IT issues can reduce productivity, decrease profitability, and halt your business’ growth. IT Managed Service Providers can help tackle these issues by providing a wide variety of IT services, including monitoring, maintenance, security, and strategic planning, all of which allows businesses to focus on their core operations and increase organizational efficiency, profitability, and growth.
Table of Contents:
What is an IT Service Provider?
What is IT Management Support?
What is included in Managed IT Services?
Who needs IT Management Support?
Benefits of Managed IT Services
What are the Different Types of Managed IT Support?
- Pros and Cons of In-House Managed IT Support
- Pros and Cons of Co-Managed IT Support
Subcontracted (Third Party) IT Support
- Pros and Cons of Subcontracted Managed IT Support
What Type of IT Support is Best for Your Business?
Looking for a Co Managed or Fully Subcontracted IT Services Provider?
Have More Questions about Managed IT Services?
What is an IT Service Provider?
IT managed service providers (also known as Managed Service Providers, or MSPs) are companies that provide a wide range of proactive and reactive technology services in order to best manage their clients’ IT systems and infrastructures. These managed IT services help businesses and organizations stay ahead of their competition and any potential downtime/losses that might result from IT issues at an efficient, reliable, and affordable rate. Utilizing IT Management Support from a reputable MSP can ensure reliable and responsive IT support for your organization’s everyday IT needs.
What is IT Management Support?
IT management support (also known as Managed IT Services) refers to the services provided by MSPs which serve to manage organizations’ IT infrastructures, systems, and day to day needs. Managed IT support staff are there to take care of your IT needs, maximize functional efficiency, and minimize operational downtime. These services will be both proactive and reactive in nature.
What is included in Managed IT Services?
Different MSPs will offer different arrays of managed IT services based on their physical and virtual resources and technical capabilities. However, as a general rule of thumb, an MSP will be able to :
- Assess your existing IT systems
- Diagnose and work to solve any detected issues or faults
- Partially or fully manage your IT network needs on both a proactive and reactive basis
- Devise a customized IT management strategy to best ensure that all of your unique IT issues and needs are thoroughly assessed and targeted
Other services under the IT management support umbrella can include:
- An initial IT network assessment and/ or setup
- Managed cloud backup and cloud services
- Strategic CIO planning
- Access to an IT help desk or support team
- Patching and upgrading computer systems and applications
- Proactive and reactive cybersecurity monitoring and support
- Desktop, user, network, licensing, and data center management
IT management support providers can take care of all of your IT needs so you can focus on your core business initiatives.
Who needs IT Management Support?
IT Management support is beneficial for organizations, businesses, and companies of all sizes and specialties. The advantages of managed IT services extend to all types of professional fields, including healthcare systems, legal and accounting services, governmental/municipal organizations, K-12 and higher education systems, financial service providers, manufacturers, transportation and logistics experts, hospitality, retail and many more. Collaborating on your IT projects and services with an IT service provider allows you the peace of mind in knowing that your digital assets are securely and expertly managed and the overall ability to focus on promoting your business’ growth and success.
Benefits of Managed IT Services
Some of the most popular benefits of managed IT services include:
–Reducing business costs: One of the primary advantages of IT managed services is cost reduction. Businesses can avoid hefty investments in monitoring hardware and software, and the hiring and training of IT personnel. Instead, they pay a predictable monthly fee for experts in the field to take care of all of their IT needs for them, decreasing overhead and increasing business efficiency and manageability.
-Proactive Maintenance: Many MSPs monitor their clients’ IT systems 24/7, which allows them to detect and address issues before they interrupt business flow and output. This proactive approach minimizes downtime and disruption and promotes business continuity, efficiency, profitability, and overall success.
-Managed Cybersecurity Services: In an era of increasing cyber threats, MSPs play a crucial role in safeguarding an organization’s digital assets. MSPs implement robust security measures, conduct regular updates, and provide data backup and disaster recovery solutions to ensure that their clients’ businesses stay ahead of both competitor system functioning and any potential cybersecurity or malware attacks.
