A Managed Services Provider (otherwise known as an MSP) is a service that takes the stress away from business owners by managing their computer network, software systems, and data storage needs. Among other things, they will also take care of all hardware maintenance and any necessary capacity upgrades for your technology infrastructure, as well as provide overall system security as a service. Managed Services Providers are very versatile as they can offer various levels of support depending on what you need!
What Services Do Managed Service Providers Offer?
There are a variety of services that MSPs offer that make them worthwhile investments for businesses. As a managed IT service, they provide businesses with a single hub to get any of their technology needs or issues sorted out, meaning they don’t have to seek out individual services for each problem that occurs.
For example, MSPs are able to fix both hardware and software issues, so a business doesn’t have to outsource their tech issues to two different places and end up paying more. MSPs also offer multiple levels of support, so businesses are able to pre-determine how much IT support their business needs as well as how this will affect their budget. This is done so that businesses don’t have to worry about being overcharged or not getting the support they need.
Managed Services Providers can take care of all your hardware maintenance and necessary capacity upgrades such as if your business’ hardware breaks down, or if there are any software updates. Ensuring your hardware and software are in good capacity is vital for businesses as this is the foundation on which your business runs! Managed Services Providers can also help with server management, data storage, and security. Your Managed Service Provider will take care of all these things, so you don’t have to worry about them any longer! Not only this, but Managed Services Providers can also help increase your business efficiency and productivity.
This is done by improving your company’s network security, reducing downtime, and helping to get your business back up and running as soon as possible if it does experience an outage. Finally, MSPs provide proactive support, meaning that instead of waiting for an issue to occur and then fixing it, managed service providers would be proactive and take measures to better protect the business’ system and reduce the chance that an issue would occur in the first place. This is done so that a business doesn’t have to worry about tech issues anymore and can focus on developing the business instead.
Benefits and Limitations of Using a Managed Services Provider
A Managed Service Provider is great for taking away all of your IT stress and freeing up time spent on managing tech issues, meaning that business owners can focus more on growing their businesses! Managed service providers offer a lot of benefits to businesses and can make operating the business significantly easier if the correct systems are put in place; However, there are also some limitations to what an MSP can do that a business needs to consider prior to hiring one.
Benefits
There are many benefits that managed service providers can offer, these include:
- Both in-house and/or remote monitoring of your business systems, networks, and devices will reduce the number of IT problems the business encounters on a day-to-day basis, this also helps protect the network and system from attacks.
- All hardware maintenance and software updates will be carried out by Managed Services Providers, like Sydney Managed IT, which means the business owner no longer has to worry about the business’ computer systems unless a concern is brought up.
- General IT support and consultancy are provided to staff members, should they have an issue with their device or figuring out how to complete a task using the system (such as printing a document).
- Stronger cyber security measures can be put in place to prevent malware and virus attacks, as well as providing the experience and technical ability to remove such things should they have found their way onto the system for whatever reason (such as being downloaded from an email).
- Improved disaster recovery systems can also be implemented, as well as better use of cloud storage systems in order to better protect the business data in the case of a cyber-attack or to be used to recover any data that was lost in an attack.
- Business efficiency and productivity can be increased with the help of a Managed Service Provider due to optimisation of the IT systems and network the employees use.
Limitations
Just as there are many benefits of using Managed Services Provider, there are also some limitations that should be considered, these include:
- Managed service providers are not going to be able to resolve every tech-related problem a business has and may need assistance from an in-house IT staff member, or an outsourced expert in resolving a particular issue.
- MSPs often have a set of standard procedures which, if not followed, can cause delays in resolving problems. This means that businesses who want to use an MSP’s services will need to be willing to follow their procedures and guidelines so that they can provide the assistance required.
- The business is still responsible for ensuring that all data, including backups, are stored in a secure location, and can be accessed quickly in the event of an emergency. Managed Services Providers cannot take on this responsibility themselves as in the rare chance the data is saved incorrectly, the MSP will want to avoid dealing with a legal issue against them.
- Managed Service Providers may offer a lot of support options, but this will often come at an increased cost to the business as part of a higher-level package.
Managed Service Providers offer a wide range of IT related services that can improve a business’ efficiency and productivity. Several businesses have found the support a MSP can bring to be invaluable, and incredibly beneficial in the long run.
How to Choose the Right Managed Service Provider
There are several considerations to keep in mind when choosing a managed services provider for your business. It is important that the business owner ensures they are aware of what their business objectives are, so they know what level of support they will need in order to achieve it. They also need to have determined what the business’ IT budget is going to be, and what services they wish to purchase using that budget.
Business owners should also figure out how long they are planning on using the service provider, as this factor can also help determine the IT budget. If the business requires long-term support and a lot of high-level IT assistance, then the cost of hiring an MSP can add up quickly over time; the business will have to determine whether the expense is worth it.
Other factors that should be considered when comparing different service providers include the experience of the service provider, what qualifications their staff members have (if they are listed); what services they actually provide (as some providers may offer services that others do not); and what their pricing scheme is (as some may require a business to submit an inquiry or get a quote in order to find out how much the assistance would cost).
In addition to this, it is wise to read the customer reviews of the MPS as this is one of the best ways to judge whether their services have been useful to other businesses. However, in doing so, ensure that the reviews you read are genuine and have been written by businesses that have used the service for similar needs to you own. This is because review sites can have reviews written by bots or ‘internet trolls‘ that have not actually used the service.
Why You Should Choose Sydney Managed IT
Sydney Managed IT is a managed IT service provider that offers reliable and affordable Managed Services that will take the stress away from running your business. We provide proactive support, which will help reduce the number of problems you have to deal with. All hardware maintenance and software updates are carried out by our team, so you can focus on running your business!
In addition to general IT support and consultancy, we offer increased business efficiency and productivity as a result of improved systems availability. Our disaster recovery systems are some of the best in the industry, and we use cloud storage systems to protect your data in case of a cyber-attack. We have a team of highly qualified and experienced technicians who will help keep your business’ IT infrastructure running smoothly. Our services are set to a fixed monthly fee, so you know exactly what your Managed Services Provider will cost each month.
Contact Us
Stop stressing about your business’ technology infrastructure! If you are looking for a Managed Services Provider, contact Sydney Managed IT. We provide reliable and affordable Managed Services that will take the stress away from running your business!