If you run a business, you have a lot on your plate. From quality control of your products and services to accounting and compliance to staffing and HR, it is essential to have the right staff and tools in place to maintain your company and help it thrive. One critical component that modern businesses cannot overlook includes data security, risk mitigation, and a streamlined IT environment. If your company is small- or medium-sized, it may not be cost-effective to dedicate your own staff to manage these responsibilities. That’s where it helps to have Managed IT services on your side to handle the technical side of doing business for you, allowing you and your staff to stay focused on what it is you do best: providing excellent products or services to your clients.

WHAT IS MANAGED IT?

Small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are often very passionate about what they do and the role they serve in their communities. However, they aren’t always as passionate about the technical side of business that keeps their company running smoothly and securely. Or even more likely, they aren’t skilled or knowledgeable enough to tackle their IT in-house. Many companies would prefer that their staff be able to pursue value-adding tasks that will help build and grow the business rather than keep up with their IT infrastructure.

But IT services are necessary to do business these days, and customers, vendors, and employees alike need to know that their information is secure. Moreover, employees need to have confidence in the hardware and software they use to work each day, knowing that these tools are reliable and efficient. Different departments need the proper IT tools to collaborate, so they’re on the same page when it comes to serving your customers. Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can make all of those things possible by taking on the responsibility of managing your IT environment, leaving your staff free to devote their time and effort to dedicated tasks and projects that drive sales.

COMMON TYPES OF IT SERVICES PROVIDED BY MSPs

Managed Service Providers primarily focus on technology that is common throughout businesses in any industry, which allows them to provide services more efficiently than many smaller companies can provide for themselves. It also keeps these businesses focused on the tasks at hand; they don’t have to worry about the technical aspects of their IT network that require a great deal of knowledge, training, and expertise. Here are some common services covered by Managed IT Services.

• Data Backup – The integrity of a business’s data is paramount. Backing your data up gives you the ability to restore it should the need arise, whether it’s due to cybercrime, natural disaster, human error, or equipment failure. It’s essential for a company to have a backup copy of its data.
• IT Support – Your computers, software, printers, network, and server keep your business operating. Therefore, they need to be up and running smoothly. Having access to a team of trained and certified IT support personnel will allow you to minimize downtime and ensure any technical issues are preempted or resolved quickly.
• Help Desk – Having access to an IT help desk allows your employees to quickly and easily report any issues that arise to ensure they are resolved in a timely manner with minimum disruption or downtime.
• Optimal Network and Data Security – The cybersecurity threat is real for businesses of any size. Surprisingly, smaller companies are frequently targeted by cybercriminals because they often don’t have the resources to protect themselves adequately. Managed IT services give you affordable access to those resources to keep your company safe.
• Microsoft Office 365 – Your IT provider offers support to issues that come up with Microsoft Office Products to ensure consistent workflows.
• Object Storage and General Data Storage – While you can fit all of your company’s files and data on hard drives, that is not ideal for collaboration. By being able to store this information on networked drives securely, your employees will be able to access and work with the files they need from wherever they’re working.
• Virtual Chief Information Officer – Benefit from the expert analysis and strategy that your company’s information and technological infrastructure needs without having someone fill this role internally.

HOW MANAGED IT SERVICES WILL HELP

There are numerous ways your company can benefit from shifting the responsibility of managing your IT environment to an MSP. Some of the benefits of Managed IT services include:

• Keeping the focus of your employees on your business, not IT issues.
• If you do have an IT staff, it will free them to work on strategic company development rather than being distracted by daily troubleshooting issues.
• Better productivity and satisfaction among employees when they are not bogged down and interrupted by technical issues.
• Having access to a team of experts when something goes wrong. Maintenance is less costly in the long run than using a break/fix model and offers peace of mind.
• Identify ways to automate processes for your business that can lead to cost savings and more personalized customer service from your staff.
• Being proactive about preventing potential cybercrime. Gain access to sound security measures while your staff is educated on best cybersecurity practices.

Unless IT is your industry, it’s likely not your area of expertise. So why take on the burden and expense of trying to handle something so complicated and ever-evolving in-house? Managed IT Services enables you to outsource this responsibility and gain access to a team of trained, certified, and experienced IT professionals along with the hardware and software your business needs to operate in 2021 and into the future. Rather than paying for costly technology and to staff your own internal IT department, you can partner with a Managed Services Partner much more affordably. If you’d like to learn more about our Managed IT Services and how it can help your St Joseph business, contact ProServ Business Systems today.