Why companies need a managed IT services provider

HOBOKEN, USA: A new article from eMazzanti Technologies, an IT support and computer consultant in the New York City area, articulates the business rationale for choosing external IT help from a Managed Services Provider (MSP). The article is called, "Why you need a managed services provider."

"Managed services can be generally defined as outsourcing day-to-day management responsibilities," said Jennifer Mazzanti, president, eMazzanti Technologies. "In the computer world, the definition is more specific and usually means the 24x7 monitoring and the day-to-day IT administrative duties of a whole network."

Why a managed services provider is needed

Information technology (IT) systems are expected to meet high standards of operation, while offering 24/7 availability, security, and performance. In today's environment, a business has to keep pace with the constant changes in IT, performance demands, and pressure to deliver competitive IT functionality. To meet these challenges, many organizations consider outsourcing their IT activities to be an attractive option.

What is a managed services provider?

A Managed Services Provider (MSP) lets a company delegate specific IT operations to them. The MSP is then responsible for monitoring, managing and/or problem resolution for the IT systems and functions.

Managed services providers offer services such as:

* Alerts for virus and malware attacks; potential hardware and software issues

* Data backup and recovery for different devices (desktops, notebooks, servers, etc.)

* Software Patch management

* Data Security

Basic services often start with a monitoring service, which notifies a company of problems, but the company must resolve them on its own. More intensive services cover everything from alerts through problem resolution.

MSPs act as an extension of your IT department, taking care of routine IT infrastructure monitoring and management around the clock and freeing up your IT staff to focus on more important projects. An MSP proactively monitors and maintains your systems in order to help you avoid problems and downtime.

Outsourcing IT is not like outsourcing other services: the company maintains control of its IT. It decides what it wants the provider to take care of and what is handled internally by the company. In addition, the MSP subscription model gives the company more budget predictability.

Internal IT vs. MSPs

Sometimes it appears the easiest way to handle IT needs is by dedicating resources to having an in-house team of IT professionals. While this may seem like the most fiscally responsible move, it can end up costing more than hiring an MSP.

A technology professional with five years of experience may be worth $70,000+ a year. That $70,000 salary only gets one person, not a team of professionals with expertise and knowledge.

When a company hires its own IT staff, there are also challenges scheduling around vacation, training, and illness. An MSP provides full time IT coverage, but vacations, illness, and other absences don't affect needed support.