How a managed service helps your business

Regardless of your circumstance, managed services can bring support to your business

So you’ve got an in-house IT team and things are chugging along ok. Everything works – most of the time. But every time there’s a new upgrade, there’s that moment of doubt wondering if this will be the time something breaks. Or your existing infrastructure is getting a bit old and you cannot help thinking, “surely there is a better way”.

If that sounds familiar, you might be looking at an IT managed service and wondering if it could be the right fit for your business. But, even if you’re happy with your team, there are still benefits to be had from adding some managed services elements into the mix.

We hear lots of questions surrounding managed services; we have listed three of the most common here to help you decide if a shift to managed services is the right approach to your business’s IT needs.

1 – Will managed services reduce my IT costs?

One of the most significant benefits for most businesses is lower costs with more predictable, evenly spread IT spend, over the term of your agreement, rather than large lump sums.

Managed IT services can take many forms, but labour is one of the biggest factors. For some businesses, this might mean choosing to completely outsource your IT management, resulting in lower payroll costs, as well as the cost of hiring and training new staff. Other businesses may opt to keep an in-house IT team. Still, they can save money from engaging external consultants and subject matter experts for skills outside your internal team’s expertise under a managed services agreement.

However, it’s not just saving money on people. A managed services agreement with a fixed cost model can reduce the likelihood of unexpected service costs, as service-level agreements and proactive maintenance can identify issues before they become extensive – and costly – problems. Of course, this also can avoid the deferred costs that come from unexpected downtime and the associated reduction in staff productivity.

2- How can managed services help my business be more efficient?

Opting for managed services isn’t just about saving money. We can keep the lights on so you can spend your precious brainpower and energy on the things that are important to your business. Things like serving clients, developing new products, and investing in innovation. Not broken email servers, security breaches and managing technology upgrades.

For example, as a managed services provider, we take a big picture look at your business strategy and provide you with the IT recommendations that will support your plans and any growth aspirations. With dedicated IT specialists across a range of skills, you can fill the gaps in your internal team’s knowledge, as well as get new ideas on ways you can use IT better. After all, you don’t know what you don’t know, so you can find new and more efficient ways of working by partnering with a specialist.

Another key benefit for many of our clients is the automation of critical tasks, reducing the risks of human error, not to mention the time-consuming nature of many manual activities. This can include the automated population of information across systems and things like regular backups and security patch upgrades. We even develop processes to simplify operations such as staff onboarding/offboarding, making for a more consistent employee experience.

Opting for a managed services model also gives you a single point of contact for managing your IT issues.

Instead of going back and forth between multiple software and hardware vendors when things (inevitably) don’t work together the way you’re expecting, and spending hours trying to pinpoint the issue, you can work with one company. In addition, your managed service provider will take responsibility for negotiating with vendors instead of you spending time troubleshooting and providing the same answers to multiple companies as they all try to shift blame for why something isn’t working.

3 – What can a managed services provider help my business with?

A managed IT service is so much more than IT helpdesk support (although that’s a part of what we offer).

We offer several managed services that you can choose from and combine to suit your business and your operational needs.

Take care of my day-to-day needs with managed IT support services

Experienced team to provide technical support for a fixed monthly fee. Under our model, there’s predictable spend each month with no concerns about the number of hours you use.

Give me the tools I need to grow with scalable cloud computing

Using an “infrastructure as a service” model, you can access a fully managed server infrastructure billed under a pay-as-you-use model. This service is excellent for businesses with fluctuating needs, such as seasonal changes. Eliminate the need to pay for year-round infrastructure you only use in key peaks.

Make sure I can connect securely from anywhere with managed network services

Get access to a fully managed and monitored private network, plus internet services and firewall. This option enables greater flexibility for remote working or multiple office locations without compromising on security.

Provide a cost-effective and flexible phone system with managed voice services

Consolidate your voice calling services with end-to-end management of phone lines, trunks, licensing, phone systems, handsets and headsets. Using a managed services model makes it easy to increase the number of users as required, with transparent pricing models. Managed Voice Services also increases workplace flexibility options with easy transferring of calls to mobile devices, for example, making it easier for customers to contact your team no matter which location they are working from.

A per-user cost for your crucial IT services, security and software

A managed services bundle, designed to offer all the services your business and your workers require at a fixed cost.

We’re here to tailor something to your business

Every business has different IT needs. But with our comprehensive experience across numerous companies spanning a range of industries, we know the right questions to ask to help you determine your specific requirements. We know the must-haves that every business needs, as well as the various options that are available based on your business’ size, growth goals, how you operate and more.

Our team can help you to compare options and find the right solutions for your business today – and your future needs. Get the combination of flexibility, predictability, security and scalability that’s right for you.

Ready to start? Contact us to find out more.