As IT infrastructure is further diversified and more security threats emerge every year, many SMBs have begun to look towards outsourcing their IT tasks to MSPs.
This makes sense because MSPs allow businesses to focus on core tasks instead of resolving IT issues. Without the necessary level of experience, trying to fix IT problems on your own can actually lead to higher costs compared to letting a professional service provider take care of issues as they arise.
IT outsourcing has both pros and cons. When you entrust your private business data to a third party, there is no guarantee that data will never leak, but you want to work with a company focused on maintaining the lowest level of risk. In addition, when deciding on an MSP, do thorough research and make sure all legal requirements are met. Though no service is 100% perfect, the benefits of a quality MSP far outweigh the negatives.
Here are 5 MSP benefits that SMBs can reap when setting up a partnership.
#1. Reduced costs
Reduced costs are a major benefit of MSPs, and it’s one of the biggest advantages of outsourcing IT services.
Thanks to working with a wide variety of clients, experienced IT companies know what services can help bring costs to a minimum; for example can help with the cloud cost optimization. Moreover, MSPs also make costs more predictable. Typically, MSPs charge on a monthly basis, so there are no surprises, and your needs are covered, so you can concentrate on your business.
#2. Infrastructure Procurement and Upgrades
Setting up IT infrastructure is not only about purchasing hardware, installing the necessary software and configuring the network. It is also about regularly updating and upgrading. MSPs can help business owners keep their IT infrastructure up-to-date and thus carry out business tasks more efficiently.
#3. Scalability
As SMBs grow and expand, the ability to scale IT environments as needed is essential for company survival. Scaling is one more task that companies can outsource, and one more benefit that MSPs can offer. MSP will help you leverage the benefits of cloud storage if you need to move your infrastructure to the cloud.
Many business owners worry that their companies may lag behind in the realm of technology. MSPs can help to implement necessary changes to right-size IT environments as business needs change. A good MSP can also help a company achieve better ROI.
#4. Use your staff more effectively
MSPs can help you better apply the talents and skills of your staff. If you don’t have an IT team, you’re probably relying on technically inclined staff to respond to user inquiries and/or on-site issues, when those hires are meant to focus on other aspects of the business.
With outside assistance from an IT expert, your team can do what it was hired to do, increase their productivity, and move the company ahead.
#5. Security
No matter the size of your company, IT security to protect your data is critical. Outsourcing your IT security to a professional managed service provider that is acutely aware of the latest trends and threats and can apply the appropriate skills will provide essential defense. An MSP can give you peace of mind in terms of security, both for your cloud infrastructure and on-premises devices.
Alexander Negrash is director of marketing at CloudBerry Lab. Read more CloudBerry Lab blogs here.
