A managed service provider manages all or part of your IT infrastructure. It is becoming quite popular among businesses in all types of industries to outsource technology management to a managed service provider.
Managed services can provide your business with access to enterprise-level technology, expert IT knowledge and support at a huge cost savings. Did you know that outsourcing converts fixed IT costs into variable costs and allows you budget effectively? In other words, only pay for what you use when you need it.
With the variety of managed service providers to choose from, it is difficult to decide who will be the best fit for your business. The biggest question being what will you get for your money?
There are a few key elements every managed service provider should offer. Keep the following in mind to help ensure your business receives the best of what managed IT services has to offer.
24/7 Monitoring
You can expect all managed server providers to offer some form of network monitoring. However, your service provider should monitor more than your servers and workstations. They should also monitor networked devices like firewalls, routers, and other important infrastructure.
Data Backup and Recovery Plan
When disaster strikes, your business could suffer significant data loss. Without a proper data backup and recovery plan, it is difficult and sometimes impossible to recover from major data loss. Your managed services provider should offer a solution that is best suited to your business.
They should backup your data on a regular basis and test your recovery plan often in order to make any necessary adjustments.
On-site Support
Although many managed service providers can handle most IT support issues remotely, there are some instances when an on-site IT technician can offer the best support. Having a managed service provider that is local is ideal for providing on-site support.
A technician can provide training on new software or troubleshoot issues on workstations. Your managed services provider should have enough staff to ensure you have on-site support when you need it.
When it comes to protecting your network, you want the best features at an affordable price. Our managed service provider agreement includes IT support and management for businesses of all sizes.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
