Managed Services 101: The Many Benefits of Managed Services

A security breach of 50 million stolen records could cost as much as $350 million. The global impact of a data breach costs an organization an average of $3.86 million. When it comes to protecting your business and customers, you can’t neglect your technology needs. 

By hiring a managed services provider (MSP), you can do more than protect your best interests. You can also boost productivity, cut costs, and improve your ROI.

Curious about the benefits of paying for professional IT services? Keep reading to discover the many advantages you can experience when working with an MSP!

1. Reduce Costs

Hiring a full in-house IT staff can get costly. You’ll also need to spend money searching for talent and training them accordingly. If you’re on a tight budget, you might want to consider managed services instead.

When you work with an MSP, you don’t need to hire a full in-house IT staff. You also don’t need to worry if your in-house team lacks the experience and expertise you need. Your managed services IT team will fill in the gaps. 

By outsourcing your more complicated IT needs, you can save time and money.

Your outsourced IT team will help you avoid hiring more in-house IT experts. Instead, you’ll only need to hire an expert when you need their assistance. That way, you’re not taking on another employee.

Neglecting to hire the necessary staff for your business, however, can have costly consequences. What if you’re hacked or your systems crashed? If it’s an emergency, you’ll need to contact someone right away to fix the problem.

By working with a managed services provider, you’ll have someone on-call to fix the problem. They’ll save you time, money, and stress. Your managed IT professional will know how to fix the problem and restore your systems. 

With their help, you can get back up and running in no time. As a result, you can cut costs, boost productivity, and only spend money when you need to.

2. Get Ahead

You’re busy enough trying to anticipate trends in your own industry. Trying to predict when a technical emergency will strike is nearly impossible. 

Most companies wait for an IT emergency to strike before developing a solution. Unfortunately, this can cost you valuable time and money. If it’s an issue your team hasn’t come across before, they’ll need to troubleshoot the issue first.

Then, they might end up testing multiple solutions before finding the right one. 

Meanwhile, your in-house team has to stop what they’re doing to fix the issue. This can cost you valuable time on more important projects. Productivity will falter, which can impact your company’s output and ROI. 

Don’t wait for a problem to impact your team’s productivity. Instead, consider hiring a managed services provider. 

Your outsourced IT team will take a look at your current system. They’ll consider different ways you can improve your current set-up. For example, they might suggest you move to the cloud, which can help improve productivity and reduce hacks. 

Your MSP will also know which problems occur most often. They’ve likely encountered these problems before. Your outsourced team will know how to help you avoid these problems.

If an issue does arise, they’ll leverage their previous experience to direct you toward a solution.

By hiring professional services, you can use preventative measures to dodge problems before they impact your bottom line. 

3. Keep Up With Competitors

Small businesses can only dedicate so much money to their IT needs. Large corporations likely have a large team of in-house IT experts on-call. They might also have larger IT budgets that they can dedicate to improving their systems throughout the year.

You don’t have to spend the same amount of money to keep up with your competitors.

Instead, you can make the most of your current IT budget by outsourcing to an MSP. Your outsourced team will use their experience and expertise to improve your current systems. With their help, you can keep up with competitors (and in some cases, get ahead of the curve).

At the same time, you won’t have to pull your in-house team away from their projects. Instead, you can keep them focused while your MSP dedicates their time to getting ahead of your competitors. 

Your MSP can help you determine which improvements you need to make to your current system. They’ll make suggestions based on the latest trends to help you get ahead of the competition.

Without access to an MSP, however, you could risk falling behind.

Customers expect companies to stay up-to-date with the latest trends. They won’t choose a business that looks old and outdated. If you’re falling behind your competitors, you could risk losing customers, too.

Instead, remain relevant and get ahead of the competition by working with the pros. 

4. Avoid Risks

As technology changes and develops each day, you have an opportunity to improve your system and safeguard your business. Unfortunately, hackers are getting smarter and more advanced, too. They’re learning new ways to break down defenses and steal private information.

Without the right safeguards, you could leave your customer’s names, addresses, and credit card numbers at risk.

At the same time, government regulations are continuing to change. COVID-19 is causing financial conditions to fluctuate rapidly. As a business, it’s important that you know how to adapt accordingly.

Otherwise, you might fail to avoid certain risks down the road. 

With a managed services provider, you can learn how to recognize potential risks. Your MSP will determine the best ways to help you avoid these dangers to safeguard your business.

They’ll ensure you remain compliant with any governmental regulations, too.

By working with an MSP, you can keep your systems secure. Remember, consumers are looking for businesses that are up-to-date and safe. If you improve your systems, you’re also giving customers peace of mind. 

They’ll likely trust your business as a result, which can help you attain loyal customers.

Meanwhile, learning how to avoid potential risks will help you save time and money, too.  

5. Control Your Budget

Do you know how much money you’re spending each month on IT services? In many cases, you could unintentionally spend more than necessary. By working with a managed services company, you’ll only pay for what you need.

As a result, you can take control of your budget and cut unnecessary expenses.

Your managed IT provider will work with you to determine your IT budget and create a plan that suits your needs. They’ll determine which services you need regularly and which you need a few times a year.

Otherwise, you could end up hiring an in-house IT team that increases your fixed costs.

By working with MSPs, you don’t have to take on unnecessary expenses. Instead, you’ll create a customized plan with your business goals and IT needs in mind. 

6. Track the Trends

Remember, technology changes rapidly throughout the year. If you’re not keeping up with these trends, you’re likely falling behind your competitors.

However, you don’t need to follow every trend. Instead, it’s important to determine which technologies will benefit your unique business. Otherwise, you could risk taking on unnecessary expenses.

Your managed IT team will help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends. They’ll help you determine which trends will improve your company’s productivity to boost your ROI.

By keeping up with these trends, you can also show customers you’re a relevant resource in your industry. 

7. Access to Experts

It’s okay if your in-house team doesn’t have all the answers. They’re likely focused on your business before anything else. By working with an IT managed services provider, you’ll have access to the expertise you need, as you need it.

You won’t have to spend money and time training your in-house team regularly. Instead, you’ll have peace of mind your MSP team has the information you need. 

8. Maintain Focus

Keeping up with daily operations takes a lot of time from your schedule. If a technology emergency pops up, it could slow down operations. You’ll have to drop everything to find a solution.

You could waste time and frustrate your customers as a result.

By working with a managed IT services provider, you don’t have to split your focus. Instead, you’ll have peace of mind your MSP is already fixing the problem. They’ll make sure you don’t experience unnecessary delays. 

With their help, you can maintain focus on your business and customers without worry. 

9. Improved Security

About one in every 40 small businesses are at risk of a cyber-attack. Keeping your company up-to-date with the latest security measures is essential. Otherwise, you might not survive a hack.

Consider working with an MSP you can trust. They’ll protect your business from cyber-attacks, allowing you to reassure your customers. By improving your security measures, you can give your customers a company they can trust, too. 

10. Immediate Response

When your systems crash, you can’t wait for someone to “get around” to fixing it. Instead, consider working with an MSP that promises immediate response times. Your MSP will work quickly and efficiently to get your system running again.

Delays in getting your business running properly could impact your success. In fact, about one in 12 businesses close every year. 

Having a team capable of responding quickly to your IT needs could make all the difference in your operations. 

Step Up Support: 10 Benefits of Hiring Managed Services

Don’t let your IT needs fall behind. Instead, consider these 10 benefits of hiring a managed services provider. By working with a qualified MSP, you can boost productivity and improve your ROI. 

Ready to get started? Contact us today to work with our team of tech support specialists.