1.What Are Managed IT Support Services?
Managed IT support services vary from one provider to the next and you can generally tailor them to your company’s unique needs. These services can be very specific, pertaining to a single part of your IT infrastructure. For example, you might hire a managed IT support services for cyber security specifically. Or, they can be wide-ranging and cover all your IT-based needs, supporting any / all elements of your on-premises equipment as part of a managed IT support service. A few standard services offered by managed IT support providers include:
- The benefits of working with a Managed IT Support service provider
- Monitoring and maintaining equipment
- Monitoring and managing servers
- Network monitoring
- Security services, including threat detection and incident response
- Configuring and managing cloud services (if applicable)
- Communications support (IP telephone services and Wi-Fi problem-solving)
- General management of your company’s IT system and infrastructure
- Helping create plans for data loss, power outages and other disasters
Although the two are often used interchangeably, cloud-based managed services and traditional managed IT support services are very different.
15 minutes read
Contents
- What are Managed IT Support Services?
- Financial Benefits
- Improve Scalability
- Focus on Core Business Tasks
- Expert Help Always on Hand
- Keep Downtime to a Minimum
- Top-Quality IT Support
- Reduce Business and Security Risks
- How To Choose a Managed IT Support Service Provider
- Why Choose Koris365?
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Managed IT Services vs Cloud-Based Managed Services
Cloud-based managed services can be specific applications or entire platforms and infrastructures delivered “as a service.” You might hear these referred to as software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS) or infrastructure as a service (IaaS). These cloud-based services provide greater access to critical features such as storage, data or analytics and are generally managed by vendors. Vendors deliver these services to customers on demand.
However, cloud-based services don’t usually help you manage your workload. Instead, it simply gives you the tools to help your team better satisfy your IT needs.
On the other hand, managed IT support services help manage your workload by providing more in-depth support. For example, managed IT services usually offer a point of contact and may even supply a team of professionals to handle your company’s IT infrastructure. In addition, this type of IT support delivers the cloud platform it provides as part of its service, but not as its full service.
Managed IT support services are a more comprehensive option for companies looking to reap maximum benefits. There are numerous benefits your company can expect from working with a reliable managed IT support service provider.
Overview of Managed IT Services Benefits
Financial benefits:
These services can help you save money by reducing infrastructure costs, lowering scaling costs and creating a more predictable IT budget.
Improved scalability:
Using managed IT services can reduce scaling costs and protect against potential setbacks. Scaling is also easier when the provider already has the infrastructure to keep up with your organisation’s expansion.
Lets you focus on core business tasks:
These services keep you and your in-house staff free to focus on core business tasks while also filling in potential skill gaps.
Expert help always on hand:
Managed IT service professionals will always answer your questions, and you’ll avoid most potentially disastrous IT errors.
Top-quality IT support:
The staff at managed IT service providers have more accumulative experience and education. There are also more of them available.
Reduce business and security risks:
Get help with all aspects of data compliance and cyber security to protect your company, employees and customers.
2.Financial Benefits
There are several financial benefits you can expect from hiring managed IT support services. The most significant benefit is that managed IT services cost significantly less than keeping your own comprehensive IT department in-house. Plus, for less money, you’ll receive more IT support and services because you gain access to an entire team of information technology professionals.
Other key financial benefits of using managed IT support services include:
- Reduced infrastructure costs
- More predictable IT budget
- Lower scaling costs
Reduced Infrastructure Costs
When your company switches to a managed IT provider, infrastructure costs are significantly reduced. You’ll no longer need to keep your own hardware on-site since you’ll be using the provider’s data centres. If you already have your own IT hardware, one option is to sell it to pay for your first few months of managed IT services. This idea makes it even more cost-effective to switch to managed IT services. Alternatively, most managed IT service providers can deliver a hybrid support service, providing support for the infrastructure you need to keep on-premise in combination with the delivery of managed IT services.
