Managed IT services refer to a variety of IT-related services that are provided by a third-party company to a business or organization. These services can include things like network management, data backup and recovery, software updates and upgrades, and cybersecurity. The goal of managed IT services is to help businesses and organizations better manage their IT infrastructure and resources, so that they can focus on their core operations and goals.
Managed IT service providers typically offer a wide range of services to businesses and organizations, which can include:
- Network Management: This includes managing, monitoring, and maintaining a company’s network infrastructure, including servers, workstations, firewalls, and other networking equipment.
- Data Backup and Recovery: This includes creating and maintaining regular backups of a company’s data, as well as providing disaster recovery solutions to restore data in case of a system failure.
- Software Updates and Upgrades: This includes ensuring that a company’s software is up-to-date and secure, and providing upgrades and patches as needed.
- Cybersecurity: This includes managing and monitoring a company’s cybersecurity systems and defenses, such as antivirus and intrusion detection software, and providing incident response in case of a security breach.
- Cloud Services: This includes providing and managing cloud-based services such as storage, hosting, and software as a service (SaaS)
- Helpdesk and Technical Support: This includes providing remote and on-site support for employees and end-users, and troubleshooting and resolving technical issues as they arise.
- IT Consultancy: This includes providing advice and guidance to a company on how to improve its IT infrastructure and processes, and making recommendations for new technologies and solutions.
- IT compliance: This includes ensuring that a company’s IT systems and processes are compliant with relevant laws and regulations, such as HIPAA, SOC2 and PCI DSS
Managed IT service providers can offer a combination of these services, or provide specialized services in specific areas such as security, cloud computing, or network management. The specific services offered by a managed IT service provider will depend on the provider and the needs of the business.
Basically, a managed IT services provider can take accountability for all the functions of an internal IT department.
Managed IT Services vs. In-House IT Departments
Maintaining an in-house IT staff can be quite expensive. There are several costs associated with keeping an in-house IT team, including:
- Salaries and benefits: The cost of paying salaries and benefits to IT staff can be substantial, especially if they are highly skilled and experienced.
- Training and development: Keeping an in-house IT team up-to-date with the latest technologies and best practices can be costly.
- Equipment and software: IT staff require access to the latest hardware and software to perform their jobs effectively. This can be quite expensive.
- Overhead costs: There are also overhead costs associated with maintaining an in-house IT team, such as office space, utilities, and insurance.
- Downtime: In-house IT staff can take time off, get sick, or leave the company, which can cause downtime and delay projects.
Overall, the cost of maintaining an in-house IT staff can be significant, and for small to medium-sized businesses, it can be cost-effective to outsource IT services to a Managed Service Provider (MSP) instead.
Outsourcing IT to a Managed IT Services Provider
Outsourcing IT services can provide businesses with a cost-effective solution for managing and maintaining their IT infrastructure. One of the main benefits of outsourcing IT services is the cost savings it can provide. By outsourcing IT services, businesses can significantly lower labor costs as the provider typically handles all aspects of IT management, from hiring and training staff to providing benefits and overhead expenses. This can be especially beneficial for small to medium-sized businesses that may not have the resources to maintain an in-house IT team.
Another benefit of outsourcing IT services is the access to specialized expertise and knowledge that a business may not have in-house. Outsourcing IT services can give businesses access to specialized expertise and knowledge that they may not have in-house, without the need to invest in expensive training and development programs. This can also be beneficial in terms of scalability. Outsourcing IT services can allow businesses to easily scale up or down their IT support as needed, without having to hire additional staff or make other costly investments.
In addition to cost-savings and access to specialized expertise, outsourcing IT services can also provide greater flexibility in terms of the types of services and support that businesses can receive. This can allow businesses to tailor their IT needs to their specific business requirements, which can be beneficial in terms of adapting to changes in the market or industry. Outsourcing IT services can also provide predictable costs, as businesses can typically contract with providers for a set monthly or annual fee, which can make budgeting and forecasting easier.
Finally, outsourcing IT services can also help to reduce downtime and increase the reliability of your systems. Outsourcing IT services to a provider can ensure that your IT systems are always up to date and maintained. This can help to reduce downtime and increase the reliability of your systems, which can be beneficial in terms of productivity and profitability for the business.
Overall, outsourcing IT services can provide businesses with a cost-effective solution for managing and maintaining their IT infrastructure, allowing them to focus on their core operations and goals.
MSPs and Remote Work vs. Onsite Visits
Managed IT service providers (MSPs) can perform a significant amount of work remotely without the need for onsite visits. The specific types of work that can be performed remotely will depend on the capabilities of the MSP and the needs of the business. However, some common examples of IT work that can be performed remotely by an MSP include:
- Network Management: MSPs can remotely monitor and manage a company’s network infrastructure, including servers, workstations, firewalls, and other networking equipment. This can include tasks such as troubleshooting and resolving network issues, configuring and maintaining network security, and performing software updates and upgrades.
- Data Backup and Recovery: MSPs can remotely create and maintain regular backups of a company’s data and perform disaster recovery solutions to restore data in case of a system failure.
- Software Updates and Upgrades: MSPs can remotely ensure that a company’s software is up-to-date and secure, and provide upgrades and patches as needed.
- Cybersecurity: MSPs can remotely manage and monitor a company’s cybersecurity systems and defenses, such as antivirus and intrusion detection software, and provide incident response in case of a security breach.
- Cloud Services: MSPs can remotely provide and manage cloud-based services such as storage, hosting, and software as a service (SaaS)
- Helpdesk and Technical Support: MSPs can remotely provide remote and on-site support for employees and end-users, and troubleshoot and resolve technical issues as they arise.
- IT Consultancy: MSPs can remotely provide advice and guidance to a company on how to improve its IT infrastructure and processes, and make recommendations for new technologies and solutions.
- IT compliance: MSPs can remotely ensure that a company’s IT systems and processes are compliant with relevant laws and regulations, such as HIPAA, SOC2, and PCI DSS
However, certain types of work may require an on-site visit, for example, installing new hardware, troubleshooting of hardware issues, physical security, or other physical issues that can’t be handled remotely, but this will depend on the specific situation and the capabilities of the MSP.
About Lithium Networks – An Austin Managed Services Provider
Lithium Networks has been providing managed IT services to the Austin area & IT project consulting since 2008. We also handle managed IT services, remote network & server management, remote helpdesk support, application support, cloud management and IT purchasing optimization for a variety of national organizations from our Austin headquarters.
If you have questions about managed IT services, no matter where you are, give us a call or email! We talk technology and optimizing IT environments with a variety of companies and industries every single week. We’re happy to share how much it costs to offload all or a portion of your ongoing IT needs to an MSP. We work in the Austin, Texas area, all over Central Texas, and across the United States for a variety of large and small organizations on a remote basis.