By JAY A. COHEN

In today's very competitive environment, meeting customer demands is extremely vital for every business. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to meet these demands when resources are scarce. This is where Managed Service Providers (MSP) prove handy. MSPs have a unique team of IT experts that provide a variety of vital services to their clients. Outsourcing your IT needs can potentially help businesses to cost-effectively manage their current needs while supporting growth and productivity over time. If you are contemplating outsourcing your IT tasks, you are in the right place.

What are managed services?

Managed services are great for small enterprises that are exploring their outsourcing options regarding their IT needs. MSPs provide support for your firm's technology needs at a monthly flat fee. Providers of managed services proactively monitor your company's network, reduce IT-related problems, and diagnose and troubleshoot problems that arise on your network. Thanks to cloud computing, a significant number of IT work can be outsourced.

Why do businesses need managed IT services?

One of the major reasons why companies prefer managed service providers is because they negate risks. As opposed to outsourcing IT when an issue pops up, managed services guarantee consistent monitoring of a network. What's more, tasks such as updating, and maintenance are tackled by a managed service provider. As a manager, this allows you to focus on other aspects of your business instead of worrying about the firm's IT. The potential managed service provider should equally evaluate both the current and future IT requirements. The company advises on what type of services or products a business needs to implement in the next year.

Yeas and Nays of MSPs:

What sets MSPs apart is that they are intended to support numerous facets of IT and centralize IT for smaller businesses. An MSP can effectively handle a company's help desk queries, networking, desktop support, project management as well as server upkeep. What's more, MSPs support a lot more customers than an independent professional or computer store would have. This results in certain benefits such as increased resources and extensive knowledge to draw from. Regardless, there are some factors small businesses need to take into account before subscribing to an MSP. For example, you need to figure out whether it fits your budget or not, whether you need somebody onsite who can troubleshoot emerging technical issues or not, among other considerations.

YEAS:

• Unrivaled experience: If your business employs an ‘IT expert', chances are this guy isn't knowledgeable in all IT areas. On the other hand, MSPs usually boast highly skilled professionals dedicated to every single function of IT. Simply put, MSPs are better equipped all round.
• Tech provided: With some plans, your MSPs firm provides all the technology your business needs, including software, servers, and workstations. You only need to utilize these services and pay for them. While this can be costly, it also means no capital expenditures for the tech, enabling your business to channel its capital in other vital areas.
• Change in the model: If used appropriately, MSPs should mitigate technical issues. It regularly monitors various aspects of IT such as applications, hardware, internet, and security, notifying you if any issue is detected. So, you are not paying for someone to fix your IT-related problems. Instead, you are paying them to prevent your company from experiencing issues

• MSPs can provide you with assurances that their monitoring platform is HIPAA Compliant

NAYS:

• It can be costly: Outsourcing MSP services can be expensive. You'll need to pay upfront fees as well as a few dollars monthly, depending on the size as well as the technical needs of your business. However, you should also know that MSP will equally save you in other areas as well.
• Scope: It is imperative to note that MSP's scope of work doesn't always cover all areas of technology. Instead, it usually gives a list of software it supports.
• Lack of physical presence: Most MSP firms are not local to your company. This implies that if a problem such as a desktop malfunction occurs, you may have to tackle it on your own. However, if you sign up with a local company, it can offer onsite support. Sadly, you'll have to pay an extra amount for physical visits to your office.

The Bottom Line:

Every small organization should critically analyze all the factors involved in paying for an MSP. Hopefully, this article helps you make the most informed decision according to the demands of your business.

Jay Cohen is a successful IT strategist, CEO, International Author and Speaker with over 25 years of experience in technical and customer support industries. Cohen has led large and small development and deployment robust technical solutions. He has expertise working in technology, financial, real estate, healthcare, government contracting and telecommunication services. Offering a unique combination of strategic technology vision, business acumen, and tactical leadership to consistently deliver to plan and bring value to the organization. Visit www.jaycollc.com or email him at jay.cohen@jaycollc.com