Additional infrastructure savings come in the form of reduced energy costs and increased available space. The hardware used to run your company’s information technology can create a lot of extra energy costs. Using a managed IT provider will reduce these costs and the provider will include them in your flat monthly or annual fee. You can put the extra available space to better use, potentially increasing your return on investment (ROI) per square footage of your physical office.
More Predictable IT Budget
Being able to accurately predict your budget, whether IT-specific or company-wide, is a crucial part of ensuring your company’s financial success. Without a reliable estimate of outgoing costs, you can’t determine the incoming funds necessary to create a profit.
With managed IT, you pay the same amount in routine intervals, regardless of how much support you need. Most providers charge for services monthly, but a few have alternative payment schedules, including weekly, quarterly or annually. Reliable information technology costs grant your company increased flexibility in other investment areas.
Lower Scaling Costs
If you plan to scale your company, the costs of doing so can be exorbitant. Of course, exact costs depend on how you plan to scale it and by how much. But, using managed IT services means the costs of growing your company will be significantly smaller. Regardless of how many new locations you open or new employees you hire, your managed IT support services are likely to stay the same. If they do increase, it will be by a small amount and will remain a reliable recurring fee.
3.Improve Scalability
Scalability is crucial to your company’s future success, and, ideally, your company will develop a scalable business plan from the beginning. By having a scalable business model, your company will be able to grow and expand freely. This growth allows you to continually increase your organisation’s generated revenue without a supporting structure or lack of resources holding it back.
Working with a managed IT support service provider is a critical element of scalability, whereas in-house information technology infrastructures are less scalable and more rigid. Using managed IT services means you already have the necessary IT infrastructure for scaling in terms of physical hardware and man-hours. You’ll also have protection against setbacks and significantly reduced scaling costs.
Reduce Scaling Costs
As briefly mentioned in the previous section, the costs of scaling your company can be exorbitant. While exact costs vary, purchasing new IT hardware to expand your in-house infrastructure can be thousands of pounds. This doesn’t even consider the money you’ll have to spend on additional qualified employees to run your IT department.
Most managed IT support services are already capable of expanding with your company. Sometimes, they won’t even charge you additional fees for needing more support. When they do charge you extra for needing more support or storage, it usually isn’t much. Plus, it will continue to be a flat rate per routine intervals, which makes budgeting your expansions simpler.
Managed IT Services Already
Contain the Infrastructure for Scaling When you use managed information technology services, scalability is built into the package. The service provider you use already has the infrastructure necessary for scaling your organisation. This negates the possibility of purchasing new hardware or upgrading systems, so you can implement your expansion plans faster and more cost-efficiently.
Protection Against Setbacks
Unfortunately, unexpected setbacks can and do happen. While a managed IT support provider can’t protect against all disasters, it can protect against data loss.
Have you ever wondered what you would do in the event of a disaster that caused all your systems to fail? It might seem unlikely, but there are numerous reasons this might happen. For example, all your systems might fail:
- In the event of a natural disaster such as a hurricane, tornado, earthquake or flood
- In a fire or flooding unrelated to natural disasters
- In the event of purposeful vandalism or destruction of property
With on-site IT infrastructure, destruction of your systems can be challenging to overcome. Restoring the data saved on those systems can be even more challenging. This is an area where a managed service provider can help you tremendously.
There are two distinct ways a managed IT service provider can help your company in these situations. First and foremost, they can provide off-site data storage that ensures you have a backup of your most valuable company assets. Second, a great provider can help you design an effective disaster recovery plan.
4.Focus on Core Business Tasks
When any department is short-staffed, your organisation cannot run as efficiently. People from other departments and management are pulled to help in areas with staff shortages. Employees working in the under-staffed department become responsible for more than they should and aren’t able to complete all their tasks as quickly as they normally would.
Regardless of what services you outsource, your organisation will likely keep an in-house IT team. These members of staff will be responsible for things you can’t outsource, and overburdening them won’t allow them time to focus on core business tasks. Outsourcing to a managed IT provider can help you concentrate on core business tasks in several ways.
