Managed IT services are the essential working machinery of cost-efficient, agile, businesses. These services cover a comprehensive spectrum of business realities on all levels. Managed IT services are extremely flexible. Services can be fully customised for any business, from a small startup to a major commercial entity.
Managed IT services – The background
The in-house IT role can be too impractical, too complex, and far too expensive for small businesses. In this business spectrum, in-house IT is effectively obsolete. Some larger businesses still do have their own IT, but use external IT management for cost efficiencies and general hands-on support.
There are just too many bases to cover in IT for some businesses. Busy managers can find themselves having to manage their IT on a daily basis as well as managing the business. That’s a particularly bad fit for modern business management.
Externally managed IT was (and is) the all-round one-stop solution. External management is done on a very straightforward basis. The IT management service does it all for you on a clear cost base. Better still, management didn’t have to grapple with IT issues. That range of considerations was the final Game Over for in-house IT.
Defining managed IT services
“Managed IT services” isn’t some mere buzz phrase. It covers an extraordinary range of services. This type of service covers everything from the highly technical needs of businesses to basic support roles.
These services include:
- Help desk and IT support
- Data management
- Backups (offsite and onsite)
- Business system management
- Security
- Cloud services
- Voice system services
- Procurement
- Web services
- Business continuity
- Technical support as required
- Consultancy services
The critical added dimension to Managed IT services
That’s a long enough list of all the business essentials, but if anything, it’s an over-simplification. There’s another high-value dimension to these services which is much less obvious.
Customised IT management support: Business systems, technologies, communications, and IT performance requirements of businesses can differ drastically. Customisation to match business needs is essential. There’s no One Size Fits All for databases, for example.
The crucial need for businesses is a holistic approach to systems to ensure top quality performance across the entire system. An external managed IT service does this well, focusing on business system needs,
Technologies: Most businesses have the dubious pleasure of being regularly confronted with updating to new technologies and new technological needs. Bear in mind – Any new tech needs to be included in your existing business system and work properly in that system. It’s not a matter for guesswork.
This is where managed IT services eliminate the clutter and focus on practical solutions. Proper evaluation of technical requirements, costs, and practical issues must be in context with the entire business IT profile. Does the new tech require upgrading the system? What’s the best way to do that and keep costs under control?
Your managed IT consultant will look at technology quality, cost, practical needs, and find the right fit for your business. Managed IT services tend to be very hard-headed in business terms, too. They’ll make the right business decision, using a vast technical knowledge base. They’ll also make the right cost decision, being able to easily compare costs from hardware and software suppliers.
Managed IT services for startups
If established businesses need managed IT services, startups need them even more. The biggest risks to startups are all about managing costs. One wrong financial move can do serious, sometimes permanent, damage to a promising new business.
When it comes to IT, costs can be downright lethal. Big outlays up front can cripple startup cashflow exactly when that’s the last thing a startup needs. Scalability is the name of the game. As a startup, you don’t need a NASA-level top of the scale, super-costly IT setup. You only require IT that does what you need it to do.
Please also note, very important: There’s a risk here for startups that even competent business people don’t really understand. Cheaper definitely doesn’t mean better when it comes to IT. Buying an old obsolete IT layout means you’ll definitely be hit with upgrade costs, sooner rather than later. Performance could be hopelessly inadequate or dysfunctional from day one. You could wind up costing your startup a lot of money, simply by trying to save money up front.
Good managed IT services will work with you to avoid the risks of big financial hits. They’ll look at your whole IT framework. They’ll evaluate the systems you need, and find the scalable IT you need at a sane price. They’ll factor in the inevitable upgrades, too, on a properly costed basis.
“Scalability” also includes upgrading systems. As your business progresses and grows, you’ll need to expand your IT. Best practice is to ensure that scale is covered in your setup cost. All upgrades and increases in scale are factored into your net cost.
Managed IT services and seamless business operations
Ironically, the most important role of managed IT services is taken for granted to the point it’s overlooked almost entirely. This is the most obvious and critical role of managed IT.
- The role of managed IT services is based on ensuring that IT works smoothly.
- Problems are fixed, ASAP.
- Downtime is avoided as much as possible.
- The IT system performs to specifications and delivers services efficiently.
- Nobody’s guessing about IT needs. You get all the expert help you need.
This is the ideal IT management service. That’s no coincidence. This no-nonsense, no-fuss, get everything right approach, is the core professional quality requirement of managed IT services.
Experienced IT professionals set standards and enforce them rigorously. There’s no tolerance for inferior grade technologies, abysmal software, or substandard systems. When you engage a managed IT service, that’s what you’re getting.
MaxIT is here to help with your IT
MaxIT is a broad-spectrum, do-everything solution for managed IT. We work with a truly vast range of different Australian businesses. We’re here to help with your entire IT bandwidth, from the basics to the latest IT on the market. Give us a call or send us a message and ask our friendly experts for any services you need.
