Over the past few years, managed IT services have become a lot more popular. Maybe it’s the result of the ever-increasing number of remote workers around the world. Perhaps it’s because of the constantly evolving digital environment.
Either way, it’s clear that most, if not all, of your competitors are enjoying the benefits of those services, and you might be missing out.
If you’re not aware, managed IT services have several benefits, such as faster response, lower operational costs, and greater security. If you’re lucky, you can even stumble upon providers like Ntiva Managed IT that offer additional features such as licensing and mobile support.
Be that as it may, not everyone can afford such a privilege. After all, the standard rate for managed IT services ranges from USD$100 to USD$150 per month for every user.
No matter how you look at it, it’s a considerable investment. For that reason, before investing, you must first evaluate whether you genuinely need it or if it’s only a luxury. On that note, below are several questions you must ask yourself when assessing the need for a managed IT services provider.
Has Your Company Been Hacked Recently?
If there’s been a cyberattack on your company not too long ago, it’s clear that your network infrastructure isn’t as secure as you may think. Since unsecure networks are the favorite targets of hackers, it’s only a matter of time before they’re attacked again. When that happens, your company can experience severe losses, such as damage to reputation, theft of information, or business disruption.
Either way, nothing good will come in letting this go on. If you’re in this exact predicament, there’s no better time than now to hire a managed IT services provider.
After all, one of the primary purposes of these services is to boost a company’s cybersecurity, and that’s exactly what you need. If you’re unsure what qualifies as ‘hacking,’ here’s a look at a few examples of cyberattacks that would indicate the need for better cybersecurity:
- Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack
- Malware
- Phishing
- Password cracking
- Man in the Middle (MitM)
- Cross-site scripting
Do You Intend To Scale Your Company Anytime Soon?
A cyberattack would indeed make it clear that you need managed IT services, but you don’t necessarily have to wait until you experience it firsthand. For example, if you plan on scaling your company, you’ll need to hire a managed IT services provider for several reasons.
For one, when scaling, your company’s bound to have several security vulnerabilities, so the enhanced cybersecurity from a managed IT services provider would surely come in handy.
Furthermore, scaling would mean that you’ll need to manage more software, more extensive networks, and more sophisticated technologies. Your IT person or department may be able to handle your current infrastructure, but that may not be the case for long once you scale up. In short, if your answer to this question is yes, you have another reason to hire IT service providers.
Do You Plan On Migrating Your Infrastructure?
Similarly, if you’re planning on migrating your network from one platform to another, you’re bound to face several issues. For instance, if you want to transition from traditional storage to a cloud solution, you’re likely to suffer from data loss or disorganization. Cases like this can prolong the migration, leading to further problems such as increased costs and downtime.
On that note, if you plan on migrating your infrastructure, it’d be a good time to finally hire a managed IT services provider to help you with the migration process.
Have You Been Spending Too Much Money On IT Issues?
If you don’t have a dedicated team to fix IT issues, you’re probably mainly relying on break-fix services for your IT support. ‘Break-fix’ refers to a service model where a company calls an IT person or agency to fix an issue only when it breaks, hence the term.
Basically, it’s a service that runs on an as-needed basis. While this service model certainly works to some extent, it’s not exactly the most cost-effective solution available to your company.
As stated earlier, a managed IT services provider charges around USD$100 to USD$150 a month for each user. Assuming your company has 30 people in total, that’d equate to USD$3,000 to USD$4,500 a month. On the other hand, if you mostly rely on break-fix services, you’re probably paying a fee of around USD$100 for every hour your provider spends fixing an IT problem.
With such a payment scheme, your expenses on break-fix services can easily exceed USD$3,000 or even USD$5,000. When that happens, it’s clear that you’re in dire need of a new support system. In other words, it’s time to consider hiring a managed IT services provider.
Are Business Operations Suffering From Considerable Downtime?
While most break-fix services have an hourly fee, some agencies accept fixed payments instead.
If you’re getting break-fix services from one of those providers, you probably have no issues with their fees. However, that doesn’t mean you can continue relying on break-fix solutions.
Another disadvantage of such options is that business operations tend to suffer from considerable downtime. After all, if you only call IT support whenever a problem emerges, the time it takes for them to arrive at your office and fix your IT issues could’ve been time spent on other more important business matters.
Once you start seeing an excessive increase in downtime, it might be time to consider an alternative, which in this case is hiring a managed IT services provider.
Do Remote Workers Make Up Most Of Your Company?
Over the past few years, many businesses have gone fully remote, and this has become more common due to the recent worldwide events. Since remote workers are more likely to encounter IT issues, a team or a department dedicated to providing IT support to these workers is a must-have.
On that note, if remote employees are the primary workforce of your company, you might want to consider hiring a managed IT services provider. Doing so allows you to provide adequate support to the main driving force of your organization. They can also bring positive changes to the company as you continue to transition to a remote working setup.
Conclusion
While some may argue that managed IT services can be overrated, their popularity isn’t without reason. For one, an IT team is one of the must-haves of a company. They’re responsible for many crucial operations such as technical support, communications, and troubleshooting. Unfortunately, creating your own IT department can be daunting.
Not only do you need to look for skilled individuals, but you must also purchase the equipment they’ll need to function properly. That’s why the idea of having a remote IT department has attracted a lot of companies. If you’re still having second thoughts on whether you should hire a managed IT services provider, this article should at least clear some of those doubts.
