What is Managed Services?

Managed Services is outsourcing ongoing support to an IT Service Provider (or Managed Service Provider, MSP), for a fixed monthly fee. It involves proactive monitoring and maintenance along with priority support and user and device management, to keep IT systems operating at peak performance.

The client and the MSP are bound by a contractual, service level agreement that states the performance and quality metrics of their relationship

When using a MSP, not only do issues get resolved quickly, organisations have access to the latest technology and innovative solutions that can maximise productivity as well as increase profits. Managed Services is designed to take the worry and hassle out of IT, and being part of a service level agreement means you know how much it will cost, and the outcomes you should expect.

Benefits of Managed IT services for SMBs

The biggest organisations in the world make IT a priority. They can afford to build out first-class internal IT teams because they pull in the appropriate revenue to do so. SMBs are faced with the challenge of finding a solution to fill that gap and level the playing field but often do not have funds to do so. When put in this position, smart business owners leverage managed IT services.

Here is just a quick rundown of what leveraging third-party IT experts can do for you.

Reduce the IT spend with a Managed Service Provider

Via a service level agreement (SLA), SMBs can reap the benefits of MSP IT support at a much lower cost compared to creating a internal IT team. Small to medium business owners can pay for the services they need when they need them through a subscription-based model, allowing them to scale as needed.

This makes internal budgeting and expense tracking easier and organisations can forecast their monthly, quarterly, and yearly expenditure better.  This frees SMBs to focus on more on operations, business development or marketing.

Expert knowledge

MSPs bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to your organisation. From mitigating a client’s cybersecurity risks, best practice device management or industry compliance, MSPs have a breadth of experience that a one man band or small IT team could not complete with.

Dependable service

Your staff and your clients benefit from the skills of a team of trained professionals.  Partnering with a third-party MSP can make services more dependable and reduce interruptions as there is an organisation, not just an individual responsible for the success of the service.

MSPs seek, recruit and maintain skilled talent to build your IT team. They ensure that staff are fully trained and certified appropriate to their roles.  Client’s can be assured that their staff are supported by a team of IT professionals.