What Is a Managed Service Provider?

What Is a Managed Service Provider and Do You Need One?

A managed service provider delivers and manages IT services for various organizations. They provide a platform where a customer's IT infrastructure is manageable from afar. MSPs use a "pay as you go" pricing model, like a subscription.

One of the top reasons managed IT services is important is because it reduces labor costs. Hiring a staff of IT professionals is not a cost-effective solution.

Imagine the trouble of maintaining and upgrading old hardware and outdated software. This is tedious and takes away your precious time. Managed IT service providers will shoulder this burden, giving you time to do other important things, like innovation.

One of the great benefits you gain from an MSP system is 24/7/365 support. They are reliable, knowledgeable, and available for you any time of the day.

You will learn a few advantages and examples of managed services in the next section.

What is a Managed Service Provider?

Advantages of Managed IT services

Outsourcing certain functions and processes to enhance operations and reduce expenses is necessary. This is what managed IT services is all about. Here are a few of its advantages:

Advantage #1: Expertise

A small business needs to outsource knowledge and expertise because it is a huge help for them. Add veteran technical support people, and you got yourself solid 24/7/365 support.

Advantage #2: Costs Are Predictable

A business can opt for a predictable monthly subscription-based pricing model. This is a cost-effective solution compared to spending a large amount of money on each IT issue.

Advantage #3: Maintenance and Upgrades

You don't have to worry about software updating and system configuration. Your managed service provider will take care of this for you. You also gain the benefits of using new technology that you couldn't afford before.

Advantage #4: Saves Time

Outsourcing security and other functions reduces the time that your IT people have to spend on it. This is advisable for both small and large businesses.

Examples of Managed Services

Managed services is the tradition of outsourcing responsibilities and duties to other organizations. An MSP system takes care of these things for you.

Here are a few examples of managed IT services:

#1: Virtualization Solutions

Virtualization offers a logical picture of the hardware and software operations. This lets you change computer operations to meet your business's needs. Virtualization also allows you to run various operating systems on the same computing device, making it possible to run a Debian Linux distribution on a Windows 10 machine.

#2: System Monitoring

Observing the activities on a network and in a system is challenging and tedious. This includes system downtime, performance quality, and application availability. These tasks take away your precious time and effort. It is better to outsource this to a third party and focus on other important things.

#3: System Design and Solutions

Designing systems can consume too much of your time and effort. Handing this duty to an MSP ensures that your system will run at optimal performance. They also provide maintenance and solutions to your network's systems.

#4: Backup and Disaster Recovery

This type of managed service surrounds an operating system with protection. It also provides constant and automatic storage and backup of data. An MSP system ensures safe and cost-effective data storage. This lessens the risk of losing confidential company information and documents. Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) will give you peace of mind.

#5: Cost-Saving Best Practices

An MSP helps you gain more profits with minimal resources through cost-effective practices. This consists of strategic sourcing plans, cost-saving processes, and other measures.

#6: Information Security Management

Securing sensitive client data and company confidential information is crucial. Security builds trust in a client-business relationship. An MSP can help you with email privacy, password protection, and cybercrime security.

Conclusion

Now you know what is a managed service provider. You also learned about the advantages and examples of managed IT services. For more information on MSPs, please click here.

What Is IT Service Management