In this ever-evolving tech landscape, most internal IT teams are not equipped enough to keep up with the pace of innovation. Hence, these companies find their IT to be more reactive than proactive. Due to this, their systems face difficulties keeping up with the requirements of a growing business in the contemporary, digital-focused world. Businesses are turning to managed service providers (MSPs) to solve this issue. MSPs help businesses keep up with the demands of a business world that changes quickly, improve the efficiency of IT operations, and optimize IT operations.
An MSP should provide a full set of IT services that can be changed to fit the needs of your business. In the competitive market of today, managed IT solutions can make all the difference between a thriving, successful business and one that is just struggling to get by.
What is meant by managed services?
Managed services are just another way of saying that a business gives some of its tasks to a third party. Managed IT services usually mean that a company’s storage systems, networks, and servers, as well as its IT infrastructure, are managed and kept an eye on.
Based on a service level agreement (SLA), the MSP would be in charge of making sure the equipment or service worked properly. This SLA can have rules about how the help desk works, technical support, disaster recovery, downtime, and more. The company that uses managed services should pay a monthly subscription fee.
Reasons to shift to managed IT services
- Tech Access: The domain of technology keeps advancing with time, and keeping up with it can be a huge headache for an internal IT team. An MSP would not only make IT easier for a company, but it would also improve its IT by making sure that upgrades and security patches are done on time. MSPs help their clients gain access to the latest technologies and tools to improve their operations while providing uninterrupted maintenance. Using new technologies can help a business stay ahead of the market competition.
- Cost-effective: As managed IT services eliminate the cost of employing and training an extended IT staff, it invariably lowers the labor costs of your business. The concept of having expert IT skills and resources available on a scalable basis can be quite advantageous and cost-effective. Moreover, as you sign an SLA customized to your company’s distinctive needs, you will not have to deal with any unexpected service charges. Managed services would allow your business to pivot to an operating expense model from a capital expense model.
- Put emphasis on core objectives: Your IT requirements would grow along with your business. Even if your IT team manages to handle some of the increased workloads, they will eventually end up getting overwhelmed and may not scale as per your business requirements. This will force you to assign extra responsibilities to employees not on the IT team, thereby distracting them from your business’s core objectives. One of the biggest advantages of managed services is that it not only frees up your employees to focus on the jobs they were essentially employed for but also helps you to fill gaps as required. MSPs usually maintain a flexible service model that allows you to choose the level of service you need.
- Enhanced Security: Cyber attacks are among the major concerns for any business today. As a lot of important tasks of a company are done online, there is always a risk of data breaches and viruses. As a result, it has become more important than ever to take proper cyber security measures. MSPs take care of the security of the IT infrastructure of their clients and have robust security procedures, policies and protocols in place for this purpose. The enhanced security provided by MSPs can prove to be highly effective in reducing a company’s security risks.
- Avoid costly downtime: Instead of simply waiting for something to go wrong, managed service providers follow a proactive approach toward IT maintenance. They make use of proven remote monitoring and management processes and techniques for identifying, diagnosing, and troubleshooting issues before they can even have a chance to become a problem for your business.
- High flexibility and scalability: As businesses grow with time, they need to see to it that they have the proper resources to accommodate their increased needs. Managed IT services allow companies to avail IT resources exactly as per their needs. It allows you to grow at your own pace, with no glitches or constraints along the way. By having several backups available 24×7, you shall not have to second guess if your important files are safe, as professionals manage your systems.
Bottom-line
Overall, companies are moving toward managed IT services for a number of reasons, from the need to improve operational efficiency and cut costs to the desire to free up internal resources and put more focus on strategic initiatives. MSPs often deliver a much higher standard of service than the company could have achieved on its own. These service providers have access to cutting-edge processes and tools that they leverage on behalf of their clients. MSPs also have experts on staff who are trained and qualified and can handle complex IT infrastructures well.
The managed services market is expected to grow steadily over the next few years, thanks to things like the growing complexity of IT infrastructures and the progress made in those infrastructures. The global managed services market was valued at 161.37 billion US dollars in 2021, and is expected to exceed 300 billion US dollars by 2027. As companies become more reliant on technology, they need to make sure they have a good way to make sure their system is always up and running. MSPs give businesses peace of mind because they know that their IT infrastructure is being managed and watched over by experts. Companies all over the world are rethinking their IT strategies and switching to managed solutions to keep up with the times and stay competitive.
