Managed IT services are more prolific than ever, and many companies consider them integral to their strategic growth. Several aspects have caused companies to consider IT outsourcing, as the positive impacts often improve their ROI. One of the primary reasons that move these companies towards these types of services is that internal skillsets are more difficult to maintain. The skills gap can represent a significant concern in keeping up with evolving technology, which can impede efforts to grow the company – but managed services providers (MSPs) can play a critical role in supporting companies in this way.
- Industry-specific strategies: Since society has opened back up after the pandemic, many companies are eager to return to rapidly attaining desired goals to make up for the lost time. MSPs can offer a competitive advantage and accelerate potential growth. Contemporary MSPs often consolidate their offerings into verticals and specific industries. (Learn more about the industries where Alliance IT excels.)
- Essential data recovery:
Data backup is critical, but more essential is the ability to recover data rapidly after a breach or cyber attack. MSPs are increasingly assisting their clients after a disaster or cyber emergency. The first step towards effective data recovery is for MSPs and their clients to have a robust recovery strategy. Without a strategic plan for recovery, months (or years) of stored data will be difficult to sort through and access properly. But businesses must have access to their data as quickly as possible—time is of the essence. Therefore, an efficient recovery strategy will allow customers to find and retrieve the data in an ordered and systematic way. - Vital data tiering: All information is not created equal – and it is not all critical. So, when cost-savings are driving strategies, companies are considering if storing and saving every bit of data is necessary for critical recovery. MSPs often help their clients by offering tiered data-storage solutions, allowing businesses to store data according to its relative value—less critical data can be covered by more affordable storage levels the most valuable data can have maximum protection applied.
- Platform and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (PaaS/IaaS)
Platform and infrastructure-as-a-Service (PaaS/IaaS) are becoming increasingly popular as they benefit companies in many important ways. These services include every essential component – hardware, software, servers, networking, storage, and database platform—to help organizations to scale their operations rapidly. Both PaaS and IaaS service models allow companies to minimize expenses, reduce the time necessary to manage in-house infrastructure and services, and improve the level of customer support. When an MSP and a customer are in concert, they can effectively integrate PaaS / IaaS and speed up their day-to-day operations. The subscription-based billing structure provides flexibility in terms of cost, scalability, and security. - Automation: Automation has become essential for most organizations to minimize wasting resources on repetitive tasks. Automation eliminates human error and reduces resolution times but also enhances organizational productivity. Managed IT services that supplement automation skill sets can provide benefits to diverse departments throughout the organization – including finance, human resources, and marketing.
Alliance IT is a managed services company located in Sarasota, Florida. We specialize in serving small businesses in many industries – including healthcare, construction, manufacturing, real estate, financial services, retail, government, and insurance. Call today for a consultation if you would like to learn more about how managed services can help solve your skills gap while lowering costs and promoting efficiency.
