So, you’ve probably heard the term ‘MSP’ being thrown around and you’re wondering exactly what it means. ‘MSP’ is an abbreviation that stands for ‘Managed Service Provider’.
A Managed Service Provider (MSP) is an external provider that organisations can utilise to remove the burden of IT management. Broadly, an MSP can take responsibility for the daily management, maintenance and support of a company’s IT services. Some companies choose an IT partner to fully manage their entire IT landscape, or to take care of elements of their infrastructure.
Managed Service Providers typically take over IT support, maintenance and problem resolution, but can also undertake activities to improve performance and processes. For example, they can help you develop and automate processes, or provide proactive security monitoring. An MSP can act as your sole IT resource, or as an extension of your internal IT team.
MSP’S provide a lot of value to businesses. They allow them to outsource some of the more tedious and complex IT tasks, therefore freeing up time for over-stretched IT teams. This additional time resource means internal employees can focus on more innovative projects.
In addition to this, MSP’s also enable businesses to improve their monitoring and network management. While at the same time removing a lot of the complexity from many different IT processes.
Common IT areas outsourced to an MSP include:
- End User Computing Services (UEC) or End User Support
- Infrastructure Management
- Backup and Recovery Services
- Software Asset Management
- Service Management and Service Integration
- Cyber Security and Risk Management
9 ways an IT Managed Service Provider benefits your business
Working with an IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) could help your business improve efficiency, cost control, user experiences and more.
What can an IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) do for your business? Technology is pivotal in modern organisations. Business IT environments are far more multifaceted and complex now than even just a few years ago. However, this increased complexity has in turn increased the time and resources needed to effectively manage and maintain an efficient IT infrastructure.
Outsourcing your IT requirements to a Managed Service Provider can help you turn this challenge into an opportunity. By utilising IT managed services, your business will gain a tonne of benefits, from increased performance to cost savings. Below is a list of some of the key advantages an MSP can deliver.
1. Improved efficiency and IT health
First and foremost, a MSP will enable you to improve the performance of your IT. A slow or disjointed infrastructure will negatively impact everything from staff workflows to operations. Having a full team of IT experts proactively managing and reviewing your estate will reduce downtime, help you increase productivity and enhance operational efficiency.
An IT partner like 848 will identify, address and resolve potential issues before they become a problem. They will continuously monitor the health of your IT to ensure it is performing as it expected. Plus, your MSP can help you uncover opportunities to streamline and optimise your IT.
2. Realise cost savings
According to Indeed, the average starting salary for an IT Manager is roughly £50k per year. This is without factoring in the cost of recruitment, continuous training, and qualifications – and that’s just for one team member.
When you work with an IT managed services provider like 848, you get the support of a full team of vendor certified staff and technology specialists – often at a fraction of the cost of building an in house team.
3. Enhanced security and protection from threats
Cyberattacks and data breaches are on the rise. Managed Service Providers like 848 have entire teams devoted to security. We proactively monitor the threat landscape and continuously review and update our security tools and processes to safeguard data and applications for our clients.
Proactive environment monitoring and vulnerability patching enables us to stay one step ahead of cyber criminals. We operate following industry leading security frameworks and best practise to ensure data and networks are protected to the highest standard.
4. IT staff get more time to focus on transformation and innovation
If you have IT staff, they will be facing added pressure from evolving IT demands. As many businesses move towards a hybrid workplace model, end-user requirements and priorities have changed. The increased need for mobility and connectivity across locations adds an extra level of complexity to IT support. Particularly in small or medium businesses, technical teams may be stretched thin, handling everything from password resets to business change projects and developing IT strategy.
By outsourcing your end-user support, back-end functions or IT management to a Managed Service Provider, your business can reduce the burden on your technical staff. This means they spend less time providing simple fixes or firefighting issues, and more time focussing on valuable projects that promote innovation and help you reach wider organisational objectives.
