Benefits Of IT Managed Services For Business

Technology | 22-06-2021 | Vitaly Kuprenko

benefits of it managed services for business

A modern IT environment is a chain of complex processes and decisions that needs to be appropriately managed. By utilizing IT managed services, companies can boost efficiency and keep up with advanced technology.

In this post, l will discuss what IT managed services stand for: types and benefits. You’ll also learn how to prepare for managed IT services.

Managed IT Services Definition

Managed IT services enable entrepreneurs to focus on the core tasks by taking responsibility for managing IT-related activities. It aims to operate network and server hardware, keep an eye on software, and customize cloud service.

Oftentimes, small and mid-level companies pay little attention to private clouds. Instead, they deploy a mass of physical servers that store data, software, and other different stuff. All server infrastructure needs to be maintained and supported, which means organizations have to look for new employees. It’s a costly and time-consuming task. However, if the server crashes and clients can’t reach the product/services they need, the company will lose both customers and money.

Managed IT services experts can deal with those issues by transmitting all IT operations to a private cloud infrastructure. For example, Amazon S3 provides fault-free servers with solid hardware. If the clients face a problem, they can get a consultation from their managed IT service specialist.

Types of IT Managed Services

If you want to save some time and budget, you can consider outsourcing IT operations to a third-party vendor. However, to benefit from it, you need to figure out what processes can be delegated.

Below you’ll find what tasks managed IT services vendors are responsible for.

Data Backup

If your business is connected with data, you’re vulnerable to cyberattacks and hardware malfunctions. In this case, you’re risking losing a tidy sum without data backups.

IT managed services vendors can make a system that stores backups and automatically transmit information to reserve machines in case of breakdowns with the primary data.

Analysis

Often, startup top web development companies require experienced specialists to organize cloud infrastructure and assess the performance of the cloud systems. That’s why entrepreneurs hire outsourcing companies to conduct performance analysis.

DevOps engineers scrutinize the system and prepare a list of recommendations of what needs to be improved. Based on the results, in-house employees polish their system. Hence, you can boost the performance of your IT system while reducing the consumption of resources.

Customizing CI/CD

CI stands for continuous integration. In turn, CD implies continuous development/delivery. It’s combined practices that aim at automating the software delivery process. Simply put, it’s a practicable specification of all steps that engineers should take to present a modified version of the software that improves their productivity. Thanks to this pipeline, there is no need to develop and test the product manually.

Managed services specialists make a pipeline according to your specification. Thus, an outsourced development team can create customized channels for product delivery depending on your requirements.

Cloud Infrastructure Security

After the data migrates to the cloud, it’s vital to protect your software from fraudsters. For instance, Amazon has a shared responsibility model. AWS grants the security of the whole cloud, while users are in charge of the security within the cloud. It implies that Amazon protects the IT infrastructure that utilizes AWS service.

Benefits of IT Managed Services

Now let’s consider the main benefits of managed services in IT and how you can use them for your own gain.

Filling the Talent Gap

The hiring process can be a complex and costly task for employers, especially if you need to find a candidate with specific expertise. The outsourcing model allows you to attract diverse specialists with a wide range of skills and unique experiences. Furthermore, if you don’t have a tech background, you’ll need to look for an experienced DevOps to review candidates’ skills.

Managed IT service providers already have a vast talent pool to select from.

Focus on Core Tasks

When you’re a small startup, it's expected that developers are responsible both for server deployment and software development. However, it may lead to decreased productivity and outburning. A managed IT services provider takes care of all IT processes to free your in-house team up for other tasks. In addition, they can also consult you on IT processes.

Predictable Costs

The managed IT vendors provide you with the final paycheck for their services beforehand. Thus, you can assess your budget and monitor your spendings precisely.

Besides, IT providers create separate payment schedules for each client to make it possible for them to choose different billing strategies (hourly/daily rate, monthly rate, etc.)

Scalability

Scaling up your business requires new employees. To maintain more servers, secure cloud infrastructure, and customize cloud services, you need to build a DevOps department. But hiring talents from an outsourcing company is a more profitable solution since it doesn’t require additional expenses (rent, salary, hardware, etc.). On the top, you get a team of experienced specialists almost instantly without interrupting internal business processes.

Preparations Steps for Managed IT Services

After all, it’s time to find out how to get ready for managed services in IT and whether a remote team model is a suitable option for you.

Compare the Expenses

Before augmenting your in-house DevOps team, it’s vital to calculate all possible expenses, including additional ones (rent, equipment, software, taxes, etc.).

If you roll a small project, there is no need to extend your in-house team since small projects usually don't involve complex cloud architecture. However, if you run a large project, it makes sense to cooperate with managed IT services providers. Thus, you’ll get a chance to reinvest your money into software development.

Look for Potential Vendors

You can browse popular hiring platforms such as Clutch, GoodFirms, or IT firms to gather information about potential tech partners. I highly recommend considering the level of English to avoid miscommunication and misunderstanding. Furthermore, feel free to ask about payment conditions. Some app development companies offer different payment schedules and systems to be as flexible for clients as possible.

Select a Provider and Onboard Employees

After you’ve selected a managed service IT provider, it’s time for the first screening. During the meeting, you have to describe your requirements clearly. Commonly, the company tells you what steps should be taken before starting cooperation. For instance, if you’re going to move from physical servers to cloud ones, the provider will ask you to access both accounts.

Then, the vendor picks up the candidates that’ll be responsible for your project. You can examine their CVs and conduct a personal interview to understand if they can bring value to your team and whether you're both comfortable with each other.

Finally, after all points are discussed, you can onboarding new team members to your project and in-house team. Give your new workers access to all operational necessities (business chats, project management tools, server architecture documents, etc.). When all issues are fulfilled, the team can start product development.

Wrapping Up

Modern tech solutions require experienced consultants to provide stable and efficient work in the IT environment. If you plan to scale up your business, it’s better to cooperate with managed IT services providers. Thus, you’ll open significantly new ways of running a business and deliver outstanding results.

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Author

Vitaly Kuprenko

Vitaly Kuprenko is a writer for Cleveroad. It’s a web and mobile app development company with headquarters in Ukraine. He enjoys writing about technology and digital marketing.