Small businesses benefit from managed services
The economy is showing signs of recovery; however, many companies are still reeling from the effects of the recession. From startups to multi-million dollar businesses, everyone is looking for ways to cut costs and make a profit. In fact, many companies are just trying to keep things in the black, however, that does not eliminate the need for practices that improve and grow these businesses. Since few people have the expertise to manage much of today’s technology, a certain percentage of their budgets must be allocated to IT and software application maintenance. Here we will cover how managed services can benefit small and medium-sized businesses.
- Increased Productivity: Businesses are established to meet a need for a product or service while providing a livelihood for business owners and their employees. To do this, companies must ensure that they are working at full capacity at all times. Downtime or work done at reduced levels is wasted time and money. Managed services can help businesses not only quickly fix problems when they occur, but also act as a proactive measure to detect and address potential issues before they impact productivity.
- Supports internal IT – Many companies don’t want to relinquish all IT maintenance control to a third party, and small businesses don’t always have the resources to support the kind of IT department needed to keep their business running at full speed. Most companies can benefit from adding the expertise, tools, and availability of a managed service provider to help internal IT departments.
- Remote Services: Managed service providers work from a remote location and provide desktop support, email, and backup and recovery services without increasing the actual number of “employees” on site. The services provided are discreet and, in most cases, have no impact on the daily activities of current internal employees.
- Affordable – Typically, when you engage a managed service provider, a consultant will conduct an assessment of the company’s site, its workflows and processes, and the current state of its supporting technology to determine what services are needed to meet the organization goals. Business owners can often choose from several different service levels, making it possible for a business on a budget to choose the package that best suits their needs.
Security is a huge concern for both business owners and individuals. In the past, business owners have been reluctant to entrust secure or private information to an external third-party provider. As managed service providers continue to prove their worth, more companies are realizing the benefits and value of their services. Managed service providers continue to improve technology to provide quality, secure services for businesses of all sizes. As a result, smaller businesses operating on shoestring budgets are in a position to reap the benefits of these services. Business owners often have to make tough decisions regarding how they will improve their business while sticking to budget. As the managed services market experiences continued growth in the coming years, this method of IT maintenance and service delivery will likely become the “norm” for small and medium-sized businesses looking to reduce costs and improve uptime. activity and business continuity. Companies that recognize the benefits of managed services will have a jump on their competition.