{"id":121577,"date":"2018-09-21T11:17:43","date_gmt":"2018-09-21T10:17:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/startups.co.uk\/?p=121577"},"modified":"2023-10-12T15:28:00","modified_gmt":"2023-10-12T14:28:00","slug":"managed-it-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/startups.co.uk\/technology\/managed-it-services\/","title":{"rendered":"What small businesses need to know about managed IT services"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]With key business operations frequently taking place on desktops, laptops and mobile devices, in 2018 having a safe, healthy and accessible IT network is more important to small businesses and start-ups than ever before.<\/p>\n

With this in mind, it’s important that growing companies have IT professionals to call upon whenever needed. But what if you don’t have the funds, resources or time to employ your own IT team? And what if ad-hoc external IT support proves too patchy and unreliable?<\/p>\n

This is where managed IT services come in.<\/p>\n

It’s no surprise that managed IT services are popular. In fact, the industry is expected to be worth around $258bn by 2022 – a significant increase from $152bn in 2017 – according to Markets and Markets. But what should you know about it?<\/p>\n

In this article, we’ll cover:<\/p>\n

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  1. | What managed IT support is<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n
  2. | Why small businesses should use it<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n
  3. | The types of managed IT services available<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n
  4. | How much it costs, plus other considerations to make<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    What is managed IT support?<\/span><\/h2>\n

    Effectively, businesses which use managed IT services<\/strong><\/a> outsource their IT support needs – namely the management and support of the business’ IT computer network – to a managed service provider (MSP) instead of hiring an in-house IT team.<\/p>\n

    This entails paying an ongoing subscription fee to the MSP so that they, in turn, can provide regular, proactive IT support to the business; from general maintenance to issue detection and prevention to full-blown fixes.<\/p>\n

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    Need to know: Managed IT support is different to on-demand outsourcing or the break\/fix model, in which providers offer ad hoc IT services to businesses and charge a one-off fee for the work done. In this situation, there’s no ongoing relationship or subscription.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    <\/a><\/p>\n

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    Why small businesses should use managed IT services<\/span><\/h2>\n

    For a business owner, there are plenty of benefits associated with using managed IT services – including:<\/p>\n

    Predictable expenses<\/h3>\n

    A key advantage of paying a subscription is the fact that you’re always aware of exactly how much the service costs, and when each payment is going to leave your business account – meaning you can make more accurate financial plans and budget realistically.<\/p>\n

    Cheaper IT support<\/h3>\n

    For a small business, it’s extremely likely that paying for managed IT services is going to work out significantly cheaper than paying to employ an in-house IT team (and it’s not going to absorb as much time and resource from you).<\/p>\n

    Similarly, if you need a lot of IT support, subscribing to managed IT services will likely save you money versus paying on-demand each time you need the advice or skills of an IT expert. On that note…<\/p>\n

    Access to expertise<\/h3>\n

    As a small business, being able to access specialist skills and knowledge (which you and your team may be lacking in) can be integral to growth.<\/p>\n

    To hold a subscription with a managed IT support provider is to have access to IT experts at all times, without having to recruit and hire them yourself. As you’re paying for a continuous service, your MSP can be on hand to assist you at any time during working hours.<\/p>\n

    Plus, knowing that your network is constantly being monitored and maintained behind the scenes can give you the peace of mind to focus your efforts on other things instead.<\/p>\n

    More uptime<\/h3>\n

    As any start-up who’s experienced it for extended periods can attest, IT downtime can deliver a significant blow to company productivity levels.<\/p>\n

    With an outsourced team of IT professionals continuously monitoring and maintaining your network, your business is likely to suffer far less downtime than it might otherwise – meaning near-constant uptime for you to work with.<\/p>\n

    Up-to-date software and tech<\/h3>\n

    To provide a good service, most MSPs use the best technology on the market and keep the software your business runs on regularly updated, meaning your team is always using the latest versions.<\/p>\n

    Furthermore, many MSPs will speak to software and hardware providers themselves when needed, saving you from having to navigate densely technical discussions.<\/p>\n

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    To find the right IT support provider for your business, try using the free Startups questionnaire at the top of this page!<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    <\/a><\/p>\n

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    Types of managed IT services<\/span><\/h2>\n

    MSPs can provide a range of managed IT solutions to start-ups and small businesses, but it’s important to remember that many of them won’t offer every service as standard.<\/p>\n

    Some will enable their clients to pick and choose the services that they need, while others will offer a series of set packages covering particular services.<\/p>\n

    The services most commonly offered by MSPs include:<\/p>\n