Keeps Your Time Free
If you work in management, your time should be dedicated to those problems that only you can solve. If your IT department is short-staffed or lacking resources, you’ll have to face numerous issues that wouldn’t normally be part of your job’s scope.
In turn, this additional burden will affect you in several ways. First and foremost, it will increase your job’s demands, leading to more working hours and (potentially) job burnout. Second, it takes you away from other tasks, which can lead to you falling behind on what you need to do.
Using a managed IT support service provider means your IT department will also have the resources, infrastructure and man-hours necessary to complete its job. This keeps your time free to focus on more important tasks.
Keeps Your In-house IT Staff Free
As your company grows, your IT needs will, too. Your IT team can handle some of this extra work, but they’ll likely end up overwhelmed as this continues. If you’re handling all of your information technology needs in-house, you’ll need to hire additional qualified employees to help with the extra work, which can end up being very expensive. One of the most significant benefits to working with a managed IT support service provider is it keeps your in-house IT staff free to focus on its own core tasks.
Fills in Skill Gaps
According to a recent survey, 82% of participating companies claimed they suffered from skill gaps in their IT department, and most of them said this gap was growing at a moderate rate. Skill gaps in organisations can lead to decreased productivity, lower profitability, insufficient cyber security safeguards and decreased levels of customer or employee engagement. Working with a managed IT support service provider can help bridge these skill gaps to keep everyone on track.
5.Expert Help Always on Hand
One of the most significant benefits of working with a managed IT support service provider is always having access to expert help. Continuously having expert help on hand means getting your questions answered, avoiding IT-related errors and gaining access to very specific (and hard-to-find) skill sets.
Always Have Your Questions Answered
Not everyone is technologically capable or skilled, and that’s fine. If you’re in management, your company chose you for a different set of specific skills. But what happens when you have questions revolving around your company’s IT system, and there’s no one to answer them? When you work with a managed IT service provider, that won’t be a problem anymore. You’ll have access to a team of skilled IT professionals who can answer all your questions, no matter the time of day.
Access Very Specific Skill Sets
Within any department, sector or industry, some skill sets can be challenging to access. Within the IT department, these skill sets may be related to specific tools or technologies that few people have mastered. Or, it might be certain degrees, certifications or ultra-specific knowledge. When you work with a managed IT service provider, the chances of accessing these very specific skill sets when you need them are significantly higher.
Avoid IT-related Errors
Information technology errors can be a serious issue leading to data corruption or deletion, company downtime and much more. Although some errors can’t be helped, most can if a person with the right knowledge handles the processes. The staff employed by a managed IT support service provider will have the right kind of knowledge, certifications and training to avoid costly IT-related errors.
6.Keep Downtime to a Minimum
Downtime is any period where your business operations halt, whether this means your whole organisation, a single but crucial aspect or a specific location. During downtime, your company cannot complete its normal operations, leading to significant problems across the board. For example, this unproductive time can cause you to lose money, get behind schedule and cause an increase in customer complaints.
There are many reasons downtime may occur. A hurricane, tornado, earthquake or flood could cause widespread power outages that result in your systems going down. Intentional vandalism can cause significant damage to your physical hardware. An internal error or technical glitch could cause your systems to crash unexpectedly.
Thankfully, there are several ways working with a managed IT support provider helps decrease downtime.
Proactive Monitoring and Maintenance
Proactive monitoring and maintenance mean finding potential issues before they occur and fixing minor problems before they turn into significant ones. This is often one of the biggest benefits of working with a managed IT service provider.
Quicker Diagnostics
Even with the most intensive proactive monitoring and maintenance, problems can (and will) eventually happen. If there’s a technological glitch or human error, a managed IT service provider can run quicker diagnostics. With the provider diagnosing issues faster, it can also find solutions more quickly.
Fast Error Resolutions
Once a managed IT support provider has quickly diagnosed problems, it has the knowledge, tools and resources to solve them efficiently. Fast error resolutions contribute significantly to decreased downtime in your organisation.
