Today’s businesses rely heavily on their computer networks. That also means companies rely even more heavily on managed IT support services.
Whether you have an in-house team of IT professionals or you outsource your IT to a remote team of IT specialists, the service they provide is critical to the smooth and continuous running of your business.
When you have issues with your IT infrastructure, it has a negative impact on productivity and profitability. The bad news is that every IT network will suffer from a wide range of problems at some stage.
The good news is, IT specialists know how to fix these problems fairly quickly with a minimum amount of fuss. Even better, we know how to avoid encountering issues in the first place. Our knowledge of cloud configuration, enhanced IT security protocols and remote monitoring software ensure your IT infrastructure is secure, functional and delivers optimum performance.
As a minimum starting point, this is why a great IT support team you can rely on really matters. In addition, you should expect solutions and strategies that provide great results today but also support your long-term growth.
But the benefits don’t end there. For example, an IT strategy that future-proofs your business is an advantageous bonus. There’s also a host of other services including asset and infrastrucutre management, maintenance, security, cloud backup, software licenses and much more.
It’s quite surprising how many companies avoid sufficient IT talent recruitment and investment in IT and avoid advanced solutions that could be leveraged to realise the potential of their respective businesses. However, rapidly growing, forward thinking companies are now more than ever, waking up to the fact that genuine IT professionals, and the knowledge and experience they bring are a critical pillar for any modern business.
The threat of cybercriminals, the growing need to deploy remote workers and install the latest collaboration and production software are just a few of the reasons why businesses can no longer fail to ignore the myriad benefits of Managed IT support services.
What You Should Expect from Managed IT Support Services
Employees grow increasingly frustrated when something goes wrong with their companies IT. Whether their computer is suffering from unexplainable slowdown, an important email wont leave the Outlook Outbox, or they can’t log in to their Office 365 account, people tend to expect instant help, and for that you’ll need many dedicated internal resources or partner with a fantastic and Capable Outsourced IT Support Team that can deliver on impressive Service Level Agreements.
IT issues cause a lot of stress – particularly when there are targets to hit and your clients are demanding, such as in Legal, Financial or other Professional Service sectors. Having a responsive IT support team on hand to reach out to provides your staff with a crutch that enhances mood and confidence and avoids frustration. If your current IT Support Team is sub par or understaffed or skilled, this can work in exactly the opposite capacity.
IT support should be primarily about being proactive around the maintenance of your systems and thereby preventing problems, but also be there to reactively solve problems for your team, which may occur on your network, devices, software, or with security and typical login issues. Not only that, when you call an IT support team, you should expect a quick resolution to most problems, this is where Service Level Agreement can play an important role in setting expectations and ensuring your businesses needs are met.
Outsourced IT support teams usually have IT experts that are up-to-date with the latest developments in key technologies. They also have a diverse range of knowledge including cloud computing, data security, commerce, CRM, VoIP and more.
If your in-house team is not a specialist in today’s key areas, you can’t expect issues to be resolved promptly or their advice to come from a varied background of current real world experience. What will happen is the IT guy will fish around in the backend for a while, and when that doesn’t work, they will do some research, time ticking away, and your team and clients, waiting, waiting, waiting.
When they still can’t find the answer, they will reach out to a customer support group or perhaps the vendor of the software or hardware – and then sit around waiting patiently for an answer. Meanwhile, your operations team is absolutely at a loss, how could this be improved upon? Outsourcing your IT Support to a TEAM of experts, with Strict Service Level Agreements and who holddirect channels and partnerships with all the common vendors from Microsoft to Google.
You can also lean on the expertise of Outsourced IT specialists to determine your IT strategy; cloud storage options, backup solutions, cybersecurity measures, software options and disaster recovery to name a few.
Having a managed IT support partner, therefore, becomes a key component in the future-proofing of your business. Because technology, consumer behaviour and legislation continues to change the business landscape, IT systems have to be agile enough to adapt.
Outsourced IT Support Reduces Overheads
Businesses on a limited budget need cost-effective solutions. Hiring an in-house IT support team is an expense you could avoid. On average, you should expect to pay a basic 1st to 2nd line IT support professional somewhere in the region of £30k and £40k a year.
Extremely capable and experienced IT professionals with skills in one of the specialist areas will demand a salary of between £55,000 and £100,000. You then have benefits, insurance, continuous training and taxes on top of that, and lets not forget that people have problems.. HR.. Sickness and do you already have the internal knowledge and expertise to hire a brilliant internal IT Team? Established Managed IT Support providers like Micro Pro only hire the best, and years of experience in building a crack IT Team, with advanced testing methods, and ensuring a good fit means many don’t make it through.
Whilst it’s worthwhile having at least one member of your staff that understands IT, hiring an entire team is not a cost-efficient option for most SMEs, and for less money and hassle could Outsource IT entirely or in part with a far better result.
Outsourcing your IT to a team of experts gives you access to a team of knowledgeable engineers for a as a reduced cost. Managed IT services provide you with the services you need and you only pay for the services you use.
This is advantageous for businesses that need to manage their budget carefully. With a fixed-rate itemised bill at your disposal, you know exactly how much you’re spending. There are no hidden costs and no surprises you haven’t accounted for.
Tap Into Specialist Knowledge
To grow your business, scale and adapt, you need access to IT professionals that have a solid understanding of the latest technologies, equipment, software and potential issues.
IT is evolving at a rapid pace – so fast in fact that the leading tech firms are leaving IT professionals behind. The Learning & Work Institute reports there is a significant talent shortage in the UK.
Among the disciplines where the skills gap has been labelled ‘catastrophic’ is cloud computing and IT security. The BBC reports that 70% of young people expect businesses to supply on the job training.
