‘Which It?’: Your Ultimate Guide to IT Managed Services

In a technology-driven era, the IT world is inundated with a variety of components. From hardware and software to databases and networks, each part plays a pivotal role in shaping your IT infrastructure. This can be quite challenging for many businesses to understand and manage, hence, the idea of ‘which IT’ becomes paramount. In this context, ‘which IT’ refers to identifying the aspects of your business’ IT needs that should be managed internally and which should be outsourced. That is where IT managed services come into the picture.

Now, you may ask, what are IT managed services? This term refers to the practice of outsourcing a company’s IT functions to a third-party vendor. These vendors, referred to as Managed Service Providers (MSPs), handle and correct IT issues, allowing businesses to focus more on their core competencies. MSPs take full responsibility for the functionality of an IT service and equipment and ensure that they are operating effectively. The client pays a regular fee for these services, providing businesses with predictable, business-focused IT support that aligns with their business goals.

The question is, how do you decide ‘which IT’ services to outsource to a managed services provider? Here, the complexity of your IT operations comes into play. The more complex IT tasks such as server and network maintenance, cybersecurity, and disaster recovery are best left in the hands of experts. On the contrary, you might choose to keep simple tasks such as installing and setting up hardware, creating and managing employees’ email accounts, and small-scale data entry in-house. However, the exact choice of ‘which IT’ depends largely on your business’s specific requirements and resources.

The implementation of IT managed services doesn’t mean that your in-house IT team will be replaced. Instead, they can work hand-in-hand with the service provider, allowing your team to focus on strategic IT projects. The MSP, on the other hand, will focus on the day-to-day IT operations, ensuring that your technological infrastructure is running smoothly and efficiently. Therefore, the ‘which IT’ decision involves a balanced approach— taking a mix of in-house IT staff and third-party services.

Investing in IT managed services can provide a range of benefits for your business. The most obvious advantage is that it can significantly reduce your IT costs since most MSPs offer services at a fixed monthly fee. Another key benefit is access to a vast pool of expertise. By working with an MSP, you can tap into a large team of IT experts who are skilled in various areas, a resource that would be too expensive to maintain in-house.

Some businesses might hesitate to adopt IT managed services as they might feel they are giving up control of their IT operations. However, this isn’t the case. With managed IT services, not only do you retain full visibility and control over your IT operations, but you also gain access to round-the-clock support, proactive monitoring, and strategic planning—all of which contribute to a highly responsive and effective IT infrastructure.

In conclusion, the concept of ‘which IT’ is integral when considering IT managed services. Identifying the right mix of in-house IT staff and third-party services can help your business stay ahead in today’s highly competitive and ever-evolving technological landscape. By making the right ‘which IT’ decisions, businesses can not only increase cost efficiency but also enhance operational efficiency and ultimately, drive business growth.