4 Pros And Cons Of Hiring Managed IT Services For Your Company

It should come as no surprise that the majority of today’s small and mid-sized businesses are wholly dependent on their computers and other forms of IT to perform at their very best. Businesses lose money and profit when the computer system fails, or a little issue emerges. Businesses must manage IT management, support, and maintenance to reduce these difficulties. Two methods work. Either hire someone to work for you on a full-time basis or outsource the responsibilities to a certified Managed Services Provider (MSP) who focuses solely on this role.

Because it can be prohibitively expensive for small and mid-sized enterprises to hire a full-time, dedicated IT professional, the majority rely on MSPs to manage their IT instead. But this has pros and cons. The more you know before starting, the more you can avoid pitfalls.

Managed IT Services. A man with a laptop.

Pros Of Hiring MSPs

Your business can benefit from partnering with an MSP. Some benefits are as follows:

  • Up-To-Date System

An MSP can assist maintain and update your business’s IT systems. Keeping your systems up-to-date helps you avoid non-compliance penalties and sanctions. IT compliance is critical if you want to maximize your business’s prospects and guarantee your business’s security and safety.

Is the firewall on your system up to date? Are your workstations and servers audited? Has your company adopted Payment Card Industry (PCI) security standards and have you updated them? By outsourcing Managed Services to a PCI-compliant provider like Cloud9 IT services, your organization can reduce risks linked to keeping customer data, credit card information, and sensitive competitive information.

  • Reduced Costs And Response Time

The MSP toolkit includes convenient remote access to any network workstations. This allows problems to be looked at immediately without dispatching a technician. Not all difficulties can be fixed remotely such as hardware issues where the PC needs a component replaced or isn’t booting, but most day-to-day issues that eat up your employee’s time such as errors, application issues, and support concerns can be addressed swiftly if remote access is provided.

Secure remote access is frequently included in a managed IT provider’s monitoring and maintenance toolset, making it an easy, cost-effective addition to any small business’s IT package.

  • Increased Service Quality

Your managed IT provider monitors your systems 24/7/365 to prevent problems and minimize downtime. One or two in-house IT workers are often too busy firefighting to analyze, plan, and execute plans. Proactive management can reduce costly and reputation-damaging downtimes. Furthermore, you’re guaranteed constant uptimes and quality of service by a legally binding service level agreement (SLA).

  • Increased Visibility

Employers will find it easier to obtain visibility into enterprise-wide contingent labor costs with the assistance of MSP. MSPs can gain valuable insights into crucial parameters including expenditure, time to fill, placement churn, and more through the utilization of technology. Employers are able to evaluate how well their contingent worker program aligns with their overall business goals, thanks to managed services.

Cons Of Hiring MSPs

Although hiring an MSP has many advantages, there are some downsides to keep in mind:

  • Lack Of Command Or Control

Loss of control over existing IT support service processes is a significant problem that prevents businesses from MSPs. When a business chooses to outsource certain responsibilities and the management of those, they’re giving those responsibilities to an outside organization. An MSP might not execute IT tasks to the expected quality, even if you offer them instructions on what you need to be done and how you want it done.

  • Scope Is Limited

The services offered by an MSP rarely don’t cover each and every aspect of technological development. You may normally expect an MSP to present you with a list of the software programs that it supports. If you call customer service about a problem with third-party software and that program isn’t on the company’s supported list or in the contract, you probably won’t get any help.

  • Problems With The Hardware Could Result In A Longer Downtime

Software problems can be identified and fixed remotely by connecting to an employee’s computer and controlling it. Hardware issues are harder for remote IT services. Software issues can be reviewed digitally, but hardware issues require a professional to inspect the machine’s mechanical components. If you’re dealing with hardware issues, remote support is of no use.

  • Security Can Be At Risk

Even when security gets better, there’s always the possibility that it’ll be compromised in some way. This is because a business outsources the management of its data, either completely or in part to a third party. Your information will be jeopardized if the company doesn’t meet safety standards. Third parties often protect your data, but not all managed providers do so.

What happens if a backup and disaster recovery (BDR) data center loses data due to downtime or cyberattacks? This circumstance increases the risks.

Conclusion

You may expand your business, save money, and keep up with the latest technology by outsourcing your IT to an MSP. Nevertheless, it’s essential that you choose the right managed service provider. Ensure that the MSP you choose has more benefits than drawbacks while making your decision.