What Are Managed IT Services?

What Are Managed IT Services?

Managed IT services are a way in which businesses can outsource their IT department to technology experts, thus ensuring quality and compliance while also freeing up time to focus on core business.

All successful and smooth-running businesses have someone managing their technology and security. But not all businesses have the time, talent, or money to properly do this internally.

Outsourcing IT is not unlike outsourcing other functions, such as accounting, finance, marketing, etc. It makes sense for business owners to outsource areas in which they are not experts to someone who is an expert, thus obtaining better results for lower overall cost.

In this article, we will explain what is included in managed IT services and how they can benefit small to medium size businesses.

What Does a Managed IT Service Provider do?

A quality managed IT services organization fills the role of the IT department for a business.

This means anything from the planning and budgeting to the actual technical work that needs to be done. While these things are often an internal function for large businesses, it works best for small to medium sized businesses to partner with a managed IT service organization to fill these tasks.

Helping Businesses Avoid the Cycle of “Putting Out Fires”

Oftentimes smaller organizations spend all or most of their time around technology in a reactive mode, responding to issues as they come up. In other words, they spend a lot of time “putting out fires”. But a true managed IT services organization spends more time upstream, planning and preventing. They have a deeper understanding of technology, how much to use, how to use it, where to use it, when to use it, when to replace it, and so on. They reduce expensive and productivity killing outages.

What Is Included in Managed IT Services?

Managed IT services can include anything that an IT department would be responsible for, many of them done remotely but others done on-site. Any managed service plan should match the business needs.

Most managed IT service offerings would include:

• 1.) 24/7/365 remote monitoring and management

  • Receive alerts on any issues that crop up, plus response/resolution of issues
  • Ensure all software is patched and updated
  • Including ensuring all security software is installed and working properly
  • Ensure all hardware is patched and updated, including not only computers systems but networking and security gear
  • Asset tracking and management

• 2.) 24/7/365 remote and on-site support

  • Helpdesk user support
  • Hardware repair/replacements
  • Applications support
  • Network tuning and support

• 3.) Data protection

  • Data backup & testing, local and cloud data
  • Disaster recovery
  • Business continuity planning and management

• 4.) Cybersecurity

  Cybersecurity consulting services that are typically included are:

  • Local network protection:  protecting business computer networks, wired and wireless
  • Endpoint protection: protecting your servers, workstations, mobile devices
  • Email protection: protecting against malware & phishing
  • Cloud protection: protecting your devices and files that are in the cloud
  • Dark web monitoring and response
  • Vulnerability scanning and testing: periodic tests to ensure the environment has no holes

• 5.) Cloud technologies

  • Software as a service such as Microsoft 365 Office software
  • Infrastructure as a service such as hosted servers and virtual desktops
  • Hosted websites and maintenance
  • Hosted business phone systems, solutions, and services

• 6.) Documentation: develop and maintain full documentation of all technology

• 7.) Technology planning, forecasting, and budgeting

  • Periodic technology reports
  • Periodic technology review meetings
  • New technologies discussions
  • Technology replacement cycle planning
  • Technology purchasing assistance

• 8.) Technology training sessions

• 9.) Projects: new technologies and technology upgrades

What Is Not Included in Managed IT Services?

“Managed IT Services” is often considered an all-you-can eat service for a fixed monthly price.  This type of arrangement tends to be more stringent where you would have to adopt a stated technology stack of products and service with no deviation.  This provides a level of standardization that enables efficient service delivery; however, it does not provide flexibility to the business.  This type of service delivery is a good choice for a business that wants to outsource their IT department fully and completely and who wants the managed IT services firm to make most or all key decisions around technology.

Other managed IT service firms provide a base level of services for a fixed fee, with additional add-on services based on use.  This type of service delivery provides a more flexible experience and would be a good choice for a business with some internal IT staff to do some functions.  We call this co-managed IT support.

Most managed IT services providers do not deliver services to personal home users but want to stick to businesses.  And many of them will have a minimum company size they will service.

You will typically not see software development or data analytics services provided by a managed IT services company.  Sometimes website development is a service they would provide, but not always.

Avoid Managed IT Service Providers who are not flexible to meet your needs and are only focused on getting you to sign a long-term contract.

Fully Managed VS Co-Managed IT Services

Fully Managed IT Services

Fully managed IT services is when the managed services provider fully takes care of the business’s technology.  The outsourced managed IT services firm IS the IT department.  They can function like a part of the business’s team.  In fact, it works best if they are completely part of the business team, where they are part of the leadership meetings, planning meetings, perhaps fulfilling the role of virtual CIO (vCIO), etc.  That way they can provide technology guidance and input when needed, and early enough in the process to be effective.

