SMBs have to fight in many ways to compete with bigger businesses. As they say, ‘time is money’ and both are precious resources to SMBs. For growing businesses, contracting a managed IT service can be the leg up it needs to be more productive, more competitive, and save more money. Because of this, using a managed IT service is gaining in popularity. In fact, back in 2014, only 30% of organizations were using managed IT services; however, within a year, that number nearly doubled.
Many SMBs are afraid to approach the idea of outsourcing IT management because of cost. A lot of companies are of the idea that outsourcing their IT instead of having an in-house staff would be more costly and less secure. In actuality, managed IT services can prove to be a less risky, more secure option for IT. In addition, studies have found managed IT services can cut IT costs by 40 percent while doubling operational efficiency.
A Managed Service Provider Offers Predictable & Scalable Cost
A Managed Services Provider (MSP) can work within your company’s budget to deliver the technology you need at a price you can afford. Once a plan is in place, the monthly rate you pay is predictable and budgetable. Instead of having to worry about training staff and managing equipment, the technicians will complete all necessary IT projects. You pay a fixed monthly price that will make budgeting and projecting costs easy to maintain.
neteffect technologies’ managed IT services can scale with your business. If a business purchases IT equipment to keep a network running based on future growth, they’re spending a lot in the beginning on a venture that may not grow as rapidly as predicted. On the other hand, if you grow quicker than anticipated, your IT has to scramble to keep up. Our managed IT services can expand and contract with your business needs. It keeps your costs predictable and won’t unnecessarily inflate your monthly costs. According to Ivailo Nikolov of SiteGround, “Outsourcing to a firm that specializes in the areas you need is a great tactic when you want to take advantage of its expertise and scale your business. Instead of wasting time and money on experimenting, you can leverage a cheaper, more efficient service. Also, a good time for outsourcing could be when you’re considering expansion and your IT operations cannot keep up with the pace of growth.”
An MSP Reduces Risk
Many SMBs assume they are too small to worry about cyberattacks; however, 43 percent of these attacks are aimed at small businesses. As a result, your business’s network is continuously needing patches and security updates. When you are running IT completely in-house, much of your technology budget is being poured into keeping your network safe, or you’re borrowing from other divisions in the event of something unexpected. MSPs help to maintain antivirus software and patches in order to protect your business from lost data and downtime that could be costly.
With a managed IT service, your devices are made safer, and proper measures are in effect to counteract any cybercrimes. Using a combination of tools, neteffect technologies tracks, monitors, and manages the metrics of your system. Strategies and recommendations are made based on your specific business needs. With managed IT services, you only pay the monthly fee. However, your system is getting the necessary attention and technical expertise necessary at no extra cost, training, or time.
Managed IT Services Free Up Staff for Strategic Work
Most in-house IT staffs are already overworked. By using managed IT services to focus on systems support and maintenance, it frees up your staff to focus on the work that makes your company better. “It elevates the IT staff and brings them out of the shadows within the organizations…It allows them to focus on a custom app dev project– something highly strategic. I think that’s a win-win for your IT staff,” says Carolyn April, author of Fifth Annual Trends in Managed Services study.
Furthermore, because IT runs 24/7, it needs 24/7 support. MSPs that offer 24/7 monitoring and management supports continual network uptime. As a result, your staff experiences less downtime dealing with IT problems and more time growing your business.
Managed IT Services Levels the Playing Field
With our managed IT services offering, we’ve been able to offer Technology Managers and Business Executives working in the Charlotte Small/Medium Business community access to the latest and most innovative and proven technologies, traditionally accessible only to larger organizations. Not only does it save money on staffing and technological expenses, but can increase growth and productivity, increasing profits.
Support Always Available
When partnering with a managed service provider, support is always within reach. neteffect technologies offers a help desk that can quickly answer your staff’s IT questions. Businesses can contact any one of the engineers available, instead of waiting for a specific one to reply. Using such a service, MSPs can keep track of recurring issues and businesses can track orders. By working with an MSP, IT problems are fixed efficiently and cause less downtime for your business.
Although outsourcing IT can seem like an expense, it saves your business both time and money. With predictable and scalable costs, reducing the risks associated with IT, leveling the playing field, and help and support readily available, your business can be more productive and more successful.
