T echnology has evolved a lot in just a few years and many organizations are now facing the fact that most internal IT departments are not equipped to keep up with the pace. The rise of ransomware attacks, phishing and hacking incidents has proven that systems which are not updated, upgraded or patched regularly face a significant threat everyday. Apart from security, not having reliable backups or testing your backups regularly can cause havoc in case of disasters such as equipment failure or accidental physical damage.

“What is the cost of  network downtime?” Based on industry surveys, the number we typically cite is $5,600 p/minute, which extrapolates to well over $300K p/hour.
– Gartner

What are Managed Services? In simple terms managed services can be explained as “outsourcing your IT needs to an external company for management, monitoring and administration”. Today, managed services have come a long way. Now days managed services are not just a way of cost saving but an effective way to increase efficiency and provide scalability.

So, what are the benefits of an MSP?

Let’s discuss a few here:

1. Cost Savings: For a SMB, hiring internal IT team can be a heavy cost. Depending upon the size of the business, there might not be an imminent need to have a Full-time resource dedicated to IT. For a business, a resource can be Salary + bonus + sick leave + benefits + contributions and more. This can add up and might not be financially feasible for some companies to afford. An MSP network support service can be a fraction of the cost and at the same time is available 365 days a year to support your IT needs.
2. Vendor Management: MSPs become your One Point of Contact (POC) when there is any issue. Rather than keeping a list and contact details of all the vendors, let the MSP manage them. They can also help you source the best equipment as per your needs for a better price.
3. Dedicated Team: The aim of an MSP is to ensure your systems are performing at optimal speeds. Most will monitor your network to ensure they are operating smoothly and often find and fix issues before you even know there is an issue to fix.
4. Enhance Security: From ensuring your software are updated and patched, to monitoring alerts and taking action, MSPs can give you the peace of mind to ensure your network is always up and running.
5. Keep the bad guys out: Weather you are a SMB or big enterprise, you want to ensure only authorized users can access your network. Be it on perm or wireless network, you need security. An MSP can assess your needs and budget to come with solutions to fit your needs. Technology is more accessible now and you don’t need thousands of dollars to have a secure network. From a physical device to a virtual firewall, there are a lot of IT Security options out there now.
6. Cloud Services: Almost all MSPs provide cloud solutions. Dealing directly with vendors can not only be hectic but also expensive. You MSP knows your network, traffic and needs. They can suggest you a cloud solution and implement it for you at a cheaper price.
7. Data Backup and Recovery: “Backup your data, then backup your backup”. With the rise in cyberattacks, it’s very crucial to backup your data and test your backup frequently. These attacks not just encrypt or compromise your data on the affected device but also the devices on your network. This can also include your data backups. Your MSP can offer you a good Storage and Recovery solution where they can securely transfer your data to cloud or remote devices so your data is also recoverable when needed.
8. Remote work: COVID-19 caused a huge havoc not just on world’s health but also on businesses who were not ready for remote work options. Companies scrambled to setup VPNs, file sharing solutions, security options and more. Fortunately for many businesses it also opened new ways of operating. Many companies are now considering smaller or no offices, employees can work from anywhere in the world. Rather than having physical devices installed, many companies opted for virtualization solutions which can act like (or better) than a physical device and can be managed from anywhere. Devices could be setup remotely and shipped directly to new employees.
9. Reduce down time: You might run into an issue which seems to be complicated, but your MSP might have resolved it many times for other clients. MSPs learn from other’s mistakes and are faster in resolving issues saving you precious time to get your network up and running faster. The fact is for that for some businesses downtime can cost upto $5600/minute which is over $300k/hour. Suddenly your MSP bill doesn’t look that expensive!!!
10. Performance Reports: The network being up and running is great, but how is it performing during peak hours, are there any bottle necks, how is the bandwidth or should you replace or add a new device to enhance your network?? MSPs can answer these questions for you. MSPs proactively monitor networks and summarize performance reports for you to understand how your current network health is and how you can make it work better.

In short, a job of an MSP is to provide a solid partnership to your business and ensure your services are up and always running so you can focus on what’s more important, growing your business.

Curious to know how we can help businesses like yours achieve digital success and stay secured? Reach out to us at team@evologysolutions.com and let’s get started.