The Ever-Evolving World of Managed IT Services

Technology changes are happening at a head-spinning pace. You need only look at the recent explosion of AI writing assistants like ChatGPT to understand how significantly tech is disrupting the way organizations do business. Just a few years ago, we wrote a piece about why you should consider working with a Managed IT Services Provider (MSP). And last summer, we asked if the time was right to partner with an MSP.

To learn more about how Choice Solutions can you help, contact us today.

In 2023, the discussion has changed: We’re going to talk about why the perfect time is now to outsource your company’s IT services. The past three years have seen a massive shift in managed IT services. More companies than ever before are investing in cloud services and realizing the financial and operational benefits that come with it. 

Outsourcing is not a new concept, but many of the reasons businesses are now embracing it are. As organizational processes become more complex, companies are looking for dependable ways to: 

• Enhance the customer experience with more personalized services 
• Protect themselves against cyberattacks 
• Provide flexible employee services today’s talent demands 

• Safeguard data with secure storage and backup options 

MSPs are evolving, too. Experienced managed IT service providers are helping clients understand and apply new technologies to solve business goals and IT challenges, improve processes, and streamline operations. 

5 Reasons Your Business Needs an MSP in 2023

As technology requirements grow, the task of keeping everything flowing smoothly from network infrastructure to end user becomes more challenging. SMBs often barely have the budget for one dedicated IT person, let alone an entire technology team. 

An experienced and reliable MSP offers your business several critical benefits.

1. Drive Cost Savings

Hiring an MSP to manage your company’s IT saves you money multiple ways: 

• Affordable external expertise means you don’t have to recruit, onboard, and train an internal team. 
• An MSP lowers overhead costs by eliminating the need to hire tech employees. 
• Scaling your business is easier because an MSP designs your network to accommodate growth. 

Managed IT service technicians can also fill critical gaps when you have talent deficits or a major project. And because billing is typically done on a recurring monthly fee-based or per-use fee model, you can adjust services as necessary. When demand surges, you can scale up quickly. And when you no longer need a specific service, it can speedily be removed from your service contract. 

Other ways you save substantially by hiring an MSP include: 

• You’ll reduce the need to invest in new hardware and/or software. 
• Your managed IT service provider can identify tweaks to your existing infrastructure that save time and cut costs.  

MSPs bring the wisdom and experience they’ve gained from working with other clients to assist in defining your objectives and providing solutions to your problems. And an MSP’s “fresh pair of eyes” are sometimes all you need to unravel a seemingly intractable IT issue or bottleneck.

2. Heighten Security

Mitigating security risks and threats to business operations is now a top priority for every business. Most experts agree it’s not a matter of if a cyberattack will target your business; it’s when. The physical, financial, and reputational effects of a cyberattack can be devastating to your business.  

While preventing an attempted cyberattack isn’t feasible, implementing an effective cybersecurity plan can substantially lower your risks of being hit. 

The majority of SMBs lack the internal resources to manage today’s sophisticated IT threats. An MSP has access to the most sophisticated cybersecurity tools and can help you handle these threats and maximize safeguarding your business. 

Cybercriminals are not your only security threat. Natural disasters or system malfunctions can also result in potentially catastrophic data loss and significant downtime. In the event of such an accident, you must be able to restore operations quickly.  

Many businesses don’t have a well-defined backup and disaster recovery plan, and some fail to regularly back-up critical data. They may not have crafted and tested a business continuity plan to recover from a disaster or an event that causes business interruption. 

The bottom line? An MSP can help create and put a plan in place for overseeing any data security crisis. Allowing an MSP to handle your infrastructure can insulate your business from the inherent risks of managing your own data center.

3. Manage Hybrid Workforces

By the end of 2020, remote jobs increased from less than 4% to 9%. By the end of 2021, remote work options had grown by more than one thousand percent. Today, 16% of companies worldwide are fully remote and nearly 70% of full-time U.S. employees say they worked remotely during the pandemic. Many still do.

There’s simply no getting around the fact: remote work is here to stay. Experts predict a quarter of all North American professional jobs will remain remote as employees make their preferences clear. 

Some organizations have adopted a hybrid approach to the workforce. Today, nearly 3 in 4 U.S. companies say they’re currently using or plan to implement a permanent hybrid work model. About 44% of employees say they prefer it. 

Partnering with an experienced managed services provider becomes even more essential when so many people are working remotely, even on a part-time basis. An MSP uses cloud computing and other technologies to connect remote and in-house employees, so you never need to worry about work performance inefficiencies or reduced productivity. MSPs also manage the additional cybersecurity measures required for employees working outside of the office and using personal devices. 

Employees enjoy the flexibility of working from home and in-person at their discretion, but they also want to stay engaged with coworkers. Hiring an MSP helps you better manage your hybrid workforce, so everyone from the C-suite to the home office is happy.

4. Reduce Downtime

Equipment breakdowns, power outages, and computer malfunctions are the primary causes of downtime. But whatever causes your network to go down, the result’s the same: Everything comes to a halt and everyone, including team members and customers, suffers. Plus productivity and engagement are stymied, which can significantly impact your bottom line.  

A Managed IT Services provider proactively monitors your network to reduce downtime risks and ensure operations are up and running as quickly as possible. Problem-solving occurs immediately and backup measures are rapidly implemented. 

You can also ask your MSP to help you create and put in place a business disaster recovery plan (BCDR). Your BCDR will let you resume operations more quickly after a natural disaster or any other catastrophe that might result in prolonged downtime.

5. Wide-Ranging Knowledge

An Managed IT Services provider’s extensive knowledge of the industry, applicable skills, and ability to deal with any IT issue that arises ensures your company’s ability to meet tech issues head-on. At Choice Solutions, you’ll work with trustworthy, experienced engineers with years or decades in their fields of expertise. Our MSP techs provide professional, proactive support and quick response times. 

Managed service technical experts also have qualifications in areas your internal IT person or team might not. They receive ongoing training and continuing education, so they’re strategically prepared to keep your network running as smoothly as possible.  

Grow Your Business With A Managed IT Services Provider

In your business climate, change is inevitable and the demand for innovation continues to grow. Organizations like yours must become more strategic in aligning business initiatives with existing technology infrastructure. For many SMBs, that can be a daunting challenge.  

Many SMBs are now partnering with MSPs to: 

• Develop a strategic technology roadmap to align strategic and operational goals 
• Reduce the strain of managing IT functions in-house 

While it isn’t always easy to see the direct link between managed IT and business growth, there are significant payoffs to outsourcing your tech needs. One happy outcome is that you’re free to develop initiatives that can achieve short- and long-term goals through enhanced productivity, reliability, and IT security. Another advantage is your business is less likely to suffer a crisis that brings progress and productivity to a dead halt. 

Even if you have an in-house IT team, working with an MSP allows your staff to pivot from handling near-constant tech issues. They can work with other departments and teams to develop new products and services, optimize sales platforms, and brainstorm innovative revenue-driving activities. They can also spend their time, energy, and brainpower on developing new solutions to longstanding organizational problems. 

Scalable IT solutions, state-of-the-art security, cost-savings, reduced downtime, and remote work solutions are all good reasons to outsource your business’s IT support. Taking advantage of these and the other benefits a qualified managed service provider brings to the table can be one of the wisest business moves you make in 2023. Get in touch today to see how Choice Solutions can help you.