Technology is a wonderful tool for businesses of every size that is essential for keeping companies organized and up to date with the latest developments. Most companies rely on technology to handle a large portion of their workload from storing employee and client data to running software programs specific to their industry. Although advances in technology have made life much easier for many businesses, a system crash or security breach can be a catastrophic event that results in a loss of data, wasted man hours and an expensive repair bill from an IT repair company. Managed service providers can work with you to design the perfect IT system to suit your needs and provide a 24-hour monitoring service to identify potential problems before they result in serious damage to your infrastructure.
What is a Managed IT Service Provider?
A managed IT service provider (MSP) is an independent company that is responsible for managing a business’s IT infrastructure. An MSP will remotely monitor an IT system to keep track of its clients IT usage to ensure that their system is functioning correctly. Any potential issues such as faulty hard drives or performance bottle necks will be identified before they cause problems to the client’s business. A dedicated team of IT experts will advise clients on the best hardware and software options for their business and even assist with building an IT infrastructure from scratch. An MSP can also take care of any day-to-day maintenance tasks such as updating systems and backing up information. Businesses that store sensitive data such as clients’ personal information or financial records need to take steps to protect their systems from identity thieves and hackers. A MSP will ensure their clients have all the necessary security measures such as anti-virus software, firewalls and anti-spam filters to keep their data secure.
Do I Need a Managed IT Service Provider?
According to TechTarget, small and medium size businesses are the most common users of MSPs as most do not have a dedicated IT technician on site. Smaller businesses often rely on the knowledge of their existing staff to deal with any IT issues that arise or will call out an IT specialist to fix system failures or hardware problems. Leaving the care and maintenance of your IT system to your current staff often results in minor problems being overlooked or dealt with in the wrong way. Your staff can also quickly become overwhelmed with fixing numerous IT issues and lose valuable hours that would be better spent focusing on their actual jobs. Having to call an outside IT specialist to come in and fix any hardware or software failures is an expensive prospect and often results in many hours downtime while the problem is being fixed. Using a MSP to monitor your system regularly is usually much cheaper as most problems can be spotted before they result in total system failure.
What Are The Advantages of Using a Managed IT Service Provider?
Larger businesses often employ a dedicated IT specialist to take care of their IT service network and ensure all systems are functioning correctly. According to Glassdoor, the average IT specialist commands an annual salary of around $70,000. A MSP provides businesses with an entire team of IT specialists that are on hand to fix problems or even just answer questions 24 hours per day. Businesses that hire their own IT staff also have to invest time and money in training and developing their staff and find cover during vacations and sickness. MSPs offer round-the-clock support and have a dedicated staff of IT experts that are available to make on-site visits to fix any issues. Calling an outside IT company to visit your premises to fix a problem often results in a lengthy wait or a hefty emergency fee. IT support Calgary charges a flat monthly fee that includes care, maintenance, on-site visits and 24-hour system monitoring.
As MSPs are able to remotely monitor your IT system, you can enjoy first class IT support without any disruption to your work process. MSPs can also keep you updated on any new technological developments in your industry and advise you on whether or not they would be suitable for your business. Hiring a MSP to take care of your IT system means that you can concentrate solely on your own business without worrying about problems with your IT system slowing you down.