Managed IT services are simply IT services that are handled by (or outsourced to) an external provider. It is essentially when one company will employ another company, usually IT specialists), to take over some or all the IT services for their business. The company providing the IT services is known as a Managed Service Provider, or an MSP. 

Businesses usually seek out a managed service provider so that they can have all the complex aspects of their IT managed for them. That way they can completely focus on keeping their business operating efficiently, without getting side-tracked by IT disruptions. Some businesses will outsource their entire IT department, while some will work with an MSP as an extension of their team, providing support for one or a few areas. 

There are countless benefits of managed IT services. Here are just a few of them: 

1. Affordable Security and Threat prevention Surprisingly, a lot of business leaders aren’t aware of just how costly data breaches and business downtime are. When it comes to a business’s cybersecurity, prevention is always much cheaper than a cure. Adopting a managed services approach will provide businesses with comprehensive and proactive security, all on an affordable subscription plan. 
2. IT cost savings According to data from the number 1 job site in the world, indeed.com, the average starting salary for an IT manager is approximately £50K per year. This is a lot of money, not to mention the high cost of recruitment and training. All these unnecessary costs can be avoided when you work with an IT managed service provider, like 848. With this approach businesses can get access and continuous support from IT specialists, for a fraction of the cost of employing an in-house IT team. 
3. Overcome IT skills gaps There’s currently a significant shortage of skilled and qualified IT and technology professionals within the UK’s technology sector. Almost every business is facing an uphill battle to find skilled IT professionals to occupy their technology-related job vacancies. As a result of this, recruiting IT staff has become a daunting, complex, and expensive process for many businesses. One effective solution, that many businesses are using to address this problem is outsourcing their IT provision to a Managed Service Provider.  

You also benefit from peace of mind because you know that your data is secure from most cyber-attacks (there’s no such thing as 100% security) and that you can call for IT support any time you need it.  

There are a variety of managed IT services out there. These varying from very broad services to very specific solutions. Here are a few examples of managed IT services: 

1. Backup as a Service (BaaS) – Data backup services allow businesses to keep their data protected. As well as easily retrievable in the event of unexpected loss of data. This helps business owners, and their employees work with the confidence that their data is secure.

2. Infrastructure Management– Infrastructure management is an aspect within managed IT services that ensures all systems and applications are configured, monitored, and maintained for optimum performance. Managed Services Providers will put a team in place to monitor your IT infrastructure. As well as looking after its health, performance, and security. IT specialists can then respond immediately if an issue or threat is detected to minimise downtime or incidents.

3. Managed Security – Managed security is an aspect within managed IT services that involves a company outsourcing its network security services to a managed service provider. The purpose of managed security services is to ensure that an organisation has access to around the clock and proactive monitoring and management of their firewalls, virtual private networks, and anti-virus.

4. End User Support – This ensures that businesses always have the right support, tools, tech and guidance, to enable their employees to always stay efficient. It gives end users access to skilled technicians to answer queries and fix issues to keep downtime to a minimal and enable uninterrupted experiences.

Businesses of all sizes and sectors utilise managed services for a variety of different reasons. So, there is no such thing as the ‘right’ type of company for IT managed services. Small and medium sized businesses might require managed service providers to provide them with full IT services, so that they can completely focus on running their business.  

Large businesses may use MSPs to support their in-house IT staff, to prevent them from being overloaded with work. These large businesses usually delegate the more day-to-day IT tasks to their chosen MSP. This is while their internal IT team complete more long-term and strategic IT functions.  

The list of potential managed IT services can be long. Among the specific benefits offered is overall network administration, maintaining the operational performance of your existing network infrastructure, patch management, live monitoring of network and equipment events, system performance audits and performance reporting.

It takes time and hard work to choose a managed IT services provider, but there are ways you can speed up the process. Start by identifying which IT services you need (such as business continuity, software licensing, or mobile device management), compile a short list of MSPs that provide those services, and then start making calls and taking notes. Handy tips: (1) Call the MSPs that other business leaders recommend, (2) Don’t call the MSPs that other business leaders hate, and (3) start here. 

The 848 Group is an experienced and trusted managed service provider. We deliver flexible support and technical assistance across a wide range of managed IT services and support offerings. Access managed IT services and support you can trust. Get in touch with a member of our team today.