Are you on the lookout for IT support for your small business? Or, honestly, for any sized business? You have most likely encountered the term “fully managed IT support.”
But, what does fully managed IT support actually mean? And, how do managed IT services benefit your company in the long run?
Today, we’ll explore this offering of managed information technology services from technical specialists and how these services can benefit your business, whether large or small.
What Does Managed IT Services Mean?
Let’s get down to business. What are managed IT services?
Essentially, managed IT support keeps your business’s technology running smoothly, achieving consistent optimal performance through ongoing technical assistance.
Typically, these services are enlisted by companies to provide expert outsourced information technology support. In addition, these specialists often perform managed IT services to function as a small business IT department or to support a company’s current information technology personnel.
Here, technical specialists often perform managed IT services to either function as an organization’s IT department or to support the current in-house IT team.
And, IT companies that provide fully managed services often function at 24/7, 365-day technical support and consultants, ensuring that your technology stays a productive tool instead of a bothersome productivity hindrance.
As we will explore, having reliable technology within your organization is essential for productivity and success in today’s highly digital business environment.
(Just A Few) Examples of Managed IT Services
So, now that we’ve learned the high-level importance of fully managed IT services, what can these services actually entail for small businesses? Below, we’ll go over just a few examples of the functions that outsourced IT specialists can provide.
24/7 Tech Support And Help Desk
Doesn’t it always seem like our technical devices, such as computers, networks, printers, etc., are always going down or malfunctioning when they are needed most? Well, fully managed IT support services often feature 24/7 technical support at on-site or remote help desks.
Here, your support specialists can walk you through troubleshooting or manage technical issues remotely, ensuring that your technical operations get back on track as soon as possible, with minimal disruptive (and costly) downtime.
Disaster Recovery
Data is precious. Managed IT services ensure that your critical data infrastructures are backed up. They can also make sure that you have a disaster recovery or business continuity plan in place in the event of an unfortunate circumstance that threatens your company.
These circumstances include:
- Natural Disasters
- Blackouts
- Cyber threats or attacks
- And, of course, pandemics.
Your IT specialists can walk you through the steps necessary to help you create a business continuity plan, allowing you to recover your company’s vital data. Without a plan in place, the consequences of neglect could be extremely costly, damaging to your company’s reputation, or could potentially destroy your company overnight.
Outsourced CIOs or CTOs
We understand that not every company, especially smaller businesses, has the budget or capacity to hire a full-time CIO, CTO, or IT department. However, it is extremely important that you have a technology leader working to support your various technical capabilities.
Many fully managed IT services offer outsourced technical leadership, allowing your business to thrive under the care of a highly qualified CIO without incurring the costs required to hire a full-time professional.
Technology Installation, Maintenance, And Updates
Without the proper installation and maintenance techniques, your business’s technology may not perform as well as you had hoped. Whether technical equipment, computers, data centers, printers, phones, mobile devices, etc., these technologies must be appropriately installed and maintained routinely to ensure optimal performance. Routine expert maintenance also prevents costly downtime from disrupting your daily operations.
It’s also essential to make sure that your technical equipment stays up to date, ensuring tight security, limiting any technical difficulties, thus eliminating downtime.
Data Center And Server Management
While many have switched to cloud storage, plenty of companies utilize on or off-site data centers and servers. To ensure that your servers are properly inspected, upgraded, and maintained, you’ll need to have the expert hands of an IT specialist.
In fact, many IT consulting companies provide smart hands services, ensuring that your data centers are monitored, managed, and upgraded as necessary so that your networks stay online and productive.
Cyber Security Updates
In today’s cyber world, digital threats lurk around every corner. It seems like every other day, we’re hearing about more and more companies falling victim to malicious attacks that take advantage of poor security practices.
Dedicated IT professionals can manage your organization’s internal cyber security protocols. This ranges anywhere from making sure that the best antivirus software is installed on your computers and other network devices, closing any security loopholes, and training your team in the best cyber protection tools and strategies.
Falling victim to cybercrime can be detrimental to a company’s operations and reputation. Fully managed IT services can prevent this from happening in the first place, consistently protecting your company and standing guard against the world’s numerous cybercriminals.
It’s also essential to make sure that your technical equipment stays up to date, ensuring tight security, limiting any technical difficulties, thus eliminating downtime.
A One-Stop Solution For All Your Technical Needs
As small businesses, it’s difficult to successfully manage all of the technical services listed above, especially when they function separately from each other.
Fully managed IT support provides these services (and many more) in a convenient, one-stop package from experienced information technology technicians. This allows you and your team leaders to communicate with technical support effectively, and establish a long-lasting relationship.
Categorised in: IT Consulting Services, IT Support Services