Category Archives: Manage Service

Debunking 7 Myths About Managed IT Services – Part 2

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Team of diverse IT services employees working in an office with different computers.

Providing quality customer service is just one feature a managed service company brings to the table

Welcome back and thanks for joining us for part two of our segment on the seven myths of managed IT Services.  If you missed the first part, please check out myths 1 through 3 posted last week by clicking here

Myth 4: Managed IT Teams Won’t Work with In-House IT

A darker version of the same myth is the idea that an MSP will refuse to work with in-house or even insist that you fire any in-house IT on your team. This is patently ridiculous.  Managed IT teams often rely on teamwork with in-house in order to fully understand and manage their part of the company’s technical tasks. They’re often our favorite people in the company because we work together so often and collaborate to most practically split up the mountain of technical management, service provision, and upgrades that take place inside a modern business.

Myth 5: A Managed IT Team Can’t Care About Your System Like In-House Will

Another myth floating around is that a managed IT team will be indifferent to the needs of our company. The idea is that outsourced outsiders just don’t have the same passion or investment in your business systems, so they won’t put their heart into the work. The reality is that passion is an individual factor, but professionalism is a powerful force. A managed IT team stakes their reputation and future client trust on their dedication to each system they work on. If there was really a lack of passion for strong security and well-built systems, then there would be no successful manage IT businesses from which to outsource.

Managed IT teams often care deeply about the integrity of the servers, networks, and tech-stacks they work with.  While your in-house team may also be dedicated don’t underestimate the passion for good systems that an MSP team can bring to the table.

Myth 6: Working with Managed IT Can Compromise Your Cybersecurity

Many businesses  worry about protecting their servers and cybersecurity. This is a good worry to have in a hacker-rich environment. However, sharing your server’s credentials and hiring a managed IT team to take care of your tech is the exact opposite of bad for cybersecurity. Your device, network, and cloud security are about to get a major tune-up, one that in-house IT may have been unable to take care of with work piling up.

Remember again that a managed IT business goes in with their reputation on the line. If any team became associated with compromised security, they would have a hard time keeping other business clients. Therefore, your MSP will naturally be dedicated to both providing great cybersecurity integrations to your software and absolutely ensuring that they are not the cause of any security weakness.

Myth 7: All Managed IT Teams are the Same

Last but certainly not least is the myth that every managed IT and MSP business provides the same services at similar prices for comparable results. Just like any industry, managed IT service teams are hardly identical from business to business. One team may specialize in web servers, another may have a crack team of cybersecurity specialists. As we mentioned earlier, some MSPs focus on big enterprise services while most provide a variety of helpful and cost-effective technical services for small to medium sized businesses.

No two managed IT service teams are completely alike, even if they do offer similar services to the same types of businesses. It’s always worth your while to compare your options before choosing a managed IT provider for your business.

There are myths and false rumors floating around about every industry, and the truth is just as easy to find. These myths come from anecdotes, misunderstandings, and often from baseless conjecture around the water cooler. To find out more truths about managed IT services or to discover the benefits for yourself, contact us today!

Debunking 7 Myths About Managed IT Services – Part 1

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Team of diverse managed IT services provider working in an office and using computers to attend to tasks.

How well do you understand the benefits of Managed IT Services?

Managed IT, sometimes called a Managed Service Provider or MSP, is an outsourced team who help to manage our business’s technical aspects. An MSP team traditionally helps to build and maintain your software stack, servers, and cybersecurity among a myriad of other computer-related duties that they can take on. Managed IT teams are great at stepping in wherever a business needs more IT support, whether that’s becoming your entire IT department or taking on the overflow IT work that has overwhelmed in-house IT.

However, because managed IT tasks are so custom-tailored to the needs of each client, it’s also easy for misconceptions and myths to form. One company’s experience with a managed IT service likely won’t mirror another’s, even if the two businesses are in the same industry and of similar size. After all, the behind-the-scenes tech-stack of software, hardware, and workflow choices are unique to each and every business.

