Managed IT Support vs. Regular IT Support

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According to reports, the market for Managed IT Support Services is expected to reach USD 282.0 billion by 2023. The primary reasons behind this growth are the need for businesses to stay abreast of technology, and to utilize the other numerous advantages of a Managed IT Company in their development.

The main difference between these two business IT solutions is that regular (or traditional) IT support is reactive in nature. This means that the IT support staff, whether in-house or outsourced, provides support whenever something goes wrong with the organization’s IT processes. When the client or a user calls in an issue such as sign up problems, extremely slow-loading pages, or even an unreachable website, the IT support bolts into action to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

Of course, the clients or users don’t have to call in the issue. Most regular IT support services can also have proactive measures in place that alert the IT staff of any trouble. Even with such proactive measures, however, the response from IT support is still reactionary in nature, becoming present only after the fact.

On the other hand managed IT support is a truly proactive, predictive, and preventative IT management. As opposed to being ready for any trouble, managed services continuously work behind the scenes in monitoring the business processes constantly for any signs of trouble. Some managed services also actively scan and monitor for patterns and trends that may lead to issues that can adversely affect the efficiency of vital IT processes. The managed IT support can then make the necessary fixes even before potential problems arise.

Most managed IT support solutions are provided by third-party IT solutions providers, operating remotely from a main network center location. Managed service providers often install proprietary software and IT management agents on a client’s computer infrastructure, which may include personal computer units, servers, laptops, and mobile devices. These tools collect important data from the client’s IT network infrastructure and send it to the MS network center for analysis and diagnostics.

When to Opt for Managed IT Support

Managed IT support offers a host of advantages for small to medium enterprises (SME) who rely heavily on business IT processes. The most obvious advantage is that with managed services, businesses no longer have to invest in a comprehensive in-house computer network to address their IT needs. Although the same can be said for outsourced regular IT support, managed IT support provides real-time performance monitoring, diagnostics, and preventive maintenance.

Preventive maintenance is one of the key technical network processes that help keep downtimes to a minimum, which can have a huge impact on your business. Another facet of managed IT support is real-time monitoring, which not only further cuts down on downtime incidents, but also ensures that the IT processes are maintained at an optimum level of efficiency. Performance monitoring services can send out alerts for anomalies that may be tell-tale signs of malware or hack attacks, giving your IT processes an extra layer of security.

Organizations that require such solutions, but lack the finances to invest in in-house network infrastructure will do well with managed IT support. Even if they had the money for an IT infrastructure, managed IT services spares them from the need to hire and train personnel for an IT department. Managed IT support allows SMEs that are dependent on IT solutions but are lacking in resources to operate and remain competitive.

When to Opt for Regular IT Support

Small businesses and enterprises that are not technical in nature should opt for in-house or outsourced IT support. Organizations that are not dependent on a computer network and have no need for 24/7 technical support or maintenance, are also better off with regular IT support. Such organizations can even opt for pay-per-service IT support plans to help defray expenses.

With the type of business solutions offered by managed and regular IT support, deciding on the type of service for your business should be easy. If you rely heavily on IT support, then managed services are your best bet. On the other hand, traditional IT services are your go-to support solutions if your business is not too dependent on IT processes.

Advantages of Managed IT Support

• Finance businesses need Managed IT Support Services for better and quick functioning to provide their clients with 24/7 customer support and remote access to their online personal records. Since they have records of financial information of their clients saved online or on desktops, they need to protect it from getting stolen or misused. MSPs help businesses in the finance industry to meet these goals.
• Healthcare organizations require Managed IT Support in everyday IT operations like clinical procedures and treatments, billing, maintaining patient records, stock supply records, staff records, and more. They also need to stay updated with technology, comply with the industry regulations, and ensure the safety of patient data stored online or on electronic devices. Managed Service Providers help healthcare businesses in their daily tasks and maintaining a secure network.
• Education institutions mainly use technology for keeping managerial records of students, teachers, and other staff members, outside collaborations for any activities, communicating with students and their parents, and in teaching students through online classes, or in smart classrooms. Managed Services help these institutions perform these functions effortlessly.
• Real Estate companies work round the clock and need to reply to their clients instantly. For this, they need an interruption-free network. Managed IT Support Services can help them build a stable and secure network system to improve efficiency in daily operations.
• Logistics firms need to know the real-time location of their deliveries throughout the supply chain. They also have to enable this feature for their customers for an enhanced experience. IT Support Services help them know the exact location at all times and create a fluent workflow for automated processes and other operational work.
• Hospitality businesses require Managed IT Support for essential functions like reaching potential customers, online bookings and payments, providing speedy wi-fi connection to their customers, the security of the vicinity, communication in the staff and with outside travel agents, other day-to-day operations. Managed IT Support and services help such businesses in the smooth functioning of these operations.

Advantage of Managed IT Support for Small and Medium-Scale Businesses

Managed Services are beneficial for companies across all industries. But why are they more beneficial for small and medium-scale businesses? It’s because even if such companies have limited resources, they can still get access to new technology. Some other benefits are:

Cost-Effective in Long-term

Small and medium-scale businesses face financial issues when it comes to investing in IT Support and infrastructure. They find it challenging to include all their necessary IT requirements in limited budgets. Although with the help of Managed Services, these costs can be reduced, and they have to only pay for what they use, and how much they use.

One-Stop Solution

Managed Service Providers offers a complete range of IT Support Services, which saves the time of business owners in dealing with multiple vendors and service providers separately for every piece of IT infrastructure and service.

24/7 Help

Technical issues can hit your system at any time. Finding someone who can help fix them during daytime is easy, but it becomes unfortunate and more frustrating during off-working hours at night. That is why most of the MSPs offer businesses 24/7 customer support and are remotely available to assist in solving technical problems.

Increased Productivity

Employees are often overburdened with most of the simplest and everyday tasks and are unable to focus on the more valuable functions of the business. To deal with such situations, businesses can use Managed IT Services, which enables them to delegate their tasks and improves the productivity of employees.

Proactive Approach

Another Advantage of Managed IT Support from a third party is that they take a proactive approach in their services and continuously monitor all the IT functions and devices for any loopholes and slow performance. That helps reduce the number of downtimes to almost none and gives seamless work experience to employees.

Data Security

Many small and medium businesses have sensitive information saved on electronic devices or cloud storage services, which increases the risk of data being manipulated or misused. As a solution, using Managed IT Support for data security facilities keeps the data safe from dangerous sources on the internet.

Scalability to Upgrade to New Technology

It is a difficult task to stay updated with the fast-paced advancements in technology. IT Support Services help businesses in setting up a flexible IT infrastructure that can be easily upgraded to the upcoming technology.

Professional Guidance

Many SMBs are only able to hire entry-level technicians for their IT operations due to low salary budgets. The in-house team, in return, provides only standard results due to little experience that keeps SMB owners from hiring expert IT professionals. A benefit of associating with Managed Service Providers is that they have a team of experienced tech specialists, which allows small and medium businesses an opportunity to grow and get guidance from IT experts.

Remote Data Access

Managed IT Support Services give businesses the luxury to access data from anywhere and anytime with a complete and efficient IT system.

Originally posted 2020-08-19 21:23:40. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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