If you find yourself consistently putting off new projects and facing a backlog of user requests, it may be time to look into managed services, especially for a provider that can deliver meaningful value. Before choosing a partner, organizations should clearly define their IT requirements and the improvements they expect to see. Read on to discover the benefits that a managed services provider can bring to your organization in 2017.
To clarify, managed services is the practice of outsourcing day-to-day IT management and computer network technical support as a cost-effective method for improving business operations, instead of having a full-time on-staff IT personnel. A company, like MDL Technology, that provides such services is called a Managed Services Provider (MSP).
According to Carolyn April, senior director at CompTIA, while MSPs have been around for a long time, adoption has been relatively slow. That said, as companies have become more familiar with managed services, they’re now turning to them more and more for management of certain IT functions, particularly email hosting, customer relationship management (CRM) applications, storage, backup and recovery and network monitoring.
According to BizTech Magazine, utilizing a managed services partner offers several advantages, among them are:
Freeing up IT staff
Let’s face it, most IT departments are stretched much too thin. By outsourcing back-end functions and ever-evolving complex technologies, organizations can dedicate their in-house experts to projects that will further their core objectives and promote innovation.
Keeping pace with the demands for IT expertise
Organizations around the world are struggling to fill IT positions, particularly in cybersecurity and mobile app development. Outsourcing these functions to a partner with a staff that’s technically skilled in new and emerging technologies alleviates these pressures.
Greater scalability
IT departments can spend months deploying massive systems. Many organizations are finding it more effective to start small, move fast and expand as needed. A more modular approach to managed services makes it easy for enterprises to scale up or down depending on demand. A prime example being a retailer increasing capacity around the holidays, or a startup experiencing sudden growth.
24/7 presence
In today’s digital world, the 9-to-5 workday is a thing of the past. When users work around the clock, so too must the network. When you utilize a managed services provider, help is always available days, nights, weekends or holidays, all to support users.
Shifting the burden of compliance
Many organizations are obligated to meet standards and requirements with their IT initiatives. Certain regulations spell out rules regarding privacy, reporting and security in the healthcare, education, financial services and retail industries. A managed services partner can provide the systems, processes and reports to guarantee that organizations meet their requirements, removing the burden that was previously on in-house staff.
Predictable monthly costs
Every IT investment comes with certain costs. Businesses need viable networks, storage and security. By outsourcing to a managed service partner, organizations can break down their costs into fixed monthly payments, as opposed to the major expenses that come with managing systems in-house.
The benefits are clear: In 2014, only 30 percent of organizations used managed services, but by 2015, that figure had nearly doubled. That’s not all, he managed services market size is estimated to grow to an estimated USD 242.45 Billion by 2021.
Managed services can cut IT costs by as much as 40 percent while doubling operational efficiency. While many in the MSP community haven’t done enough to spell out the benefits of managed services to potential users, our team is aiming to change that in 2017. If you’re looking to slash operational costs and streamline your organization’s IT initiatives, MDL Technology is your perfect partner.
