There was a time when companies were only required to concentrate on their main business activities: baking cakes or selling furniture, creating cars, providing assistance, etc. But over the past three decades, every professional business has had to become an IT-driven business to allow the growth of their company in the workplace, improve employee productivity and manage information. From mainframes to desktop computers and the Cloud as well as LANs and WANs to MANs, from switchboards to IP telephones to contact centers The pace of technological development has been relentless and has brought with it the pressure to keep up. For all the benefits and efficiencies brought by technological advancement, the revolution also has presented its own challenges.
For years, businesses had two options in deploying or maintaining and, most of all using your IT systems: do it yourself, by investing in the technology as well as the skills to run it; or, entrust a certain portion of it to an expert IT contractor. The last 20 years has seen a third way emerge that is the professional IT services provider that is managed.
What are managed IT service?
Managed IT solutions are usually described as outsourced infrastructure, application, network and security services under the supervision of a managed service provider. As these services are delivered through, monitored and controlled by third-party organizations, they typically have a lower “lights on” all day long for IT departments within the company, allowing them to focus on business-focused, value-added actions and filling in any skills gap that their own team might have to fill.
The benefits of using IT managed services London
The market for managed services worldwide was estimated at USD 161.37 billion at the end of 2021. The market is expected to reach USD 311.32 billion in 2027. In short, this is an industry that is on fire due to the increasing acknowledged benefits that managed services provision can bring.
Look at two statistics in the Global Managed Services Market report that you have read about: it is said that the deployment of managed services can help decrease IT costs by 25 to 45% and increase operational efficiency by 45-65%. The two statistics alone be considered, but there are additional benefits to be gained, some that will be more pronounced than others depending on organisational makeup, growth strategy, business kind, etc.
We’ve come up with a quick top 10 benefits of using managed IT services ‘Top Ten’ for you.
1. Future proof services, using top-of-the-line technology
Top managed IT services providers must use the best technologies and equipment on the market in order to provide their services. IT services are continuously upgraded at no costs or risks for you. You don’t have to be concerned about whether you’re managed IT services will become outdated.
2. Low capital outlay and predictable monthly costs
The expense for high-end hardware as well as software will be high. Managed IT services provide the highest quality services for carriers and enterprises to customers. A fixed monthly payment plan ensures that you know what you’re likely to pay and how much it’s going to cost during the contract. Absolutely no surprise charges for upgrade or changes in charges and charges, 100% guaranteed.
3. Flexible, prompt service
Managed IT Services Providers can be very flexible. Pay-as-you-go plans allow for rapid growth when required or savings in the event that you’re in need of consolidating; this type of plan constantly aligns with needs, minimises waste and maximises availability. Also, it can be implemented quickly – if you have to move at pace, then the best MSP will have the resources, infrastructure and market connections that can help you get things done quickly and smooth out some of the typical bumps along the way.
4. Converged services
Multiple managed IT services may be offered over an unidirectional connection that results in cost savings on infrastructure. There are additional efficiency and productivity gains because employees working remotely can access all of the data and voice applications that the staff in your headquarters use.
5. Highly durable, secure infrastructure
The managed service provider’s data centers and network infrastructure are more secure than an ordinary Enterprise IT service. Infrastructure is run under 24/7 all-year round management, and with government approval security procedures. Levels of 99.99 percent uptime will help insure you against the losses associated with downtime. Although every company is unique studies suggest that downtime is a cost to British companies, on average, PS3.6 million per year and 545 hours of lost productivity.
6. Expertise
By choosing managed IT services, you will have access to staff with specialist expertise. Sometimes you’ll only need this skill once, so do not spend money on hiring staff members to teach skills they will never use. Also, in this post-Covid age, there’s an even more competitive labor market and skilled staff may be difficult and costly to locate and keep in the event that you have permanent posts in-house that you want to fill. In a managed services world this team is your team – with no of the overhead.
7. Centralisation
If you have a managed network, you have the opportunity to centralise all your applications and servers within managed data centres; this results in improved performance for employees, regardless of their location. Centralised data centres within the network may also allow users with access to the virtual world as well as storage and backup infrastructure.
8. Increased service levels
MSPs provide greater control of the quality of service and performance. With service level agreements in place you are guaranteed the continuity of service. A managed service company offers 24/7all-year round assistance. In addition to the regular day-to-day support proactive approach, a proactive MSP will also be partnering effectively with clients, considering the strategy and making suggestions regarding new technologies or system tweaks that will improve efficiency and increase the value.
9. Disaster recovery and business continuity
The provision of services is the lifeblood of the Managed Service Provider. They have designed networks and data centers that will be available as well as resilient and redundant to ensure continuity of business. Take advantage of this major technological investment. Your data will be secure and your voice services will continue to be offered even if the office you use disappears.
10. Lean and green
By centralising your critical business systems within power-efficient data centres and running your applications using a virtual platform your business will be set up for a more sustainable future by reducing the carbon footprint of your business while also reducing costs. This also places you in the driver’s position to take advantage of emerging technologies early, which could offer rolling opportunities to enhance your environmental credentials and reduce expenses.
Managed IT services in a post-Covid world
The total transformation of our working environment due to Covid really threw many of these benefits into stark relief. The technology knowhow, the scalability, the agility and the human resources available meant that numerous MSPs were able to steer their clients in safe or turbulent seas. Post-pandemic, the steady situation we’re in, which has a major concentration on hybrid working has MSPs doubling down on their role as an enabler and not only helping keep the lights on, but also providing new ways of working for numerous companies. Companies now have the capacity and confidence to work with distributed operations due to managed service providers that deliver what’s required, day in, day out.
The IT leadership view
Many IT leaders across the globe felt extremely grateful for support provided by their MSP throughout Covid. But managed IT service providers does not require a flu outbreak to prove its worth as it’s been obvious for a while that there’s an overwhelming desire from CIOs for tapping into the latest managed service provider and exploring a far more mutual, collaborative approach to roles and responsibilities. This is why we have a natural flow from partner to provider.
Here are a number of interesting stats from a survey of 300 IT decision-makers posted on TechTarget.
86% said an MSP collaboration could assist IT departments to better protect the entire enterprise
86% said that an MSP partnership could allow IT to concentrate on crucial corporate initiatives
84% said that an MSP partnership could help with the successful migration to cloud
83% of respondents believed that an MSP collaboration would boost morale within the team and help retain employees.
There are many controlled IT service providers in the same way
Giving responsibility over to an MSP could come across as a very appealing option. From a cost, performance strategic, security, and environmental point of view there are huge ticks across the entire spectrum. Yet, at the same it’s about service delivery and, in actuality, it is a crucial service to provide and the quality of the service will never be independent of the service quality of the provider. If you have managed-services in your plans, then extensive due diligence in choosing who you want to go on this journey with is an absolute requirement. Visit with the IT providers and visit their data centers and talk to their clients and test their services; simply because you’re outsourcing your technology doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re transferring the responsibility for its success.
For more information on how your business could benefit from managed IT services, please contact our experts today.
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