IT Managed service providers can be highly cost effective in terms of time and labor costs necessary to keep any business performing at peak efficiency. Most business owners are familiar with managed servers for websites and this full service management solution can be extended to include the entire IT department. The idea of off site IT management has finally come into its own.
With almost every business dependent upon computers in some degree IT staffing costs for the business or corporation can be substantial. Services that are managed, release the owner from the necessity of maintaining a staff dedicated only to IT and instead allow them to focus on the main purpose of their business which is making money. Managed services can be budgeted for as they are predictable costs for both the provider and the client.
Every business has a different set of needs when it comes to IT and with a dedicated managed set of providers, the focus of the managed service can target the needs of the business exactly. Service providers as well are finding the managed solutions beneficial as customer satisfaction can be heightened, and long term relationships built by the alert service provider. Providers may well be able to save the client even more by anticipating potential problems and avoiding them as opposed to coming in after the problem has escalated.
Managed services for IT are not a new concept but some resistance may have to be overcome as many clients are used to considering IT an in house problem or in some cases calling for consultants only after the unthinkable has happened such as data loss or unauthorized access. There are particular areas that are simpler to transition to because the client base understands the potential losses or complications far outweigh the fixed monthly cost of a managed service. When considering a transition to fixed services a provider should also consider any government regulations which must be adhered to as well.
Security of data has always been a high priority for businesses and the potential market for managed services of this type is very large, particularly in small and medium sized businesses. Website hosting and data storage are also areas which tend to meet less sales resistance from the clients. Obviously these are not the only managed services which can be beneficial to both the customer and the provider but these areas have already gained wide acceptance.
Managed dedicated website servers have been common for many years and most clients with a web presence view these as most cost effective. Clients of these managed services find they need only consider the needs of their business and their customers and leaving the maintenance and security of the server to professionals frees them for the tasks which make them money. It generally works well for both the client who has a fixed expense each month for hosting fees and well for the provider who has a stable income and a team of experts to help maintain the servers.
There are many facets of the IT front that can be addressed as a managed solution. Such ground breaking ideas as software as a service, infrastructure as a service, and desktop as a service have given a introduced a great deal of flexibility for the providers and significant savings for the businesses which utilize them. A company that must frequently deploy new software to a great number of machines in multiple locations find these services can not only help them to budget IT expenses but in some cases reduce the cost of deploying software, or upgrading machines.
With the right amount of marketing of the correct type it has been possible for service providers who formerly worked on an as needed basis to shift their focus to providing managed IT services. The benefits for both the service provider and the client are multiple. Once a client has been secured, those first months of service can cement customer loyalty.