Managed IT Services - What is Managed IT Support?

What are managed IT services?

Managed IT services refer to when a company outsources its IT management to a third-party specialist provider. This can be the outsourcing of a full IT team or certain functions. The third-party is often referred to as a Managed Service Provider or MSP.

Technology can be one of the most important areas for a business to invest in. Managed IT services can be a cost-effective solution for many businesses who either want to support internal IT teams with additional capacity or may require external support where they have limited internal capability.

The Growth of Managed IT Services

As technology has advanced, so has the adoption of outsourced managed IT services. In the early 1990s, many businesses simply waited until computers stopped working before their technology department fixed them (or invested in new hardware). However, as technology improved many large businesses realised the impact that slow machines and downtime was costing them both productivity and money.

As time went on, business IT systems became more complex with the addition of new hardware and as communication options improved. This presented an opportunity. Therefore, many more managed services providers entered the market which made managed IT more affordable for many businesses.

The recent growth of cloud-based services has meant the need for focused IT support has also grown. A report by Markets and Markets suggested that outsourced IT would be worth a staggering $257 billion by 2022 – which would be an increase of 11% in only 5 years.

In today’s technology-driven world, security and uptime are more important than ever. Therefore, we are likely to see more businesses utilising specialist support moving forwards driving continued market growth for managed IT services.

Common Managed IT Services

Managed IT services can differ based on the provider and the requirements of the client. At Wemtech, we specialise in working with businesses from SMEs to larger National clients. Our packages are tailored to the needs of our clients, but our typical managed IT support packages include the following:

• 24/7 monitoring
• Application patching
• Performance reporting
• Help desk support
• Telephone support
• IT discovery
• Back-up support
• Managed continuity monitoring

Benefits of Managed IT Services

Profitability

Typically, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can deliver a higher return on investment for many businesses. Whilst costs vary based on the level and nature of support required, pricing is often more cost-effective than an equivalent in-house team. An MSP often has a much wider team to call upon vs. in-house teams, which means resource can be scaled easily as required. This increased resource, plus access to the latest technology solutions means an MSP is often more efficient in protecting your business from cyberattacks or other potential issues.

Outsourcing IT functions can also mean that internal teams can focus on key tasks and issues rather than get side-tracked by ad hoc requests and challenges. By employing an MSP, businesses can direct any employee requests away from core internal teams allowing them to be more efficient.

Expertise

IT requirements, processes and best practices move incredibly quickly, and it can be challenging for the best internal teams to keep up alongside their day-to-day responsibilities.

A good MSP continually invests in training employees to keep up with the latest industry developments. This means clients can invest less time and money (if they want to) and lean on the knowledge and expertise of a trusted partner to maintain industry best practices. Alongside this, MSPs often work with different businesses across numerous sectors which gives them a unique insight into how different sectors work. An MSP will use this unique view to identify and understand options for clients by taking learnings and insights from different sources.

Growth

An MSP can undoubtedly help drive business growth. Uptime during working hours can be maximised by scheduling software or hardware updates outside of office hours. Depending on service-level-agreements this may also prevent the need to pay internal staff overtime.

This means businesses can maximise delivery, services, profits during the working day and cost-effectively focus on IT maintenance outside of office hours.

Not only that, but an MSP can allow a business to focus on their core business by freeing time and budgets whilst minimising distractions. These distractions can take focus away from what a business does best. By removing these, an MSP can help deliver a competitive advantage for businesses and give you the ability to focus on or reinvest across other key areas of your business.

Providers

Looking for the right MSP for your managed IT support can be tricky for many businesses as there are many different providers across the landscape right now. Whilst businesses in some sectors may have specific industry IT security requirements, many MSPs (such as Wemtech) have experience and qualifications to support across a variety of sectors.

When looking at potential partners, ensure these have the capability and expertise to support any industry-specific requirements you may need. For example, clients in the financial and legal sectors may have increased requirements around cybersecurity.

Businesses should look at whether a local or national MSP would be better suited to their needs. Employing the services of a local provider doesn’t mean a business will lose out on expertise or capabilities – many local providers such as Wemtech - have the infrastructure to rival national providers, often with a higher emphasis on bespoke solutions, customer service and value for money.

Does Your Business Need Managed Services?

When it comes to deciding on outsourcing IT services or getting IT support for internal teams, the reality is that nearly all businesses regardless of size can often benefit.

However, there isn’t a one size fits all solution and so we would consider the following points before looking at MSP options:

• Business sector, size and ambitions
• Internal capability
• Requirements

We believe businesses of any size can benefit from managed IT services. However, if you are looking to scale your business by increasing profitability or productivity of internal teams then outsourcing IT to the right partner could be a good option for your business.

Consider your internal capability as an MSP can be flexible in the way they support you. At Wemtech, we can offer consultancy on new processes, systems, and solutions, manage some of your IT service requirements or, as with many clients, we can operate as a fully outsourced IT team for your business. Review your internal capabilities to understand what the best solution is for you and your requirements, to ensure you work with the best provider for you.

Wemtech Managed IT Services

At Wemtech, we offer a variety of managed IT solutions for our clients. We empower your business through best-in-class IT support you can trust. Helping you stay updated with the latest technology and infrastructure but without the expense.

If you are thinking about improving your IT with a managed service provider then we would be happy to discuss your requirements and options today. Get in touch on our website.

Return to Knowledge & News