A managed service provider is a lot like your internet service provider (ISP). Their primary function is to serve the internet to a multitude of customers, but a managed service provider takes it to the next level. Apart from simply serving the internet, they also provide a range of other services. The exact nature of these services will vary according to your provider and plan. As such, there are many potential ways in which you can benefit from a managed service provider.
1. Better Security
Cybersecurity is one of the diciest IT matters, largely because it requires people that can outsmart criminal hackers. Needless to say, such people don’t just grow on trees. Hiring the best security people and paying them to monitor your systems 24/7 is always going to be a lot more expensive than a managed service provider.
Cybersecurity often tends to include a lot of monitoring work, and this requires constant vigilance. The flow of the internet never sleeps, and a good security team must operate in the same way. In most cases, a managed service provider makes it much more cost-efficient to get that constant security that your business needs.
2. Reductions In Down Time
One of the best things about an MSP is the fact that they will take responsibility for the optimization of your network. The internet is no longer optional for most businesses, so network downtime can translate into huge amounts of lost revenue. However, most managed service providers will give you a service-level agreement (often called an SLA for short).
A service-level agreement is an agreement between you and your MSP. It specifies how much downtime per month is acceptable for your business. If that number is any higher than 10%, you should probably look elsewhere. If your downtime goes above the specified percentage in a given time frame, you will then be eligible for compensation. A normal ISP surely won’t offer anything like that!
3. Lower Operating Costs
This is another important benefit that should be discussed. An MSP plan will normally cost more than a standard ISP plan. However, you are also getting a lot more for your money. When you consider the amount of payroll that it would take to handle all these things in-house, a managed service plan actually becomes a lot more efficient. Thus, in the end, it will usually save you more than it costs you.
The extra services offered by an MSP can also be used to streamline your business and eliminate redundancy at many levels. Once your managed services provider is handling a particular task, you probably don’t need an in-house worker for that job anymore. Of course, it can be practical to keep some amount of redundancy, especially when you’re talking about highly urgent matters. For instance, when it comes to the detection of security breaches, you definitely want more than one person handling that!
4. Cutting-Edge Tech
We have talked about the expenses of maintaining an in-house team, but let’s get a little more specific. Many of the biggest expenses of an in-house IT team are technology expenses. In order to obtain the best possible results, you need current technology. It isn’t just about efficiency and speed: Older hardware and software tend to have a lot more known vulnerabilities. Since these weaknesses are somewhat widely known, you can be sure that cybercriminals will be among those who know of these bugs and exploits.
When you go with a managed service provider, you can be sure that they are using the latest tech, especially if you go with a highly reputable company like ours. This helps to provide you with better performance, tighter security, far fewer compatibility issues, and far fewer tech issues in general.
5. Easier Business Scaling
When your business grows, its operations must likewise grow. From an IT perspective, that means new expenses. For instance, an expanding company with an entirely in-house IT approach will surely need some new servers when new facilities are added. Depending on the size of the facility, there might be a need for quite a few servers, and the good ones are not cheap.
With a managed service provider, on the other hand, you don’t have to worry so much about those up-scaling costs. Instead, you can simply renegotiate your service plan so that your increased needs are met. This will, of course, come with some degree of a price increase. However, when you consider the costs of upgrading your entire IT setup and multiply those by the number of significant expansions your company will undergo…well, you can see why a managed service provider is the more cost-effective option.
Conclusion
It should now be quite evident that you can save a lot of money by choosing an MSP over a traditional ISP. By spending just a little more on one bill, you can save a lot more money by fully utilizing those extra services. Thus, what we have is a very effective way of improving your IT situation on multiple levels with a single step.
If you are interested in taking that step, you can call PCH Technologies at (844) 754-7500. When it comes to managed IT services Florida is more fortunate than most. With years of experience in the many facets of IT management, PCH Technologies has often been cited as one of the best-managed service providers in Florida.
Our Florida Office
As of 2022, PCH Technologies has opened up a new location in Fort Lauderdale, FL in order to serve the South Florida Market. This expansion into the South Florida market aligns strategically with our plans to continue to grow a national presence as a managed service provider (MSP).
The growing South Florida region includes Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm, creating an opportunity for PCH to fulfill the expanding needs of the market.
Florida Office
101 NE 3rd Ave Suite 1500, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 954-777-8830