It’s close to impossible to run an effective, successful company without the use of robust digital technology. Your team needs Web connectivity in order to collaborate, to connect with vendors and with clients, even to build the company’s brand. As your company grows, so does its dependence on technology, which means, sooner or later, many companies need to enlist a professional business technologist.
One option is to hire a full-time IT staff, but don’t overlook the potential of managed IT services. What are managed IT services, exactly? Here’s a rundown.
Defining the Term
When we talk about managed IT services, or managed IT support services, we’re basically talking about a simple pricing model, one wherein companies can “bundle” the individual technology services they need.
Maybe you need someone to build and maintain network infrastructure. Maybe you need a cloud specialist. Maybe your technology needs are many, or maybe they are comparatively few. All companies are different, and so are their technological requirements.
That’s the beauty of managed IT support services: You can choose the specific services you need and pay for just those services. Based on the services you choose, your company will pay a flat monthly rate to your chosen managed IT services provider, and you’ll get unlimited help desk calls and tickets. (See Myths of Managed Services for more details.)
The Benefits of Managed IT Services in the USA
As you consider managed IT services in the USA, there are a handful of benefits you can anticipate.
The first is that managed IT services are totally customized to fit your needs. There’s no better way to ensure that all your tech requirements are being met than to literally choose your IT services from a menu, which is what the managed IT model lets you do.
This also helps your business save money. Simply put, you don’t have to pay for anything you don’t want or don’t need. Do you already have network security covered in-house? Then there’s no need to hire an outside vendor to handle it for you, simple as that. Through the managed IT services model, you can keep your technology costs as streamlined and as effective as possible.
One major benefit to this model is that you can either outsource all your IT needs to an outside provider, or you can simply bring them in to augment your existing team, giving some extra resources and support to your current on-staff technologists. There are many options and plenty of flexibility here.
And one more benefit that’s worth noting: Managed IT solutions tend to scale well. If your company is still fairly small, your needs may be minor. You can make an economical decision about the IT services you truly need, and as the business grows, you can add to that list of services.
What’s the Difference Between Managed IT and ITaaS?
Let’s close with a quick note about terminology. At Salient Networks, we used to label ourselves one of the top managed IT services providers, but we’ve slightly tweaked our focus in recent years to offer an IT as a Service (ITaaS) model instead. (See our previous posts: Salient Networks Offers ITaaS Services; and Benefits of IT as a Service [ITaaS]).
Actually, though, the difference is fairly minor. We still offer the exact same managed IT service solutions, including all the benefits listed above. Only now, we’ve added some cloud-hosting options to the mix, resulting in an even more expansive selection of services you can choose from.
In other words, Salient Networks is your one-stop shop for all kinds of managed IT/ITaaS solutions. To learn more about how managed IT services can help small businesses boost productivity, reach out to us today!