Using an outsourced IT support provider is a smart move for small and medium sized businesses. It enables them to maintain business continuity at a fraction of the cost of running their own in-house IT Department.rnrnBut there are many providers out there. How do you go about choosing the right one for your business?rn rnHere\'s the BITS list of things your IT support provider should do for you as part of a fully managed service contract.rnrn*Prevent problems by adopting a pro-active approach.rnrn*Provide quick response where appropriate. rnrn*Advise on other areas of technology that may impact on IT.rnrn*Provide advice on how to get/keep things running smoothly.rnrn*Ensure you have a robust back up routine in place. rnrn*Is an easily accessible point of contact for employee\'s IT problems.rnrn*Provide all inclusive pricing.rnrn*Provide fixed price for projectsrnrn*Has proven knowledge and expertise. rnFor example Microsoft Small Business Specialistrnrn*Conduct annual meetings to help plan your IT strategy. More frequently might be necessary for fast-changing businesses or where the client prefers this.rnrn*Deal/Assist in dealing with other technology providers. On your behalf. For example for warranty claims.rnrn*Use tried and tested solutions tailored to the individual client. Not one solution fits all.rnrnWhat is a managed service contract/managed service provider?rnrnMost major companies have an IT Help Desk, often employing tens or even hundreds of staff. These are the people who are at the beck and call of employees each time their printer won\'t work or their laptop won\'t boot up. rnrnSounds expensive doesn\'t it? As a smaller business your only option is to manage your own or just call someone every time you have a problem. rnrnThis is referred to in the industry as \"break fix\". rnrn1. It breaks.rnrn2. You call someone.rnrn3. They fix it.rnrn4. It breaks again. rnrn5. You call them again.rnrn....and so it goes on. rnrnThe more it breaks the more money they make and it becomes an expensive option for your business. rnrnBut don\'t worry. Help is at hand! rnrnThere is another option - a managed service provider (MSP). rnrnThe keywords here are pro-activity and cost control. OK, sometimes there will be reactive issues to be dealt with but a reputable MSP will aim to prevent problems arising in the first place. rnrnSecondly, a managed service model means you pay the same amount every month without being charged for the hours worked. That means it\'s in the interest of the provider to work proactively to minimise issues. rnrnThat\'s a win-win situation for both parties. rnrnHere are some key features and benefits of an MSP: rnrn Fixed costs for budgeting rnrn Enables better long term planning and budgeting. rnrn Skills and experience of an IT department at a fraction of the cost. rnrn Tools in place to monitor remotely, cutting out on travelling and on-site time. rnrn Reduces the need for staff to spend lots of time dealing with IT problems. rnrn Increased employee productivity and morale. Reduced frustration! rnrnNot convinced yet? Here are two typical examples of where an MSP can benefit businesses: rnrn Example 1rnrnSpace running out on the server this is picked up by monitoring and an engineer looks at it and resolves the problem. The client doesn\'t even need to know about it. rnrnWhat would have happened without Managed IT Support? Eventually the server would have run out of space completely and would crash/refuse to boot up this would cause considerable down time and prevent employees from working. Worse still your service to customers could deteriorate. rnrn Example 2rnrnAnti-virus software not updating, this is picked up by daily monitoring by the MSP and corrected. rnrnWhat would have happened without Managed IT Support? The customer\'s machines would ultimately have become infected with a virus. Over time further viruses could have entered the system. Your entire IT system could crash thus affecting business continuity. Worse still viruses could be unwittingly transferred to outside parties via email. rnrnTo summarise, an MSP enables you and your team to focus on fee earning work. Ultimately this benefits your profitability, your efficiency and your customer service.
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