Your IT department is in charge of many tasks. Not only do they manage the hardware and software that already exists in your office, but they’re often put in charge of acquiring new tools, implementing them and educating the staff of its use. Often times, the requirements of an IT department are too many for a small company to adequately employ. The cost to keep an effective in-house IT department and equipment is money that cuts deep into the budget. A managed service provider (MSP) is an alternative option that businesses employ to create often times a lower and more reliable IT expense.
Why use an MSP?
1: Mind Your Own Business
Unless IT is actually your business, time spent fixing your IT is time not spent producing for the company. And when your IT goes down you’re looking at lost revenue and a damaged reputation. The solution could be to take all your IT problems and farm them out to a managed services provider who will guarantee that your website will be up, your office chat will work, your email will be operational, and that your IT won’t stand in the way of your business. That leaves you and your staff free to actually run your business.
2: Security
Security is a big concern for small businesses. Often small businesses protect enterprise-level data like customer information, credit cards and more and they do it with consumer-grade tools. The result? Hackers prefer to target SMBs.
Then there’s mobile. Implementing security in a mobile, BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) environment is a big step, best left to experienced professionals who can both guide you around the newest and best technology available, and implement it seamlessly. That’s not just an issue for people juggling giant phablets in Silicon Valley: laptop theft is one of the biggest reasons for data loss. Having everything on a secure hybrid cloud managed by professionals negates much of the risk of data loss.
3: Better Customer Service
An IT network supplied and controlled by an MSP will provide better customer service. You can expect:
- Better integration across apps and between parts of the network, leading to more efficient customer case handling
- Faster response times as the network runs faster
- Less downtime
- More features that can be supported on your website
Customers prefer to interact with tech that both looks and behaves as modern as possible. Work through an MSP and you don’t just free yourself from physical IT entanglements, you get access to the newest and most efficient technical solutions and the support to efficiently implement them, leading to greater customer satisfaction.
Choosing to go with an MSP can save you money, keep your data safer, make your staff more productive and your customers happier, and free you to work on your business without worrying about your network.
If you’re looking for more information regarding a managed service provider and how they can help your business, contact Stratosphere Networks today at (877) 950-1999 or fill out our contact form.
