Managed IT services are popular for a reason; they bring a range of advantages to businesses. Here are some key benefits of using an MSP to support your IT systems:
Budget control - Using an MSP can provide greater control over your finances, as you’re able to clearly forecast the monthly outgoing and avoid unexpected expenses. It can also be a more cost effective option than hiring an internal staff member (a monthly MSP contract can be around half of a full time employee’s salary). Strategic support - When you’re undertaking a large project, an experienced IT provider can help to provide invaluable guidance and knowledge on how to implement the most effective solution. Proactive monitoring - A good MSP doesn’t just react to issues; it actively monitors and works to prevent them from happening in the first place, meaning better protection for your business. Better cyber security - MSPs keep up to date with cyber security issues and have access to the best and most sophisticated cyber protection tools, allowing you better protection from cyber crime and attacks. Knowledge and expertise - As well as their hands-on role, an MSP can also support from a consultative level, providing recommendations based on years of experience. Reliable service - When partnering with the right MSP, you can be assured that you’ll receive a high level of service which is always available when you need it. Limited internal expertise, and staff holidays and sickness are no longer a headache for you. Reduced downtime - Through a proactive approach and access to top of the range software and tools, MSPs can help to reduce the amount of downtime your business suffers - which in turn means better productivity. Support for internal teams - Whether it’s at a strategic level to help support an internal IT team to accomplish their goals, additional expertise, or cover for when your own IT staff are unavailable through holiday or sickness, MSPs can be a reassurance that keeps your systems ticking over as normal. Scalability - The best MSPs will be able to scale their level of service to meet your changing demands. For example, if you’re in a period of growth, an MSP should be able to increase its package to suit that growth and maintain the same level of service. Access to the best tech - MSPs will typically use and have access to leading technologies, systems and software which your business can take advantage of. Often, these are premium products that are typically unattainable to SMEs.