A Managed Service Provider (MSP) supports businesses with IT support. No matter the size, every business needs IT support. If a company utilizes a server, computers, printers and/or devices, there will be times when they need help troubleshooting an issue. An MSP can support every business whether it is a one-person company law office with a few needs each month to a large medical office with daily technology issues. Each can get their tech needs met for a monthly cost that will be less than hiring an on-site IT technician.
Who Should Hire a Managed Service Provider?
Businesses that Use Computers
Businesses that have employees that use computers need IT support. What business doesn’t use computers!?! Computers run into issues, need to be replaced and files need to be shared. A Managed Service Provider handles all IT issues as they arise. An MSP also sets up the network and keeps it running so a company can grow easily. It can also make sure connectivity is up and running well. If it stops, an MSP gets the network back up and running quickly so staff can work.
Small Businesses
Small Businesses have computers that need support. Their owners and staff wear many hats already and technology can demand much of their attention. Instead of spending time on fixing technology, a business owner can concentrate on running and growing the business. A Managed Service Provider makes IT support accessible to any sized business by providing just the right amount of support for the staff. A full time IT support technician would not have enough to do in a small business. Plus the cost of the another full time employee is out of the budget for most small businesses. An MSP can create a network that works for the current staff but is also set up to grow with the business. This forethought avoids future issues.
A Small Business Story
Several years ago a small clinic opened its doors. The owner’s spouse assisted in setting up the business. As the clinic grew, the spouse started to help more and then became the practice manager. He set up the network and it worked well. He was able to navigate many issues as they grew. Then larger IT issues started happening. The network started crashing from time to time creating downtime for the whole office. Clients could not be seen and money was lost until the network came back up. Then he started looking for IT support. Unfortunately the solution was replacing the server and resetting the network. This was a large expense the practice could not afford. The new Managed Service Provider was able to solve issues as they came up but much of the downtime could have been avoided if the network had been set up correctly in the beginning.
A Managed Service Provider is a great resource when a business is small to save money in the long run on setting up a network that will continue to work as the business grows. It is a perfect combination of IT support for tech issues combined with a cost that matches the needs of the small business.
Medium-Sized Businesses
When a company gets larger they need IT support for more users. A Managed Service Provider is great for this sized business since it can fit the needs of an expanding number of employees. Some businesses decide at this point to hire a full-time staff member. Hiring a full-time technician is expensive when considering salary, insurance and employee taxes. The quality of the technician can also vary greatly. Usually the higher the salary the more knowledgeable the technician but it can be difficult for business owners to know what questions to see if the technician has the expertise to assist. Medium sized businesses have more needs including a server with virtual machines which require a technician with more skill so he/she can configure, manage and troubleshoot server issues. Managed Service Providers can assist with basic to advanced service needs without the complications of interviewing, hiring and retaining an individual technician.
Large Companies
Large companies can also utilize the services of a Managed Service Provider. They will many times have an IT team to provide support for their employees. A Managed Service Provider can be a powerful tool to use for large projects or as a helpdesk to support the team. This way the IT team can concentrate on building the network infrastructure, new locations, software and hardware implementation, etc.
Companies with Multiple Locations
Managed Service Providers are a great support team for large companies that have multiple locations. The IT team is usually located at the corporate office and can only provide remote support for the additional locations. MSPs can be interviewed and chosen in the other locations to provide on-site support regularly or as needed. These agreements can be for a pool of hours that can be used or for regular weekly/monthly service at this location.
Why choose a Managed Service Provider?
Expert Service
Managed Service Providers provide expert service and have years, if not, decades of combined IT experience. This experience means that problems are solved faster and the first time since it has been seen before. Faster, more efficient service means less downtime for staff!
MSPs also work with many different types and sizes of businesses. These experiences give a wide range of knowledge but also expose the team to many new tech ideas that benefit other businesses. IT consulting is included with an MSP’s service so when there is a challenge at one business, not only can it be fixed but another new idea may be able to make it a more efficient process.
