The value of Tech as a Service
We live in a truly unique time in history, in today’s age you can access almost anything and everything as a service.
In the past, society largely held the belief of ‘ownership is king’. However, changes in offerings and opinions mean most people have come to realise that owning everything you use isn’t always the best option.
This is very apparent and largely reflected in almost every aspect of most people’s personal lives today. More people are choosing to lease cars rather than own their cars outright, subscription-based media streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify have more users than ever, and this trend isn’t slowing down any time soon.
The as a service model has also been widely adopted in businesses as a cost-effective and flexible approach to many business services, processes, and solutions.
As a result, the service sector has witnessed enormous growth over the last couple of years. Today there are more than enough service providers and unique service offerings available in the market to fulfil every business need.
Technology is a critical area within every business that requires specialist knowledge, resources, and support. But acquiring, maintaining, and upgrading technology is expensive, time consuming, and resource demanding. Tech as a Service (TaaS) provides businesses with a comprehensive, flexible solution that encompasses all a business’s technology needs into a single subscription price model.
This blog explores the value of the as a service model within the IT industry, and the benefits of tech as a service to businesses.
What is Tech as a Service (TaaS)?
TaaS is a subscription-based service that gives businesses flexible access to the latest hardware, software, and complimentary services all within one subscription price. Subscribing to a tech as a service plan gives businesses access to IT products, solutions, and services, all paid for on a monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis. Flexible and scalable, tech as service subscription options make it easier for businesses to scale up or down and add or remove technology according to changes in business demands.
TaaS gives businesses the opportunity to harness around the clock technical expertise, guidance, and support that may not be available in house. The as a service price model means businesses can benefit from lower total cost of ownership (TCO) and predictable monthly costs making the process of acquiring and maintaining IT products and services more cost-effective.
TaaS benefits people across the business from decision makers to end users to internal IT teams. With as a service IT support, hardware and software issues can be resolved quickly thereby reducing downtime. Furthermore, specialist guidance helps fill IT skills gaps and simplify IT management for internal IT departments.
Why is IT shifting to an ‘as a Service’ model?
As previously mentioned, in recent years there’s been enormous growth surrounding as a service, especially when it comes to IT. For example, you may have heard of Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and so on?
There are many reasons for this, one key reason is because it is a much more affordable way for businesses to access the latest hardware, software, and services. Here are a few other reasons why this model has gained a lot of traction in the IT industry:
- It has given businesses the flexibility to adapt to new technologies and grow their IT infrastructure.
- The IT landscape is always changing and rapidly, so businesses require the most up-to-date technologies and services, to stay competitive.
- Businesses want cost stability. The subscription element of as a service gives businesses regular billing and ongoing support instead of a large up-front bill.
As a Service examples in the IT industry
Network as a Service (NaaS)
Network as a Service (NaaS) is a cloud-like subscription model that removes the burden of owning, building, and maintaining network infrastructure. Managing networks internally can be costly and time consuming, but with NaaS, the management is outsourced, so businesses only pay for the network services they actually use. It helps them easily monitor and track networking usage and enhance connection experiences for end users.
Backup as a Service (BaaS)
The goal of Backup as a Service (BaaS) is to help businesses protect and retrieve critical data, stay compliant with government regulations, and better safeguard business systems in the event of unexpected loss. With continuous expert guidance and support businesses can be assured that data is appropriately protected and backed up so that information can be retrieved quickly and safely. BaaS solutions help businesses save valuable time, simplify processes, and stay resilient against an always evolving threat landscape.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Regardless of the size of the organisation, any IT infrastructure requires monitoring, managing, and updating. Infrastructure, system, or service issues can quickly bring businesses to a halt. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) ensures all of a business’s systems and applications are configured to perform at their optimum capability. Whether on-premisses, hosted or cloud-based, IaaS provides support to monitor and maintain IT infrastructure, and often on 24 hours a day basis.
Benefits of TaaS
There are many business benefits to switching to TaaS for IT products, solutions, and services. Here are just a few of them:
1. It’s cost-effective
A typical TaaS agreement will require businesses to pay a monthly service fee depending on the size of the business and it’s needs. Paying a monthly fee instead of having to purchase all IT equipment on an individual basis will equip businesses with the ability to scale IT when it’s necessary. This reduces the total cost of ownership and means businesses don’t have to deal with any unexpected additional costs.
Having a clear picture of all IT outgoings will allow businesses to make better predictions when forecasting IT costs. This transparency can help businesses budget more effectively.
2. It’s flexible
TaaS empowers organisations with the freedom and flexibility to scale services up or down based on fluctuating IT and business needs. If an organisation is experiencing a period of growth and therefore an increase in headcount, and they suddenly need more devices or licenses, then it’s a simple process of communicating with their IT partner or service provider. This saves businesses the hassle of having to order new equipment every time they onboard new people.
3. Unparalleled access to technical support
With most TaaS offerings, businesses don’t just get new products or licenses, they also get around the clock access to specialist technical support. This means if a business experiences any technical incidents or problems they can quickly get the issue checked and resolved, reducing business downtime and costs. With technical support on hand, businesses can perform upgrades and enhancements in minutes, ensuring that all employees have access to the latest technology.
This ongoing technical support empowers businesses to operate more efficiently, as well as reduce the burden on internal IT teams.
4. Fills IT skill gaps that may not be available in house
The UK is experiencing a serious IT skills shortage. Many businesses all over the UK are struggling to find experienced, competent, and reliable technical staff with the right skills to work with their internal IT teams. This is a worry for many businesses as IT issues can arise at any time and without IT systems, many businesses come to a sudden halt. TaaS removes this worry for businesses as whatever the IT problem or need is, their service provider is very likely to have the answer and get business back up and running in no time.
Does TaaS interest you?
The 848 Group is an IT partner and Managed Service Provider (MSP). We help businesses adopt an efficient, resilient, and affordable IT landscape that delivers value and grows with them.
We have a team of IT specialists who can design, manage, and support your IT infrastructure on a budget that works for you. Our dedicated service support team will handle all management, monitoring, maintenance, licenses, and upgrades so you don’t have to. We can also combine services and security within your subscription to provide an all-encompassing solution.