5. Overcome the skills gaps with access to accredited IT experts
There is a significant skills shortage in the IT and technology sector. Every business is working against an always evolving tech backdrop, which is causing the demand for IT professionals to explode. However, the demand for IT skills is far from being met. Businesses across the globe are struggling to find the right talent to fill technology-related vacancies. Recruiting IT talent is proving to be difficult, long-winded and expensive for many.
Outsourcing your IT provision to an MSP helps you overcome this challenge. With a dedicated partner such as 848, you get direct access to skilled IT teams and technical staff, specialising in a wide range of new and emerging technologies. An IT Managed Service Provider can help you mitigate the risk of falling behind on digital transformation. You also get peace of mind that your IT assets and cloud services are being managed, maintained and support by experienced IT professionals.
6. Greater flexibility and scalability
Your IT should grow and evolve with your business. Rapid growth may see IT requirements skyrocket, whilst the end of a large project will suddenly reduce needs as temporary or contracted staff depart. With the 848 Group’s flexible approach to IT managed services, it’s easy to scale your IT support needs up and down depending on your demand. We can help you with onboarding new staff across locations and build a flexible managed service package that adapts to your changing requirements.
7. Facilitate agile working with 24/7 remote support
The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of agile working practises. Traditional fully office-based 9-5 work is a thing of the past, so IT support that’s only available within traditional business hours is no longer fit for purpose. With a managed services provider, you can access valuable remote helpdesk services and support packages that provide 24/7 assistance.
An IT Managed Service Provider like 848 will provide effective remote support to your end-users across all locations. This enables you to ensure your people have full and uninterrupted access to their workspaces wherever they work.
8. Remove the headache of compliance
When it comes to IT and cloud services, compliance can be a minefield to navigate – especially during big infrastructures changes or when migrating away from legacy systems. Outsourcing your IT can help you shift the burden of compliance to your managed services provider.
As an MSP, compliance is critical. At 848, we have expert staff dedicated to staying ahead of the curve when it comes to changing industry legislations and compliance requirements. We’ll help you stay compliant and secure. We can also integrate compliance assessments, audits and reviews within your managed service contract.
9. Improve cost control with predictable monthly billing
But sometimes, technology can go wrong. Sudden breaks and issues can mean you end up with hefty bills you didn’t anticipate. By working with an IT Managed Service Provider you reduce the risk of sudden or spiralling IT costs. This is because your infrastructure is continuously and proactively monitored by specialist support teams.
Potential threats to your IT health are dealt with before they cause damage. Plus, your contract will cover a huge range of fixes and problem resolutions. Your costs are broken down into fixed monthly payments that you can factor into your IT budget. This provides greater visibility of your assets and spend.
Who could benefit from having an IT Managed Service Provider?
When it comes to understanding who benefits from having an IT Managed Service Provider, it depends on what a business is looking for. This is because every business is different, and different businesses have different needs. However, MSP’s can provide significant value to organisations of all sizes and sectors.
Firstly, small businesses can benefit from having an MSP because they usually won’t have the extensive in-house IT resources. This means they may not always have the capacity to deal with all the IT problems they may face.
Secondly, mid-sized companies can benefit from having an MSP, because although they may have adequate financial resources to deal with their most of IT problems, they may not have sufficient expertise to prevent many of these problems from arising in the first place. Moreover, existing IT teams may be overstretched, spending most of their time fire-fighting issues as opposed to on projects that improve operations.
Thirdly, large multinational corporations can also benefit from having a dedicated MSP. This is because if they hold a global presence, they could be operating in many different time zones simultaneously. Hence, they may need additional support to supplement their in-house IT staff. This will ensure that they always have 24/7 IT support available to call upon when needed.
Access these benefits and more from the 848 Group
There are so many benefits to working an IT Managed Service Provider. At the 848 Group, we have a talented service desk and team of IT professionals on hand to help you improve the efficiency of your infrastructure. With over a decade of experience, we plan, build and run cloud-connected solutions and IT landscapes that enhance efficiency and maximise value for our clients.