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Top 5 Reasons SMBs Choose Managed IT Services
Whether it’s a system failure, network outage or a cyberattack, businesses today cannot risk down time—in particular—those in the SMB sector. A 2018 study by the Ponemon Institute calculates an hour of downtime costs $8,000 for a small company and $74,000 for a medium sized company.
Those dollar amounts, of course, don’t factor in the impact of a loss in reputation, legal repercussions related to interrupted services and/or security breaches, as well as, the consequences of a mass of unhappy customers.
As a result, an estimated 39% of SMBs now use managed IT services. Here’s a look at the five most compelling reasons these organizations are adding the arsenal of managed IT services to their core operations.
1. Saves Money
Cost effectiveness tops the list. With managed IT services, SMBs can reduce overall operational costs, lower IT expenditure, and more efficiently manage IT expenses.
At the lightning speed at which technology changes, most companies need access to the most current applications and systems, in order to keep up with the competition. This is almost impossible to do without an arrangement with an IT services provider, which can advise and update resources according to the strategic needs of the company.
IT budgets are limited, which means companies must continually decide what takes priority: the latest software update, or something more exciting, like new equipment or a better app. Most managed IT services agreements operate on a subscription basis, which means necessary expenses are covered. No one has to argue that a software upgrade is more important than a website refresh.
Expenses for core IT services are also predictable. The service level defined in the subscription agreement can be changed if needs change, so a business is assured that there are no extra services included that aren’t required.
SMBs also benefit from the range of services available under an agreement. Instead of searching around for IT experts in specific areas, support is a message away. Typically, a company can get access to dozens of IT employees with IT industry expertise in areas such as security, software, hardware, compliance, networking, AI, storage, etc.
2. Enhanced Security and Compliance
The volume of cyber attacks is staggering. All predictions point to more, not fewer, attacks in the months and years ahead. Recovery can be extremely difficult, if not fatal, especially for smaller companies. Plus, as the potential for damages associated with cyber threats and data breaches increases, it is almost impossible for SMBs to protect themselves.
Managed IT services gives business access to advanced IT solutions that monitor a company’s security assets, detect and prevent attacks, and stay on top of the most recent threat intelligence research.
In a similar vein, companies in sectors where compliance is required, are continually playing catch-up with new regulations. With the latest industry knowledge in compliance and security, a managed IT services provider can be depended upon to advise on compliance issues, and implement ways to supplement additional security protocol, policies, and procedures.
3. Agility and Scale-ability
A success factor for today’s SMBs lies in their ability to adapt and change according to the needs of the market, as well as changing technology. Managed IT services provides a significant advantage in terms of how quickly new solutions can be implemented into a business when needed. Not next month or year, and certainly not after the competition has moved ahead.
The case is similar for scale-ability. Growing companies find that technology requirements can outgrow available resources. Managed IT services supply support as needed —without downtime—to handle growth spurts or changes in structure. IT advisors can work alongside a company’s operations team to review business objectives and recommend areas for improvement or enhancement.
4. Proactive Approach to IT Issues
Too many SMBs find themselves in a “need to fix it” frame of mind. At any given time, some aspect of the company’s IT system or network might not be working as expected. In many instances, this leaves the company at risk of a larger failure. While the company wastes time trying to track down or wait for an IT technician, there’s significant risk for loss of data, loss of productivity, and loss in terms of customer satisfaction.
Managed IT providers are pro-active. In addition to routine maintenance and management, it is their responsibility to anticipate issues and provide adjustments— updates, patches, new equipment, system reconfiguration—before there’s a crisis. Response times are typically immediate. An experienced IT provider can trouble shoot a problem before it escalates and costs a company even more time and money.
5. Focus on Core Business
One of the most compelling benefits of managed IT services relates to the ability of a company to focus on core business. There’s no end to the demand for attention in the day-to-day life of an average SMB. It’s easy to let things like backups, security and routine maintenance slip.
Plus, thousands of hours can be lost as internal staff deal with complex IT situations. SMBs that are able to pull ahead of their competitors do so with an unwavering focus on their core activities —doing what they do best and not getting distracted. Such companies know that it makes no sense to get caught up in IT situations when a managed services provider can solve the problem.
Reduce Operational Risk
Today’s SMBs simply can’t take the risk of interruptions and reductions in productivity, or bear the consequences of data breaches and regulatory non-compliance issues. Managed IT services providers, like Outsource IT, can reduce the chances of this happening significantly, and if it does, they are there to get the business back on course, before a small problem becomes an operational nightmare.
To learn more about the Outsource IT Managed IT Services program please contact an Outsource IT account manager today.
