How do you know if your company is ready for managed services? Most small and medium businesses (SMBs) reach a point where supporting their IT in-house is no longer an option. The key here is that SMBs have different IT requirements than larger companies, due to their limited budgets and smaller user base, while still having the need to provide excellent customer service and driving their business forward. If your business falls into one or more of the categories listed below, then it’s probably time to partner with a Managed Services Provider (MSP) you can trust.
A Managed Services Provider can provide you with the flexibility, scalability, and customizability you need to more effectively run your business without having to deal with the IT headaches that come with it. Managed Services Providers take over management of your IT infrastructure, cloud computing, and other end user systems, allowing you to focus on business innovation. They do this by establishing a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with their clients and provide them with access to a wide variety of technical pros with expertise in different fields of IT.
Your business is growing, but your technology is lagging behind
Growth is good! You shouldn’t let your IT infrastructure hold you back. Maybe the network you set up for a 15 person company lacks the scalability required to support the 100 person company you’ve become. If you are dreading the idea of moving into a new building, or a big infrastructure upgrade, maybe it’s time to find a partner who can seamlessly grow your technology to match your needs.
You’re finding it hard to maintain a quality IT staff.
You know how the saying goes: Good help is hard to find. Maybe you’re losing someone great and not sure how you’ll replace them. Or maybe your IT guy is overwhelmed and you are unsure as to how you can best support him/her. Partnering with a Managed Services Provider gives you access to a team of certified professionals with industry leading expertise in many different technologies.
Security and Compliance
With a Managed Services Provider that is audited and certified for the highest levels of security certifications, you are guaranteed high levels of data security. This improves cyber risk management and gives you peace of mind over the safety of your business.
Controlling your IT budget
As a small/medium business, the cost of adding IT staff to your team can be high. Spending quickly adds up, especially if you include multiple members to your team specializing in different areas of IT. A Managed Services Provider on the other hand will have a variety of subject matter experts specializing in different technologies, and that collection of experts will be available to you as an extension of your own team.
In addition to having highly skilled technical support staff, a Managed Services Provider also has access to top of the line hardware and software. This is all very expensive to maintain and run, but as a client, you get access to these options without having to take on the cost.
This provides you with the support you would need without taking a hit to your budget.
You’re Constantly Putting out Fires
Is your IT team constantly battling viruses, spyware and spam? Are they losing data and wasting hours trying to recover it? Do they spend many valuable hours installing patches and upgrading software? With the rise in cybercrime and introduction of new kinds of malware (e.g. ransomware, phishing scams), IT teams often have to work in overdrive to stay ahead of the bad guys and keep company data safe. If your IT team spends more of its time trying to get your network back online than it does actually using it, then you’re ready for Managed Services.
Business Innovation is Suffering
As a business owner, your primary goals are to keep your clients happy, support their needs, and ultimately drive business innovation. Many small and medium sized businesses take a hit to their bandwidth by having to focus their energy on IT upkeep rather than these goals, which results in their business suffering. A managed service provider can take over the IT upkeep, allowing you to return your focus to the things that matter and as a result, continue to grow your business.
Deciding that your business is ready for Managed Services is only half the battle.
All Managed Services Providers are not created equal. SMBs have a different set of IT requirements and face different challenges than larger corporations. This means you have to find a Managed Services Provider that’s right for you. The solution to this is our webcast below:
Watch our webcast that discusses 6 important questions to ask BEFORE partnering with a Cloud or Managed Services Provider.
