Grow Your Business by Utilizing a Managed IT Service

There are over 30 million small businesses in the United States. That is just small businesses. So the competition is fierce.

That is probably why only 1 in 3 small businesses will last longer than a decade. If you want to succeed you have got to keep expanding.

This situation is where a Managed IT Service could help. These services keep you up-to-date with technology and free up your staff to focus on important business development.

Want to know more? Then read on to find out everything you need to know!

What Are Managed IT Services?

Managed IT services do what they say on the tin. It is a way of outsourcing your IT operations so that someone else manages them for you.

A third-party organization takes over handling your IT operations so that you no longer need to use an in-house team. These are also known at Managed Service Providers (or MSPs).

You still have access to all the IT functions that your business needs. You can enjoy these programs without having to deal with IT problems.

You agree on the terms of your Managed IT services in a Service Level Agreement (or SLA). This process outlines the level of IT monitoring and resolution that you would like.

What Does a Managed IT Service Do?

Different managed service providers offer different programs to suit your needs.

Some management services simply focus on keeping your IT service running smoothly. They will resolve any issues and sometimes report back on the causes.

However, more advanced programs can carry out investigations into your system and suggest how to optimize it.

The best one for you will largely depend on your type of business. Your budget will also somewhat dictate the type of management you can use.

Basic Management Services

Basic management services focus on the running of your IT systems. They do not offer anything fancy, but they will keep you afloat.

Incident and problem management focuses on restoring normal service quickly following any disruption. Like other basic management services, it will not delve into why a problem occurred. So, it might not spot long term issues with your IT system.

System administration focuses on optimizing your technology to suit your business needs. It gives your staff more of a chance to target areas that will benefit your company.

Finally, patch management helps you to keep your software systems up to date. It schedules testing of software patches and then roles them out across your system. It does this without causing disruption to the staff using the system.

Advanced Management Services

More advanced management services will support the smooth running of your system. They also try to identify, anticipate, and entirely eliminate problems from your system.

Enhanced monitoring does this by analyzing potential problems in the system. It hones in on them and stops them from becoming major incidents that would disrupt your business.

This process involves inserting an additional piece of technology into the network. This technology can analyze and report back on problems within it.

Service management also provides a more comprehensive view of the running of your system. It continuously reports on your system and flags up any issues within it. This option means you can use your system with confidence knowing that your MSP has its eye on any potential issues.

Next Generation Management Services

This sector of the market is continuously growing with more and more demand from businesses.

Each business has specific wants and needs. This is where NextGen MSPs come in.

Think of them like bespoke management service providers. They operate uniquely depending on the specific client. They work with your business goals, resources, and system technologies to create the perfect package for you.

NextGen Management Services on offer include the following:

High-Touch Consulting Services combine technology with industry experts’ skills. Together they figure out the best operating procedures for your business.
Client Success Advocates (CSA) creates effective communication between your MSP and your employees. This process creates a unique flow of information between the MSP and its users.
Enterprise Lifecycle Management (Lifecycle) keeps an eye on developing trends in business technology. This option helps identify the best platforms for you, which means that you can use technology to help expand your business.
Enterprise Adoption Management focuses on maintaining your current technology. It will update your stuff on any software changes and is a point of contact for any queries. This process means you can get the most out of the technology that you already use.
Enterprise Security Auditing focuses on your business’ safety by reviewing your infrastructure. It will spot any weak points in order to eliminate risk and vulnerability in your business’ software.

Not all businesses will need to use all of these services. To get the best out of your MSP, then you might want to consider a NextGen upgrade.

Benefits of Using IT Managed Services

Investing in managed services can have a huge impact on the efficiency and profitability of your business because they save you time, money, and manpower.

For example, you will not waste money buying technology architecture that will be out of date in no time at all. Instead, you invest in continuously developing technology, which is hosted elsewhere. So the risk is significantly lower than investing in technology architecture for your business.

You will also get more for your money because most MSPs are constantly developing the specialized technologies on offer. When you run your own IT department updates and specializations all come out of your own pocket. With MSPs, they happen automatically.

Not having to run or update your IT software will leave highly qualified members of staff available to you for business development.

You used to have to decide between effective and constant software or developing your company. Another option is to do both and hire a bigger, more expensive staff.

Now an MSP will take care of the software so your specially qualified IT staff can focus on your business development. This option not only saves you money but could also make you money in the long run. So an MSP is an investment for your company.

The Bottom Line

Investing in Managed IT Services could free up money and manpower to help you expand your business.

If you are ready to step up your business, get in touch today. For more tips on how technology can make your business more effective, check out our blog.

Sagacent Technologies offers technology management and support, including proactive/preventative maintenance, onsite and offsite data back-ups, network and security audits, mobility solutions, disaster planning and emergency business resumption services. The company serves clients of 10 to 150 employees within the Silicon Valley region.