What to Expect From Your Managed Service Providers

When your business needs additional IT support, you’ll be faced with a common dilemma. Do you hire your own IT staff to come and work in-house? Or, do you use the skills and experience of a managed service provider?

A lot of companies will disregard the notion of using managed service providers as being too expensive. They often work to the logic that it’d be less expensive to hire one person than to pay for an entire IT team. In reality, managed services are a more cost-effective solution.

This is because you’re only paying for the support you need; the rest of the time, your IT service provider will be looking after other clients’ needs. But maybe you’re wondering what exactly a managed service provider actually does?

In this article, we’ll look at what you can expect from an IT services company.

IT Help-Desk Support 

When something goes wrong with your companies IT system, your managed IT provider will be on hand to help you.

Helpdesk support during regular business hours should be a standard. However, many managed IT service providers offer 24/7 support.

If you need your systems to run throughout the day and the night, make sure you have the support you need. Talk to your managed service about this when agreeing on your contract.

Network Maintenance 

When a computer goes down, or your network takes a hit and goes offline without warning, who will you call?

For businesses that rely on IT systems, losing connection to your network could be a disaster.

If you don’t have an IT specialist on your team with the necessary experience to deal with the situation, you may struggle to get back online.

A managed services provider will not only be on hand during a crisis but will be able to take preventative steps to stop future incidents.

A managed IT service provider such as this company will carry out system diagnostics while managing your servers. All of this will be done while ensuring your systems are running to the best of their ability. If they notice anything, they’ll take proactive steps to patch any vulnerabilities that they find.

Assistance With Compliance 

Certain businesses need to comply with specific regulations surrounding data protection.

For instance, if you run a healthcare business, you will be required to meet HIPAA regulations. If you run a financial business, you’ll also have a duty of care to protect your customer’s financial records.

Not complying with these regulations may lead to large fines and damage your business’ reputation.

Most regulations are based on good security practices designed to prevent hackers. Some guidelines will require information to be handled and stored in a specific way that prevents the potential for a data breach.

Regulations vary depending on your industry, so it’s essential to find a specialized managed service provider.

If you talk to a managed IT service provider who doesn’t take compliance seriously, it’s time to look for one with greater credibility.

Remote Monitoring 

Generally speaking, managed IT service providers no longer need to have an in-house representative. Instead, the work can be carried out remotely using specialist monitoring tools for diagnosing issues.

The same tools can be used to monitor and diagnose issues with several other companies simultaneously. This is how hiring a managed service provider is actually more affordable than recruiting an in-house IT specialist.

By having your systems monitored remotely, you’ll also see less disruption in your business’s daily running. This is because your managed service provider will look after everything from a distance, so you don’t need to think about it.

Security Services 

Data breaches and cyberattacks affect businesses of all sizes. When this type of attack occurs, it’s not just bad for a business’ reputation. There could be financial and legal repercussions, and in some cases, could spell the end for some companies.

You may assume you won’t get hacked because your business isn’t a big enough target. However, criminals prey on smaller organizations because they often don’t have the security to protect them.

A managed IT service provider can help you improve your defenses, monitor for breaches, and quickly act if a breach occurs.

Backup and Recovery 

If the worst happens and you lose power, or your facilities are physically damaged- it can result in the loss of your valuable data. This can be irreversible. For a lot of companies, this can be the nail in their coffin. A loss of data could set them back indefinitely.

This may be a worrying prospect for many companies. However, it is entirely preventable if you make use of backup and recovery services.

Using off-site or cloud storage, you’ll be able to safeguard your data against any data loss.

Service Providers Aid Growth

A good IT service provider will be proactive. They’ll not only work to handle the problems that you’re encountering today, but they will also prepare your organization for the future. This means laying the groundwork that will let you scale up your operations.

Finding the Right Managed Service Providers for Your Business

Hiring managed service providers for your business could be a cost-effective solution for your IT issues.

It’s important to find a service provider experienced in your industry and understands your business needs.

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