March 10, 2014
Many small and mid-sized businesses function on a day-to-day basis without the benefit of an IT department. In many cases, an employee with some IT experience is assigned to take care of technology issues. Unfortunately, this approach may not always be the best option. Managing IT issues in this manner can cause employees to feel overwhelmed when technical problems pop up. Additionally, complex technical issues can demand the full attention of an employee whose time and talents may be better spent elsewhere. Business productivity and workflow can be negatively affected if staff must divide their time between handling regular work responsibilities and addressing technical issues.
Managed Services Providers can assist you in identifying your IT needs and determining the level of support that your organization requires. A managed service provider can help you handle everything from vCIO to disaster planning. Some of the most commonly available solutions provided are:
Comprehensive Managed IT
Managed IT Services can provide you with sanity-saving relief. They can assist you with managing your day-to-day maintenance and support responsibilities so that you can dedicate your time and energy toward running your business more effectively.
Choosing the right provider is important. Some providers only support a few components in their Managed IT plan, while others provide support for your business, no matter what hardware or software you’re using. Additionally, choose a provider that staffs or partners with certified systems engineers and technical representatives so they can offer you a high level of verified technical expertise.
Network Management & Maintenance
Managed service providers implement proactive monitoring and maintenance in order to detect and resolve network problems immediately. Potential problems are addressed before issues occur. With availability, event log, backup and drive space monitoring services, you’ve got nothing to worry about. Monthly status reporting, anti-virus software management, user administration and security options are also provided within a Managed Services program.
Virtualization Implementation
Virtualization enables you to achieve even more cost savings, IT efficiencies and strategic solutions that were previously impossible or hard to implement. Implementing this throughout your organization can be a daunting task; but, the IT experts of a Managed Services provider can assist you in navigating this sometimes confusing process.
Disaster Planning & Recovery
IT disaster recovery is critical to business continuity. In fact, according to the Gartner Group, 40 percent of organizations that experience data loss eventually shutter their doors within 5 years. If your company experiences a loss, your survival depends on your ability to replicate your data and IT systems. We know your bottom line depends on your uptime, data protection and application availability. Managed Service Providers can help you ensure that your data and systems remain protected.
Wireless Transitions
Going wireless isn’t a case of “if”, it’s a case of “when”. Your users are mobile, and you’ll lose them if you can’t be where they are doing business. Most wireless devices don’t have wired network capabilities, so having an effective wireless option is a necessity. However, the technology behind this solution isn’t always easy to deal with and can cause security and operational issues. Managed Service Providers can help you create a wireless design that will work for your business.
VCIO Services
If you need help beyond your day-to-day IT issues, a Virtual CIO might be what you are looking for. This service provides CIO-level expertise designed to assist you in making more strategic short-term and long-term technology decisions. A vCIO will walk you through a comprehensive assessment of your existing IT environment and together you’ll gain insight into what technologies can help you take your business to the next level.
Every area of your business can be hectic at times. Stressful days aren’t unusual, but IT issues can introduce an intense level of stress because the stakes are high. Managed IT services are an effective and affordable option, even for small budgets.
