Managed Services

One commonly asked question is “Why do we need Managed Services?”  Many organizations perceive that it would be better and more cost effective for them just to contact us as their technology issues arise, often referred to as “Break/Fix”.  Unfortunately, this approach is inherently flawed, as it often takes something to go wrong before they request or receive any service, usually resulting in a loss of productivity, while they wait for the problem to be fixed.  Additionally, fixing the problem may prove to be just a band-aid, simply addressing the symptoms, but not uncovering the true underlying cause. Finally, “Break/Fix” services do not take into account the ongoing maintenance that modern technology requires or the future technology needs the organization may have.

Alternatively, Managed Services utilizes a proactive approach to managing technology infrastructure.  By being proactive, many (most) issues can be identified and corrected before they become problems, vastly reducing the need to react to issues or put out fires, and minimizing losses in productivity.

Listed below are some reasons why your company should consider Managed Services:

• Just like larger companies, small and medium sized businesses need technology to operate efficiently and effectively. In many small businesses, IT resources are limited and can be quickly overwhelmed. They tend to fall behind in keeping up with things such as backups, patches, security, etc., greatly increasing the odds that an IT outage or other technology problem further down the road that will negatively impact your business.
• Managed Services allows a business to delegate IT operations to a service provider. The managed services provider (MSP) assumes an ongoing responsibility for 24-hour monitoring, managing and problem resolution for the IT systems within a business.
• Inherent to every Managed Services Agreement is a Service Level Agreement (SLA). The SLA dictates how and when the Managed Services Provider will respond to your needs, and can be customized to fit the needs of your company. With typical break/fix services, there is no SLA and no guarantee of when the service will be provided. Not having a Managed Service agreement in place with an SLA will cost your company time and money in lost productivity.
• Managed Services Agreements are annual contracts that are billed monthly. With consistent, predictable costs, your company will be able to forecast and budget much easier.
• Most small to medium sized companies simply can not afford the expense of full-time “in-house” IT staff. Often times, the organization chooses to delegate the IT support responsibilities to an underqualified staff member, which diverts their attention away from their company’s business, further causing decreases in productivity. Having Managed Services, allows that staff member to remain focused on their primary responsibilities instead of IT.