How To Choose The Best Managed IT Service Provider For Your Company

Managed Information Technology (IT) gives you the opportunity to delegate time and cost intensive IT operations to a managed service provider (MSP). This will reduce your expenses and improve the day-to-day business operations. By outsourcing these consuming digital services, your business and its teams can focus on big picture goals instead of mundane technical tasks. 

The world is realizing the value of redistributing technology services to an external team of quality resources instead of keeping it in-house. The market for managed service providers is valued at $23.3 billion by Mordor Intelligence in 2020 and projected to double by 2026. More business owners are making these providers part of their business models for competitive advantage and ever-increasing productivity. Across entire industries, these valuable infrastructure services are being used to let companies focus on their own business goals and growth. 

USE MANAGED SERVICE PROVIDERS TO LEVERAGE INNOVATION FOR YOUR BUSINESS 

Technology is in a constant state of flux. By the time you think you’ve figured out your cloud-based services, they’ll come up with something newer and better. For many businesses, keeping up with this constant innovation can be a financial hurdle as well as a staffing one. Instead of constantly buying, hiring, and updating, consider technology expertise for a fixed monthly or annual cost. 

With managed IT solutions, give your business the freedom to utilize this innovation instead of struggling against it. Troubleshooting, maintenance, and updating are constant efforts your staff shouldn’t be worrying about. IT services, in conjunction with cloud-based consulting services, gives your business access to the newest technology without the hassle. 

IT SECURITY SERVICES OFFERS WORLD-CLASS EXPERTISE  

These service providers do one thing, and they do it well. By having software engineering experts on hand to address core competencies on a regular basis, this specialization leads to higher efficiency for your business! A wide array of industries has realized that it’s high time they focus on business services by trusting MSPs to design, maintain, and troubleshoot their IT systems. 

MSPs provide services that help businesses both big and small. Large IT teams can focus on their larger goals instead of the day-to-day management services, and small businesses can leverage the benefits of a large IT department without incurring the costs of staffing one. By prioritizing your IT systems, an MSP can provide better service with rapid response time, quick assessment of problems, and get to resolving issues while maintaining business continuity. 

MANAGED IT SERVICES OFFER INSURMOUNTABLE SECURITY

All businesses must prioritize data safety by staying current with advancing cybercriminal activities and techniques. As the black market for data grows, hackers are more incentivized than ever to blow right past your cybersecurity defenses. With their access to evolving tools for identifying and breaching vulnerable networks, you need an MSP that uses cybersecurity solutions to stay ahead of them. 

Cybercrime is not exclusive to big companies or large financial services firms. Small and midsize businesses are especially vulnerable because they don’t prioritize their cybersecurity defenses. If your business handles any sensitive, personal, or marketable data, you’re at risk. From email to WiFi, your network could be rife with vulnerabilities that users with machine learning systems are looking to exploit.

You do not have the time, funding, or resources it takes to become a cybersecurity expert overnight. MSPs provide professional services and cybersecurity expertise to keep your network and the data it contains safe from a variety of threats. Hacking, data breaches, and cyber attacks are damaging realities happening to more and more businesses. By hiring an MSP, your business and its networks can benefit from premium monitoring, assessment, and tracking tools for much less than it would cost to run internally. 

MANAGED IT SERVICES LET YOU FOCUS ON YOUR BUSINESS

Competition is running rampant and that means your business needs to prioritize core objectives to succeed. Dealing with everyday information technology services instead of your operation’s goals can get in the way of that competition. Little things like maintenance, troubleshooting, and even new user setup can reduce productivity and cut into valuable time. 

Technological resources can be scarce or expensive for small and midsize businesses. Most don’t have the luxury of a large IT department or access to constant technological innovation. MSPs level the playing field, letting smaller businesses compete with larger ones with access to cutting edge technology. That way your business, regardless of its size, can allocate resources towards business objectives that increase success. 

What services do managed IT service providers offer?

MSPs provide a range of services including:

• Software administration and maintenance

• Document management and identity verification for authentication purposes

• Computer system administration

• Data backup and recovery

• Data storage and management

• Cloud computing services and online document storage

• Network monitoring and management 

• Application management, monitoring, and maintenance

MSPs deliver these and additional services through ongoing support on-site, if needed. They are also capable of providing it through their or third party data centers. All services can be third-party services, native services, or a combination of the two. Some are “pure play,” meaning they focus on one specialized service or technology. Others diversify their offerings to include a variety of products and services.

With the growing need for external IT services, as businesses of varying sizes grow and prosper, MSPs have evolved. They fulfill many functions, offer a multitude of services, and have grown to be much more present and available for businesses and organizations. Consequently, an MSP can be catered to fit your business’s needs. 

