The benefits of switching to a managed IT service provider

The main benefit of switching to a managed IT service provider is that it helps you to deliver optimum service to your customers.

Here, Luke Watts, Managing Director at RoundWorks IT shares a sample of some of the ways a managed IT service provider can make that a reality. 

They keep your infrastructure running smoothly

IT systems need regular care and maintenance to keep them in good running order. Managed IT service providers make sure that care and maintenance is actually delivered as required. In particular, they ensure that patches and upgrades are applied promptly. This is vital for security and performance.

As a bonus, they can, if necessary, deploy these updates during quiet periods or even out-of-hours. Significant upgrades can be a major drain on resources both local and network. It’s therefore very much preferable to time them strategically if at all possible.

The reason why upgrades tend to be a challenge for SMEs is that they are periodic. This generally means that it’s impractical to employ someone in-house specifically to take care of them. This means they are either incorporated into someone’s overall responsibilities or outsourced on an ad-hoc basis.

The problem with the former is that it means updates may need to be pushed to the bottom of someone’s “to-do” list. The main problem with the latter is that it tends to mean that work gets done when the budget is available to pay for it. The second problem is that it tends to work out more expensive overall than just using a managed IT services provider.

They help you to scale easily

If you’re an SME, the chances are that you’re already in the cloud. If you’re not, then you’re probably at least thinking of moving to it. There are several compelling reasons for moving to the cloud. In many cases, however, the standout one is flexibility. Being in the cloud allows you to scale up and down to suit your business cycle. It also supports distributed work.

Switching to a managed IT services provider allows you to match flexibility in your IT infrastructure with flexibility in your IT support. This then allows you to create more flexibility in your business practices.

Probably the most obvious example of this is labour. Many SMEs will only have a relatively small number of permanent staff. They will supplement this with temporary/seasonal staff and freelancers as required. Another example of it is location. Using the cloud makes it much easier to have staff working remotely and/or on a mobile basis.

They make forecasting easier

Variety may be the spice of life but like most spices, it’s generally best enjoyed in moderation. Most businesses distinctly prefer a foundation of predictability. The most obvious example of this is predictable costs.

Usually, even SMEs have at least a basic idea of what their core IT needs will be. These can be covered by a long-term contract. This allows periodic costs to be spread out over the duration of the contract making for smoother cash flow.

A less obvious example of this is the issue of risk. Using managed IT services ensures that the highest standards of security are always maintained. This is increasingly likely to be a legal requirement (e.g. GDPR). Even when it isn’t, it’s always good business practice. Security breaches can be expensive as well as embarrassing.

They ensure that your data is managed safely

This is really an extension of the previous point but it’s important enough to be worth mentioning on its own. You have a legal obligation to protect personal data. It makes business sense to protect all sensitive data. Your first line of defence is to ensure the highest security standards. Your second line of defence is to have an effective backup system.

Your backups must be processed and stored just as securely as the data in your production systems. They must also be archived and/or deleted in a timely manner. This requires active management. For most SMEs using a managed IT services provider is the best way to ensure that backups are actually managed as they should be.