Here, in part four of our series exploring the value that a managed service provider can offer a business, let’s explore these data services and how businesses can benefit from utilizing them. To do so, we’ll discuss the solutions that a managed service provider can implement that assists in managing your business data – or, as we said above, storing it, protecting it, or putting it to use. Storing It with Cloud Services Modern businesses acquire and generate a truly massive amount of data in their day-to-day operations – and this data is invaluable to any businesses with goals to improve and grow. However, this data does need to be stored somewhere. While it may be able to be stored onsite for a time, there are a few shortcomings to this approach. Space isn’t used efficiently in the office The solution relies on massive amounts of heat-generating power in order to operate Limited room for error during setup Patchy warranties on equipment Very high costs for equipment and setup Limited room for expansion Requires oversight and maintenance from a skilled professional Keep in mind, we didn’t even mention redundancy. As useful as all this onsite storage could prove to be if implemented correctly, most small businesses lack the internal experience to do so – never mind setting up and managing a cloud storage server. However, a managed service provider can eliminate all of the difficulties that a small business would encounter, thanks to their status as industry professionals and their connections to various resources – such as cloud storage providers. Backing Up Data and Recovering It in the Event of a Disaster Let’s return to the business that developed their own storage solution in-house. It isn’t very likely that their business’ data is backed up… at least, not in keeping with best practices. A business like this might keep a spare hard drive tucked away in a broom closet, periodically updating it when someone remembers to do so. So, what happens to this kind of business if their landlord never warned them about some issues in their building’s plumbing, and a flood wipes out every piece of equipment they have… including the server and the improvised backup? Any managed service provider worth their salt will know that keeping an extra data copy onsite is like locking the spare key in the safe that it opens… if something bad happens, that extra copy is as good as gone. That’s why a decent managed service provider knows that the further away a data backup is from the disaster that wipes out the onsite data, the safer that data backup will be. In fact, a managed service provider will actively work to keep copies of your data in data centers in multiple areas, just to ensure there is always a safe copy somewhere. Furthermore, a managed service provider can help you strategize a disaster recovery plan, enabling you to use your data backup to at least continue some of your operations until the impact of a disaster has passed. Data Warehousing for Greater Insights In addition to all of the operational advantages that a managed service agreement brings, working with a managed service provider allows a business access to data warehousing capabilities. In simple terms, this is effectively the process of combining what
Consider Your Own IT Costs If you’re running blind, your technology maintenance can (read: will) cost your business quite a few pretty pennies. Did you know that a small business that doesn’t have an IT department – instead relying on staff members to resolve their own technology issues – is statistically more likely to pay higher amounts than a company that proactively attends to issues? Granted, there may be long stretches of time that you don’t need to make any investment into your technology support – but if you have to pay the typical break/fix rate each time one of your business computers goes on the fritz, you’ll soon be spending quite a bit more money than you would have otherwise. Maybe taking on an in-house IT administrator can keep these kinds of issues at bay… but is this actually helping your business’ finances any? The skills of an IT administrator don’t come cheap – the starting rate starts at $50,000 each year, so if you can afford that, your business is doing pretty well for itself. However, you could also take on managed IT, which offers comprehensive management of your technology for quite a bit less than what you would pay an additional employee. Why Outsourced IT Services Are the Best Option By taking on SRS Networks as your managed service provider, you are fulfilling a wide variety of your business’ technological needs. Your network and infrastructure will be monitored and proactively maintained for far less than an IT administrator’s salary. As you might imagine, the value of these services quickly overtakes the costs that you incur. Let’s consider a hypothetical (but very realistic) scenario: Let’s assume that your business has 12 workstations and two servers. In addition to this, you have your requisite networking equipment, digital surveillance equipment, and a few cloud subscriptions for each workstation. A dedicated IT administrator may have the experience necessary, but one person isn’t going to be able to keep up with your network’s needs. Selecting a break/fix provider is even worse. Each and every time something goes wrong, you’re going to have to deal with downtime and expensive support. Most businesses can’t support that… can yours? However, if you utilize the managed services that SRS Networks offers, you’ll get: Remote Network and Infrastructure Support – This includes 24-hour monitoring, proactive maintenance, and remote management. Comprehensive IT Consulting – This can provide value by helping you better understand how useful your technology can be, while putting you in a better position to acquire the technology your business needs. Help Desk – A helpline that any of your staff can call if they have computer problems, with live support to assist them. Backup and Disaster Recovery – Keeping your data backed up and reliable in case of emergency is extremely important nowadays, and isn’t something that can be neglected. Patch Management – Your software solutions and tools require maintenance to remain up to date. The same is true if you want to keep your network free from threats. To simplify things for you, we take over the responsibility of patching and updating the software you use to run your business. Vendor Management – Your company uses several technology vendors, and the amount of time it takes to work with them all can get frustrating.