As managed IT providers ourselves, we’re here to help clear up some of the confusion floating around the business water cooler and debunk a few managed IT myths. Many of the top-seven MSP myths are paired as opposites of each other to point out how contradictory these industry assumptions really are.

Myth 1: Managed IT is Only for Startups and Stop-Gap

The first myth is that managed IT is only for teams who are desperate for an IT team, like startups and emergency stop-gap measures. It’s true that startups often benefit from the full-service approach of an MPS, where all the business-tech bases are already covered from network security to software and app integration. It’s also true that businesses experiencing a technical emergency have rescued deadlines and recovered from hacks by temporarily bringing a managed IT onboard. However, the benefits of working with an MSP go beyond filling a vital gap in your workflow. MSPs also offer a great deal of benefit to medium and large businesses, and provide steady support services to stable businesses that aren’t in a technical tail-spin.

Myth 2: Managed IT is an Expensive Luxury

On the flip-side of the myth that managed IT is only for startups is the myth that MSPs are an expensive luxury. This is often accompanied with the assumption that only large enterprises can really benefit from outsourcing to a managed IT team.  The idea is that all managed IT services cost a similar amount, which is too high for normal businesses to reasonably invest in.

In truth, managed IT services very widely in style and pricing. Some large MSPs are geared to cater primarily to large enterprises, but most are actually focused on small to medium businesses who are looking to optimize costs. This means that most managed IT services are priced to be practical and particularly to save money for smaller businesses.

Myth 3: You Don’t Need Managed IT if You Have In-House IT

Managed IT and in-house IT are not directly interchangeable. In many businesses, the two groups work together and split duties based on what makes the most sense. For example, your in-house IT may focus on day-to-day server maintenance and inter-office tech support while the managed IT team takes on the time-consuming projects like reconfiguring your tech-stack after an update. This leaves your in-house team free to take care of business-as-usual without getting overwhelmed by the occasional large projects or big-picture oversights.

If you have an in-house IT team, they might be the most enthusiastic about hiring an MSP as recipients for their back-log and overflow of technical tasks. Outsourcing can lead to the man-power needed for both backlogged maintenance tasks and special projects.

Stay tuned for part two on debunking the myths about IT Managed Services or if you would like to discuss more ahead of time, Contact us today!

How Will a Managed Service Provider Help Your Business?

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Male IT professional working with a company's IT infrastructure and data security using a computer.

What is a Managed Service Provider (MSP)?

A Managed Service Provider (MSP) is a person who is specially trained in remotely managing a company’s IT infrastructure. They provide specific network and security solutions that assist with data loss, security breaches, and remote firewall administration. The key takeaway from their role is that they play an invaluable part in strategic IT planning and preventing destructive computer networking decisions that could have a negative impact on a business.

In this article, we will focus more on the role of this service provider, which bears an important responsibility. Indeed, at the present time, the productivity of a company depends very much on its IT infrastructure, which makes the MSP a central player in the success and development of the company.

Managed services or IT service outsourcing?

While some companies can afford to have a dedicated IT department, not all organizations can. And that’s not always the most relevant solution, either. The Managed Service Provider takes on the role of the enterprise IT department. Thus, he or she must carry out the management and maintenance of the IT department.

The mission of the MSP (Managed Service Provider) includes administrative oversight, intended to detect problems before they arise. Indeed, to ensure the sustainability of the infrastructure, it must constantly maintain the level of service necessary for the needs of the business. This, therefore, involves application updates, regular hardware checks, and software changes when relevant.

A remote service provider that saves significant time

The MSP, therefore, works externally and mainly remotely, through cloud computing. The managed service provider has a team made up of experienced people, but also very sophisticated tools. It is therefore able to operate remotely and benefits from regular automated reports which allow it to detect potential problems. He or she can thus solve them before they generate damage. It is therefore rare for MSP technicians to travel to the site, although this can happen in the event of a hardware failure.

