In past blogs, we've looked at the benefits of using managed services and it can be a cost-effective IT strategy for lots of companies.
Any business, from fledgling start-ups to long-established organisations can benefit from managed services to some degree,
In previous blogs, we've explored the benefits of outsourcing IT and how it can be a cost-effective strategy for businesses.
If you are interested in using managed IT services, you might be wondering when is the right time.
In truth, there are no ‘hard and fast’ rules. Any business, from a fledgling start-up to long-established organisations, can begin using an MSP at any time. But the benefits they get from it may differ. In general, if any of the following apply to your business, you could consider using an MSP to look after your IT.
Your business could start using an MSP if...
IT isn't your core competency
If IT is not a core competency of your business, and you know that a third-party could do a better job than you, outsource it. This is especially applicable to smaller companies who will often receive a much better standard of IT support and service by outsourcing.
You want more time to focus on your product
Outsourcing IT takes some of the burden of maintaining your IT infrastructure away from your business. This gives you the time and freedom to focus, undistracted, on your 'bread and butter'; the product or service you provide that makes you money.
You want to scale up
Is your business growing? Do you have lots of new starters, or even people leaving, as you grow in size? If the answer is yes, now could the ideal time to outsource. Rapidly growing businesses may suddenly find they need a more substantial and robust IT infrastructure, with bigger storage, better security and a more specialist skill-set overseeing it. An MSP can provide all of this at a per user per month cost, so it's ideal for companies who will be adding or removing users from their network frequently. In this kind of scenario, for example, outsourcing identity and access management could be really helpful and save you a lot of time and money.
You want to improve security
Outsourcing security to an MSP can be hugely beneficial, as it usually gives companies a better standard of network security than internal teams can achieve. If network security is a priority you feel could be managed better by a third party, it would be a good time to outsource.
You want better up-time
Using managed services can give companies better up-time, because their servers are constantly monitored by the MSP. This means that any issues with the sever, which might cause an outage, are spotted immediately, plus malicious threats and cyber attacks are also detected without delay.
Access newer technologies
Managed Service Providers use the most current technologies and versions of software, which could be prohibitively expensive for some companies to try and purchase in-house. As part of your monthly cost, you will get access to best-in-class technologies, plus ongoing updates.
You want to make savings
Because you only pay for what you use with managed services, and usually pay per user, there is no wastage and no over spend on software or services that you aren’t using. Having a predictable monthly outgoing for IT services can help companies manage the IT budget.
