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New Year, New Managed Service Provider?

The beginning of the year is a great time to ask yourself, “Do my employees or I have any frustrations with our current IT support?” If the answer is “yes,” it may be time to change.   

Luckily, you have plenty of options to consider that improve your IT support and day-to-day business. 

Maybe you have an internal IT employee or team, or you are already outsourcing your IT, but your current provider isn’t cutting it. 

Let’s take a look at your options…. 

First, we want to understand what a Managed Service Provider is. 

An IT MSP is a technology provider that essentially takes on the responsibility and manages all or some aspects of your internal technology. 

Some of the services an MSP can offer: 

  • Network Monitoring 
  • Help Desk 
  • Cyber Security 
  • Backup and Disaster Recovery 
  • Cloud Migration & Management 
  • VCIO 
  • Email Solutions 
  • Etc. 

Inadequate IT support can negatively impact your business in many ways (employee satisfaction, productivity, revenue, etc.) 

Here are some tips for making the switch to a new MSP: 

A Smooth Transition 

Whether you are going from one MSP to another or are adding extra support to your existing internal IT team, it is crucial to focus on good communication. 

You will want to know everything your current team has been operating. Things like how many devices they manage, each service they provide you with, or any tickets created. This will allow your new MSP to understand the support you need and provide you with an accurate quote and plan. 

Another thing to figure out is who owns what hardware. Sometimes, an MSP will lease hardware out to their customers for a monthly fee. Other times, they sell them devices so that the customer owns them. Make sure you are returning devices if necessary. 

Finally, make sure you understand the contractual obligations between your business and your current IT provider. For example, an MSP will often require 30, 60, or 90-day notice. Also, make sure you know the SLA (service level agreement) you signed at the beginning of the partnership, so you aren’t slapped with cancellation fees. 

Choosing The Right MSP 

If you are looking to switch to a new MSP, it is important to understand what isn’t working with your current IT team. Where are they falling short? Bring these concerns to other potential partners to see how they compare or if they can meet your needs. 

Figure out the model that works best for you. An MSP can offer either an all-you-can-eat model or al a carte model. An all-you-can-eat model typically includes every service they offer, whereas the al a carte model is more customizable to the specific needs of your business. 

Questions to ask a potential MSP: 

  • What do their pricing models look like? 
  • Can they meet all of your requirements? 
  • What is the contractual agreement? 
  • What does implementation look like? 

Closing thoughts 

IT support can make or break a company, so it is vital to have a partner that understands your business and needs. Luckily for you, there are many options out there. It is just about finding the one that works best for you and your employees. 

If you are interested in receiving a free network assessment to better understand your network health, or you would like to learn more about how Now Micro can help you manage your IT, visit our Managed Services page. 

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5 Reasons You Should Consider Outsourcing Your IT

There is already so much unpredictability when running a business, but IT issues don’t have to be a part of that. Managed service providers can remotely monitor your network 24/7, 365 days a year to ensure you experience as little downtime as possible.

Here are 5 reasons you should consider outsourcing your IT:

1. Cost

Many small to medium-sized businesses expect that outsourcing their IT is unnecessary and not worth the cost. However, most companies are surprised to learn that they usually save money by outsourcing their IT.

When switching to an MSP, your cost is a flat monthly rate. A good MSP will offer an a-la-carte solution rather than a one-size-fits-all model because each business is different and should be treated as such. This way, you can decide how much or how little support you will need.

When your IT is managed in-house, and something breaks, you likely will be faced with the “sticker shock” attached to the solution. If something breaks, that is worked into the monthly cost with an MSP, meaning no surprises.

2. 24/7/365 support

One of the most significant issues small to medium-sized businesses face is the lack of support when they need it most. If something goes wrong, it can take a lot of time and research to figure out how to troubleshoot the issue and get back up and running.

With a managed service provider, businesses have IT support at all hours of the day, including non-business hours.

3. Productivity & Time Saving

Many small to medium-sized businesses do not have a dedicated IT employee, and when they do, they are often faced with more challenges than they can handle on their own. Sometimes, an employee takes on IT work as a second job function, which takes away productivity.

If you have a single IT employee, and something goes wrong, maybe they can fix it, but what if more than one thing goes wrong at the same time? Or what if it takes hours or days to resolve the issue, and your company can’t perform its main objectives?

Working with an MSP is a sure-fire way to ensure your employees are focused on what is most important, their jobs. They can even prevent issues from occurring. Even when a problem does come up, your IT provider can get you back up and running in record time.

4. The Highest Level of Cybersecurity

There are many ways to improve your cybersecurity in-house. Some of the things you can do are educate your staff, require password changes, implement two-factor authentication, install a firewall, and ensure your anti-virus software is always on the latest update.

However, as cybersecurity practices get better, the threats get more robust by learning to work around these practices. An MSP can constantly monitor your network and systems for threats and vulnerability, sometimes preventing an attack before it even happens. Therefore, it is imperative to work with an MSP to ensure you have the highest level of security possible.

5. Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity 

One of the biggest headaches for business owners is system and hardware failures that lead to data loss and put their data at risk. It can take hours to days to get back up and running, and even worse, data is at risk of being lost forever!

Working with an MSP gives you the best chance at recovering data and reducing downtime.

Closing thoughts: 

Running a business comes with a lot of responsibility and risks. Utilizing an MSP can benefit your organization in many ways by relieving you from the many headaches associated with IT. This way, you can focus on what is most important, operating your business.

If you’re looking for a managed services provider you can trust, look no further than Now Micro. Our goal is to provide services and solutions for every aspect of your technology needs. From end-users to enterprise data centers and up to the cloud, we’ve got you covered. Visit our website to learn more.