For small and medium-sized businesses, IT support services can take a variety of forms and shapes. It’s not uncommon for businesses to try and cut costs by relying on limited in-house IT knowledge or break/fix IT support.
In reality, though, inadequate IT resources can cost you more money than if you had invested in more comprehensive support. With cybercrime at an all-time high and projected to cost a global total of $133.7 billion by 2022, businesses really can’t afford not to invest in more robust cybersecurity and recovery planning.
One solution that has become more popular in recent years is outsourcing IT management to a Managed IT Service Provider, who offers a competitive advantage when it comes to IT planning. Their rates are actually reasonable, usually costing around the same as one salaried employee, and you get the support of an entire team of IT professionals. Working with a Managed IT Services company like the managed IT services in Charlotte can help your business avoid the detriments associated with data breaches and lacking cybersecurity.
Here are the top 5 signs that you could be saving time and money by getting more comprehensive IT support from a Managed Service Provider:
#1. You deal with all-too-frequent IT issues.
The first and most alarming sign that your current IT support solution isn’t suitable is how much downtime your business experiences. Any amount of downtime affects your business processes and can be expensive, so keeping it to a minimum is key.
According to Gartner, the average cost of one minute of IT downtime is $5,600. While most companies agree that the real cost of downtime varies dramatically depending on the industry, size of the business, and how much IT is detrimental to their activities, it’s still important to consider that Gartner’s number is indeed an average.
As a result, if your business experiences a lot of frequent and prolonged interruptions due to unreliable IT solutions, now’s the time to get in touch with a Managed Service Provider (MSP) before you waste thousands of dollars on unnecessary downtime. MSPs are responsible for continually monitoring your systems to detect and patch downtime causes, as well as implement more efficient technology solutions that reduce overall downtime.
#2. You’re not prepared for security breaches.
Data loss or compromised data are, more often than not, the consequence of a cybersecurity breach. Security breaches are not only becoming more and more frequent as a result of phishing strategies and ransomware technology innovations, but they also incur a high recovery cost.
A managed service provider can help you build a cybersecurity awareness culture for your business, as well as develop layered security architectures that protect against the latest threats. From password protections to data backup and recovery plans, your business needs to be prepared for the worst. Partners Plus Managed IT is a premier IT service company for businesses. Ultimately, failing to create a data breach plan makes you more vulnerable to hackers.
#3. Your IT is holding back your business.
When your IT systems are a major cause of frustration throughout the day, it’s an indication that your infrastructure isn’t managed adequately for your needs. Your team can lose time with unnecessary or misaligned IT processes, software, and hardware when you’re lacking IT strategy and proper management.
Your IT strategy is really just as important as your business strategy, as it provides the necessary technological support for you to achieve your business goals. Every modern business owner’s priority should be to address the current needs of their IT infrastructure and allow it to scale as needed. A Managed Service Provider like Ocean Telecom’s IT support can make a significant difference by consulting with you regularly to develop short-term and long-term IT strategies that will support rather than hinder your business growth.
#4. You’re getting break/fix support or generic solutions.
Too many businesses rely on break/fix IT support when issues arise. As a result, many are left having to pay an overpriced bill for each repair project. Additionally, break/fix support relies on something failing within your systems to cause a visible issue, when efficient IT should detect problems on the backend before they lead to greater issues or downtime.
On the other hand, outsourcing your IT to an MSP means you only pay a monthly set cost dedicated to the maintenance, management, and repair of your IT system. By continually monitoring and maintaining your systems, MSPs dedicate themselves to detecting issues before they occur and offering customized solutions to make your unique business more efficient. This makes it easier to accurately budget for IT as well as reduces unnecessary expenses without limiting your access to IT expertise.
#5. Your systems aren’t being properly monitored.
Without a team dedicated to maintaining your IT assets, it is impossible to continually monitor your systems for signs of threats or vulnerabilities. This means that small businesses are a preferred target for hackers because these businesses feel they can’t afford to hire an IT team for constant monitoring and management.
Managed IT Services can bridge the gap by offering 24/7/365 (round-the-clock) system monitoring included in your monthly fee. By monitoring your systems at all times, they can immediately detect and patch vulnerabilities to ensure that hackers can’t take advantage of hard-to-detect weaknesses in your systems.
No business can afford to ignore their IT needs. Unfortunately, small companies that can’t build an expert IT team in-house feel they are left exposed to downtime, data breach threats, or lacking IT strategy. Luckily, with an MSP, you don’t need to hire your own in-house team to get access to the skills and expertise you need. A Managed Service Provider can help to bring your IT to the next level without breaking the bank.