7.Top-Quality IT Support
Having access to top-quality IT support is crucial to the success and continuity of your company. With a higher level of information technology support, your company is better equipped to solve problems, decrease downtime, increase productivity and (potentially) increase profits.
There are a few reasons why the support you get from a managed IT services provider is generally of better quality than what you’d be able to accomplish in-house. With a larger number of IT professionals on staff, managed IT service providers can offer higher levels of IT education and more accumulative on-the-job experience.
More Accumulative On-the-Job Experience
Since a managed IT services provider has a business model focusing solely on information technology, you’ll get access to more accumulative on-the-job experience. The company you choose to work with will have dedicated professionals who have been in their field for significant amounts of time, and there will be more of these qualified members of staff for you to access.
Higher Levels of IT Education
While there are bound to be varying levels of education your chosen managed IT service provider’s staff possesses, they’ll generally have higher levels of IT education. For example, the management of these companies will likely have advanced degrees in information technology. Besides overall higher levels of information technology education, there will generally be more professionals with advanced degrees versus what you could expect from an in-house IT department. Their roles will also require them to participate in continual learning, keeping abreast of changes and advances in technology.
A Larger Number of IT Staff
A managed IT support service provider will have a more significant number of IT members of staff with varying specialties at its disposal because that’s the sole focus of its company.
However, in other companies that rely on the IT department for specific things, it isn’t practical to keep a large number of these members of staff on hand. However, having access to a larger number of IT members of staff has several benefits beyond simply increasing the quality of support received. With more IT professionals on staff:
- IT Services agreement description/reactive IT
- They are more likely to solve your problems quickly and efficiently
- Someone is always able to answer your questions
- You’re more likely to have round-the-clock IT support, services and coverage
- It’s more likely you’ll have access to specific skill sets that may be otherwise challenging to find
Depending on the managed IT service provider, the more significant number of IT members of staff can also provide other benefits.
8.Reduce Business and Security Risks
Working with a managed IT support service provider is an excellent way to reduce business and security risks. With the penalties and complications for things such as data breaches or noncompliance being high, reducing these risks should be a priority for all organisations. Certain industries will need to place an even higher emphasis on reducing security risks as they’ll need to follow the rules and regulations of specific legislative acts.
Data Compliance Support
While all industries have general data safety and privacy regulations they need to meet, some industries have much stricter rules they need to follow, as provided by various legislative acts. In addition to those industry specific regulations companies will need to adhere to both:
The Data Protection Act of 2018:
This act controls how organisations or the government can legally use personal information. Any professional that works with client information or personally identifying materials should be familiar with the rules this act lays out. Since this act also covers sensitive medical information under the umbrella term “data,” medical professionals will want to pay special attention to industry-specific guidelines.
The UK General Data Protection Regulation:
Recently passed in 2020, this regulation amongst many other things places strict rules on websites that collect customer information, including cookies and any thirdparty trackers. The law was created after the United Kingdom left the European Union (EU) and is almost identical to the EU’s policy. Every company that has a website capable of collecting information has to adhere to this strict regulation.
Since a managed IT service provider regularly deals with data, it should be well-versed in each of these acts — especially if it focuses on one of the fields the acts apply to. Not only does this mean it can offer data compliance support, but also that it’ll be compliant in its own dealings with your company’s data.
Cyber Security Support
A managed IT service provider will be able to offer additional cyber security support. Look for a provider that’s familiar with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI) compliance measures. PCI security standards help protect against sensitive information leaks by reducing risks associated with client data and credit card use.
Up-to-date Security
News and Knowledge You may not have time to consistently research the latest phishing scams and newest hacking threats, but a managed IT service provider does. It’ll also be among the first to understand how to stay safe from these threats, and it’ll pass that knowledge on to its customers. Working with a managed IT service provider means someone will always have your back when it comes to the latest cyber security problems.
