How Companies Maximize The Use Of Managed IT Services
Tech support is important to many businesses, and it's not always easy to maintain all of your required capacity with in-house professionals. Plenty of companies lean on managed IT services providers for assistance. You'll probably want to get the most bang for your busk possible when it comes to your computer support, though. Here are three ways to maximize the value you get from a managed IT support company.
Identify Your Business Needs
Paying for a wide range of services is only a good deal if there's at least some probability you'll need them. If you don't have web servers, for example, there isn't much upside in having tech support available for them. Fortunately, support providers can tailor plans to the needs of clients.
Notably, this doesn't mean you should avoid paying for low-probability needs. If it would cost your business a ton in the event something happened, it's wise to put up the money to hedge against that risk.
Look at Your Staff's Capacity
Many businesses that have IT departments still prefer to work with managed services firms. Not all IT teams are big enough to handle all needs. It may be cost-effective, for example, to have a managed IT support professional available to help the folks on your overnight shift. Likewise, your team might need help with scaling up to handle a job like updating the operating systems on a bunch of computers.
Similarly, it can be beneficial to offload mundane tasks to a third party. Your IT team can deal with big stuff and long-term projects, while people who have basic questions can run their concerns past the managed IT services professionals.
Be realistic about who can do what. For example, non-IT people shouldn't be doing IT jobs, even if they're fairly competent. Asking an outside firm to cover that base can take the pressure off your staff members.
Licensing
One of the most underutilized services in the world of managed IT support is licensing. Many tech support companies have deals in place with software vendors to acquire bulk licenses. They can then license software to their clients at lower costs than they're likely to find by purchasing software at the MSRP.
Also, many newer licensing agreements allow users and companies access to continuing support, updates, and upgrades. That can yield massive savings compared to buying new software regularly. It also reduces the risks that accompany using out-of-date software to minimize costs.
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