Outsourcing IT can be a cost-effective solution for businesses. However, outsourcing is no longer an acceptable IT solution on its own as it only fixes problems when they occur. If your business isn’t connected, you’re not making money.
Managed Services provide a 24/7 preventative solution to your business’ infrastructure as a whole. A proper Managed Services solution is ideal for managing your security, communication, and network infrastructure. But why choose managed services over outsourced IT?
What’s the difference?
Third-party outsourced IT usually works on a break-fix model of service where the provider fixes issues as they arise. It’s a reactive approach with little focus on preventative maintenance.
Managed services view your IT solutions as a whole and are a relationship of integrated services. It uses a proactive approach where specialized skills are used to optimize your solutions, completing work every day to keep your network, security, and communications working 24/7.
Managed services providers maintain networks, perform necessary updates, and keep your system running smoothly while offering helpful advice on optimizing and improving your network based on how you use it.
What Outsourcing IT Offers
Businesses often choose to outsource their IT solutions because it is less expensive. Hiring someone to perform smaller tasks and fix problems as they arise can often be cheaper.
Often hired to complete certain tasks instead of looking at a network as a whole, IT outsourcing is valuable for smaller companies who do not have the resources to build an in-house team or who can’t prioritize their infrastructure yet.
Why Choose Managed Services
Managed services like those provided by Activo, provide the benefits of outsourcing and a professional IT department, without the drawbacks.
With managed services, you will have an outsourced team of experts who manage your network and its needs. Rather than having to solve problems as they occur, this team will work on preventative maintenance daily to ensure your system works all the time, allowing your business to focus on what matters most – serving your clients.
As the managing solution, the team who works on your network will have an intuitive understanding of your needs and will be able to make updates, complete repairs, and keep you connected faster than an outsourced team who is looking for the first time.
Managed services also provide all-inclusive solutions. Rather than relying on a single fix, your team will provide solutions like physical and cyber security, communications through tools like Microsoft Voice and Teams, and manage cloud services to keep you and your team connected around the world.
This is valuable as businesses must be constantly prepared – a disconnect can lead to massive losses that can last until you are reconnected. Using a managed services provider negates risks – you are less likely of being disconnected and will have the best network solutions available to you, thanks to the experts working with your business.
Managed services are on a fixed budget, meaning there are no surprise repair costs as there can be with an expensive outsourced fix to something that could’ve been fixed earlier.
Even if you don’t have the means to build an in-house team, it is recommended to use managed services, as their preventative maintenance keeps you running in the long term.
Managed services have become a more popular way to have business requirements met. Companies can get the benefits of both outsourcing and professional IT departments, without the cost of IT in-house. If you’re ready to stop relying on inconsistent networks and find long-term solutions to help optimize your business, contact Activo today. We provide custom-managed service arrangements that fit the needs of your business and help it grow.