Using sophisticated tools, the managed service provider performs software updates automatically before the expiration date. As a result, it avoids wasted time related to bugs and failures caused by software that is not up to date. It also allows you to benefit from the latest versions and thus limits security vulnerabilities in the system.

An offer adapted to the needs of the company

As the managed service provider is not an employee of the company, he or she is able to make an offer modeled on the real needs of the structure. Often, its offer depends on the number of workstations or users of the infrastructure to be managed. The contract can therefore be scalable according to the needs of the business. This operation, therefore, offers flexibility that is much more advantageous for the company than having its own IT department. Especially since it limits the administrative procedures and internal staff management.

Conclusion

This is a win/win formula, as the MSP usually does not have to intervene for outages, but if they do, it is included in their package. As a result, the more quality watch it performs, the better its profitability will be, because interventions will be less common. For the company, this approach provides the assurance of quality monitoring to ensure the proper functioning of the system.

The definition of managed services and the role of the MSP are no longer a mystery to you. In relation to outsourcing, managed services offer a more in-depth approach, and free you from all worries related to IT infrastructure. This allows you to focus on your core business without risking failures that could impact the development of your business. Contact us to learn more!

Improve Your Business Operations With A Managed Service Provider (MSP)

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Three IT managers work together on technical projects

Your company has enough to manage. Let a Managed Service Provider help you increase efficiency, productivity, and availability.

Technology has structurally altered the capabilities of small businesses, mid-size businesses, and large businesses. Cloud computing has allowed businesses of all sizes to gain access to technology and resources at a cost they can afford. Today, IT providers have a greater ability to provide top-notch value than other services can offer.

Whether you are an executive in the business world or you are an IT professional, using managed services can definitely make your job a little easier. When properly executed, Managed Services can be like gaining the abilities of a full IT department with the skills and experience of the best IT professionals. The combination can lead to effective and efficient operations to every user within the business.

Managed Services have been designed to handle the basic and complex operations of your applications providing the proficiency to every end-user. Managed Services can lead to members of your IT team having more time and resources to focus on more strategic IT programs. With Managed Services(MS), your team members will also be able to focus on the key components that make the business.

Signs You Need Managed Services

There are several signs that will arise that will indicate a need for Managed Services. It is important to be aware of the signs before a major decline occurs. When a decline happens within your business or organization, the decreased quality of IT services will negatively impact your business or organization.

Here are signs that can indicate a need for Managed Services:

  • There was a lack of support that resulted in your business or organization not being able to achieve a bulk of your goals
  • There was no Backup and Disaster Recovery(BDR) plan in place and data was lost during an outage
  • There was a significant number of downtime and outages that were not repaired right away
  • Changes in the business lead to poor performances

The right Managed Services(MS) can help address the above challenges and any other challenges that may arise.

What Are Your Needs?

Businesses and organizations are under a significant amount of pressure to meet their operational and performance goals, as well as their expectations. A Managed Service Provider can provide the services your business or organization to improve your overall operations.

When you are ready to set new business-related goals or when you are ready to introduce new IT services, you may discover that speaking with a Managed Service Provider will allow you to gain a better understanding of your needs. A Managed Service Provider will help you assess your needs and determine the services you may need.

What Can An MSP Offer?

Managed Service Providers can offer a significant amount of benefits to your business or organization, including better cost control, better efficiency, better productivity, and more. There are several cost factors for a business or organization, and the average cost components of an IT department will generally be taken on by the Managed Service Provider(MSP).

A Managed Service Provider(MSP) can also lead to greater efficiency, productivity, and availability. It is important to have IT services that are readily available, and an MSP can ensure that the right resources will be in place to avoid downtime and outages. Customers and clients will experience high-quality performances with little to no downtime when there is a presence of Managed Services.

Managed Service Providers can deliver high-quality business services that will help your business or organization remain flexible, productive, and efficient. If you are looking to invest in new and improved services, we recommend taking a look at the benefits that a Managed Service Provider(MSP) can offer.

Contact SystemsNet today for more information.