Large and small businesses alike are constantly looking for ways to do more with less. Cross-training employees to handle multiple job duties, reductions in staffing and increased overtime have become the norm. Unfortunately, this can lead to dropped balls and a lack of attention on important issues.
One area of many businesses that tends to be overlooked is the IT department. Once the salary of a full-time IT person plus benefits and 401K contributions are factored into a business budget, it often becomes clear that a business can't withstand the financial burden of someone to watch after one of its most precious needs - IT management.
A common misconception of hiring a managed IT services provider is that a company will have to give up control of its assets to someone who isn't even in the company. Luckily this isn't the case. These management companies work seamlessly with your business to ensure all areas of your IT infrastructure stay running day and night.
So the question becomes... what does a managed IT services provider actually do?
Simply put, a managed IT services provider is a cost-effective alternative to staffing and managing your own IT department. They can monitor and support your entire business network, from servers and software to network administration or can supplement your overburdened IT staff with additional support 24/7.
Prices for managed IT services can vary but they typically they work off of a monthly or yearly contract that outlines services for a flat fee. Before any vendor will submit a contract to sign they will complete a network diagnostic to assess what services each company actually needs.
Five Benefits of Hiring a Managed IT Services Provider
1. Reduce Costs - For many businesses it may be cost-prohibitive to hire full or even part-time staff to manage the IT department. Once salary, benefits and 401k contributions are factored in, the concept of an in-house IT department simply isn't feasible.
2. Peace of Mind - With routine preventative maintenance and monthly system check-ups you can rest assured that your systems will be running at their best 24/7. Smoothly running systems means productivity which equals profits.
3. Stay Strategic - It isn't uncommon for many IT departments to spend the majority of the time solving last-minute problems that pop up or keeping up with the status quo. Hiring a third-party to assist with IT management will not only allow for some of the burden to be shifted but the in-house team can rely on the third-party to develop strategic plans that will keep the company and its IT department ahead of the competition.
4. Increased Security - Companies that outsource security monitoring and vulnerability scanning oftentimes stay ahead of attacks.
5. Additional Support - You will have someone to turn to when the unexpected happens. If something goes a little haywire or you just don't know what to do, you won't be alone. Most providers offer 24/7 support to help you get through the difficult issues.
Often times, businesses don't realize how much a managed IT services provider will actually benefit their company and free up resources to handle other internal issues. The first step to gaining IT peace of mind is to simply ask... how can a managed IT services provider help me?
Laurie Breese, President of TeamLogic IT Orland Park
