In an ever-evolving IT landscape, more and more businesses are turning to Managed Services for their IT needs.
Managed Services is the name for a group of IT services provided to a business by a Managed Services Provider (MSP), and refers to the outsourcing of some or all of a company's IT. The customer and MSP define the services to be provided, at what cost and for how long. Service level agreements are also put in place to ensure the MSP provides a consistent standard of service.
Core is one of the UK’s leading Managed Services Providers, looking after the IT needs of tens of thousands of users in multiple countries and across a diverse range of industries. We also support and maintain many thousands of Exchange Online mailboxes on Microsoft’s popular Office 365 platform.
So, what are the benefits of Managed Services? How could switching be advantageous for your company? And what impact would it have on your existing IT team? Using Managed Services empowers businesses to focus on the things that really matter to them instead of everyday IT issues which hinder company performance. Things like business-critical tasks that will bring growth and allow the company to thrive. Moving to Managed Services is not about making your in-house IT team redundant. It’s about putting their skills to the best possible use instead of ‘firefighting’ IT problems, allowing them to be innovative and efficient while your MSP takes care of other issues.
Depending on the nature of your business, it’s almost certain that using Managed Services will bring its own unique advantages. But there are some benefits which seem universal amongst businesses using an MSP. This blog explores these benefits in detail, giving you the information you need to decide whether to switch to Managed Services…
Predictable costs
Using Managed Services on a pay-monthly basis allows you to access the very best solutions at minimal cost. MSPs provide businesses with carrier-grade (an IT term for ‘the best’) solutions and technology, which if customers were to invest in themselves would be a substantial expense. As technology and software changes so quickly, this also gives value for money. Plus, your MSP will upgrade to the latest versions as they become available so you can be confident your IT is current. Core provide Managed Services on a per user per month basis, with options to suit a range of budgets.
Flexible and scalable
Managed Services can be scaled up for growing businesses or back for those looking to reduce monthly spend. This gives businesses using Managed Services great flexibility and security in knowing their IT spend is scalable in line with company growth. Managed Services can also be scaled to accommodate seasonal requirements. Retailers, for example, may need more capacity during very busy periods such as Christmas and Black Friday.
24/7/365 support
With an MSP taking care of your IT, you’re guaranteed support at all times and you won’t need to wait for your IT team to be back in the office for a problem to be fixed. Core offers multilingual support and our 24/7 presence means offices all over the world can reach us during their working day.
Superior security
The IT infrastructure provided by an MSP is usually superior and more robust than most companies could access themselves. MSPs like Core manage the data of hundreds of companies around the world, so our systems must be secure, resilient, robust and impenetrable. Our security is government-approved to ‘Official’ level.
Compete with big businesses
Smaller businesses often struggle to compete in size and calibre with the in-house IT teams of larger companies. Outsourcing IT means smaller companies can appear like a ‘bigger player’, accessing support and security that may otherwise be unobtainable.
Less downtime
Your MSP can monitor your company IT infrastructure 24/7, identifying potential problems before they even occur. Any issues that do arise can be fixed quickly, minimising the risk of prolonged downtime. With IT managed in the cloud, your business can continue with minimal disruption in a worst-case scenario.
Expert skills on tap
Outsourcing your IT to Managed Services gives you instant access to a team of IT specialists. This can save you money on staff IT training costs. Core’s team is made up of experts with years of experience and a broad range of skills to cover all aspects of Managed Services and any eventuality. MSPs are also able to use their industry-specific expertise to avoid risks around security and compliance, which can be invaluable to certain sectors.
A greener alternative
Do you pride yourself on being an eco-friendly company? Are you trying to make greener decisions about the way you work? Hosting your IT through Managed Services can reduce your company’s energy consumption, making it a better choice for the planet. Plus, you’ll reduce your energy costs! Using Managed Services can be compared to using public transport versus taking your own car. Numerous companies use the same MSP to host their IT on the MSP’s servers, almost like passengers on a bus. Each company on the Managed Services ‘bus’ uses less energy than if they were to take their own car (host their own IT), with the MSP hosting multiple companies simultaneously (and securely) from the same server.
These are just some of the benefits of Managed Services; there are probably many more which are specific to your industry. If you think your business could benefit from Managed Services and are interested in finding out more, contact Core today. You can complete a contact form here or call us on 020 7626 0516 to chat to a member of our team.