Strong digital operations have been an essential facet of business for years now. It doesn’t matter if you’re running a barbershop or a marketing company; a reliable IT department is not up for debate. However, for many companies, an in-house IT team isn’t necessarily realistic or can be hard to establish. That’s where managed IT services come in.
A managed IT provider goes beyond the typical outsourced IT technician, called in as a fixer to deal with operational issues. Full managed IT service providers (MSPs) act as full IT departments, working on a subscription model, monitoring, maintaining and securing a technology ecosystem to keep downtime at bay. This article breaks down what MSPs do in more detail.
What does an MSP provide?
If you’re considering shifting to a managed service provider, it’s important to understand exactly what they’re going to bring to the table.
General system monitoring. Any good provider will monitor networks, servers and devices around the clock, keeping bottlenecks, bugs and failures firmly at bay.
Daily support. It’s not just about IT support for SMEs, but MSPs are still very useful in this field. A good MSP will ensure immediate remote (and sometimes on-site) support for everything from password resets to hardware issues.
Cyber security management. Multi-layer defences, firewalls, endpoint detection and response (EDR), multi-factor authentication (MFA), password managers and automated security patch updates should all be part of the provided service.
Cloud services & infrastructure. The best providers will migrate, configure and maintain cloud environments such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, AWS or Azure, as well as managing all the necessary network hardware.
Data backup & disaster recovery. Data should be managed and backed up off-site, in both cloud and local formats, as well as tested with restore procedures. This is essential for speedy recoveries in the case of ransomware attacks or hardware failures.
vCIO & strategic planning. A MSP should also act as a Virtual Chief Information Officer (vCIO), helping to map out 3-5 year hardware replacement lifecycles, as well as managing software licensing and budgeting for future upgrades.
Regulatory & compliance support. On top of all of these other capabilities, MSPs should keep IT systems in line with industry data standards, such as UK/EU GDPR, Cyber Essentials, HIPAA and/or PCI-DSS.
Managed IT support and services bring an extensive range of capabilities to a workplace, without ever necessarily entering the building.
Why you should choose a managed IT provider
Having IT managed externally lets you have all of these functional elements in place without needing an expansive internal team. And it can be a lot more financially manageable than paying multiple salaries, with costs consolidated into a predictable monthly fee.
This system also transitions you away from an external break-fix model, in which the support provider profits off your downtime, being paid by the hour when it comes to fixes. Managed services are more about keeping downtime at bay in the long term.
The kinds of businesses that could benefit the most from engaging with an MSP include:
- Remote/hybrid workforces should use it to unify their security policies, VPN management and hardware procurement across their disparate teams.
- Co-managed IT setups in medium-sized companies with existing IT directors can use MSPs to handle repetitive helpdesk tasks and security monitoring, allowing for an increase in strategic focus.
- Small-to-medium businesses can get enterprise-level security and reliable uptime, without budgeting for a full internal IT department.
If you are taking the route of an MSP, make sure to check their service provision and guarantee it does everything you need from it. Check the offers against your budget and shop around for the best option!