- Haar Cloud
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We live in a fast-paced world, and to keep up with all the technology, you need IT reinforcements sometimes. For many businesses, this means outsourcing some or all their tech tasks to managed services providers (MSPs).
Now, we work with many SMBs and large businesses, and we get asked this question frequently: why should we outsource our IT support to an IT service provider?
So, read on about what a managed services provider actually does and how you and your team can benefit from working with one.
What is a managed services provider (MSP)?
A managed services provider (MSP) is actually a team of external IT professionals that remotely manages and maintains your IT infrastructure and/or end-user systems. Most of the time, this is typically done proactively and on a subscription-based model.
MSPs offer a wide range of IT services, including IT support and consulting, cloud computing solutions, cyber security, data backup and recovery, and more.
The aim is to deliver IT services in a cost-effective and efficient manner, allowing your team to focus on the core business activities. If you choose to partner with an MSP, your business can benefit in multiple ways, as you will be guided and supported by external IT professionals, without needing to maintain an in-house IT team.
Advantages of working with an MSP
Outsourcing your IT to a 24/7 managed service provider has lots of benefits for all types of businesses. Having the expertise of an MSP team by your side, you can optimize your IT systems and tools, reduce costs, and improve overall efficiency, among others.
Here are some key benefits of outsourcing your IT to a 24/7 managed service provider.
Cost savings
Costs are among the most essential benefits of outsourcing IT services to an MSP, of course. You save money because you don’t need an in-house IT staff and infrastructure. With an MSP by your side, you pay for the services you need on a subscription-based model, and the team of external IT professionals provides them.
Your IT expenses became predictable and manageable, and for many businesses with limited IT budgets, this predictability makes a huge difference. Also, outsourcing saves important other costs when it comes to purchasing software or buying licenses for the latest technologies.
Expertise and experience
MSPs are made of IT professionals with extensive knowledge and experience in various technology fields, from cloud environments or IT support to cyber security and IT consultancy. As a result, you (and your business) can benefit from their expertise in various fields without actually having to hire and train your in-house IT staff.
And even if you have your own internal IT team, with the right MSP, you can easily overcome any lack of resources that may appear.
24/7 Support
With an MSP, you have access to around-the-clock support and monitoring, which means that any issues are taken into consideration and solved fast. Of course, this may not be your business profile, but if your business requires constant uptime or have customers across different time zones, then 24/7 support is essential.
Now, if you prefer to deal with your IT services, it may still be difficult to take care of all customers’ issues and solve tech-related problems during non-business hours. If you choose an MSP with 24/7 support, then they will be your backup and contribute to higher uptimes.
Proactive maintenance
A managed service provider can proactively maintain and monitor your IT infrastructure, helping to identify and resolve potential issues before they even escalate.
In turn, this will reduce downtime, improve performance, and protect your business from disruptions, such as cyber attacks.
Scalability
As your business grows, an MSP is able to easily scale its IT services to match your evolving needs. This means you don’t have to worry about ever outgrowing your IT infrastructure or constantly upgrading it to keep up with demand or the latest technology.
Data Security and compliance
MSPs can help ensure that your business adheres to the necessary data security and compliance requirements. This is highly important if you deal with customers’ sensitive data. And, let’s be honest, this applies to most businesses these days.
Your MSP can implement and maintain security measures, and provide guidance on best practices to protect your sensitive information.
Disaster recovery and business continuity
An MSP can help you develop and implement a disaster recovery plan to protect your business in the event of a data breach, natural disaster, or other events. Cyber security risks are evolving every year, which means incidents can happen on a daily basis.
Your business needs to always be prepared to mitigate and respond to all kinds of issues when they occur. By having by your side an MSP, you can benefit from cyber security and disaster recovery plans that help you plan ahead and bring peace of mind.
They can also provide backup and recovery solutions to ensure your critical data is protected and stays accessible.
Access to the latest technology
An MSP stays up-to-date with the latest technology trends and has access to all kinds of software and tech services. By working together with an MSP, you can benefit from their cutting-edge technology without having to invest in it directly.
Also, if needed, their team can help you make the right choice from the multitude of tech tools and systems available on the market. So, if you don’t know which platform or infrastructure to use, you can always as your MSP IT expert.
Enhanced cyber security
With IT-managed services, your business can also be better protected. An MSP team can monitor networks and systems to ensure these are secure and up to date. As said, this can help to reduce the risk of a cyber security breach or data loss.
Managed services also help you set up an advanced cyber security strategy, and provide the latest security updates and patch management, so your systems are always secure from the inside out.
Find out how you can secure your business in 3 steps
Predictable expenses
When outsourcing IT to an MSP, you can in fact have a predictable monthly expense, making it easier for you to know how much your IT needs will cost.
And most importantly, this will help you avoid the unexpected costs associated with maintaining and upgrading your own IT infrastructure.
Focus on other business aspects
When you don’t need to think about the IT part of your business and leave the complexities of managing an IT infrastructure to the experts, you can focus on other important business parts, such as your business growth.
Benefit from cloud-based solutions
In case you want to migrate or benefit from a managed cloud-based environment, well, there are many managed IT service providers that can help your business move to a cloud-based environment.
Wrapping up
As you can see, there are many benefits to outsourcing your IT to a 24/7 managed service provider – from reducing costs and having access to expert knowledge to improving the overall efficiency of your business.
More than that, with a team of IT professionals by your side, your business can stay competitive in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
So, if your business doesn’t have an internal team, resources, or time needed to support your existing IT strategy, an MSP can be the solution.
At Haar, we provide IT support to all types of businesses. Our team can act either as your own strategic IT partner or as highly experienced consultants that can guide you through important technology decisions.