-Strategic IT Experts: MSPs bring a wealth of IT expertise and experience to the table. This knowledge pool is invaluable for solving complex IT challenges and making informed technology decisions so that you can focus on helping your business succeed.
-Scalability: IT managed services are highly scalable. Businesses can easily adapt their IT management support packages to be customized to fit their unique and changing demands, whether it is scaling up, sizing down, or just maintaining optimal business functioning.
-Increased Ability to Focus on Business Needs and Growth: When you decide to invest in IT project management services and allow expert IT service providers/MSPs to take care of all of your IT needs, your business or organization can redirect its time and resources toward its core competencies and strategic initiatives, which will ultimately foster growth, innovation, and success.
What are the Different Types of Managed IT Support?
Managed IT services fall under three main categories: Onsite IT Support, Co-Managed IT Services, and Subcontracted IT Services. Each type of managed IT service has unique pros and cons. Keep reading to learn more about which category of IT support will work best for you and your business’ IT needs.
In-House Managed IT Support
In-House IT Support refers to the action of fully allocating IT management and responsibilities to an in-house/on-site IT support team. With this type of support, your IT support staff will be on-site, physically accessible, and work directly for your business or organization as an employee.
Pros and Cons of In-House Managed IT Support
Co-Managed IT Services
Co-Managed IT Services refers to services provided through a collaboration on part of both an in-House IT support team as well as a subcontracted MSP. With this type of support, some of your IT support staff will be on-site, physically accessible, and work directly for your business as an employee, while other IT responsibilities will be managed by a third-party IT provider.
Pros and Cons of Co-Managed IT Support
Subcontracted Managed IT Services
Subcontracted IT Services refers to IT services and responsibilities that are wholly managed by a subcontracted (or third party) MSP. With this type of support, the entirety of your IT infrastructure and system components will be monitored and managed by a third party managed service provider.
Pros and Cons of Subcontracted Managed IT Support
What Type of IT Support is Best for Your Business?
All of these IT management services are designed to proactively and reactively manage and optimally maintain an organization’s IT infrastructure, applications, and end-user systems. Having an in-house IT support staff can be beneficial for your business or organization if your day to day operations constantly require immediate access to physical infrastructure or support. However, in-house IT support can largely increase overhead expenses- expenses which could likely be reduced and more efficiently allocated to a co-managed or fully subcontracted MSP if your business’ operations don’t require consistent and fully onsite support.
Therefore, if your business doesn’t require immediate physical access to an on-site IT support team, co-managed or fully subcontracted IT management services are highly recommended in order to reduce overhead costs, increase operational efficiency, and ensure that you can have 24/7 access to the IT support that your business needs.
Looking for a Co Managed or Fully Subcontracted IT Services Provider?
Consider Clear Winds Technologies! With over 20 years of experience in IT, we understand the needs of our clients and strive to provide reliable, affordable, and customizable solutions in order to ensure your business is able to handle the high demands of the 21st century technological environment.
Clear Winds Technologies: Your choice for expert, efficient, and reliable IT Management Support
Now that you know the ways in which different IT management support services can help your business grow and succeed, you need a reputable and trusted IT service provider that can handle all of your organization’s unique IT needs. Clear Winds’ iTops Managed IT Services Package provides a comprehensive approach to taking care of all of your organizational IT needs so that you can focus on promoting your business’ success. These services provide customers with unlimited proactive and reactive technical support, keep your network running effectively and efficiently, and help you reach your business goals. Clear Winds’ iTops Managed IT Services Package includes:
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Initial Assessment and Setup
To start, Clear Winds will conduct a complete audit of your existing IT environment. This audit will include the operating systems, applications, network, security infrastructure, backup processes, and an assessment of the various services and protocols that are being used. Your baseline assessment will come with a personalized network diagram like the one below, to provide a simple and succinct representation of your current IT infrastructure and system layout.
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Managed Cloud IT Services
Additionally, our team will perform an initial comprehensive backup of your device(s) in order to ensure that your data is stored fully, accurately, and securely. Following the initial backup, our engineers will routinely perform incremental backups on both current files and any additional files/ files that have changed since the previous backup as part of your Cloud Service plan.
