Managed IT Service Providers or, (MSP’s) are a bit different from most service providers because the business is designed to deal with and help customers with almost any IT related matter you could think of whilst traditionally most IT service providers specialized in one particular area, Managed IT Services look to support any business of any size, not only with tech support but also installation of new systems and external monitoring, there are however, pros and cons of which you can see below;
The good new first
Design modification
If an MSP is doing its job well, it should be able to keep technical troubles at bay. It accomplishes this by continuously monitoring areas of IT such as hardware, apps, security, and the internet in order to warn you when there is a problem or an unusual one. In the end, what you’re paying for is someone to protect your company from having problems rather than someone to cure them.
Continuity of operations
Do you ever wonder how you would go about recovering all of your systems and data in the case of a disaster as a business owner? If you haven’t already, you should. This is an area where a managed service provider may be quite beneficial. A competent MSP can build an effective disaster recovery plan that will allow you to sleep at night knowing that if calamity strikes, your organisation will be able to withstand it.
Available resources
Using different schemes, the MSP firm offers all of your business’s technology, including workstations, servers, and software. All you have to do is utilise them and pay for them and whilst they may appear to be costly, you have to factor in that there is no initial outlay for new tech and your Internet capabilities should be better, allowing your company to spend its cash in other areas, which is always useful.
Now to the downsides
Price
Going in with your eyes wide open: hiring a quality MSP is costly. Depending on the size of your business and your technological requirements, you will most certainly pay upfront costs and at least a few hundred dollars every month. Remember to consider how much money an MSP will save you in other areas, such as if it supplies technology that you will never have to buy yourself.
Actual physical involvement
The fact that many MSPs are not local to your firm is a significant disadvantage. When a problem arises, such as a printer failure, you may need to intervene yourself to remedy it, as MSPs operate your technology remotely. Having said that, if you select a local MSP (at least within your region), they may provide onsite help.
Scope
An MSP’s scope of service doesn’t quite cover everything, typically, an MSP will give you a list of apps that it supports. When you call about a problem with third-party software that isn’t on the company’s supported list or in the contract, you’re probably going to need to find help elsewhere.
To conclude
When it comes to paying for an MSP, every small company owner must consider all of the aspects. If your company regularly relies on IT help, or if you spend too much time attempting to resolve technical difficulties on your own, hiring an MSP may be a smart choice.
