3 ways a managed IT services provider can help a business

Hiring a managed IT services provider, or MSP, is the ideal solution for business owners who don’t have time to manage their own IT headaches.

Tim Howard

Your MSP will spend their days working on various IT problems so that you can spend more time running your business and less time worrying about IT. An MSP will work across your networks, solve complex issues, consult your business executives and implement best security practices. Hiring an MSP provides business owners with a team of experts that includes technical engineers and professional consultants that work to ensure your organization’s technological success.

1. Managed IT services can help protect you from a data breach or security event.

In the past few years, major data incidents have happened to many local organizations, including the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, the Concord School District the city of Portsmouth. Data incidents are not exclusive to the big businesses you see on TV. They are happening all around us, but most are not seen in the media. Today, 43% of cyber breach victims are small to mid-size businesses!

Small businesses are at the greatest risk of cyber-attacks due to their low level of preparation. In addition to the typical low level of preparation, Internet of Things devices open new doors for hackers to get into your business, and their tactics are becoming more sophisticated.

This is where an MSP can assist. Instead of waiting until a security breach happens, consulting with a technology expert on your Managed Services team is a proactive way to get prepared ahead of time. A great way to start is by completing a security audit or assessment. A network security assessment from your MSP will give you a clear picture of the state of your current technology and will allow you to see concrete data showing where your strengths and weaknesses are.

Most importantly, the results will show you how to begin improving your organization’s security posture.

Remember, data breaches can go undetected for an average of 12-18 months, and many businesses do not realize a breach has happened until it’s too late. It’s estimated by Cybersecurity Ventures that cybercrime damages will cost the world $6 trillion annually by 2021. Have you considered what your costs of a data breach could be?

2. Managed IT services can help you strategically plan and budget.

Most people reach out to an IT company because they are having difficulty managing and maintaining their technology. They don’t only need help with day to day tech issues that arise, they need strategic guidance and planning for their IT landscape. Today’s businesses run on technology, which means managing technology and having a plan for growth in place is incredibly important.

Utilizing a managed IT services company will provide you with access to the expertise your organization needs. You will gain dedicated resources, like a virtual chief technology officer, who will help you build a strategic IT roadmap and help you select technologies that align with your business growth and budget.

You will also be able to work with a business account manager who will assist with all your technology reviews, watch over complex issues to ensure they are resolved properly, and act as your technology advocate. Managed IT service teams also provide you with more than one network administrator. You get all the professional resources needed to handle your technology properly, for a fraction of the cost.

3. Managed IT services can increase employee productivity & revenues.

Downtime can drastically reduce employee productivity and potentially cost your business money. When your technology systems are down your employees can’t work and you can’t service your customers. An MSP utilizes tools to monitor the health of your IT systems. They have applications to watch for potential hardware failures, provide alerts if there is a power surge, automate security updates and much more. This will help reduce and prevent downtime allowing your employees to be as productive as possible.

Your MSP will also provide you with an IT help desk team.

We all know how frustrating it can be when your computer is not working. MSPs can offer instant responses when you reach out to their help desk, which will get your staff back to work quickly. Proactively improving your technology and reacting to issues promptly will increase the productivity of your staff.

Tim Howard, the owner of RMON Networks, can be reached at thoward@rmonnetworks.com.