Many people might wonder why they would opt for a managed internet service provider (or MSP). Indeed, these services do tend to be more expensive than a standard internet service provider (or ISP). However, there are good reasons for this price difference, as managed services provide a whole wealth of benefits to businesses. Let’s look at some of the biggest ways in which an MSP such as PCH Technologies can help a business.
1. Better Security
In most cases, switching to an MSP will greatly improve your security. Even if your in-house IT staff is extremely capable, they will not be able to focus on full-time monitoring. They will have to fix every little problem that comes up, and they won’t be able to monitor your network on a 24/7 basis. Most MSP’s, on the other hand, can and will do that.
Network monitoring is the only way to ensure that your network remains safe from intruders. The sad truth is that there is no way to make a computer or a network hack-proof. You can definitely harden the system and make the intruder’s task more difficult, but the risk will always be there. However, it is very hard for a hacker to compromise your system without some kind of noticeable action in the network traffic.
As long as someone is watching, they can deal with the problem immediately. That’s why network monitoring on a 24 hour/7 day a week basis is the best security measure you can take. Realistically, you can only get that from an MSP or something similar.
2. Less Worry About Compliance Issues
You might be surprised to learn that there are many laws that govern the world of information technology. The majority of these are privacy laws that are intended to keep personal data out of unauthorized hands. Because the law requires you to protect the personal data of your customers, you can be held liable if your network security is found to have been negligent.
Examples of such laws would include:
- The Sarbanes–Oxley Act
- The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
- The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
- The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards Act
When you use an MSP, you don’t have to worry about most of that.
Stable Operating Costs
Running a network can be expensive, especially when you attempt to make your company network self-sufficient and self-contained. The problem with this approach is that you have to buy a lot of equipment. If you have the operating capital with which to do that, it is a viable option. However, it is usually cheaper to go with the services of a good MSP. They already have the equipment and can basically rent it out to you at a much cheaper cost. This way, most (if not all) of your IT expenses will be bundled into a single monthly bill.
The Potential Use Of A Virtual CIO
Most companies employ a Chief Information Officer (or CIO), and their job is to keep tabs on all IT-related matters. They are the ones who make most of the relevant decisions in this area, making them the de facto boss of all your IT workers. However, a lot of companies choose to outsource this job to their MSP.
A lot of MSP services will also allow you to hire one of their specialists as a “virtual CIO.” Despite the name, this is not an AI program or a hologram or anything. It’s just a person who fills the role of CIO on an as-needed basis. This tends to be more cost-effective for companies that don’t really require a full-time CIO. Of course, not all companies need to consider this, but it’s a good option for companies that aren’t really tech-focused.
More Efficiency From Your In-House IT Staff
Although the services of an MSP are highly useful, they cannot always replace the need for on-site IT technicians. Simply by virtue of the fact that they are always there, they serve as the first line of response to any problem. For that reason, most companies don’t fire their entire in-house IT staff upon contracting with an MSP. They might get rid of those who aren’t pulling their weight, but it’s never wise to get rid of productive employees.
When you have your MSP service and your on-site staff working together, it allows the on-site workers to concentrate on things that actually matter. They won’t have to worry as much about routine monitoring or maintenance/updating because the MSP will handle that stuff. Instead, they can focus on dealing with any problems that may arise, and with optimizing the running of your network.
Easy Scalability
This factor is somewhat related to the cost factor because it’s all about saving money. Normally, when a business gets bigger, its network will also have to get bigger. That means more hardware and software, and more auxiliary equipment like cables, monitors, and those sorts of things. Thus, the expansion of your company becomes a much larger expense than it would normally be. When you are trying to get maximum business growth, an MSP will definitely lower those upgrading costs.
Conclusion
There are other benefits that can come from the employment of a well-run MSP, but these are probably the biggest of them. To be honest, the first two factors alone would be enough to make an MSP worth their costs. We hope that we have given you a good picture of this subject and that you will fill out the contact form to learn more.