Small businesses understand technology solutions are vital to business process efficiency and cybersecurity that will define their success in the digital age. The challenge comes in finding the right managed IT services partner to help choose, implement and manage those solutions. Businesses must start the process with an understanding of what these providers should deliver.For more assistance please visit IT Services in Houston.
Leading managed services providers (MSP) consult, implement, maintain and monitor a company’s IT infrastructure in a cost-effective way. Their goal is to enable the business to concentrate on core capabilities while they deliver:
- Network management and Security
- Support for desktops, servers, and other hardware
- Software/hardware implementation, patch management and updates
- Cloud services management
- Helpdesk support
- Outsourced CIOs
- Disaster recovery , back-up and cybersecurity strategy
There is no one-size-fits-all for IT since every business’s needs are different. This truth makes it important to look for a provider with the following attributes:
- Expertise in your business sector and a clear understanding of the pain points and how to resolve them
- A track record in working with your specific software, devices, operating systems, antivirus tools and email host.
- An ability to explain the technology in business terms rather than buzzwords
- Certifications in the right hardware, software and vendor platforms used by your business
- Broad vendor partnerships showing proven and forward-thinking technology approaches
- Service flexibility with monthly or quarterly check-ins, clear agendas, and consulting on business IT and operational technology (OT) needs for future implementations
- 24/7/365 support, fast emergency response times and technicians for on-site maintenance/troubleshooting support
- Remote network and IT system monitoring and management capabilities
True IT expertise is defined by an ability to develop and maintain networks, compute devices, applications, cloud services, and security strategies that work holistically. This approach is crucial to driving efficient processes and operations that position the business for growth.
Managed IT Services for SMB Growth and Efficiency
According to the 2019 SME Pulse Report from Oxford Economics, over 50 percent of small businesses surveyed have plans for investment in cloud platforms, workforce productivity tools and more productive communications systems among others. Support in developing and implementing a cloud strategy can lead to:
- Lower Opex and Capex
- Increased security
- Operational flexibility and scalability
- Workforce collaboration through mobility
Businesses can get these and other benefits from implementing a software-as-a-service
(SaaS) platform like Office 365, migrating workloads and applications to the cloud, and disaster recovery/backup strategies. Attaining those benefits and smoothly implementing them requires an experienced cloud consulting and migration services provider.
The reality in the real business world is IT infrastructure and the cloud are only as good as the security underpinning them, so managed IT services providers must excel at security strategies.
Managed IT Services for SMB Security
More than half (53 percent) of SMBs have experienced a breach according to the Cisco Cybersecurity Report. Something as simple as a lack of regular patch management or antivirus software updates can provide openings for cyberattacks that stop business processes and lead to business downtime.Visit IT Services in Houston for managed IT Services for SMB Security.
This statistic among many others shows why staying one step ahead of evolving cybersecurity threats is vital to business continuity. That’s why a managed IT services provider must be able to show the tools, processes and systems capable of proactively helping them stay on top of threats, current security trends, and privacy regulations. With IT budgets much smaller than the typical enterprise, small businesses must do more with less. The ideal managed IT services provider will deliver the expertise, personnel and technology vendor relationships that will position a business to meet changing needs. By providing those services in a flexible, scalable and cost-effective way, small businesses have the support they need to compete today and tomorrow. For more details please visit IT Services in Houston.