Should You Use an MSP For Your IT Solutions?
The managed services business model is booming as more and more businesses partner with providers for their IT solutions. The MSP market is forecasted to grow from $152.45 billion in 2017 to $257.85 billion by 2022, and is expected to continue to grow steadily beyond that point. But while widespread adoption is a nice endorsement, the fact that everyone’s doing it isn’t exactly the best basis for making a business decision.
We’ve written about the benefits your business can reap from using managed IT services before — with talking points like predictable monthly costs, better security practices, and faster responses for improved technology uptimes, it’s hard for us to not get carried away. But what makes MSPs really stand out? Why should you take the leap and use managed IT services?
More Business Partner than Tech Desk
While managed services providers can certainly fix your computer when it breaks, their capabilities are above and beyond the purview of technical support services. A good MSP works with you and your business to understand your practices and goals, then strategizes to ensure that everything they do helps to achieve those goals. All at once, they are technicians, data security specialists, technology advisors, industry experts, troubleshooters, hardware installers, and more. The break/fix model of IT is obsolete, replaced by the holistic approach of MSPs.
Expertise for Any Level of Service
Shifting the responsibility for commodity IT services – that is, services like email, web, and file serving which work more or less the same for the end user – from in-house IT staff to a managed services provider can help free up your employees’ attention and time to devote to strategic business goals, but that doesn’t mean MSPs can’t be strategic, too.
Recently, more businesses are looking for managed services providers who can offer advanced services such as cloud infrastructure management and advanced application monitoring, and MSPs are rising to the challenge. While most businesses leveraging the services of an MSP are taking advantage of their extensive experience in network and software infrastructure management, those looking for more are driving innovation in the market: in CompTIA’s report on managed services, 60% of providers surveyed planned to increase the types of services offered within the next year.
Scalable IT Services
One of the reasons that the managed IT services model has taken off so quickly is that practically any business, large or small, can benefit. Small businesses who don’t have the resources for a dedicated IT staff member gain an entire IT department to manage their technology and security, and enterprise companies extend their own departments to include more people with different specialties, experience, and expertise. But more than being versatile, MSPs are scalable. One month, you may need basic IT services and upkeep, and the next, you may need help researching, purchasing, and installing a new phone system. Great managed services providers understand that a business’s needs are never static, and are able to move quickly to meet those needs.
Hiring a managed services provider for your IT solutions is a big business decision, but it’s a smart one. Not only are you getting expert-level management of your software, networks, and cloud applications, you’re also getting a team of professionals committed to being strategic partners with your company. Technology is integral to today’s business practices. Why settle for anything less?
