Big or small, your business needs technology to succeed in today’s market. Organizations of all sizes are using technology to engage customers, support their employees, improve operations, and increase their value. While digital transformation has huge benefits, it also comes with bigger IT budgets and the need for full-time monitoring.
Keeping up with it all can be a challenge for small and medium sized-businesses, most of which aren’t scaled for an in-house IT department. And IT support companies don’t typically offer the level of support you need. Partnering with an MSP gives you the freedom to focus on your business and the peace of mind that your IT infrastructure is efficient, compliant, and secure.
Table of Contents
1. The challenges of managing IT in house
2. What’s a Managed Service Provider?
3. What’s the difference between an MSP and hourly IT support?
4. What services do managed IT providers offer?
5. What are the benefits of hiring a managed IT provider?
6. What to look for when choosing a managed IT provider
The challenges of managing IT in house
Managing your IT in house is a major undertaking for any business—especially for small and medium-sized operations. In addition to the cost, managing IT internally can divert valuable attention and resources away from your core business, affecting sales and your overall competitiveness. Let’s look at some of the challenges you might face trying to do it yourself.
Budget Constraints
Maintaining an in-house IT department can be expensive. You’re on the hook for salaries, benefits, training, hardware, software licenses, and other ongoing expenses. And if you’re working with a small budget, it can be tough to keep up with the latest technologies and security measures.
Downtime and disruptions
The best IT providers offer round-the-clock support. In-house IT departments may struggle with 24/7 availability, which can lead to downtime, system outages or other issues that disrupt operations.
Lack of expertise
In-house IT staff may have expertise in specific areas but often lack the breadth of knowledge that MSPs can offer because you are limited to the number of people you can hire. Specialized tasks, like cybersecurity or cloud management, may require external expertise.
Difficulty scaling
Adapting IT resources to an evolving business can be challenging and costly. In-house IT may not be equipped to adjust the number of users, devices, storage, or network bandwidth in time with your changing needs.
Given these challenges, many businesses opt to work with Managed Service Providers (MSPs). They offer cost-effective, specialized, and scalable solutions.
What is a Managed Service Provider (MSP)?
An MSP, is a company that offers a range of IT services and solutions from monitoring and maintenance, to regular updates and support. They proactively manage your IT infrastructure, ensuring everything operates efficiently and securely. A good MSP can save you time, money, and keep your business on track by providing alignment and strategy as part of their services.
Managed Service Providers typically offer a suite of services that enable your business technology to scale along with you.
What’s the difference between a Managed Service Provider and hourly IT support?
The key difference between an MSP and hourly IT support is that one actively works with you to avoid issues and the other only works with you when something goes wrong. With an MSP, you get comprehensive, ongoing support designed to address problems before they happen. Hourly IT support tends to be more reactive, jumping in when there’s a disruption. Plus, many hourly IT support companies don’t offer a full range of services or they’re only versed in a few systems.
The choice depends on your company’s needs and budget, but the ad-hoc nature of hourly IT support can make issues more frequent and budgeting less predictable.
What services do Managed Service Providers offer?
An MSP can be your entire IT department, offering 24/7 monitoring, on-demand technical support, security, backup and disaster recovery, cloud services, network architecture, software and hardware management, and more. Many Managed Service Providers also offer strategic IT planning, helping you align your technology with your overall business goals.
As an added benefit, an MSP will ensure your technology meets your industry-specific regulations and compliance requirements. This is especially important if you’re in a highly regulated sector like finance, law, or medicine.
What are the benefits of hiring a Managed Service Provider?
A well-chosen MSP offers benefits like, better efficiency, security, and overall IT performance. And because they take a proactive approach, companies that work with MSPs tend to have fewer issues. Here’s what else an MSP can offer:
Access to expertise
MSPs offer broad, up-to-the-minute expertise. They’ll ensure you’re leveraging the latest technologies and best practices, and that your technology is working for your business. You get a proactive partner who’s invested in your success.
More time to focus on core business
By outsourcing IT management to a third-party provider, you can focus your attention and resources on your core business. You can grow your customer base and support your employees while you rely on a trusted partner, like VXIT, to manage your IT infrastructure.
Cost Savings
MSPs are ALWAYS more cost-effective than maintaining an in-house IT department. Working with an outsourced team eliminates the need to hire and train IT staff, invest in hardware and software, and manage ongoing IT-related expenses. VXIT clients get unlimited services and support for a flat monthly fee.
Enhanced Security
IT security is a top concern for businesses. MSPs are experts in security measures, monitoring for potential threats, and quickly responding to any security incidents. You can rest assured your sensitive data is safe.
24/7 Support
Many MSPs offer round-the-clock support and monitoring, helping prevent issues before they become critical. If something comes up, no problem. Your managed IT provider can help right away.
Scalability
Because managed IT is a scalable service, you can be agile and responsive as your IT needs change. This flexibility is especially valuable when you’re starting out or going through rapid growth.
What to look for when choosing a Managed Service Provider
Not all MSPs are created equal and deciding who to trust with your company’s business technology isn’t a small decision. Before you choose an MSP, it's important to look at some key considerations.
Availability
Your business hours might not be 24/7, but your IT provider needs to be. Your MSP should be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It’s critical for the stability and security of your network.
Service and Response Time
Your provider also needs to respond to your needs in a timely fashion, especially if disaster strikes. Make sure that your MSP handles all their calls in house and offers a guaranteed response time. We pride ourselves on “LESS TICKETS, CLOSED FASTER” and our prompt replies to client issues.
IT Budget Planning
A good MSP is always planning for the future. Make sure they respect your budget, prioritize efficiency, and have a plan for your company’s technology—one that will help you grow to the next level. VXIT’s mission is to make sure your technology’s working for your company and not the other way around.
Employee Support
Your MSP should make sure your technology and your business are running smoothly. Choose a provider who can answer questions and resolve issues quickly. VXIT has client strategy and technology managers who work to reduce noise and reactive tickets so you can be more productive.
A great MSP can be a valuable asset for your business, whether they’re improving efficiency, saving you money, or helping you avoid costly issues before they occur. If you want seamless management of your IT infrastructure and you don’t have the resources for an in-house IT team, we might just be the perfect solution.
Ready to get started? Contact VXIT today at 561-623-8642 or hello@vxit.com