What Are the Different Types of IT Services? There are three different approaches you can take for your business’ IT needs. You can hire an IT consultant, host your own IT staff, or pay a set fee with an MSP. IT Consultant An IT consultant will charge you hourly and is a more reactive measure to IT dilemmas. Typically, you will reach out to an IT consultant once a problem has actually occurred. This means your company suffers from downtime while you wait for the problem to be resolved. On-site IT An on-site IT team is relatable to a managed service provider in the sense that it is a more proactive approach. These two work to prevent problems from occurring in the first place. However, with an on-site IT staff, you are still paying hourly; and your hourly staff is more beneficial leveraging the skills to the benefit of your business rather than focusing on IT. Managed IT Services MSPs are the superior option due to their fixed fee arrangements and proactivity. They give your company greater freedom to focus on core business matters. There is no need to divert your attention to IT-related tasks with a managed service provider. MSPs have the experience needed to properly see the needs of your sized business. Is My Business Too Small for an MSP? Part of an MSP’s responsibility is to identify your business’ needs and create a strategy to fulfill them. Managed Service Providers offer the most cost-effective IT strategy for any business, of any size. MSPs provide 24/7 detection your business otherwise would not be able to detect. This means your MSP will be able to tell you when your server is failing, or your hardware is crumbling. MSPs allow you to fix the issue before it ever becomes a problem. They also offer 24/7 monitoring and patch management which can prevent your hardware from crumbling in the first place. Prevention is the most cost-effective strategy your business can utilize. The traditional approach, “fix it when it breaks” which meant paying for expensive technology malfunctions and issues as they occur, has been left behind with the introduction to affordable and proactive managed IT services. SRS Networks Offers Your IT Solution Whatever industry your business operates in, SRS Networks offers IT solutions that leverage your investment. MSPs are the future of IT. To learn how you can outsource your IT and benefit from our services, talk to our professionals at (831) 758-3636.
The late American author Kurt Vonnegut once wrote, “New knowledge is the most valuable commodity on earth. The more truth we have to work with, the richer we become.” Written in the 20th century, it has been put in practice by 21st century businesses. As the Internet has grown, the amount of companies expanded, and the amount of data that those companies collect has grown exponentially, especially now that there is a market for such data.
There is no question that a small business can benefit from technology, as has been proven time and time again. However, an issue can arise if a business bites off more than it can chew, so to speak, and ultimately creates a spike in costs. A responsible business owner will resist this temptation and prioritize the solutions they need over the ones they want – building profitability and generating capital needed to make other improvements. In this blog, we’ll examine some of the implementations that can deliver a good return on investment to a small business.
How much does your business rely on technology to keep your organization running forward? As business technology becomes more complex, it’s becoming increasingly popular for organizations to have their own internal IT departments to manage and maintain it. Yet, small businesses don’t often have the necessary funds for such a feat. How can your company afford quality IT service? You can start by pursuing managed IT solutions from a managed service provider.