Managed services encompasses a lot of IT services and solutions. Every business has different IT needs, so some might use a Managed Service Provider for lots of services while others might use just a couple. Either way, managed services can be a very efficient and cost-effective IT strategy for businesses of any size.
Here are some examples of managed services and how they are helpful...
24/7 IT support - round-the-clock technical support
Technical support is an integral part of Managed Services. MSPs provide helpdesk support 24/7, which means you can report any problems as soon as they arise, even if it's outside of office hours. It's reassuring to know that you have help on hand day and night, and can make a really positive impact on downtime.
Your SLA will outline guaranteed response times, so you know that your issues will be responded to within a set period of time.
Desktop as a Service - a consistent desktop accessible from anywhere
Mobile working is increasingly common. Lots of people now work from home or on the go, instead of going to the office every day. Desktop as a Service is the provision of a full-featured desktop that users can access from any device and any location. Users are guaranteed a secure connection to their work desktop, plus access to all the programs and data they need, wherever they are. This is a vital part of enabling people to work remotely.
Another benefit of DaaS, is that upgrades are performed by the MSP as they become available. This is usually included in the monthly cost. Managed desktops can be deployed over the air (in the cloud) or on-premise.
Identity and Access Management - controlling user access and rights
An MSP can also look after your identity and access management. By putting an IDAM solution in place, your users are granted access to data based on their role within the company (role-based access control). This means that only authorised people can access certain data.
Other staff members are granted access to the data and files they need to do their jobs, without being able to access the data they don’t need. An IDAM solution can also help with compliance, particularly in the age of GDPR.
Managed Hosting - your systems and apps hosted by a third-party
With Managed hosting, your systems and applications are deployed on the MSPs infrastructure, which removes the need for up-front spending on servers and equipment. Managed hosting gives you a flexible and versatile IT environment which can be scaled up or down easily. Additional resources can be added at any time, which makes it a great option for growing businesses. And because you are using the datacentre of your MSP, you are guaranteed the very best infrastructure and security. Managed hosting is also a great way of seamlessly extending your existing IT infrastructure, if you have one in place.
Managed Networks - taking care of your IT infrastructure
Managed network services take care of the key elements of your IT infrastructure and keep things running smoothly. Expert monitoring and well-configured firewalls can ease concerns round network security and free up internal resource to concentrate on projects that grow your business.
Having a Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) as part of your managed services gives your IT network protection against unauthorised access, intrusions and data loss. They are effective for both large IT networks and SMEs.
Managed Security - system monitoring and threat detection
Having a secure IT network is a top priority for most businesses, but it’s hard to strike the balance between securing data and giving staff the freedom and flexibility to work remotely. Security as a Service can help with this.
As part of managed services, your provider can secure devices to protect against data leaks and provide rights management as part of an identity and access management system. They’ll also monitor and protect your network and systems against malicious threats.
Not only does security as a service keep your network and data safe, it can also help with compliance, which is particularly important for public sector bodies and companies who store sensitive data.