Aside from industry and business specific needs, any MSP you consider should include these services: 

• Expert consultation

• Ongoing risk assessment

• Customer service support available to staff

• Onsite technical support (break/fix capabilities or more)

• Remote technical support

• 24/7x365 network infrastructure monitoring

• 24/7x365 response for server/network security emergencies

7 Signs You Need Managed IT Services

Still not sure about making the switch? Here are seven signs that your IT strategy could use the services of a professional MSP:

1. Your company does not have an IT department or designated IT person

Technological innovation, virtual workspaces, and constant access to the internet has changed how businesses operate. Most small businesses rely on a tech savvy employee or an IT expert on-call to help with their day to day operations. While that may work now, in the long-term they may not prioritize your IT needs or be aware of the benefits innovating technology provides. 

2. You have limited IT resources 

You can manage or even reduce your IT budget with external IT services. Contractual arrangements can be made to alleviate the strain on your existing resources and personnel. This will give you access to new and existing technologies without the pain of significant infrastructure development.

3. YOUR IT PERSON IS CONSTANTLY TROUBLESHOOTING AND PERFORMING MAINTENANCE  

The interconnectivity of technology, its systems and applications, are more than one person can handle. If your IT person is juggling a lot of daily tasks like troubleshooting and maintenance, it’s time you bring in some help. That way, you can direct resources towards objectives that help your business compete and grow instead of constantly putting out fires.

4. IT employees don’t have the time to focus on proactive solutions

The best way to avoid IT problems altogether is to find proactive solutions before the problem even starts. If IT is constantly solving the day to day problems, they don’t have the time they need to make proactive improvements. Besides implementing important software and hardware upgrades, an MSP has experience with several different areas of expertise. This insight provides them with valuable experience to anticipate and prevent common technological hiccups that turn into disasters.

5. YOU DON’T HAVE A SOFTWARE TRACKING SYSTEM

From new employees to changing and adding devices, applications are constantly on the move. Keeping track of software is a regular challenge as your business grows. That’s why Software as a Service (SaaS) is becoming a popular option for many companies. SaaS is an ideal way of monitoring and keeping your licenses updated and making sure all of your team members have access to applications they need to maintain functionality. 

Instead of constantly buying, updating, and installing application licenses locally, a SaaS lets you access the software online. You can then use cloud-based solutions to store and manage your documents. Automatic updates make it easy to maintain current documents between your employees, too. Additionally, online help desks and chat functions can provide your employees with reliable support.

6. YOU DO NOT HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE SECURITY PLAN

So many of our business functions and operations are online, so expertly managed security should be a top priority for your business, regardless of its size. Preventing security breaches, addressing threats in real time, and implementing backup and recovery strategies are just examples of what a cybersecurity expert can do for you. This all culminates in peace of mind and the security of your sensitive client and company data. Failure to do so can result in dire financial consequences, disastrous implications for your business’s reputation, and a complete lack of trust with customers going forward. 

7. Regulation compliance is a growing concern

As regulations for data protection, storage, and transmission continue to increase, companies need to stay above the fray by maintaining compliance. To avoid fines, penalties, or legal repercussions, an MSP can keep you on the straight and narrow with document management systems. These will ensure your company can adequately store and dispose of data according to the regulations of your industry.

How To Evaluate a Managed Services Provider

Choosing an MSP is not something you do every day and they’re more than just a vendor. They represent a technology partner that takes on a crucial part of your operations so your business can function optimally and continue to grow. Though your industry and type of business will require certain things, you need these essential factors no matter what you do: 

24/7 Availability

Your network isn’t 9 to 5 like your business may be. Your infrastructure is running all the time, working for you. Your MSP needs to have the same kind of availability to be able to provide service and support when you need it.

Quick Response Times

A provider needs to be available all the time, and quickly. Ensure your provider has a guaranteed response time and prioritizes expediency when it comes to managing your IT concerns. In the event of an emergency, you don’t want to have to wait 3-5 business days for a technician to get to your business. Be sure the MSP you choose answers phone calls instead of using an out-of-state call center that reroutes calls and wastes time before arriving at a solution. 

Backup and Disaster Recovery 

Find out what security measures your MSP takes. Data protection should be their priority when it comes to backup, disaster recovery,  and long-term maintenance. With a solid plan in place, you can be sure your business is covered in the event of unforeseen circumstances.

On-Site and Remote Monitoring, Security and Maintenance

Your ideal MSP can monitor and maintain your network both on-site and remotely. That way, they’re well-equipped to protect your network with their infrastructure in place. From identifying to neutralizing threats, monitoring is a crucial aspect of any MSP.

Third-party Vendors

Comprehensive IT solutions require the use of multiple technology sources. Your MSP should handle multiple technology vendors for you to lessen the time you spend tracking them down for service issues. 

BRING VALUABLE EFFICIENCY TO YOUR BUSINESS WITH MANAGED IT SERVICES 

Just by outsourcing some of your IT operations, you can save money, increase efficiency, and improve your business’s daily operations. These valuable services can give you a competitive edge by freeing up your time and resources to complete business initiatives that boost profitability. 

Cloud services, software updates, network management - all that and handled for you with experienced IT professionals with little hassle. The experts at Standley Systems can keep your business and all its tech in the future handling the daily management for you. From necessary updates to digital transformations, we do it all so you don’t have to. Profits, productivity, and efficiency will all be on the rise while your tech headaches will be a thing of the past.