The break/fix approach was once the standard model for acquiring IT support. When a company needed computer repairs, network tuning, printer support or any other form of tech-related service, they engaged a solution provider on a straightforward fee-for-service basis and paid the bill once the work was completed.
That’s a valuable service, but it only scratches the surface of what’s possible with a managed services relationship. In addition to handling day-to-day technical issues, an accomplished managed service provider (MSP) can deliver far more strategic value to your business by identifying and implementing advanced technologies that boost efficiency, innovation and productivity.
Those strategic capabilities are critical as organizations look to modernize their IT operations in order to support a hybrid workforce and other emerging business models. In a recent Ernst & Young survey, nearly three-quarters of businesses said they plan to work with an MSP in coming months to refine their strategies for remote, cloud, mobile and edge computing.
Mind the Gap
Such initiatives are difficult to handle with in-house IT staffs that are hamstrung by widening skills gaps. In a recent survey from the Everest Group, more than two-thirds of companies say it is becoming increasingly difficult to find, hire and retain employees with the skills they need to implement new technologies.
MSPs offer ready access to advanced skillsets. They have the engineering depth, the core infrastructure and the vendor connections to support IT modernization. Research from IDC finds that companies utilizing managed services are able to increase operational efficiencies, streamline technology implementation and ensure consistent service delivery.
The break/fix model is not well-suited for today’s increasingly distributed computing environments, either. With IT infrastructure spread across branch offices, remote locations and multiple cloud instances, organizations require a more proactive approach to problem resolution. That’s why remote monitoring and management (RMM) is one of the foundational services provided by MSPs.
With RMM tools, providers can automate many proactive maintenance tasks such as operating system and security software updates, patch management, hard disk defragment, and network configurations. Performance reports can be customized and used to assess system and network health, ensure security and regulatory compliance, and identify long-term trends.
The Big Picture
Increased familiarity with the customer’s environment is one of the great advantages of a long-term MSP relationship. A provider who understands your particular IT environment and your specific business requirements can troubleshoot and resolve problems quickly. In fact, an MSP can usually identify and resolve potential issues before they ever impact performance.
An MSP can also introduce high levels of IT stability and predictability. Because your MSP knows your systems inside and out — hardware configurations, software versions, critical dependencies and more — processes become standardized, repeatable and highly consistent. This eliminates the need to expend time and effort continually reinventing the wheel.
Vendor management is another of the more valuable yet underappreciated functions performed by MSPs. By serving as a point of contact between customers and technology manufacturers, an MSP can ensure better understanding, execution and troubleshooting of new technology implementations while saving considerable time, money and frustration.
Basic IT functions such as maintenance, updates, security patching and more remain essential elements of the MSP value proposition, but providers today can bring much more to the table. Experienced MSPs such as Verteks deliver strategic value by helping customers assess, implement and manage leading-edge IT solutions.
