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What Are Managed IT Services

As many as 60% of organizations will depend on some type of managed service, according to one projection. Failing to leverage tools like the cloud or operating on a slow/unreliable network simply won’t cut it in a modern business environment and may allow your rivals to gain a competitive advantage.

What are managed IT services? Managed services are the solution to all your information technology problems, to put it sufficiently.

Here’s a more in-depth managed IT services definition: leveraging support from a third-party provider that will manage your entire IT environment, becoming accountable for everything from ensuring your day-to-day operations aren’t impaired by technology issues to proactively monitoring for cyber security threats to developing a long-term IT strategy.

With the managed IT services definition out the way, let’s dive deeper into how managed services work. 

How Managed IT Services Work

After connecting with the managed services provider that’s right for your business, you’ll be able to select from a variety of services models and pricing models.

Services include:

  • Cloud services and support
  • Managed security services 
  • Business continuity (disaster recovery, data backup)
  • Network monitoring, support, updating, patching, and upgrading
  • Technical support for all your IT assets (hardware, software, network)
  • Mobile device support
  • Technology procurement
  • IT roadmapping and strategizing 
  • vCIO services
  • And more

If it’s part of your IT, then a managed services provider (MSP) can ensure that it’s running optimally – and continues to do so. What is an IT managed services provider? That’s simply the common industry name for the outsourcing service provider. 

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So now we have an understanding of the managed IT services meaning, and we can answer the question “what is an IT managed services provider?” Now it’s time to talk about the managed service model and price. 

What Managed Services Do I Need and How Much Do They Cost

Beware a support provider offering managed IT services without first assessing your IT stack – otherwise, you may end up paying for superfluous services, eating away at your IT budget for little to no ROI.

A strong MSP will offer a consultation and perform a comprehensive assessment of your IT stack before advising on which services your business can benefit.

From there, you’ll have a better understand of whether your business is best served by a:

  • Break/fix model
  • A la carte model
  • Fully managed services model

Break/Fix Model

Typically the lowest level of IT services, a break/fix services package essentially is a technical support package only. That means that your business will get elite technicians and subject matter experts ready to tackle IT issues as they crop up.

This allows your business to function free from the fear of crippling IT issues getting in the way of productivity. But you will miss out on upgrades and augments that could otherwise boost your ROI, such as an MSP with an intimate knowledge of your business’s specific needs.

This model is best suited for businesses that already have an in-house team that they want to supplement with elite, 24/7 on-call support. But for businesses interested in maximizing their IT ROI, break/fix leaves out many high-yield services like technology procurement support, network augmentation (faster, more resilient, able to handle higher workloads as you grow, etc.), scaling support with long-term IT planning, etc.

In this model, you’ll typically pay per ticket/IT issue addressed.

A la Carte

For businesses that need a variety of managed IT services but aren’t ready for fully managed support, the a la carte model allows you to pick and choose what you need and leave the rest.

This can be the most economically efficient model, but only in very specific circumstances. If you have an in-house team with specific domain expertise but want to fill knowledge gaps in other areas (if you have strong network technicians but who lack in-depth cloud infrastructure knowledge, for instance) this can be a very effective model. 

Learn more about the IT services Attentus Technologies provides: Managed IT Services Remote IT Services Data Backup and Recovery VOIP Services

That said, it can also be rather pricey. While you’ll usually pay a flat monthly fee, adding services as you go can quickly inflate costs. What’s more, you may be missing out on IT services that can make a world of difference to your business that you didn’t know you needed, but due to the a la carte model, you’d miss out on them.

Cost will be dependent on the services selected, the number of users, number of devices, and types of devices. There are other factors, but those four will be the strongest determinants of your overall price. 

Fully Managed IT Services

If you want to get the most out of your IT while reducing costs, then fully managed services are the right choice for your business.

By allowing a single provider to manage your entire stack, you’re enabling IT experts to implement synergistic solutions that work in tandem to maximize your ROI. They’ll also be better equipped to identify redundancies and eliminate them, ensuring you can maximize savings and efficiency.

Fully managed services are also typically backed by a service level agreement (SLA) that guarantees quality results from your IT partner. 

How_Managed_IT_Services_Work
How_Managed_IT_Services_Work

Credit: senivpetro

We Have Our Managed IT Definition – Next Step Is Finding the Perfect Technology Partner for Your Business

If you want an IT partner that can handle each and every one of your IT issues, then you’re ready for Attentus Tech.

With over 18 years in the business, we have a 96.6 CSAT rating – clients appreciate working with us, and we love being able to support their growth with leading technology services.

On average, we spend about 20 minutes per month per user on reactive issues.

Attentus Tech is the answer to all your IT problems; we offer a wide range of IT services from CSSP to field IT support to fully optimizing your business IT infrastructure. We ensure that our clients never pay for services they don’t need and always get the most out of their IT budget.

Get in touch with us today to learn how our IT services can support your business.

Featured Image Credit: senivpetro