Why bother with a Managed IT Services Provider?
IT is one of the most important parts of your business. Let’s face it, in today’s world you can’t even operate your core business functions without it. Yet so few businesses give enough thought to how they should run their IT. That’s where outsourced managed services step in as a greater alternative to handling IT in house.
As a leading London IT support company, we have encountered many businesses who cannot find a way to make their internal IT system work for them. In fact, there are countless businesses – particularly SMEs – that simply struggle to maintain their own IT infrastructure. Whether it’s costs, overwhelming staffing responsibilities, or simply a lack of expertise, managing your own team and IT can be complex.
Choosing to outsource support from a managed IT services provider provides a seamless solution to your problems. From reducing expenses and conducting essential maintenance, to transforming your technology and securing your systems from cyberattacks, the benefits of outsourcing managed IT are numerous.
6 Reasons to Outsource Managed IT Services
With so many businesses turning to outsource managed IT services, we explore the reasons why you should join in too. So, here we have put together the 7 benefits of outsourcing IT support to a managed services provider:
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Save money
Managing IT systems internally can be one of the biggest costs your business faces. From staffing and training to systems and equipment, the cost of handling and maintaining IT yourself mount up quickly.
Firstly, you must consider the unexpected costs involved with internal IT management. For example, downtime due to hardware disruption can call for emergency maintenance which can be costly per hour. Also, although your IT team’s salary is calculable, new equipment may be suddenly required and expensive to immediately source.
Opting for outsourced managed IT services will give you more flexibility and reduce your IT expenses. If you still want to keep an internal IT team, costs will decrease as your demand for support is lessened. However, if you choose to outsource greater managed IT support it will be much easier to track your costs. This is because providers typically operate on a fixed rate basis, meaning there won’t be any added costs.
Your managed service provider will manage as much or as little of your IT as you need. This means your provider will tailor the managed IT package to your service requirements, so you will only be paying for what you need.
Furthermore, most outsourced managed IT packages will offer scalable solutions, allowing you to adjust IT support alongside business changes. This ensures you aren’t overspending on unnecessary features and tools or missing key support critical to your business’ operations.
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Focus on your business
If your team is constantly disturbed by slow internet speeds or hardware updates, it means you can’t remain productive. A dedicated managed IT team lets you focus on your operations while the IT expertise is outsourced.
With unlimited remote IT support available and in-person maintenance where necessary to keep you up and running, you’ll gain total peace of mind. 24/7 coverage and remote troubleshooting reduces your downtime and proactively scans for threats. Your managed IT provider will be continuously monitoring your systems to identify and patch issues before they cause damage.
This gives you more time to focus on your business at hand and less responsibility for duties outside of your expertise. Consequently, you won’t have to worry about training new staff or ensuring your IT support is qualified. Overall, knowing your IT infrastructure is professionally managed allows you to prioritise your business’ productivity and success.
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Access to IT specialists
Your IT is integral to everyday business so make sure it’s in the best hands. A managed service provider will have a range of highly qualified IT staff, specifically trained to deliver a robust support service.
Each IT specialist will have vast experience meaning they will be confident in managing your system throughout a range of IT scenarios. For example, a managed IT team can help you migrate digital workspaces with minimal disturbance. And if you suffer a breach, having outsourced managed IT services in place would strengthen your disaster recovery plans.
Your managed IT team can also give trusted and reliable advice on key IT-related decisions. Choosing new security protections and equipment can be difficult without expert opinions. However, by knowing your business inside out, your managed IT service can sway you in the right direction. They may even be able to get you more affordable costs for new software and hardware purchases.
Each business is unique, so every IT support need is different according to sector and individual requirements. In constructing your IT support package, your outsourced managed provider will get to know the specific requirements of your business. This will assist them in selecting the best services to support your organisation’s backbone.
Choosing an IT Support team who has experience in your particular industry will make things much easier in the long run. So, if any problems do arise, you’ll know your IT team will be able to resolve them swiftly.
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Stay ahead
Technology is constantly advancing, and one of the challenges facing businesses is how to keep up and what to implement. As a non-IT sector business, you may struggle to source affordable equipment and find the most efficient option, let alone adopt the latest technologies.
Outsourcing a managed IT service can help you stay up to date with the newest advancements. By performing regular IT audits, your provider will log your infrastructure and pinpoint areas in need of an upgrade and new hardware. Here your managed IT team can ensure your new technologies work seamlessly with your rest of your system. All updates and upgrades will then be tracked and implemented quickly so you can take full advantage.
Any new technologies that will help your business, you will be sure to hear about first. As a result, your business could be the first to implement innovative tech, giving you a competitive lead in the market.
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Keep secure
Security and compliance are two essentials for any business. You’ll want to ensure all your data and technology are protected to avoid any costly, and potentially harmful breaches.
Choosing to outsource your cybersecurity services from a managed IT provider will keep you safe from hacks, viruses and data theft. IT support packages typically include continuous monitoring as a standard. This service will help manage and protect your IT systems remotely, without interfering with your business operations.
Your managed IT team will take a proactive approach to threat and system monitoring, to identify potential problems and vulnerabilities. They will target crucial and sensitive areas, regularly patching security holes and flagging suspicious movements.
Remember that prevention is always better than the cure. Having a managed IT service provider as your first line of defence will keep your company safe and secure.
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Grow your business
You can’t drive your business growth with outdated IT systems. Not only can it be unsafe to run your business on unsecured devices, but you might not have the storage to scale up.
First and foremost, working on old equipment means you’ll miss out on the latest technologies your competitors are using. With managed IT services you’ll be able to try out some of the newest business software and devices to see what fits your requirements.
It’s important to know that developers tend to withdraw support from older systems, meaning you may not be able to resolve IT issues eventually. So, your staff would have to put up with slower systems and higher levels of downtime, leading to stunted productivity and growth.
The proactive and monitored support you get from outsourcing managed IT services will keep your entire business up to date. This way you’ll be able to work harder and smarter alongside more efficient systems. Even better, as your business scales up, your IT support will too, due to the flexible nature of a managed IT provider.
Outsource managed IT services in London
Using a managed service can make you more productive, boost your growth and keep your company secure. If you want more information on how to start the process and outsource managed services for your business, please request an IT support quote & we’ll get in touch to book your free consultation.