Knowledgeable IT professionals are able to resolve issues efficiently so your staff experiences minimal downtime. They can also make suggestions to improve your system and avoid further problems.
Skilled IT technicians can handle more than the day-to-day management of your IT network. Their knowledge can be an indispensable resource that enables you to enhance operations, productivity and profits.
New software is coming onto the market all the time. And software is often updated with new features that bring benefits. Microsoft 365, for example, releases new features to improve the user experience for business subscriptions.
IT professionals that keep up-to-date with relevant news are not only aware of the potential benefits but are dedicated enough to investigate further to discover how your business can take advantage of software tools and platforms.
High Availability
Productivity is the life force of your company. Whilst technology fosters a healthy output, a poorly designed IT network will also hinder your profitability.
IT networks typically suffer from lags, system crashes and bugs that cause slowdowns and downtime. Regardless of how old your technology is, or for that matter, the quality of its components, the technology requires maintenance to keep it functioning efficiently.
Given how important the stability of your IT network is, you should expect a managed IT support provider to keep your systems in good working order for the vast majority of the time. At MicroPro, for example, we aim for high availability of 99.999%.
These are the levels of IT support you should expect regardless of your provider or your systems. Yet far too often, traditional internet service providers fail to deliver the uptime a business is paying for.
According to Beaming, established internet providers deliver sub-standard performance. According to their stats, 74% of small businesses with 250 staff were unable to trade due to an internet outage. 76% of large companies are not getting the internet service they pay for.
It’s hardly surprising that more businesses are moving away from traditional providers. The recent release of ‘gigabit-capable broadband’ has largely been ignored. Businesses are adopting the services of managed IT services – simply because we are much more reliable.
The reason for this is because managed IT support services use remote monitoring software that detects potential issues before they happen. We also provide a dedicated service that involves overseeing the core maintenance tasks of your IT network together with quality control, logistics, security and auditing. We also get to know your Team, your way of working, your Ethos, and we become part of that.
Managed IT services also include monitoring servers, phones, workstations and devices. Failing to perform and adopt essential security practices like multi-factor authentication could land you in hot water with GDPR regulators when you finally to experience a breach, and you will, eventually.
Data Management and Security
On the topic of GDPR, businesses that collect the personal data of consumers are obligated to protect sensitive data. Data management and security is a high-priority area that falls into the lap of IT specialists.
Managing data is more important now than ever. With the threat posed by cybercriminals, legislators have placed more responsibility and pressure on businesses to protect consumer data.
Firms that suffer a data breach are subject to hefty fines under data protection laws. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), for example, hand out penalties amounting to 2% of a businesses global annual income.
Moreover, companies are obligated to report a data breach to stakeholders – including your customers. A damaged reputation can destroy a business. It is reported that 60% of small businesses fold within six months of suffering a data breach.
Pivoting to a hybrid workplace is also causing headaches for businesses and IT teams that do not have experience with cloud computing. This is another specialist area that is best left to experts. A high percentage of data breaches stem from misconfigurations in cloud software.
Cloud software is essential for businesses that intend to establish remote working teams. Storing data in the cloud enables a distributed workforce to access files at any time from anywhere – and collaborate with one another in real-time.
Whilst there is some concern with regards to security, cloud software can actually enhance security. Cloud software is encrypted, updated with security patches on a regular basis and features security settings that allow access and deny access.
In order to access files or use the software on your network, users have to be authorised. This involves storing a username and password together with a device and location.
All you have to do is set the permissions that give certain users access to files and folders they need to use. Anybody that does not have the relevant authorisation will not be able to perform certain functions, or they will be denied access altogether.
Cloud computing, therefore, adds several layers of security that make it harder for would-be hackers to infiltrate your IT network. It also prevents your in-house staff from accessing files that contain sensitive information.
An IT support team that specialises in cybersecurity not only ensures your technology is airtight but also advises you on how to implement an IT security strategy.
For example, you can dramatically avoid a data breach by training your team members on how to spot phishing attacks. An IBM study claims that approximately 95% of data breaches are the result of human error.
Upgrading Outdated Systems
Outdated systems and equipment can have a negative impact on your output. Moreover, outdated software makes your IT network more vulnerable to hackers because they have a higher number of vectors that can be exploited.
To enhance operations, businesses of every size need to invest in the latest software. However, new software can sometimes conflict with outdated software. IT professionals will be able to help you choose and adopt compatible software that runs side by side seamlessly.
Taking advantage of the latest technologies means taking advantage of experts that are actively aware of what your business needs. And customising your IT network makes your business more efficient and profitable.
24/7 IT Support Services in London
The value of an IT support team aligned with your business, means not only are issues resolved quickly but in way that requests and people are properly understood and prioritised, ensuring satisfaction across the team. Moreover, your staff will feel that when needed, they’ll be able to reach an IT expert in an instant and have their needs met promptly.
Businesses that have implemented a hybrid model may need round-the-clock IT support and find managed IT support services indispensable. Because employees can choose the hours they work, traditional 9-5 IT customer support is no longer viable.
It’s rare that in-house teams will be available 24/7. One of the advantages our customers most appreciate is knowing they can have the option to contact us anytime to resolve their IT issues. This is particularly important for companies that rely on 24/7 support that is available to employees working across different time zones.
If you want to work with an experienced and reliable managed IT support team that’s capable of going above and beyond and really getting to know your Business, get in touch with the experts at Micro Pro. Our seasoned professionals have a vast array of knowledge and experience, and we use advanced technologies that are proven to supercharge your business, and we are also a cheerful bunch, happy to be delivering a premium service with untold value to our clients.