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IT Infrastructure Strategy
After the initial audits are completed, our engineers will develop and execute a customized plan for meeting your IT goals and promoting your business’ success. Client-centered communication, satisfaction, and success are at the heart of what we do. Therefore, after implementing your customized IT Management Support plan, we will meet with you frequently in order to provide comprehensive quarterly reviews, discuss your upcoming IT goals and any possible concerns, and ensure your satisfaction and success.
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Unlimited IT Support
As your IT service manager, Clear Winds will also offer you unlimited IT support at a fixed and competitive rate. Our expert engineers can provide IT support for a large variety of issues, ranging from simple fixes for your technological hardware to business-wide network troubleshooting- all at no additional cost to you.
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24/7 Technology Support
Clear Winds knows that technical issues can arise at any point without warning. That’s why our IT help desk experts are available to assist you and your business 24/7! Our Managed IT Services plan provides immediate access to our experienced IT team, who is able to assist you and your business 24/7 with issues that require both on-site and/or remote support. With Clear Winds 24/7 Technology Support Services, you can have around the clock access to expert technicians who will work immediately and tirelessly to resolve all of your IT issues.
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Managed Cybersecurity Services
As part of our Managed IT Services plan, Clear Winds offers managed cybersecurity services, through which our cybersecurity experts proactively monitor your technological environment to scan for any potential cybersecurity issues. Our cybersecurity team routinely identifies and eliminates any network vulnerabilities so that you can focus on helping your business succeed. We also offer a variety of firewall, antivirus, EDR, & SIEM solutions to help keep your network secure & running smoothly. With Clear Winds’ managed cybersecurity services, you can rest assured that your digital assets are safe and in good hands.
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Rapid Access to IT Support through our Client Portal
When you need help with a Managed IT issue, you want immediate access to expert support. When you become a Managed IT Service client, you will gain access to our client portal, in which you can immediately contact our expert help desk technicians with the click of a button. Our technicians will receive those requests and begin working to resolve the issues in a timely manner. Within the client portal, you will also have the ability to to monitor the progress and status of your issue(s) and receive any relevant updates via email and telephone.
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Desktop, User, and Licensing Management
Trying to single handedly keep track of all of your internal and external software and network licenses can be extremely time consuming, overwhelming, and easily bring your workflow to a screeching halt. That’s why Clear Winds IT Management Support services will assess, monitor, and manage your current desktop infrastructure, user systems and permissions, and network licenses for you, so that you can focus on taking care of business.
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Managed Network Security
Clear Winds’ team of expert IT engineers can configure, monitor, and manage your organization’s network. These essential aspects of IT Network Management help ensure that your network remains functional, secure, and able to handle all of your network traffic. Whether that network traffic be curious potential clients, loyal customers, or the new leads that help your business grow, Clear Winds Managed Network Security services will ensure that your network is performing optimally to go above and beyond in meeting both you and your network users’ needs.
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Data Center Managed Services
Clear Winds’ extensive team of IT experts can also provide you and your business with the necessary data center managed services to best keep your data secure, organized, accessible, and optimally functional. This service includes the management of computer and server operations, large amounts of data, and service and applications, as well as data protection services. With Clear Winds’ data center managed services, you can expect quality technical support from a team of professionals who will work tirelessly to ensure that your data is securely stored, distributed, and protected.
All of these services allow us to provide you with the peace of mind in knowing that your IT needs are fully taken care of by a trusted group of IT experts who have your best interests and organizational success in mind. We also offer a variety of additional Managed IT Service Add-Ons, Co-Managed IT Services, and other service packages and are able and ready to provide you with a customized plan that goes above and beyond in meeting your IT needs.
Have More Questions about Managed IT Services?
As a trusted Managed IT Service Provider, we are looking forward to connecting with you to help you help your business grow and thrive. To talk to an expert about your Managed IT Service options, give us a call at (205) 986-4490 or schedule a free IT consultation today!
