In the present-day setup, IT has become the backbone of most businesses regardless of their size. It offers numerous advantages and conveniences with a direct impact on the bottom line. The challenge, though, is keeping up with the various systems and software and maintaining them.

Ensuring that all aspects of your IT system are seamlessly operating makes the management of your IT infrastructure critical. Most businesses turn to IT Managed Services London to manage this risk factor.

Types of IT Support Services

There are three main categories of IT support services you can use. Their differences lie in how the payment is structured and the long-term benefit they offer your business.   The three main types of IT support services are; Managed services, Pre-purchased support, and Ad-hoc IT services. The breakdown below will help you identify which service suits you best and what each offers.

Ad-hoc IT Support Services

Ad-hoc IT services are a straightforward arrangement. You pay by the hour for the duration you are using their services, and often no contracts are used. It is an ideal option for small companies, especially if the IT service company has fast response action making your downtime relatively short.

However, it increases the risk any extended downtime will have since you are completely at the IT company’s mercy. SMEs, corporations, and microbusinesses still suffer the same consequences of downtime regardless of their size. Being unable to use your IT infrastructure means you cannot work, and thus you cannot earn income.

Any downtime increases your vulnerability to a myriad of other risks, which could significantly affect your business’s future. A British Chambers of Commerce study found that 93 % of businesses that had data loss for more than ten days filed for bankruptcy within the course of the year. Half of these filed immediately.

Another consideration is the growth of your business. As it expands, so will your IT infrastructure and your reliance on IT and ICT to do business. The more you scale up this infrastructure, the more significant the risk of downtime. You cannot avoid improving your IT setup as it is vital to business growth. As such, a Managed IT Services Near Me offers better long-term advantages, as this article will show later.

Pre-purchased IT Support Services

As the name suggests, you buy the services in advance in hour blocks. You are free to determine how the hours will be spent. They could be used to offer desktop support or helping you manage or migrate your data to cloud services or anything else.

The attraction of this service is its cost-effectiveness. You only pay for the hours you are using the services. You can also make a budget for it in advance. The problem, though, is it does not anticipate complex issues like data breaches and other emergencies.

Like Ad-hoc services, it is reactive and limits you to the set block of hours you have paid for. Given the risks that come with ICT platforms, especially on the internet, and the potential for human error in IT, this option can often prove unreliable, exposing you to significant losses.

Managed IT Support Services

A managed IT support service takes full charge of your company’s IT function. With this option, you sign up for a service, make your contracts, and then pay a set monthly fee for the services’ continuous use. Ideally, you are outsourcing all IT support functions. It offers many benefits than having your in-house IT support department, including;

  • Fewer overhead costs
  • More value for your money
  • Full enterprise-level services

A managed IT support arrangement is proactive, meaning you are never getting caught off guard. Your systems benefit from constant monitoring and around-the-clock protection. Any attempted breaches are resolved before you lose your data. In case of a prolonged issue, your managed IT partner will find alternative plans that will prevent any downtime on your end.

Better yet, with a managed IT partner, your will not only be mitigating risks but also benefit from the timely adoption of the latest technologies. Your business gains a competitive advantage of the latest ICT and is protected from the latest threats. More importantly, you do not have to keep worrying about the IT department’s functions constantly. You have experts handling that, and your other resources and focus will be aimed at your business’s main function.

What are the advantages of a fully managed IT service?

It offers comprehensive protection of your data.

As the BCC study above points out, losing data for any period will be damaging to your business. The same is also true for any loss of IT capability your company uses, as it will cause downtime. Data is a crucial business asset in modern-day times, and any loss will cause a dent in your operations. Having a managed IT service allows you to secure your data using the latest systems like cloud solutions. Your data is kept safe against any type of risk.

Improves your cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is a significant concern in doing business. Surprisingly, small businesses’ vulnerability makes them a soft target, with 70% of such attacks aiming at SMEs. It is a significant threat, and many industries are now making Cybersecurity compliance a part of entry requirements. A managed IT service provides the necessary defense you need against cyberattacks and knows the required standards of compliance.

Keeps you abreast of the latest IT and ICT technology

The IT field is highly dynamic, and current trends include migration to cloud services. They offer efficiency, cost-effectiveness and are not limited by processing power like traditional setups, including servers. These solutions allow your IT systems to grow with your business cutting down your operating costs and improving your business. You can then budget using a predictable cost and also gain the competitive advantage to edge ahead in business.

You get reliable IT operations.

With a managed IT service, your IT function is guaranteed to run seamlessly all the time, which means your business never suffers any downtime. Updates are done promptly, and any maintenance or improvements are scheduled ahead of time. Managed IT services conduct their maintenance during hours that will not disrupt your business whenever possible. There is no time wasted waiting for systems to upgrade or software to install.

Make your IT systems efficient.

You can count on such a service’s expertise to help you streamline your IT systems and optimize them for their function. Managing large and complex IT setups can be time-consuming and prone to errors. Having an external support team will provide you an opportunity to audit your system and craft an optimization and simplifying plan.

You can consider a managed IT partner in the same manner you get an external auditor or financial expert to help your financial department. The partner works with your current IT resources and helps you create a proactive IT infrastructure management approach. If you want to know more about how a managed IT support service can work for you, call us today.