Managed Services to Keep Growing in 2016 and Businesses Should Pay Attention
Managed Services is red-hot, and most forecasts expect the market to grow by at least 15% each year through 2019 to a value of $285 billion. This could only mean that more and more businesses are expected to recognize the need for an MSP to help maintain their IT infrastructure in order to stay relevant and competitive.
It’s Not an Option so Much as an Advantage
Technology is complex and ever changing and many small and medium businesses (SMBs) simply lack the resources to keep up. Most SMBs struggle with the increasing potency and frequency of security threats yet they are also being forced to deal with increasingly sophisticated IT needs. A very convenient solution is available in the form of a Managed Services Provider (MSP).
An MSP has the manpower and resources to provide the perfect supplement to your current IT capabilities. The MSP is staffed with expert professionals who are knowledgeable about the current trends in technology and recent threats to businesses’ IT environments and can actively monitor and alert the business of potential problems or proactively address those problems. With the MSP staff and your IT staff working together, you know that your business is in good hands and you can focus on more important matters.
MSPs Let You Concentrate on Your Work
As if cloud computing and mobile computing were not enough to give small and medium businesses a severe headache, big data computing has brought a whole new level of complexity into the fold. Big Data is a game changer, and as more and more companies look to big data to provide strategic insights and business intelligence, you’ll also feel the nudge (or be left with a huge competitive disadvantage). To leverage Big Data computing you need to have a capable system with the backbone to handle massive amounts of highly varied data. The big data system needs to be able to process and troubleshoot data at reasonable speeds to keep the accompanying operating expenses within reason. Generally speaking, MSPs are better equipped for analyzing and interpreting big data as well as identifying alarms and alerts that may have meaningful business impact. Plus, handing this responsibility over to a proactive provider allows you to concentrate on whatever it is your business does, instead of maintaining a defensive (and nervous) stance.
“Break-fix” is Sooo 2008
In today’s highly competitive environment, being reactive is simply no longer enough. Waiting for something in your IT system to go wrong before you do something will most certainly put you behind. The potential productivity and revenue losses you may suffer while waiting for things to get fixed are simply too big of a risk. Being proactive gives you assurance that your day-to-day business operations will continue uninterrupted. By having complete understanding of your IT systems, the MSP can detect and eliminate threats, solving issues before they can have an effect on your business.
Managed Services Cost Less
Not only is Managed Services more effective and reliable than the traditional Break-fix Services, it usually costs less (and that’s without factoring in the true cost of downtime likely to happen in break-fix arrangements). MSPs know your IT systems inside out, so it is easy for them to come up with the most efficient ways to do things. Break-fix service providers on the other hand rely solely on what you tell them, so the approaches they take are often limited. MSPs have the access, the information, and the capabilities all under one roof. Going with a managed services provider isn’t putting all your eggs in one basket so much as keeping them in a bomb shelter. (Eggs, in this case, represent copious amounts of sensitive data.)
Cake and Managed Services: Better in Tiers
Finding a solution that perfectly fits the needs of your business is not an easy task. Some MSPs will be better suited to your company than others. To make things easier, premier MSPs such as Dynamic Quest have started making their IT solutions available in multiple tiers. This allows you to compare not only the size, but the needs of your business against a straightforward set of services. Our solution at Dynamic Quest is called QuestCare, which we offer in three levels: QuestCare MSP; QuestCare Remote; and QuestCare PPM. Here’s the breakdown:
- QuestCare MSP offers an all-inclusive IT solution, including full strategic support, 24-hour monitoring, reporting, analysis, and preventive maintenance.
- QuestCare Remote is a premier IT solution that offers strategic guidance, along with 24-hour monitoring, reporting, and analysis.
- QuestCare PPM is an economical solution that guarantees that IT systems are well maintained and downtime is avoided.
Bundle With a Backup
Businesses can further cut down on IT costs by bundling several services through one provider. More and more MSPs are offering bundled services, providing businesses a significantly more economical route than purchasing those services separately. For a client, doing business with fewer MSPs is also easier. Bundled services is generally a win-win solution, which is the main reason for the market shifting in that direction.
Realizing this, we’ve tiered our backup solutions as well, which can be bundled with QuestCare. We call our backup solutions QSync, and we’ve tailored them based on customer response. Stratifying backup solutions again makes it easier for companies to assess their needs and match them against a set of plainly laid out services. Backups essentially serve as insurance against data loss, so it’s important to know what you’re paying for. Again, here’s how we’ve tiered our services:
- QSync BDR is a premier solution that offers image-level backups using offsite cloud servers and onsite physical servers along with a business continuity feature.
- QSync BR offers image level backups using offsite cloud servers that update every 24 hours and onsite physical servers that update every hour.
It’s worth mentioning that we also offer a complete Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) solution. Not only will you have a solid backup in place, but you’ll have equipment to run it on. QSync BDR guarantees the restoration of your data and covers your infrastructure and equipment, meaning the continuity of your business is virtually assured.
Long Story Short…
The Managed Services market is expected to continue its momentous growth in 2016 (and beyond). If you still haven’t chosen an MSP, it’s certainly worth checking into. Without it you risk swimming in the wake of your competition –and that’s a bit harder to fix.
If you have any questions about MSPs, or managed services in general, don’t be afraid to contact us here at Dynamic Quest. We’re not just here to help customers. We’re here to help people, and that means answering any and all IT questions you may have. So give us a call. Chances are, we’re awake.
Curious to learn more? Contact your Atlanta managed IT service provider today!
