Outsourced management of your IT environment is not just at a monthly cost to receive reports.  Instead, these services offer a hidden value, optimizing your systems, maintenance and security of your computer data.

While several myths about outsourcing IT are widely circulated, we must develop a global vision and how this type of service can affect your business operations.

Listed below you will find an IT Managed Services contract, and how your business can benefit.

1. Improving the efficiency and reliability of your IT operations

By far the biggest motivation for business to outsource some of their IT requirements is to improve the efficiency and reliability of the various IT operations, bringing peace of mind regarding the IT environment. This also enables your employees to work in an environment that can be trusted.

2. Optimization of Security

Managed services are gaining popularity because they offer the assurance that the IT infrastructure is managed efficiently in order to secure your systems with no management involvement on your side.

To maximize security of your environment, uptime of services and protect your operations, your managed service provider shall specifically ensure that:

1. Antivirus software are updated and completed;

2. Microsoft security patches are applied to all servers and work stations;

3. Safeguards are properly implemented and applied in due course;

4. The system has ample disk space, CPU or memory;

5. Access to your network are well controlled

6. Different software are run on a regular basis to detect any potential problems.

3. Compliance of your information

While respecting the constraints of compliance which generally represents a significant burden, managed services makes your work easier thanks to the many available reports on the state of your environment. This makes it easier to show structure, process and documentation to stakeholders and auditors.

4. A proactive approach to maintenance

Another benefit provided by managed services, is by being proactive or preventive, and scheduling rooutine  maintenance which is structured rather than reactive. The external team organizes specific interventions according to the maintenance schedules that aim to prevent problems rather than resolve them once they occur.

In short, this is to prevent fires instead of extinguishing fires.

5. Access to new technologies

Companies that choose IT Managed Services for all or part of their IT environment are exposed to technology they would not have been aware of, if they had only used their internal resources.

Moreover, some of these technologies may require a high level of expertise to be used properly, that managed services can provide.

6. Expert IT resources

In most SMEs, given that IT teams are small in size, it is difficult to have specialized resources. They prefer to have generalists who can keep the lights on. A managed services contract provides access to specialists in the field and comes with a full team of experts that have the necessary skills to perform the daily management, monitoring and optimization of all components of your computer system.

Conclusion

While the financial model of IT management is moving increasingly towards operational expenditure (Opex) rather than investment (Capex), IT managed services can provide an appropriate response. This approach allows businesses to respond economically to the protection of critical needs - related to business assets.

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