Your IT system is a crucial component of your business, so it must be designed and built to address the unique needs of your company. If you feel that there are gaps in your current setup, partnering with the right managed services provider (MSP) is an excellent way to fill these and create an IT system that truly works for your business.
To determine how well your IT infrastructure fits your organization’s needs, you have to look at four factors:
#1. People
Do you have people whose sole responsibility is to provide IT support? Or do you tap one of your employees to handle this task? The latter setup works to an extent, but it disrupts your employee’s focus and reduces their efficiency.
Additionally, even someone who’s good with computers may not have sufficient experience to troubleshoot errors, update software, and protect your data from viruses and other threats. Clearly, you need dedicated IT professionals who can accomplish these and other complex tasks more efficiently.
But creating an IT department isn’t always a practical choice. For small businesses, partnering with an MSP ensures that their IT system is consistently monitored without the need for upfront investments in office space, hardware, or additional manpower. This option allows them to enjoy all the perks of a dedicated personnel at a fraction of an IT department’s initial and long-term costs.
#2. Hardware
Computers are expensive as they are, but even more so when you take factors like repair and their life cycle into account. With regular maintenance, each unit is useful for only up to five years on average. Even if your computers lasted longer, you’ll still need to replace them with more powerful units that can run demanding but crucial software.
If you’re paying for your own computers, you can expect considerable hardware-related expenses in the long run. Partnering with an MSP offers a much cheaper alternative. This is because your provider buys, maintains, and updates their own hardware at no additional cost to you.
Some MSPs even lease out computers at fixed, low monthly costs through Hardware-as-a-Service (HaaS). The main benefit of HaaS is that it allows you to increase or decrease your hardware easily, depending on your business’s needs.
#3. Software
It’s very rare that free software offers the same level of power, functionality, and support provided by paid applications. But installers and initial licenses of paid software can set you back hundreds of dollars, especially if your business uses specialized tools. And, like hardware, software should be updated regularly to ensure that they are secure and functioning optimally.
An MSP can help you choose the right tools suited to your company’s exact needs, from the best vendors. An MSP also updates your applications for you and keeps their security features patched at all times. Finally, some MSPs host their clients’ applications in their servers and make these available through the internet, offered through Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). This approach lets you enjoy top-notch software at a manageable cost and with scalable pricing options. It also gives you access to your apps from any device, in any location, as long as an internet connection is available.
#4. Frustrations
After you have identified areas of possible improvement in your people, hardware, and software, look into your IT system’s other pain points. These could be high communication costs and delays, poor internet connection, frequent cyberattacks, or incompatible software versions. Some of these issues may seem inconsequential, but they can have a tremendous effect on your overall efficiency and compliance with industry regulations.
An MSP should be able to offer recommendations to address your concerns. For instance, they can provide VoIP services that allow you to contact anyone in any location at a low cost or organize employee training sessions on cybersecurity. In their desire to become a one-stop resource for their customers, most MSPs tend to cover much ground in terms of the service they offer, so don’t hesitate to ask.
Zeta Sky offers a host of IT solutions that modern businesses need to keep up with the competition, augment their capabilities, and enhance their capacity for growth. Contact us to learn how you can build a system that truly does wonders for your business.
