Managed Services Providers for IT: The Top 5 Benefits

Keeping your IT infrastructure up to date and secure should be a primary concern for all small business owners, but hiring an IT professional is expensive — and may not be enough to keep every aspect of your infrastructure secure. That’s why an increasing number of small- and medium-sized businesses are turning to managed service providers (MSPs) for their IT needs.

Why You Need Managed IT Services

An MSP offers many of the advantages of an in-house IT staff, without the expense of hiring an internal IT team. This is especially important for small businesses because most cannot afford to hire a large, diverse IT staff with a variety of skill sets to meet every IT need.  

Using an MSP can help you create a more accurate budget for your tech operations while cutting your overall IT costs. You’ll be able to work with a team of experts to create an unbiased plan for the future of your IT operations so you can be proactive rather than reactive. And perhaps most importantly, when you put your IT in the hands of an MSP you trust, you give yourself the time and freedom to focus on your core business competencies and strategies.  

To help you better understand how an MSP can help your small business, let’s look at the top five benefits of using an MSP. 

1) MSPs offer superior tech support

In a typical small business, when technology fails, there’s just one person to call. In many cases, that person isn’t even a full-time IT expert but rather an employee with some IT skills and other responsibilities. In other cases, you might have a contractor who is on call on an as-needed basis. While these arrangements might seem like a cost-effective alternative to hiring a full-time IT pro, they have significant drawbacks — and one IT oversight that allows a cybersecurity attack could cost more than you’re saving.

It’s rare for one person to be skilled in all aspects of IT, so even if you do spend the money to hire a dedicated IT professional, that individual might encounter a problem that is beyond their technical ability or area of expertise. And what happens if the problem occurs when your IT pro is off the clock, asleep or on vacation?

When you work with an MSP, you have an entire team watching out for your infrastructure around the clock. If a problem occurs, someone who is skilled in that particular area will immediately work to resolve it — no matter what the time, day or problem.

2) MSPs offer enhanced security

Security remains one of the top concerns for small businesses for good reason. A 2019 report from Verizon found that 43% of all data breaches targeted small businesses. That’s a big problem, considering that as many as 60% of small businesses close their doors within six months of a breach.

MSPs are security specialists. They know how to protect you from cybersecurity attacks and manage your firewall and security settings. An MSP also knows how to keep your hybrid cloud environments safe and help you securely manage migrations. And with security comes peace of mind — at no extra charge!

3) MSPs help you plan for the future

Without a chief technology officer (CTO) on your staff, planning the future of your IT infrastructure is tricky. You need to understand how technology is changing, which new threats you need to safeguard against, what you need to do to plan for the growth of your business and how your current equipment fits in with your plans. 

An MSP acts as your CTO, providing technical thought leadership to help you determine your future needs and decide how to prepare and budget for them. The right MSP will meet with you regularly to review your roadmap and determine how technology can help. As your needs change, they’ll make sure you have the right tools in place to support your evolving business.

4)  MSPs are always available

Technology issues don’t keep a schedule; they can show up any time. Being able to reach IT help as soon as a problem occurs is crucial, but that can be a problem for small businesses, especially if the IT staff is a one-person show. 

An MSP, on the other hand, is always available, so someone will be there right away when you need help. With 24/7 service, you can breathe easier, knowing that your needs are covered no matter what happens — or when.

5) An MSP will save you money

It might sound counterintuitive to think you can get top-notch skills and round-the-clock service for less than the cost of a single IT pro, but MSPs are usually the more affordable option. Not only does this cut your costs, it also makes it easier for you to forecast and set your technology budget. And because the MSP is keeping your IT infrastructure up-to-date and running optimally, your systems and equipment are likely to last longer, increasing your savings even more. 

Why Choose Managed IT Services?

If you want to know more about what managed IT services in Atlanta, Georgia, can do for your small business, Cortavo can answer your questions and provide more information about our services. For more information on MSPs, download our free ebook Managed IT Services: Better Than Hiring an IT Pro? and learn how an MSP can help you improve daily operations, enhance security, future-proof your technology infrastructure and take your IT to the next level.