Co-Managed IT Services

Sometimes a company has someone, or more than one person, internally that performs some of the IT department roles, but they do not do all of them.  It may be because they do not have the time, or perhaps they do not have the skills.  This type of business can enter into a co-managed IT support arrangement with a managed IT services provider.

In this scenario, the managed IT service company’s role is to support the internal staff and make them better and make the IT department better.

Co-managed IT support is where the managed IT services firm fills roles that are not filled internally, and they support the internal staff to get all work complete and be able to provide full metrics to management.

Examples of Co-Managed IT Services Scenarios

In some co-managed IT cases, the managed IT services firm may support all the servers and network infrastructure while the internal staff handles all the workstation and user support.  In other businesses, the roles may be reversed, or even some other combination.

Benefits Of Managed IT Service

There are many benefits to managed IT services and different businesses will not all realize the exact same benefits.  Below are some of the key benefits for using a managed IT service firm:

• 1.) Acquiring a proven process:

  Hiring a quality managed IT services company immediately gets you a proven process for managing your IT infrastructure.  It takes the guessing out of decision making and replaces it with experience and years of research and testing.

• 2.) Enhanced security:

  A managed IT services company spends time staying abreast of the security landscape, what is important and can affect you.

• 3.) Quick and consistent response:

  With a quality managed IT services team in place, you get quick and qualified response from the engineers that know most about the specific problem you are having at any given time.  And you get a team that can respond 24/7/365.

• 4.) Reduce and control costs:

  You largely reduce emergency and other unexpected expenditures, and you get a fixed fee price for your IT department.

• 5.) Eliminate the need for hiring & training:

  Good employees are hard to find, especially technology engineers.  With a managed IT services firm, you always have a quality team available – not just a single employee that get sick and goes on vacation.

• 6.) More focus on your core business:

  A trusted IT partner can take the technology worries away so you can focus on your core business.

• 7.) Faster implementation of technology:

  A managed IT service team will deploy technology in a fast and planned way, reducing delays and downtime.

• 8.) Single point of contact for all technology vendors:

  You can use your managed IT service company to take care of all vendor issues, like internet, hardware, software – and be able talk their language and resolve issues much more quickly.

Why Managed Service Providers Are Needed

Cybersecurity

Managed IT services providers are needed for various reasons, with security being a prime reason.  The security landscape is constantly changing, and it is difficult for smaller companies to keep up with what is needed to provide an adequate defense.  Technology in general is ever changing, and it takes a specialist to keep up and provide proper levels of service.

More and more companies have a decentralized workforce today, and a good managed IT services firm is needed to keep them secure and productive, not only from a data perspective but also for productive and secure voice, video, and chat communications.

Compliance

Another reason businesses need a managed IT services provider is to meet compliance requirements.  Some industries are required to meets certain standards.  For example, healthcare companies are subject to HIPAA requirements, many of which are technology related making Managed IT for healthcare a specialized field.  Businesses that process payments on credit cards are subject to PCI compliance.  There are other examples of industries with specific compliance regulation requirements,  such as financial companies, and companies that work with the federal government, etc.

Are Managed IT Services Worth It?

13.4% of all critical risks discovered in 2020 related to unpatched, unsupported, or out-of-date systems.

It only takes one breach to destroy a business.

According to the 2021 Vulnerably Stats Report, 13.4% of all critical risks discovered in 2020 related to unpatched, unsupported, or out-of-date systems.  A good managed IT services firm will keep your systems in proper state.

In 2021, 32% of organizations paid a ransom after they experienced a ransomware attack, but only 8% got all their data back.  A quality managed service company will backup and protect your data plus have security defenses in place.

Our IT services organization has helped many businesses improve their security posture, improve their productivity, solidify their infrastructure, and overall gain peace of mind.

“I rely on them heavily. It frees me up to be able to do the job that I’m really here to do and not get bogged down in the computer-related aspect.”

–Peachtree Corners Healthcare Management Firm & Integricom Managed IT Client

Summary

As you can see, managed IT services organizations provide a lot of value.  As you evaluate this for your own business, make sure to find a trusted partner that reviews your specific use of technology and matches solutions to your needs.  Partner with a company that becomes a strategic partner to you and your organization and provides a proactive approach to improve your IT operations.  Avoid the ones who are not flexible to meet your needs, and those who are only focused on getting you to sign a long-term contract.