The Case for Managed Services
If you can get the milk for free…why buy the cow? Contractual commitment. Does anyone really love it? Why would they? You’re locked into something or someone long term (well unless you’re Kim Kardashian). It could be costly. What if you don’t get what you need? What you paid for? By the way…what ARE you paying for? It could end badly…then what?
I too have had my own aversions to contractual relationships so I understand the hesitations. However, partnering with an information technology firm that provides “Managed Services” can be an ideal situation. Allow me to make my case and yes, I’m going to use different analogies so prepare yourself.
Let’s be honest, most of us can’t get through lunch without checking our email, text messages, etc., let alone…gasp…being “down” for a day. Consumers have changed throughout the years along with the evolution of technology. They need things to work NOW and having a network down in business is costly. In this economy businesses can’t afford to have paid employees standing around idle waiting for the “all systems go.”
Free Milk. In the good ol’ days. When you had a problem, you could just call the local IT house and they would drop everything to rush out and put out the fire with no commitment or obligation for you to use them in the future. Today, IT companies are more like your Primary Care Physician who is trying to prevent the fire in the first place (but are fully capable of smothering you should you spontaneously combust) and they can best help you by regularly seeing you over the long term. If your IT provider hasn’t changed the way they do business yet, they soon will.
This means that IT companies are moving from handling service in a reactionary model, to a proactive model, in which we keep things running smoothly by monitoring your network 24/7/365. Depending on the level of care you choose, updates are performed automatically and we are alerted by the monitoring system we put in place before your equipment fails – giving us time to do something about it. Then, when things do go wrong, you receive priority treatment. No waiting until your “IT guy” can “get to it.” It’s better for your budget, your schedule and your sanity while allowing service providers to remain open and ready to serve without adding to your overhead.
You might think that going with a hosted server will save you the trouble in committing to a technology firm. This sounds good on the surface, but you still have a network to maintain even if your server is hosted elsewhere. Hardware, such as in individual workstations, software applications and anything else attached to your network (cameras, telephones, etc.) still need to play together nicely. Additionally, you will still need to maintain constant Internet connectivity on your end to stay attached to the cloud. If you hadn’t already seen it, my last blog entitled “Up in the Clouds” explained the cloud and the hidden costs involved. You might want to read it for more things to be aware of so that you make a fully informed cloud decision.
Our advice? Don’t be afraid to make a commitment and hop on board the Managed Services ship with a service provider that you trust, then sit back and enjoy the free sailing, well okay, reasonably priced value-packed cruise! That is, after you’ve done your homework, carefully compared plans (apples to apples)and found the best fit for your business.
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