When considering IT maintenance, however, companies are usually faced with an important decision, Business News Daily explained: Whether to hire IT professionals directly, to work for the company onsite, or whether to enlist the help of a managed services provider. While hiring an IT team directly carries some benefits, businesses can arguably save money and time if they opt to hire an IT services company.
A closer look at managed services providers
From updating software to desktop and server monitoring to support services that can be offered either onsite or remotely, managed services organizations, such as MC Services, can help businesses, big or small, deal with important information technology issues. Indeed, given that most companies are now almost exclusively reliant on IT programs to function on a daily basis, enlisting the help from an IT services company is an astute strategy.
Still not convinced that hiring a managed services company is right for your business? Read on. We've compiled a list of some of the most compelling reasons as to why it could be the best decision for your operation.
1. Frees up time to focus on your company
As detailed by journalist Samantha Gluck, writing for the Houston Chronicle, having a managed services company on hand can allow you and your staff members to focus on building your company and the professional goals you wish to achieve, without unwelcome distractions or time-consuming projects related to your IT needs. For example, if an IT problem causes a system wide crash at your business, having a managed services company at your disposal can be an expedient way to deal with the problem.
2. Helps keep your company's IT infrastructure up-to-date
Keeping up with the latest updates to systems and software programs, such as Firefox, OS X and Silverlight can be a challenge, especially given that IT programs update or shift on such a regular basis, an article from the Journal of Accountancy explained. Managed services providers can help keep your company's IT infrastructure up-to-date, enabling you to remain competitive in an economy fueled by IT innovation and progress. MC Services, for example, offers customers automatic updates on an array of programs, as well as patch management.
This is also especially important when it comes to overall security and crucial data protection. As detailed by Business News Daily, IT service providers offer to take care of routine yet important security updates. Without such services, the source explained that your data and software is more vulnerable to cyber crime or loss via circumstances beyond your control – system wide failure, for example, or even disasters such as fire. Indeed, many IT services companies, including MC Services, offer off-site data backup options to ensure that your most important data remains safe from the aforementioned threats.
3. Save money on labor costs
According to an article from AllBusinesses, published by The New York Times, outsourcing of any kind can help businesses save money on labor costs. Hiring a managed services company will likely help you save money that would otherwise go toward hiring and training a team of on-site IT specialists.
4. Remain competitive
As Gluck argued, enlisting the help of a managed services provider is especially beneficial for smaller companies, as the strategy allows them to maintain an IT infrastructure on par with their larger competitors. If you're a smaller operation you are no doubt aware that your larger competitors are perhaps more able to hire an on-site IT team, putting them at a seeming advantage. Hiring a qualified team based at a managed services company, however, can eliminate this disparity, enabling your small business to remain competitive.
5. Pass on savings to customers
Gluck noted that hiring a managed services provider can actually help lower the costs you pass on to customers. This is because hiring on-site employees in general takes a notable toll on an operation – costs that are then felt by the customer. If you are able to lower costs with the help of a managed services firm, your customers will also reap the benefits, increasing your likelihood of cultivating a loyal customer base.
Consider MC Services
To learn more about MC Services and everything the company can do for you, click here.