When it comes to IT, many businesses and organizations tend to think of IT only as a reaction to problems – tech support to be called upon when it is time to fix something that is broken.
While that is an important part of IT services, there is another significant element that is equally if not more important: proactive management of your technology. Here are just a few reasons that Managed IT Services are essential for the success of your small business.
1. Mitigate Future Risks
Proactively managing your technology means we are addressing future risks before they become a problem for your business. For example, we provide backup management services to backup your critical data on servers, workstations and in the cloud to prevent loss of any important information. In addition to initial configuration, we will monitor, test and help restore your data.
Statistics show 47% of all malware attacks carried out in the US target small businesses. We can help mitigate your future risk through antivirus management using a variety of cybersecurity tools and systems to proactively protect your computers from spyware, malware, trojans and viruses. It’s already too late if you wait for an attack before you address cybersecurity.
2. Improve Functionality
When we manage your IT services, we take a broad approach to improving your businesses functionality. Patch management is one service we deliver to help you stay on top of constantly evolving software and security updates. Identity management services help your business keep on top of staffing changes and user account management to improve security and ensure new employees have the tools they need on day one.
Server management is not something you have time to focus on as a business. This is why an IT partner who monitors 24/ 7/ 365 is essential to keep your servers at optimal functionality. We also use automated actions to resolve common problems before they become a bigger issue.
3. Improve Overall Efficiency in Day to Day Operations
Whatever technology your business and employees are interacting with daily, we can help make sure that is being utilized efficiently. For example, our remote workstation monitoring agent will report back the health of your device and alert us when there are any issues – speeding up the troubleshooting process.
When it comes to email (the most prominent communication method for modern business), it’s important to keep the mail flowing while protecting your business from spam, malware and junk mail.
Printers and scanners are another important technology tool for many businesses, and often a difficult sticking point for challenges or malfunctions. Properly configured printers and scanners can go a long way to easing frustration and improving efficiency.
4. Focus on Your Business
When you work with a trusted IT partner, someone besides you has a vested interest in keeping all of your technology running optimally. In turn, this enables you to focus on your core business strategies and initiatives without spending time or energy on improving, optimizing or fixing your technology. You deserve better than just “making it work” for day to day operations.
5. cost effectiveness
In an ideal world, perhaps you would have your own in-house IT consultant or team. However, for a small or medium business, this is not always feasible. Moreover, internal teams are often unable to keep up with evolving IT needs as quickly as a specific managed services provider. We have the flexibility to tailor a contract or project to both your business goals and your financial needs.
We understand the need for a nimble partner who can provide services you need without bloated costs getting in the way. As compared to building an internal IT team, working with a partner who provides managed IT services gives you scalability and flexibility to grow at your own pace. Maintain a competitive edge in your market and sustain continued growth without blowing your budget on internal IT. Managed services enable small and medium businesses to play on the same field as middle and enterprise level organizations.
6. reduce expensive downtime
According to Carbonite, downtime costs small businesses up to $427 per minute. Another benefit of managed services is that rather than sit and wait for something to go wrong, we take a proactive approach to technology with regular maintenance and tuning of your technology. This is accomplished with remote monitoring and management to identify, diagnose, and troubleshoot potential problems before they ever have a chance to become an issue. And if things do go wrong, an IT partner like us can provide expert backup and disaster recovery services to get your systems back online as quickly as possible.
7. Tap into (and Maintain) Cloud Solutions
You may be past the days of maintaining a server and network equipment in your physical office space – the cloud has given businesses the ability to do things more efficiently, securely and reliably. However, software and services stored in the cloud still face the same challenges as when they were stored in your office. A trusted IT partner can take care of managing the ins and outs of your cloud systems, and ensure they are configured and working properly.
8. Vendor Interfacing on your behalf
As a managed services provider, we interface with vendors on behalf of your company ensuring that any issues are addressed and resolved promptly. Rather than spend your valuable time on the phone with vendor support, we will be that main point of contact for third parties, escalate issues to the appropriate vendor and track the process through to resolution. This also streamlines your (or your employees’) involvement to a single point of contact to assist with developing and maintaining vendor relationships.
9. A Bird's Eye View
It’s hard to look at the big picture when you are in the middle of your daily operations. Let us use our expertise to help you – we are ready to assess your current technology strategies to ensure they align with your business strategies. If they don’t, we are here to advise you with an expert’s perspective on what you can do differently.
