Managed information technology (IT) services are such a vague term, and reading a few articles about it won’t give much to go on. It has become such an amenity to the point of companies no longer have the luxury to second guesses on whether they should leverage the services or not.
Much like you are, many people still have some questions regarding managed IT services. Perhaps, a few even have some misconceptions about it.
Managed IT Services 101
Trustworthy IT support agencies like tcgns.com and other contemporaries are becoming busier and busier by the minute. If not now, then when will you hire a dedicated managed service provider? This guide will discuss a few things people often overlook regarding managed IT services.
Here’s what you should know about the service:
1. Managed IT Services And Break-Fix Are Two Different Things
When someone mentions the managed IT services, people often assume it’s the same as break-fix. If you’ve worked with computers before, then you should know what break-fix is. Basically, it’s the practice of calling an IT support agency to ‘fix’ things as they ‘break.’
If your company’s network system malfunctions, you’ll have to call a network service. Afterward, the said agency will solve the issue, and you’ll pay for their repairs. In other words, you pay them every time something gets messed up. Managed IT services, on the other hand, involve hiring an agency to monitor your information technology-related operations.
For instance, the IT support agency will proactively monitor your cloud systems 24/7. When a problem happens, you don’t have to call them because they’d be the first to know.
Most of the time, the third-party agency will prevent the issue before it happens. In short, the break-fix model involves fixing a problem as it occurs while managed IT services involve preventing a problem from happening in the first place. Despite the awful similarities, these two terms are entirely different.
2. You Can Hire Managed IT Services Even If You Have An IT Department
Another assumption many companies have is you can’t hire a managed IT service provider if you already have an IT department. While it’s indeed outside of the ordinary, a company can still benefit from managed IT services in such a scenario. For starters, a company’s information technology sector may consist of several areas including:
- Computer support
- Network management
- Cloud management
- Software development
- Security
A company may already have an IT department, but it’s not going to be perfect. They might be great at handling most of these, but not all, and hiring managed IT service providers would help in at least one of these information technology areas.
Furthermore, there won’t be a time when IT operations are truly perfect because there’ll always be room for improvement. Even if your IT department’s doing fine handling all these, you can still hire managed IT services, and both the in-house and outsourced IT staff can work together.
3. There Are Different Kinds Of Managed IT Services
When a company decides it needs managed IT services, they often ask questions about which agency to hire or for how long the outsourcing should last. While these are understandable, rarely do companies discuss what kind of managed IT services they should deploy. That’s because most companies don’t know there are different kinds of managed IT services such as:
Networks
Most companies nowadays deal with Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN). If you’re struggling with any of this at the moment, you might want to consider hiring an agency specializing in computer networks.
Security
Cyber threats are now as prevalent as ever. Every company needs to protect itself against security threats, and what better way to do it than by outsourcing.
Communications
Every now and then, your company may end up suffering due to a lack of communication. In such cases, you need to hire an agency specializing in establishing communication lines within the company.
Custom Software
There are also cases where a company may require special software, allowing them to store information in databases or to help with communication. Either way, there are managed service providers (MSPs) out there specializing in creating custom software.
4. MSPs Are Flexible When It Comes To Budget
Believe it or not, some MSPs are flexible with their price, especially if you have many connections. After all, their ultimate goal is to market their services, so they’re often willing to be flexible just so you can hire them to work with you.
They might try to lower their rate for the price of reducing their job responsibilities, of course. So if you think managed IT services are always expensive, think again.
5. Outsourcing IT Works For Organizations Of All Sizes
Some people say managed IT services only work for small and medium-sized enterprises because large companies have enough capital to fund their own IT departments. But as previously discussed, having an IT department shouldn’t stop you from outsourcing. However, it’s not the main reason why managed IT services work for organizations of all sizes.
You also have to remember however big an enterprise may be, gaining just a bit of an edge over competitors is a significant improvement, and outsourced IT is an excellent way to do it. It saves you money to spend on other operations, it improves workplace productivity by saving them from the vexing tasks, and it gives you access to the latest technologies on the market.
6. Not All Managed Service Providers Are Equal
By now, it should be apparent managed IT services are beneficial for all kinds of organizations. But you also have to remember not all MSPs are on the same level. In this regard, you need to look for the following factors:
- Experience
- Credentials
- Technologies
- Pricing
There are a lot more to consider when choosing a managed IT service provider, but what matters is you must take time when making your decision.
Wrapping Up
If you’ve been wondering how managed IT service works, this guide should be able to get you the answers you’re looking for. However, while it may have improved your opinion of managed IT services, such a significant decision requires prior deliberation. So don’t go hiring managed IT service providers hastily. Consult with your organization to see whether you need the service for your operations.