When running a business, you’ll find it hard to deal with in-house IT management. For example, what happens if your network crashes at night or if your trusted IT employee is out on vacation? Would you risk putting your business in jeopardy by waiting till they return or until an expert comes over?
Many businesses have switched to managed IT services to avoid such inconveniences. But how much does managed IT services cost?
There is no magic number or formula of the exact cost of a managed IT service provider. Sometimes it depends on the company’s specifications and a host of several other factors. Let’s dig deep into it to try and find the answers.
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Approaches to Managed IT Services Cost
Before you think of hiring managed IT services in Orlando, know precisely the needs of your business. This will help you estimate the cost. Also, remember that two businesses are not the same, and the same applies to their IT needs.
There are two basic approaches that can help you determine the cost of managed IT.
Partially Managed IT Services
Every business or organization has an employee whose primary duty is to manage IT. However, you might have specific IT needs requiring you to hire a dedicated IT team to handle the task. If you don’t have a dedicated in-house IT team, you’ll feel comfortable hiring an IT expert from outside to handle certain IT tasks.
So, if you have existing IT personnel, you’ll need partially managed IT services to help you out with specific tasks. Partial management can come in to do exceptional work that your in-house team can’t do. This can be providing computer support to your routine tasks such as security and backup administration.
Fully-Managed IT Services
If you operate a small or medium-sized business, it can be economical and efficient to outsource your IT management. Instead of wasting your money while determining the type and the number of IT employees you need, managed IT service provider can help you manage your IT workload.
A reliable managed IT services provider will be willing to collaborate with you and the entire organization. They’ll deliver the best IT services that outmatch THAT OF your in-house IT team.
How Pricing for Managed IT Services Work
The managed IT prices vary by provider, customer, and the region you are in. Here are the basic concepts to help you understand how pricing works before choosing your IT support:
Per-User Pricing
Many managed services plan their services according to the number of users they’ll monitor and take care of. This can give you the exact cost by calculating the number of people using the technology in your organization. In modern technology, almost every employee in an office is a user.
When doing your calculations, include anybody in your office using a PC, Mac, tablet, laptop, mobile device, and more. This should give you a clear picture of how much to pay for your services.
Factor in Per-Device Pricing
Although per-user pricing is the most common in determining the service cost, some providers will charge you per device. The cost is based on the number of devices your business is using rather than the users.
These will include all the devices that you want to be covered. They can consist of all PCs, laptops, mobile devices, tablets, and Macs.
Company Audit to Determine Cost
Your audit will determine managed IT cost. An audit will help your IT service provider with the roadmap of your technology. This will help them to know if you have a compatible technology that can suit their services.
The service provider will send you an engineer to review the infrastructure of your technology and determine what your hardware and software will need. For hardware, they’ll determine the firewall and backup devices. For the software, they’ll take into account the antivirus, anti-spam, and anti-malware.
The prices of these components will vary according to each company’s size and needs. Both software and hardware come at an additional cost unless you include them into your service contract to manage your expense more easily.
You’ll Pay for Firewall Protection
The cost of firewall filters between the network and computers comes with its price. A firewall helps prevent any attack on your IT system from malware and any attack from the outside world. It blocks specific data that is managed by your in-house team or your managed IT specialist.
The price of the firewall protection increases with the demands of your company’s IT system. Also, in many cases, you can manage your compatible firewall. But it’s always important to include the cost of a firewall when budgeting for your managed IT cost.
Need for Backup Device to Store Data
If you’re indeed a customer of managed services, then you’ll need a backup device to keep your data safe. Unfortunately, outsourcing IT doesn’t come with free backup devices. It comes with its price.
There are situations where you’ll need to purchase your own backup device. But you must talk to your managed service provider during an onboard process to check if your device is compatible with the software they’re using.
The Cost of DNS Filtration, Antivirus, and Anti-Spam
As much as they sound the same thing, they’re not when it comes to paying your monthly service fee. The service providers safely protect your system from malicious attacks at an added monthly cost. All these items will not appear on your managed services bill as one line item.
They’re four separate items that protect your technology from external attacks. Anti-spam helps to catch malware at the email level. It eliminates suspicious emails and blocks any online invasion from your online inboxes. Antivirus and anti-malware stop the spread of the virus to other components of your technology.
But if the virus becomes stubborn and passes through all three layers, then a DNS filter will stop the virus from getting into your network. The charges for this software will come monthly, per-user fee. And it will depend on the company’s size, whereby the larger the company, the cheaper the software.
Get the Right Quote on Your Preferred Managed IT Service Provider
As you already know, managing the IT sector of your business is never easy. Getting external help from managed IT services providers seems easier, but calculating their pricing can be challenging. Take your time to determine your company size together with your specific needs when doing your calculations.
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