How Managed Services Helps Small and Medium-sized Businesses Thrive

Small and medium-sized businesses often don’t have the budget or a justification for a full-time IT department and are turning with ever-increasing regularity to cloud-based computer managed IT services.

It was the mid-twentieth century when computers began finding footholds in business operations. Most often, computers were used for back office operations. Today, computers are ubiquitous in business and even the smallest company depends on their computer system for things that include back-office operations, customer relationship management, online marketing and advertising, robots in the factory and even self-driving cars.

Today, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have many competing priorities and daily demands that include finding and keeping customers or clients, distributing products and services that are differentiated from the competition, complying with government regulations, keeping costs under control and more.

Technology helps SMBs streamline their operations, improve the efficiency of employees, and stay competitive.

Yet, small and medium-sized businesses often don’t have the budget or a justification for a full-time IT department and are turning with ever-increasing regularity to cloud-based computer managed IT services. What makes IT managed services so popular? Read on and learn why your competitors have signed on with an IT managed service provider (MSP).

Why Your Competitors are Flocking to an IT Managed Services Provider

Small and medium-sized businesses have diverse reasons for signing up with an MSP. Following are some of the most oft-cited reasons for an SMB to work with an IT managed service provider.

1. Better security
2. More system uptime
3. Becoming proactive for IT problems
4. Increase access to new technology
5. Less cost than in-house IT
6. Allow internal IT freedom for strategic work
7. Use the cloud more efficiently
8. Lack of internal IT capability
9. Assist with remote office IT
10. Peace of mind

So, now let’s look at some of the top drivers to an MSP for small and medium-sized business.

Better Security

Being compliant with HIPAA and the Federal Trade Commission is a big deal when it comes to computer system security. In fact, some data breaches have been considered egregious by the Office of Civil Rights for the US Department of Health and Human Services (HIPAA enforcement) or, sometimes and, by the FTC and resulted in multimillion dollar fines. Costs rise quickly when data is breached and involves more than fines. In addition to the costs associated with a breach, there is a loss of reputation, loss of customers, and loss of potential customers that are absolutely costly and considered as significant other costs of a breach.

More System Uptime

An important feature of MSPs is they are well-prepared for emergencies that include:

• Power loss
• Corrupt files
• Security breaches
• More

Of particular importance is for an IT MSP to offer backup and data recovery services. When an incident occurs, BDR services can get your company running its IT system again, quickly.

Becoming Proactive for IT Problems

When a business engages an IT managed services provider they gain 24/7 coverage. This means that when an IT issue occurs, the MSP is available to resolve it quickly. With fully managed IT support, a business enjoys not worrying about daily IT operations. In addition, when your business wants to install new programs, the IT MSP can make sure it is free of bugs, malware, and will play well with all your other programs.

These three and the other items in the numbered list above are key reasons for engaging the services of an IT managed services provider.

For more information on how a MSP can benefit your company contact OneSource Technology in Wichita. Call us at (316) 788-1372 or solutions@onesourcetechnology.com us.

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