A Technology Conundrum
The owners and executives of many small to medium-size businesses (SMBs) are faced with a conundrum: How to maintain a secure and effective IT infrastructure and at the same time cut costs and overheads in today’s tight economy?
Most SMBs are unable to afford an in-house IT team. Most likely, a single IT engineer is employed to manage software, hardware and network technologies for the business. In the worse case, an SMB may not even have an IT guy. Both cases spell potential disaster since we live in a world that relies on evolving, complex technology.
In-house IT and Human Error
If you possess the luxury of having an IT guy or a small team, you’ll probably find that they are overstretched and overworked. Despite their expertise and experience, SMB IT engineers quickly take on troubleshooting roles, daily ironing out nondescript issues such as frozen laptops and printer maintenance. Instead of wasting their talents on the mundane, they could be developing systems and strategies to promote productivity and profitability.
Overtaxed staff tend to be error-prone. So when your IT guy is tired, there’s a potential for human mistakes that can impact negatively on your IT infrastructure and by extension your business operations. A recent study carried out by Gartner, a leading information technology research and advisory company, revealed that people are responsible for more than 75% of technology failures and disasters. This statistic was confirmed in the IT Process Institute’s Visible Ops Handbook which states that 80% of unanticipated outages stem from inadequately planned IT infrastructure changes done by develops and system administrators.
The Break-Fix Model
And what about those SMBs that don’t have an IT guy on the payroll? Living on a knife-edge, these companies subscribe to the break-fix model for their technology management. They are at the mercy of expensive, and often unreliable, on-call engineers who will appear when disaster strikes to get systems up and running again. Budget constraints may dictate subscription to this model. However, some SMB owners are of the opinion that ‘it’ll never happen to us’, thinking that only large corporations are susceptible to technology failure and the associated downtime.
In the break-fix scenario, proactive network monitoring and maintenance is non-existent. There is no contingency plan to prevent downtime and data loss. When calamity arrives, the only out is to hit the emergency button and bring in the on-call IT ‘specialist’.
For SMBs operating on a shoestring, these ‘specialists’ can make quite a dent in an already delicate budget. Their minimum hourly rate is £80, not including travel time, overtime or working out of normal hours. Then you need to factor in the costs of software upgrades and hardware repairs. These can easily add £1000 to the bill. So without putting you through a strain on a mental Math exercise, you’re probably looking at a minimum figure of £1500 per downtime incident.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there. Downtime means a loss in productivity and consequently lost revenue. Downtime will also impact your reputation and brand name. Clients expect service whenever they need it, so when you’re offline, they are likely to seek a more reliable vendor or supplier.
Worse still is if your network requires a major repair or overhaul to be functional again. These repairs can take up to 24 hours to complete while most on-call engineers will bill for a minimum of 8 hours. Plus, you’ll wait for at least 24 hours before your IT ‘specialist’ appears.
Before moving on, contemplate these ideas about on-call IT consultants:
- Do they have your SMB’s best interests in mind?
- They depend on IT disasters to make money. True or False?
- Are they genuinely motivated to effectively manage and optimise your IT infrastructure?
Enter managed IT services
The in-house IT guy feels driven to the ground and is likely to make mistakes resulting in downtime. On-call engineers are expensive and unpredictable. So, what’s the solution to assure that you have an effective, trouble-free IT infrastructure? Enter Managed Service Providers (MSPs). Your local MSP will have extensive knowledge and years of experience in dealing with the entire spectrum of business technology needs and issues.
MSPs are a cost-effective and definitive IT solution for SMBs. Most MSPs offer a predictive flat monthly rate, so there won’t be any surprises. The MSP can support your IT guy or team, enabling them to get on with tasks that count. Alternatively, they assume full responsibility for your IT infrastructure should this be necessary.
MSPs save money and time
Besides having ‘of the moment’ knowledge and understanding of current technology, MSPs can reduce your IT support expenditure by a noteworthy 40% or more. With a dependable MSP managing your systems, you won’t need to lose any sleep worrying about your IT infrastructure going down. Instead, you’ll be able to focus on expanding and growing your business. You save money and time. From another perspective, outsourcing to an MSP means your business has the potential to make more money.
MSP benefits
There are numerous advantages of drawing on the services of an MSP. Take a look at four important benefits: you can focus on core business, you have a trustworthy partner, you experience world-class service, and you possess a fully-staffed IT department.
Focus on core business
Consistent monitoring and maintenance of your IT infrastructure are imperative in order to keep your business data safe and to avoid downtime. However, these daily routine activities are also monotonous and amount to a ‘time kill’ for any in house IT employees you may have. With your MSP taking care of day-to-day network operations management and maintenance, and Help Desk support, you and your internal IT staff are free to focus on core business functions such as product development and pioneering new applications and services. When your IT guy or staff are empowered by doing what they do best, they’ll quickly understand that the MSP is not a threat to their job security but rather a capable collaborator facilitating repetitious server and network monitoring.
A trusted IT partner
Earlier you considered the true motives of on-call IT ‘specialists’ and probably concluded that they are mercenary by design. By contrast, your MSP is a committed partner whose intentions are to optimise your IT systems and operations and be a catalyst for business expansion. Unlike IT ‘specialists’, MSPs are in for the long haul, and should be thought of as a trusted IT partner. An effective MSP will assume a leadership role, mitigate risks and enhance the overall efficiency of your workforce. Moreover, the MSP will instigate a business culture shift by implementing innovative technologies and processes.
World-class service
An accomplished MSP will have partnered with businesses in a wide range of sectors, including finance, legal, hospitality and retail. Each client will have a unique set of business and technology requirements. The MSP will custom-make an IT support package to satisfy specific needs – there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ IT solution.
A sound MSP will have been around for a while and know how to add value to your business. Using their experience and insight, an MSP will keep your company ahead of the pack by using the latest technology, supporting your staff and skillfully managing your IT infrastructure. In this day and age, technology changes by the minute in the business world. You cannot afford to fall behind your competitors.
A complete IT department
By outsourcing to an MSP, you’ll benefit by accessing a fully staffed and maintained IT department. The added bonus: it won’t cost you an arm and a leg. As an SMB owner or manager, you know that proactive management is the key to success. However, maybe due to budget or resource limitations you haven’t had the means to proactively manage your information technology. This all changes with an MSP. You’ll have 24/7 access to on-demand expertise providing computer support, remote monitoring for your servers and firewalls, network security, regular data backup together with comprehensive Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plans.
Simplify and save
There’s no time like the present to partner with an MSP. In one go, you’ll simplify the management of your IT systems and give your own IT staff the opportunity to develop professionally for the betterment of themselves and your company. Gone will be the days of troubleshooting computer issues, network and data security threats, and prolonged downtime. You’ll get unprecedented IT support from your MSP without being subject to the rogue antics of on-call IT ‘specialists’ and their exorbitant tariffs. Outsourcing to an MSP means that you simplify and save.
