What Are The Separate Components Of Managed IT Services?
It is quite apparent that the IT industry has grown in leaps and bounds in the past two decades. IT – especially managed IT – is a vital part of any company, and it is critical for businesses that want to stay competitive in their industry.
However, for several reasons, companies lack the resources or expertise to create their preferred team of IT specialists. This is the case for most small and mid-sized businesses.
For this reason, most companies prefer managed services to accommodate their technical needs and to remain competitive.
In this article, we discuss:
- The importance of Managed IT services.
- Components of Managed services.
- Questions you need to ask before choosing a Managed IT service plan.
Contents
- Importance of Managed IT Support
- What Are the Separate Components of Managed IT Services?
- Helpdesk support
- Network monitoring
- Cloud solutions
- Backup and disaster recovery
- Security
- Strategic IT advisory services
- Questions You Need To Ask Before Choosing a Managed IT Plan
It is quite apparent that the IT industry has grown in leaps and bounds in the past two decades. IT – especially managed IT – is a vital part of any company, and it is critical for businesses that want to stay competitive in their industry.
However, for several reasons, companies lack the resources or expertise to create their preferred team of IT specialists. This is the case for most small and mid-sized businesses.
For this reason, most companies prefer managed services to accommodate their technical needs and to remain competitive.
Importance of Managed IT Support
Having IT specialists at your service gives you unprecedented peace of mind. Even if you are not a specialist in IT, MSPs – i.e., Managed IT service providers – ensure you don’t have to worry about this department. This gives you the freedom to concentrate on more critical aspects of your business that needs your attention.
Hands-on support. Managed IT provides hands-on support. Your IT department shouldn’t worry about trying to fix problems all the time as they help identify such before it happens. This way, your systems are always up with little or no issues bugging them.
Tactical IT planning. The IT landscape is constantly changing, and you have to keep abreast of these changes. There’s every chance the IT systems you’ll need in 1 or 2 years will be different from what you’re currently using.
Managed IT support ensure you’re not far behind by helping you think in advance. They’ll advise you on the latest systems and tools to use, giving you a competitive edge. This type of proactive support ensures your software and IT infrastructure is updated or upgraded to reduce risks like virus attacks, crashes, and downtime.
Comprehensive outsourced IT. Managed IT ensures you have access to a proper IT department. Not only are you given daily tech support, but you’ll also have access to a virtual CIO and IT manager that answers your organization’s IT needs.
What Are the Separate Components of Managed IT Services?
Keep in mind that each managed IT service is unique. However, several components are standard in most plans. If the MSP of your choice does not offer a particular component, you can add that component into the plan you are purchasing.
Here are the separate components of managed IT services:
Helpdesk support
Helpdesk support is standard in almost every contract. Should a tech problem arise, helpdesk support is tasked with helping you get in touch with a team of IT experts that’ll help you fix the problem.
Depending on the type of problem, they can either come onsite or they’ll fix it remotely. If the latter is the case, all they need to do is log into your system and troubleshoot.
Network monitoring
An RMM (remote monitoring and management) tool is used to monitor every computer, endpoint and the entire network. This way, the MSP can detect any potential problem that may crop up and fix it.
Apart from providing insight into the company’s network, this tool is also used to create reports about security, performance and machine health.
Cloud solutions
If this is not included in your purchased plan, you need to request it. Cloud solutions improve accessibility, reduce costs, and, most importantly, it simplifies your environment.
This solution also lets you avoid upfront expenses associated with buying, using, and supporting software or hardware. There are several resources your business needs to move to the cloud-like:
- desktops
- phone systems
- applications and more
At this time, more companies are making the switch to cloud solutions, so you need to discuss with your MSP whether you need this solution or not.
Backup and disaster recovery
This is one component you need to ensure is on your purchased plan. If it’s not, you need to request that it’s added to your agreement. In most cases, the MSP may suggest it due to how profound data loss is. Ideally, this plan often includes
- Cloud-based backups
- automatic together with regular on-site backups
- Consistent testing of restore availability
- Emergency response planning
In essence, the plan you choose should sufficiently cover your business should downtime occur like cyber-attacks, natural disasters, outages, and more. Your primary goal should be to make sure your company operates without data loss of any kind.
Security
As technology advances, cybercrime is also evolving, bringing the importance of top-notch security infrastructure to the fore. Antivirus software and a firewall is not enough to ensure the safety of your data from malicious hackers.
Nowadays, most MSPs provide complete security solutions that ensure you’re protected from all kinds of threats.
This includes:
- Web content filtering
- Anti-virus software
- Firewalls
- Intrusion detection and prevention
- Encryption
- Anti-spam software etc.
Strategic IT advisory services
In today’s rapidly evolving world, most IT companies are looking to make the right IT decisions, especially when it comes to tech deployment and taking advantage of the latest trends to get a competitive advantage.
Some companies believe that by addressing the aspects mentioned earlier, their business productivity will improve. Also, it’ll shift their focus on business strategy and innovation.
This is where TAS – Technology Advisory Services – come in.
The approach of TAS is strictly client-driven as it offers a wide array of IT support services. This includes expert advice backed by first-class expertise and it aligns with the rapidly changing tech trends.
Questions You Need To Ask Before Choosing a Managed IT Plan
Finding a managed IT service plan that suits your business shouldn’t be a complicated process. By asking the right questions, you can determine what plan is best for you. Here are a few questions you need to answer:
- What are my expected uptime levels?
- What is the ideal expected wait-time for my issues to be fixed?
- Does the MSP have a guarantee for response time?
- How frequently is maintenance carried out?
- How do they go about maintenance and who carries it out?
- How can I reach out to the MSP anytime support is needed?
Before your hire and MSP, don’t hesitate to ask about any component of their managed IT service. Ask for clarification when in doubt, so you are confident in any decision you make.
