business, data backup, and data storage
- Help desk solutions through on-call IT specialist
- IT support and guidance services
- Managed network security
- Microsoft office 365
- System management to monitor servers, applications, and network
- Virtual chief information officer for analysis strategy
The Importance of Managed IT Services
With the advancements in technology came bigger risks. As a business that seeks to grow, you can’t rely on limited in-house IT teams and the traditional methods of break then fix it. Every company needs a team it can rely on to keep up with the pace of technology and innovation. Some of the important reasons for hiring a managed service provider include:
Advancements in Technology
With rapid changes in the information and technology industry, IT services are required to make work easy and less complex for the employees. The evolution of remote work and cloud for business has made it possible for employees to access company databases from anywhere. Companies need reliable IT services to support all the devices and provide secure platforms and data storage.
Larger Talent Pools
Getting skilled personnel and experts who are able to seamlessly keep up with the complexities of trends, media, and telecommunications is hard. This is why many companies lack experts for critical IT services. Hiring managed IT services fills in the gap thus providing a shield from possible malware and cybersecurity attacks and breaches. This avoids the need for disaster recovery as a service that is costly.
Enhanced Reliable Security and Compliance
Security and compliance is a sensitive topic to businesses as more electronic devices, operating systems, and platforms are used to store and transfer data. As the need to heighten cybersecurity increases, companies need to find the talent they can rely on. Managed service providers help in implementing policies and protocols that ensure compliance is achieved and maintained.
Reliable IT Operations
Lack of in-house talent or enough expertise leads to poor performance and unreliability which promotes ineffectiveness. Hiring managed IT support boosts efficiency and creates reliability in the IT operations. It enhances performance by maximizing uptime and profitability. It also frees up internal IT staff giving them time to focus on strategic projects and tasks.
Factors that Determine if you need a Managed Service Company
Every company needs to hire qualified talent when they can’t handle all IT functions and tasks. Outsourcing to IT experts ensures your company experiences reliable network management, analysis, and tracking system. Ensure the hired managed IT service providers meet your requirements. Here are factors to consider when hiring IT managed service providers;
- Size of your business/company
- In-house talent capacity
- MSPs Offerings
- Availability
- Scalability
What Are the Benefits of MSP
Managed Services are perceived as investments because of their embedded numerous returns. The benefits of managed IT services can directly translate to effective cost-saving measures. some of the benefits of MSPs can be summed up as follows:
Cost Savings
It is costly hiring new talent to add to your in-house team in terms of onboarding and training. It also consumes a lot of time that could be used on other projects. To add to that, the offsite backup teams have predictable monthly recurring costs and budgets that can save companies from miscellaneous spending like infrastructure expenses.
Management
The service providers are experts who understand how to analyze, track and manage systems effectively. This means that any arising issue can be solved before it becomes disastrous.
A Plan for the Future
From the experience, the MSP is able to predict trends and analyze data that can be used to determine viable action in the IT sector. This information can be used by the company to ensure better management and operations.
Proactive Maintenance Practices
Managed IT service provider is always working around the clock to ensure Security and service solutions are functional. They help detect potential risks, threats, and setbacks and fixing it before it becomes a crisis. Companies that hire these services can enjoy services from a community of experts who focus on regular and encrypted processes to ensure security is upheld.
Whether you have a small, medium, or large company, you can benefit from effective managed services. The approach is cost-effective and gives your business room to scale using the best expertise in the industry. All you need to do is understand the capacity of your company, then fill in the gaps with the right talent.