Even minor issues, can be solved by using an MSP’s services. For instance, when a computer gets older, it starts to act sluggish. A Managed Service Provider can provide IT consulting that includes recommendations for a new computer. If a new computer is not in the budget or isn’t needed, a new faster hard drive may be the solution. An MSP team can determine the necessary changes without a loss of time for the staff. Without an MSP, usually one person on staff becomes the IT support stand-in. Instead of doing their job, they spend time solving the staff’s IT issues. Depending on the person’s knowledge, it can take more time than needed too which costs the company money.
Less Expensive
A sluggish computer may seem like inconvenience but it is a real problem for businesses. For example, if a computer takes an extra 30 seconds to perform a task and the employee performs 3 computer tasks every 5 minutes for 8 hours each day, this is a total of 40 minutes of time each day or 3 hours and 20 minutes a week and over 173 hours per year. What if the employee makes, $100,00 per year? The loss over is over $8300! For a small business, this may pay for all or part of their service agreement for the year with an MSP! Now consider if a crisis hits and the network goes down for several hours or even a day? One client said they lost $15,000 in a couple hours when their networks went down. Crisis prevention with IT support can save the company thousands of dollars.
A Managed Service Provider is also less expensive compared to a full-time employee even if the salary is the same as the monthly agreement due to employee taxes, benefits and vacation time substitutions. Many times, when comparing the salary of the employee and the MSP, the MSP will be significantly less expensive too.
Simplify Billing and Easy to Budget
Simplify billing by choosing an MSP that provides all inclusive support that meets the company’s needs. There are many different ways to provide support but the two most popular ways are all inclusive and as pay as you go service. It may seem less expensive to only pay for the service as it is needed but some technicians take longer to accomplish tasks than others which is more costly. Some months, IT support may cost hundreds and some thousands. This is almost impossible to budget for! It also causes some businesses to wait until problems become dire and the business is down before getting support. This causes bigger issues that take more time to fix or cause consistent downtime which adds up!
All inclusive service allows all problems to be taken care of no matter how fast the technician works and small problems do not become bigger ones since the staff calls when there are issues. It is easier to budget too! Each month the cost of IT service is the same. This makes it easy to know exactly what the company will pay while being secure that if a crisis occurs it will be solved without breaking the budget.
No HR Issues
A full time employee can be great but sometimes there are HR issues. Taking the time to address issues, mediating them and dealing with a irate IT tech that knows all of the passwords is scary! Hiring a Managed Service avoids these issues since the monthly agreement is month to month and not a contract. So if the service is not up to standard, it can be discontinued quickly.
Service Fits Needs
Overall, the best aspect of a Managed Service Provider is that the service fits the needs of the business. No matter the size, the budget, the needs, there is an IT service provider that can fit that need. From a work from home accountant to large, multi-location architectural firm, each can benefit from the services of a Managed Service Provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a managed service provider?
A company that manages a business’s IT on an ongoing basis for a predictable monthly cost, covering day-to-day support, monitoring, and IT consulting.
Is an MSP less expensive than hiring an in-house IT technician?
Usually. A full-time technician brings salary, insurance, and employment taxes, while an MSP delivers a team’s expertise for a monthly cost most small businesses can budget for.
Can an MSP support a business with multiple locations?
Yes. An MSP can provide remote support across all sites plus on-site service at each location, either regularly or as needed.
Does BlueKey IT require a long-term contract?
BlueKey IT offers flexible monthly and annual agreements, so you can choose the arrangement that fits your business.
Need Managed IT Support? Choose BlueKey IT!
Looking for a managed service provider? BlueKey IT provides great IT support for all types and sizes of businesses across the country. The all inclusive service is uniquely created to fit the needs of each client. Each business can count on great customer service in daily support or even when crisis hits. Each service is combined to take care of all IT service needs with predictable monthly pricing and flexible monthly and annual agreements. When evaluating any provider, CISA’s guidance for MSPs and their customers is a helpful reference for the security controls to expect. Give BlueKey IT a call for a network assessment to see how BlueKey IT can help take IT off your plate so you can concentrate on your business.
We support businesses nationwide, including in Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Utah, Kansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. See all of our locations.
