Why you need managed IT services even if you have an internal tech department

If you’re wondering whether you should partner with a managed IT services provider (MSP) or keep your business’s in-house tech department, here’s some good news: you can have both. This arrangement is commonly known as co-managed IT.

What are the benefits of co-managed IT?

In reality, a co-managed setup helps you maximize your business’s gains from your tech investments and even help you save money in the long run. This arrangement lets you:

#1. Improve your team’s productivity
Through services like proactive monitoring and maintenance, an MSP can detect issues in your network before they affect your operations significantly. These proactive services keep your network running smoothly and minimize the risk of disruptions to your workflow, improving your team’s overall productivity levels.

The involvement of an MSP frees your IT staff from repetitive tasks like troubleshooting and backing up files. Your internal team can focus on tasks that are better aligned with your company’s initiatives, such as finding and implementing new technologies that will enhance your processes and bottom line.

#2. Augment your in-house team’s capabilities
There are very few professionals who can understand your company’s processes and tech-related needs better than your internal IT staff. But because of how focused their job is, they may have limited experience in certain areas of IT that fall outside their specialization.

MSPs provide a comprehensive array of services to clients from several industries. They are usually composed of engineers, technicians, and other tech professionals who are well-versed in different areas of IT. This allows MSPs to contribute their expertise to meet their clients' needs. The skills and experience an MSP brings to the table can supplement and fill any gap in your internal team’s knowledge.

As your business needs change, you may have to adopt different technologies that your in-house staff is unfamiliar with. An MSP can guide your staff in setting up these solutions and help your company get the most out of them.

#3. Boost your cybersecurity and compliance
Your IT staff can monitor your network within their eight-hour shift, but what happens after? Hackers can attack as often as every 39 seconds — this means your system is at high risk when your IT staff is at home or every time they’re out of the office.

As mentioned above, an MSP proactively monitors your network 24/7, even during weekends and holidays. This provides round-the-clock protection from various cyberthreats.

If your business belongs to the healthcare, finance, legal, or other regulated sectors, increasing your data security through proactive monitoring makes you more compliant with industry regulations. What’s more, MSPs typically offer compliance among their top services, making them among the best entities to turn to if you need help with meeting your industry’s stringent requirements.

#4. Save money
As you invest further in technology, you need to hire new people who will operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and update your hardware and software. Unfortunately, finding the right people is a costly endeavor and the expenses only pile up as the recruitment process draws on.

Now let’s say you’ve hired the people you need. You’d still have to pay for their training, salary, and benefits. Also, you should factor in extra costs like the office space and utilities they use to do their tasks. These are a lot of expenses, especially if you are a small business in an uncertain economy.

Outsourcing to an MSP lets you supplement your team without having to deal with the aforementioned costs. You only have to research the right MSP for your Orlando business, and you can do this over the phone or a brief meeting. No costly hiring process needed. Once you’ve chosen your MSP, you’d only be charged a flat monthly fee depending on the services they’ll be providing you.

Except for hardware repair and a few other services, an MSP ‘s services are performed remotely, so you won’t have to worry about space or utilities. Overall, outsourcing instead of hiring new people could save you several hundreds or thousands of dollars every month.

 

Cutting Edge Network Technologies helps businesses in Orlando find the technologies and IT solutions that will help them overcome challenges and grow. To discover how our managed IT services can change the way you do business, download this eBook today!