Understanding Managed Services and How They Benefit Your Business

Just like larger companies, SMBs need quality technology to operate efficiently and remain competitive. But as reliance on IT grows, supporting a complex IT environment is becoming increasingly costly and time consuming.

Managed services allow an organisation to offload certain IT operations. It assumes ongoing responsibility for monitoring, managing, updating and resolving issues related to selected IT systems and functions on your behalf. This service provides a multitude of benefits for SMBs which we’ll explore below.

History of Managed IT Services

To gain a clear understanding of the benefits provided by managed IT services, we need to look at its development over time. IT has made immense strides every year, so much so that the tools used to service systems have struggled to keep up.

Networks were once simple systems, capable of being built and serviced by a single self-taught technician. Maintenance was only necessary when something went wrong, with organisations calling in a technician to quickly resolve any issues. As time passed, reliance on IT networks increased, requiring more advanced support people to periodically review infrastructure in the hope of preventing major problems.

The capability to predict complex issues occurring in the future was limited, with technicians only able to see what was happening while they were physically there. Technicians could only correct end-user symptoms rather than addressing the core issues, creating an uphill battle made worse by missed backups and other issues.

Managed Services Driven By Large Companies

As technology advanced and globalisation took hold, larger companies became larger and began to have equally large IT networks. These organisations were the first to pave the way for managed IT services.

It began with hardware and software vendors adding new features which allowed systems to monitor networks, signal problems and turn data into useable information. But these systems were complex to manage, geared only towards large networks and far too expensive for SMBs. By 2004, systems matured allowing smaller businesses to take advantage of this technology, driving the managed services movement.

Managed services today involve monitoring networks, alerting providers to risks or issues and resolving them in real time before major problems occur. Small and medium sized businesses are typical customers of managed services, with some providers on the market who specialise in providing managed IT services to SMBs. 

Why SMB’s Need Managed Services

Falling behind on IT security, infrastructure and data backup and recovery is detrimental to organisations. As reliance on IT grows each year, the means to support it needs to ultimately evolve.

With smaller companies having limited in-house IT capabilities, managed services offer the ideal solution, benefiting SMBs by providing:

• Reduced operating costs
• Increased efficiency
• Minimised downtime
• 24 hour support and monitoring
• Data security and recovery
• Cost effective access to quality infrastructure

Managed services can act as an extension of your IT department, taking care of monitoring and management while your IT staff focus on higher-value projects. Unlike other outsourcing situations, you retain control and decide what you want the service provider to take care of.

What To Consider

Managed service providers offer a variety of services. Some focus on specific areas and functions. This may include storage, desktop management and help desk services. Others focus on server hardware and operating systems.

Consider the IT requirements of your business. With so many different managed service providers on the market, it’s important to choose a service offering the required coverage and type of management services suitable for your operations.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive solution, consider CodeBlue’s proactive IT support services. We focus on flexibility and superior quality, delivering a tailored solution to meet specific business requirements – this includes data storage, protection and management, disaster recovery, security services and strategic planning.

Contact CodeBlue today to ask any questions about managed services or to discuss how we can develop an ideal managed service solution for your organisation.