Managed service providers evolved as an alternative to the clunky “break-fix” model of technical assistance and outsourcing. Clients no longer willing to wait for hours to have a PC fixed or to troubleshoot a communications problem turned to full-time, round-the-clock professional firms to be available 24 x 7 to protect their online capability and presence.
MSPs were valued for their ability to take on the data center function for small companies, reducing overhead and relieving the stress of non-IT personnel forced to take on those roles.
As managed services matured, however, their growth was increasingly the result of technology prowess. That is, companies who were struggling to keep up with hardware and software upgrades, needed servers capacity, or additional bandwidth learned that managed services firms offered a cost-effective solution. By migrating their data center from a local setup to the MSP, organizations could take advantage of such benefits as economies of scale and server virtualization to trim their own costs and stay up to date with hardware. Software licensing also become more agile, as companies could piggyback on the MSP capability to own licenses on a larger scale.
Although all of the above benefits are still compelling reasons to contract with a managed services provider, the past two years have once again seen a revolution in regards the value of the MSP model.
The sharp increase in cyber crime, especially as it affected small to medium sized businesses, has caused many to look for outside expertise. Companies who felt “too small” to be targets of hackers and cyber criminals have increasingly found the threat of malware and ransomware to be very real indeed. In fact, more small businesses have reported being victims than those who have not; due to the fact that their data is often not as protected as that of the larger companies. Managed services providers provided the support, expertise and monitoring capability to keep the havoc wreaked by cyber criminals to a minimum; while helping smaller companies to structure a defense strategy against the threat.
Free eBook: The Essential Cybersecurity Guide For SMB’s
For today’s companies, falling victim to one of these attacks is no longer a question of “if” but “when
Many organizations saw the cost and security benefits of moving operations and applications into the cloud; and managed services providers saw an influx of customers looking for guidance as they made the shift into cloud services. Then came 2020.
2020 saw many companies thrust into a new way of doing business, with little warning or preparation. The rapid shift to a remote workforce was a sobering reality for virtually every company in America, and many found themselves struggling to establish secure and reliable networks, communications, and protocols virtually overnight. Managed services providers with experience in remote sites and personnel found themselves once again at the forefront of change, as they stepped in to bridge the gap for many organizations caught in the middle of the chaos. As the pandemic dragged on and these remote scenarios became more permanent in nature, the MSP was able to facilitate new standards and procedures for SMBs.
No matter the challenges that small to medium sized businesses face, managed services providers continue to be on the forefront of support and service. With a dedicated and deep bench of expertise, advanced hardware and software capability, knowledge of and access to cloud services, round-the-clock monitoring against cyber threats and the ability to fill any IT skills gap, MSPs are poised to continue to evolve to meet the needs of any sized business.
If you are a Sarasota area business who needs assistance with IT services, communications, security or technology, call Alliance IT today. No matter the IT need, our team can help.
