Comprehensive Guide to Managed Services
A Managed IT Service is when some or all parts of your IT function is outsourced to a specialist company, known as a Managed Services Provider or MSP. The MSP takes full responsibility for the service, including the provision of monitoring, maintenance, resource planning, and support. Managed IT Services are provided on a subscription fee basis, usually paid monthly, which covers service management and support.
Typically, businesses and nonprofit organisations choose Managed IT Services for convenience, efficiency and performance. By gaining a team of experts, the stress of managing IT disappears. Costs are brought under control, as there’s no longer any need for specialists on the payroll. ‘Key man’ dependency is eliminated, as an MSP offers a complete team rather than a single individual. And the quality and performance of crucial information systems often dramatically improves, as it is in the hands of highly qualified IT experts.
Managed Services is growing in popularity for these reasons. Over many years, it has evolved into multiple distinct forms, covering everything from full management of an entire IT infrastructure to select components and services.
Specific disciplines have emerged, including managed security for detecting and responding to cyber breaches, managed backup and disaster recovery, and specific line of business applications delivered as a Managed Service. Common to all Managed Services is the advantage of delegation to experienced and specialised providers. This helps get the job of IT done better and faster.
Motivators that drive the decision to outsource part of or all IT services to an MSP routinely fall into three categories:
Successfully using a Managed Services Provider starts with clear objectives. Know what you want to achieve with a technology partner and share it with your Managed Services Provider. Shared goals deliver optimal performance.
Partnering with a Managed Services Provider delivers a range of benefits and advantages. These include:
Business and IT performance starts here. A good IT operation is aligned with the business. Clear on strategic organisational goals, the IT department enables the business by delivering technology in support of defined outcomes. A good Managed Services Provider takes the time to understand and connect with your business. Long-term success depends on it.
We execute the following activities to achieve business alignment:
Ben Franklin once said, ‘Nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.’ Franklin’s time preceded computers; IT problems are a modern certainty in the workplace. Managed Services Providers offer wider experience and skills to deal with issues rapidly and effectively.
As a Managed Services Provider, the delivery of quality IT systems is our sole concern. We manage all aspects, so your systems are always performing optimally.
With a Managed Services Provider, you’ll receive support that enables better productivity and business performance. Our support is guided by four principles:
A Managed Services Provider delivers protection for your technology systems. Should disaster strike, your MSP has you covered.
Business continuity starts with an IT Health Report. This combines system-generated information with expert interpretation; beware automatically generated reports.
As a leading Managed Services Provider, Techware’s key objective is supporting business growth through strategic delivery of world-class IT services and support. We start with discovery, roadmapping, and implementation. Then we seek continual improvement through ongoing support, optimising staff productivity and underpinning high-performance business.
At Techware, we believe the difference lies not so much in what we do, but how we do it. As your MSP, our mission is to put you in control, equipped to make informed technology decisions in support of clearly aligned business goals.