To ensure businesses remain competitive, more and more companies are building a robust IT environment to improve the efficiency of service delivery and other business operations. Unfortunately, not all businesses can afford to have their own IT infrastructure and in-house IT team to manage it.
This is where an IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) comes in. These are companies that provide remote IT services to their clients, such as infrastructure, networking, security and applications.
MSPs play an essential role in handling the day-to-day IT operations of their clients. Learn more about MSPs, what they do and how they can benefit your business below.
What Is A Managed IT Service Provider?
A managed IT service provider is a third-party service provider that offers a wide range of IT services to its clients. The services they provide range from business-critical IT functions, such as infrastructure and networking, to auxiliary functions, such as payroll, staffing and customer management.
Businesses that do not have the internal resources to support their business technology needs prefer to work with MSPs to enjoy the benefits of working with a dedicated IT team that suits their needs and budgets. They first emerged in the 90s as application service providers (ASPs) offering remote application hosting, monitoring, management and customer support for the IT infrastructures they helped set up.
More recently, MSPs expanded the scope of their services and have also become synonymous with cloud computing services since most of their services are delivered online.
MSPs state the scope and coverage of their services through service-level agreements (SLAs). These contracts also include crucial details like performance and quality metrics, service inclusions and pricing. These SLAs can be short-term (weeks to months) or long-term (months to years), depending on your agreement.
Types of Managed IT Services
Managed IT Services can vary depending on the nature of the industry they operate in. Some MSPs serve clientele working in tech while other clients operate outside the tech industry. Regardless of which industry they belong to, these businesses will still require a robust IT service to support their business operations.
Below are typical examples of services provided by MSPs:
Cloud Computing Services
Data backup, cloud storage, on-site storage, disaster recovery, e
Network Support and Management
On-site and virtual network infrastructure monitoring, performance maintenance, routing, monitoring of switches and servers, user access management, etc.
Security Management
On-site CCTV monitoring and technical support, cybersecurity support, firewalls, antivirus, intrusion detection, network infrastructure security applications, network monitoring, real-time threat containment, etc.
All-Around Technical Support
24/7 helpdesk, remote and on-site assistance for troubleshooting, etc.
IT Strategy Consulting
Technology planning and implementation (can be provided by a product vendor or a consulting company)
Who Can Benefit From Managed IT Services?
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have the most to gain from hiring an MSP. Many SMBs have limited IT capabilities and are working with limited resources. In most cases, their business operations aren’t enough to justify hiring an in-house IT team.
Among non-SMBs, businesses that do not operate in the tech sector may also benefit from an MSP’s services. Executives and business owners in these industries likely have a general knowledge of IT solutions and would benefit from expert advice from MSPs. They can focus on developing their products and services, improve customer experience and drive marketing and sales generation, leaving capable MSPs to manage business-critical and supplementary IT services.
But the benefits of MSPs can also extend to tech businesses and other companies that offer IT products and services. Businesses of this nature may not have the manpower to manage their own IT needs as most of their resources are devoted to serving their customers. Turning over the day-to-day work to a third-party service provider helps them maintain high efficiency and service quality while simultaneously nurturing customer relationships, developing new products, studying competitors, etc., without overworking their full-time employees.
Other industries that benefit from MSPs include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Real Estate
- Automotive Dealership
- Hospitality
- Healthcare
- Manufacturing
- Finance
- Law Firms
The Benefits of Hiring MSPs
The following are the benefits of working with MSPs:
Your Business Benefits from the Services of Expert Professionals
MSPs specialize in services like buying the best tools and software and training their specialists to become the best in their field. They offer the expertise of their most experienced staff and sharpest strategists, ensuring their clients get the best services possible.
You Can Fill Staffing Shortages Quickly and Save on Training Expenses
If your company’s demand for IT services suddenly surges, and you need additional staff to fill in these sudden changes, unfortunately, hiring temporary staffers, training them and teaching them how things work in your company can take a long time. Hiring an MSP and outsourcing some internal tasks could be more efficient. Your more experienced and trusted employees will then have more time and energy to handle business-critical tasks.
You Can Access Various Tools, Applications, Platforms and Software While Paying a Fraction of the Price
Hiring a managed service provider gives you access to trained IT staff and technology that can take your business to the next level. Your MSP may present new tools you haven’t heard of before or offer tech that may be too expensive to buy. By outsourcing your tech needs to a third-party expert, you can enjoy the benefit of this top-notch service without the hefty price tag. You no longer have to shoulder the overhead expenses of acquiring turnkey technology and will instead only pay as you go (PAYG).
More Knowledgeable Eyes Can Monitor and Manage Your Network
Outsourcing network management and monitoring to an MSP means getting specialists to watch over your network 24/7, or at least during your operating hours. This is advantageous to non-tech businesses that don’t have full-time employees to monitor network security, perform routine IT tasks like checking user logs, managing backups, updating applications and software or helping network users troubleshoot a problem.
It’s Easier and Faster to Scale Up or Down on IT Services
MSPs are agile service providers who can quickly adjust to the needs of their customers. Since SLAs can be short-term, businesses aren’t contractually bound to pay for services they no longer need for extended periods. Once a contract expires, the client can reassess its needs and present a revised service order to their MSP. So if demand for a service rises or falls, clients can update the terms of their SLAs and scale up or down as needed without incurring financial losses.
Seek Managed Services To Avoid Downtime Losses
If you want to know more about IT-managed services and how your business can benefit from working with an MSP, contact E-Valve Technologies.
We are a managed services company specializing in customized IT solutions for small to medium-sized companies. We empower our clients with cutting-edge technology and dependable remote specialists who serve all your business process needs, whether it’s data management, cybersecurity, billing, data backup and more.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