Data and Cyber Security Recommendations
If you’re looking for expert recommendations for data and cyber security, a managed IT service provider can help. Its team of information technology professionals can offer expert recommendations on security measures and potential upgrades. It should also be able to help you choose the best option between two or more cyber security programs if you can’t reach an informed decision.
9.How To Choose a Managed IT Support Service Provider
The benefits of working with a managed IT support service provider are wide-ranging. However, finding the right provider is crucial if you want to reap the most rewards. Not all providers are created equal, and not all are qualified to work within every industry.
Finding the right IT service provider for you doesn’t have to be challenging. With a bit of research and planning, you can easily choose the best option for your organisation.
Choose a Service Provider That Knows Your Industry
You want to find a managed IT service provider with experience in your industry. Every industry has challenges and requirements that it needs to meet, and only experience or industry-specific certifications can ensure a potential provider is prepared to deal with these.
Potential managed IT service providers may list industries they’ve worked with (or companies they’ve worked for) on their websites. If not, you can call or email them to ask. However, before calling or emailing a service provider, continue going through this list to see what other questions you may have. It’s easier and more efficient to ask all your questions at once instead of beginning a lengthy back-and-forth discussion.
Clearly Define Your Requirements
What do you need to get out of a managed IT support service provider? Which services are must-haves to ensure your company continues to run as efficiently as possible without overburdening your in-house IT staff? Create a comprehensive list of requirements by answering these questions so you know exactly what you’re looking for in a managed services provider.
Understand Your Budget
How much room is there in your organisation’s IT budget to pay for managed support services? Understanding your budget is crucial because overspending can lead to financial deficits that reduce your bottom line. However, underpaying means your company likely isn’t getting all the services and support it needs to thrive.
Choose Capability Over Cost
While having a budget for managed IT services and sticking to it is crucial, cost shouldn’t be your only determining factor. It shouldn’t even be the most significant factor. The best course of action is to find one or more service providers who can meet all your needs, which you’ll have fully defined by the end of this chapter. Capability is more important than cost, so look for the most affordable service provider who can meet all your requirements.
Look For 24/7 Availability
You probably only work around 40 hours a week. But, you need to find a managed service provider that operates around the clock without fail. Why? Your managed services provider will likely be handling your network and security needs, and these needs never sleep. If there’s a security breach or your company’s network has problems, you need to be able to reach your provider immediately. Otherwise, you face costly downtime and place your customers’ or employees’ sensitive information at risk.
Guaranteed Response Times
Being available 24/7 is one thing, but actually responding in a fast and efficient manner is another. You want to find a company with reasonable guaranteed response times so you know it will solve your problems as soon as possible. Otherwise, you once again run the risk of costly downtimes.
Assistance With Annual IT Budget
Creation The best managed service providers will sit with you to help with future technology planning. They’ll offer expert advice on where your annual IT budget funding should go or be used. During the budget creation process, a managed IT service provider should:
- Look for ways to save money
- Recommend new or upgraded technologies to improve efficiency
- Implement short- and long-term financial goals for your IT department that best represents your company’s interests and goals
- Identify problem areas within your current technology or financial budget
Ask potential providers about their IT budget planning capabilities and how they’d best help your organisation in this area.
Help Creating a Disaster Recovery Plan
There are many reasons your systems may crash, or your on-site data may be lost. Natural disasters, intentional vandalism, theft and widespread power outages are a few of the most common examples. If you’re not prepared for these unfortunate yet all too common events, it could spell disaster for the continuation of your company.
A great managed IT support service provider can help you create a disaster recovery plan that protects your systems and data if tragedy strikes. Not only will they help create a plan, but the right managed services provider will help you implement that plan to ensure you’re protected, no matter what happens.
Ability To Handle Technology Vendors
Most managed IT service providers have third-party vendor partnerships that could allow you to receive some small discounts on new technologies. However, even if discounts aren’t available, a provider who can handle technology vendors for you can help save time and hassle. Ideally, you’ll want to find a provider who partners with technology vendors whose services you already use. Not only does this negate the hassle of switching services or tools, but it also ensures your managed services provider already has expertise in your specific technologies.
