IT can either be a godsend or a total nightmare. Depending on the size of your business, operational demands, and the rate you are growing, maintaining your IT operation can be a huge challenge. Does your business need Managed IT Services?
Handling IT support internally
Managing your network, hardware, and applications is another task that takes away from the important stuff – growing your business. You need to hire a team (and we know recruitment can be a time-consuming and expensive process), train them on your specific needs, and probably still call in for help when things go wrong.
Not to mention the need to handle in and out-of-hours IT support tickets. And all of this can cause fluctuating expenses which can be difficult to budget for. Having an internal IT support team may work for some companies. However, it makes it harder to scale your operations, especially when remote work becomes an increasing factor in your business.
How do managed IT support services work?
When you work with an IT support provider, you have three main ways you can work together. You can call them in for emergencies or specific installation and consultancy projects. You can bring them in to outsource your entire IT department, or you can ask them to be responsible for the back end of your network while you cover the day-to-day IT operations.
This is known as “third-line support” and is ideal for companies who handle most of their own IT operation but need support for installations, integrations, and larger projects. And these projects are dealt with and charged for on a case-by-case basis, based on labour costs, hardware costs, and licencing fees. All of which should be explained clearly and upfront by your IT support provider.
If you’re working on a full support basis, you’ll have a dedicated support team who will be on hand to help you with the support tickets. These tickets are allocated to engineers in order of priority, with the top priority focusing on security breaches and critical functionality problems. Fast response and resolution times are critical to the running and use of MSPs.
Key benefits of working with a managed services providers for IT support
- Keeping up with compliance and regulatory changes
From GDPR to ISO 9001, industry regulations and compliance can be difficult to keep up with. Working with a managed service provider (MSP) for all of your IT needs can ensure that all of your systems and processes stay in check with any and all industry regulations, without you having to worry about a thing. - Discounts on hardware and assets
IT support providers have access to hardware and assets below retail price, courtesy of partnerships with national accredited providers. There is no reason for companies, particularly small to medium businesses, to be paying the retail price for their tech and network assets. Plus you can trust that the assets will all be high quality and up to spec one regulations. - Round-the-clock support for a fixed cost
One of the best parts of this sort of arrangement is that it is so much easier to budget for. With a fixed ongoing price for IT support, it makes balancing the budget significantly simpler. Because of the way the MSP process works, 24/7 support is available remotely (and we also offer in-person IT support in London) which means you’ll have a team of experts on-hand whenever you need them. - Remote employee onboarding
Now this one is a little more specific to us. Improving the employee experience is really important to us. In fact, it’s at the heart of what we do. So we offer fully remote zero-touch onboarding for your new recruits. How does this work? Well, you tell us everything your new employee needs (in terms of kit, software, etc.), and we will sort it out and ship it to your new starter ahead of their first day, ready to go. No travel or tech handover needed.Plus, we also add a personal touch. An extra package containing a bunch of items with your branding on them to really welcome your new starter. - Improved operational and technological functioning
Handing over your IT to a team of dedicated professionals will ultimately lead to a smoother and less stressful operation. With an MSP on hand to support you in all-thing technology, whenever you have an issue or concern, it will be addressed quickly by the experts. And this is going to result in smoother operational and technological functioning, allowing you to focus on the most important thing: growing your business. - Giving you time to focus on building your business
Chances are, if you’re thinking of reaching out to a managed services provider for your IT operations, your business is growing. And that is fantastic news. The best part of working with an MSP for your IT support is that you can free up a lot of your time to focus on building your brand and your business.
Having a smooth IT operation is no small feat, but prioritising this by outsourcing your IT department to an MSP can also improve your employee’s experience working for you. And this, in turn, will improve your reputation, staff retention, and employer brand.
If you’re ready to start working with a managed services provider for your IT support, get in touch with our experts to get the ball rolling today.