What Are the Benefits of Managed IT Services?

Your business’ IT systems have the power to make or break your brand.

15:25 01 September 2022

Your business’ IT systems have the power to make or break your brand. With so many people now relying on computers to do the heavy lifting, it’s important to seek the professional help of a managed IT service Brisbane.

 

Managing your IT infrastructure in-house can be a challenge. Especially for small and growing businesses, the expense of in-house IT teams can outweigh the benefits. If that’s the case for you, outsourcing is the simple alternative. Engaging a managed IT service allows your business to access the latest technology, networks and systems without having to invest your own money in the startup costs. In this article we’ll go over the major benefits of managed IT services and how they can help your business grow.

 

1. One Central Solution

It’s common for businesses to expand their systems haphazardly as they grow. Solving each individual challenge as it arises is convenient, but it’s inefficient and can leave big gaps in your systems. Managed IT service providers design from the ground up, building your business’ systems around a central management point. This centralised solution will handle all monitoring, management, data storage and security in one place, offering a seamless solution for your business.

 

2. Improved System Security

Cyber threats pose a major risk to modern businesses. Your sensitive customer information and product data is stored on networks where it may be vulnerable to malicious attacks. By designing centralised systems with security built into their core, managed IT services significantly bolster your data security. Building cyber security into your IT strategy allows your service provider to protect your business’ time, money and resources.

 

3. Reliable Data Backups

Protecting your critical data is the best thing you can do to ensure your business always stays on track. Data breaches due to hacking attempts, theft and disgruntled employees can all cause your business to lose valuable time and intellectual property. Worse, being unable to protect customer information can damage your reputation. Thankfully, robust backup systems are built into managed IT solutions. The remote servers and cloud backups used by IT service providers offer the industry’s best protection against data loss.

 

4. Improved Budget Management

Building an in-house IT team can be an expensive exercise. Purchasing system infrastructure and hiring talented professionals is well beyond the scope of many small and medium businesses. Rather than spending capital on in-house systems, managed IT services charge a simple retainer fee that allows you to manage your money and plan for the costs involved with IT management.

 

5. Proactive System Management

System failures can happen suddenly, but there are often warning signs ahead of time. Managed IT services keep on top of what your systems are doing with regular monitoring, updates and preventative maintenance. This means they can take care of problems before they arise so that your business can carry on without interruption.

 

6. 24/7 Support

Does part of your business work night shifts? Did your team stay late to finish an important presentation? Did your systems go down when no one was in the office? These things aren’t a problem for outsourced IT management. While your in-house IT team can only help while they’re in the office, externally managed IT services can be available whenever there’s an issue.

 

7. Simple Scalability

We mentioned it above, but it’s common for businesses to grow their IT systems alongside their business. A lot of the time this leads to small and medium businesses that use an odd mixture of software, hardware and network systems. Not only do these disparate systems communicate poorly, they can be a real hurdle to your continued expansion. Managed IT systems don’t have that issue. As your business grows, your IT services can simply be scaled alongside the company to provide the coverage you need.

 

8. Compliance Support

From protecting your data to proper financial reporting and consumer privacy requirements, a managed IT service can ensure your business remains compliant with the legislation. This is particularly useful for businesses with e-commerce, retail, healthcare and education presences. Your IT management service can help your business remain compliant and build systems that allow you to avoid the risk of fines and infringements.

 

9. Industry Expertise

Finally, a managed IT service Brisbane will have unrivalled access to industry experts. While a small business might not have the capacity to hire an IT veteran, a dedicated services company will have no trouble justifying the expense. For businesses, this means they always have easy access to the latest technology, training, systems and industry expertise. Without having to pay for these things yourself, your managed IT service provider can ensure your business stays at the forefront of the industry.