Daily Backups
Daily backups are crucial to ensuring the continuity of your company’s data and processes. Look for a managed service provider that provides consistent automated backups of your systems and data. Besides ensuring you don’t end up redoing crucial tasks because of save errors, daily backups are also an important part of a solid data recovery plan.
Cloud Services
Cloud services can include a range of options, but virtual storage is the one you should be most looking for. Look for potential managed service providers that offer cloud storage as one of their services. Cloud storage is a modern solution to the lack of internal storage and potential data losses. With cloud storage, data is backed up to a “cloud” storage that you can securely access from multiple points. Therefore, in the event of an emergency, this data could be downloaded back to your internal systems after you meet any security protocols that have been put into place.
Security Monitoring and Testing
You want to find a managed IT support service provider that provides complete, adequate protection against hackers and cybercriminals. You may not think cybercriminals will target your company, but recent statistics show it happens significantly more frequently than most companies like to imagine.
Studies show that businesses suffered 50% more cyberattack attempts in 2021 compared to prior years. Additionally, nearly half of small and medium companies say their current processes are ineffective at mitigating these attacks. Working with a managed IT support service provider can ensure your company is as protected as possible against these attempts.
Providers Should Offer Employee Support
Not every employee is technologically capable. Some need extra support to learn and master modern technology, and that’s okay. Look for a managed IT service provider who can:
- Quickly answer employee’s technology questions
- Provide additional training or support according to individual employee needs
- Resolve issues rapidly using remote access if necessary
Proactive Maintenance
It isn’t enough to fix technology when it’s not working because this leads to more downtime than is necessary. Instead, look for a managed services provider who is proactive in running updates and solving potential bugs. By doing so, you’ll avoid potential future problems.
10.Why Choose Koris365?
With so many potential options for managed IT support service providers, it can be challenging to choose the right one even when you know what to look for. However, for most organisations, Koris365 is an excellent option that provides ample and top-quality IT support.
How We Can Help
We provide a comprehensive list of information technology services and support, from cloud services to improving infrastructure and beyond.
Cloud Services
We offer cloud services and solutions that are scalable, agile and cost-efficient. Each of our solutions is simple to implement and manage so that you can focus on core business tasks. In addition, cloud-based storage provides peace of mind by offering protection against complete data loss disasters.
Improved Communications
We can help you implement game-changing technology that improves communications across the board. As a result, we streamline your company processes so you can work with suppliers and colleagues more efficiently. In turn, this leads to increased productivity, better customer service and greater business agility.
Technology Option Assistance
We have a team of experts to help you unravel the technology options available to you. We can help you understand various technologies and determine which are best for your business ambitions. Our team is always ready to answer your questions about your organisation’s current or potential technology options, too.
Improved Network and Connectivity
A well-performing network and fast connectivity are crucial to your company’s productivity. We can help ensure your network and connectivity are as fast, secure, reliable and efficient as possible. Increased Security Data breaches and other harmful cyberattacks can cost thousands (or even millions) of pounds and might even place you at risk of legal action. Our increased security measures keep your company compliant and all your information secure, providing you peace of mind.
Third-party Vendor Partnerships That Make a Difference
We partner with third-party vendors whose technologies make a difference and align with our customer’s ambitions. The reputation of the companies we’ve partnered with speak for themselves. We’re continually looking to expand our list of partners to represent the interests of our customers best. We vet all potential vendor partnerships through an in-depth application and review process that allows us to place more value on quality over quantity.
Contact Us Today for More Information
Check out our informative online blog to learn more about the benefits of working with a managed IT support services provider. If you’re ready to work with Koris365, contact us today by calling 0345-230-0365 or emailing at hello@Koris365.com. Our knowledgeable, friendly customer service team are prepared to answer your questions and help you get started on developing a comprehensive IT services plan that works best for your organisation.