No matter what kind of business you run, you’re eventually going to run into some serious IT problems. If you’re like many companies trying to conserve costs, you might be handling these issues without formal assistance or specialized help. While this might seem reasonable to budget-conscious planners everywhere, the risks undoubtedly outweigh the rewards.
Without a solid strategy behind your IT, you’re in the reactive camp rather than the proactive camp. This not only drags down people’s productivity, but it can also pave the way to serious security threats.
See why managed IT services can alleviate your team so everyone can put technical issues aside and focus on their jobs.
Dedicated IT Team
Even in mid-sized companies, it’s not unusual to see one person wear multiple hats. Maybe it’s your CPA whose hobby is building computers, or your office manager who already knows the quirks of your office printer (in detail).
But even if your makeshift IT people are supremely competent and efficient, it’s not always worth their time to keep switching jobs over every little hiccup. Not only will it be difficult for them to get back to the original task at hand, but they might be more likely to rush through a job so they can get back to their staggering to-do list.
With managed IT, you have access to a team of specialists who can put all of their energy into building reliable systems and solving problems quickly.
Consistent IT Policies
Contrary to popular belief, most security breaches are not the work of criminal masterminds. Weak passwords, exhausted employees, old software: these common culprits are all more likely to expose a company’s vulnerable information than the work of a genius in a basement.
The right IT team will assess a business’ infrastructure and close up the major gaps in a network. They’ll design systems that reinforce the protective measures just in case someone makes a glaring error — like clicking on a file that contains a virus. There is no such thing as an impenetrable fortress, but a dedicated IT team can at least make a hacker’s work much more difficult.
A managed IT provider will bring all devices onto the same network, allowing the IT team to oversee and manage systems with total clarity. They’ll establish policies for password updates, software upgrades, and security patches. They’ll ensure that onboarding and dismissals run smoothly, ensuring that sensitive information is restricted from unauthorized parties.
Their job is to make every transition as seamless as possible and to resolve issues long before they have a chance to become problems.
A Well Rounded Team
Managed IT services can do more than just troubleshoot a connection failure or straighten out a printer jam. From hardware to servers to network security, IT technicians have a wide range of expertise that you can use to your advantage.
Their experience is invaluable when you encounter unexpected snags in your technology or have questions about how to treat an anomalous situation. For example, let’s say that you have a questionable email. This email could be legitimate or it could be a phishing email that could compromise the security of your entire company – do you click on the email, or do you have an expert that you can ask with just a 30-second phone call to confirm?
Preventing unnecessary risks is as easy as picking up the phone and explaining the situation to an expert. Managed IT service technicians work on these kinds of problems all day long, have seen a multitude of similar situations, and can properly assess the problem in seconds. No matter the problem, a dedicated IT team has seen nearly everything throughout a variety of different business models, and undoubtedly will have a rapid solution.
More Affordable Than In-House Staff
Managed IT Services can be scaled to fit companies of any size, eliminating the need for even larger businesses to hire and manage full-time staff. This makes it more affordable in more ways than one.
With the right managed services, you can:
- Eliminate the time it takes to evaluate each candidate (against a skill set of a subject you may know little about).
- Secure access to multiple team members with different specialties without having to hire them full-time.
- Scale your IT solution even as your business continues to grow. Even if you choose to hire a CIO or CTO, you can still use managed IT services (e.g., as a help desk solution).
After you run the numbers, it can quickly become clear that you don’t need to source and onboard your own in-house team. With the right managed IT services, you can expand your resources without having to adjust your budget.
These services will not only have the equipment and monitoring capabilities to take care of your IT, but they’ll also have the working knowledge they need to tackle your problem (because they’ve almost certainly seen it before).
Help Without the Hassle
A managed IT provider understands the problem, devises a solution, and executes the plan with the utmost of competence. Instead of employing time-consuming workarounds, they’re taking into account how your business functions before proposing a turnkey answer.
When you’re used to babysitting the process from beginning to end, having another person to rely on is a truly priceless feeling. It lets everyone get back to their primary jobs in the office, allowing them to focus on making your company more profitable. Employees will be able to stay on task, so deadlines don’t get knocked off track and clients don’t feel like they’re getting the short end of the stick.
But this is not to say that an IT provider won’t communicate with you along the way. You’ll get the necessary updates so you can stay in the loop. And if you need to be consulted for any reason, managed IT services will make sure they have the green light before making any major changes.
Calculating the Value
The reality is that having the right IT support in this day and age is no longer a luxury for companies. Between the security risks and the never-ending headaches, it just makes sense to invest part of the budget to avoid preventable issues. Managed IT services can take some of the pressure off, so there’s more time for your team to do the real work of building your business.
