Chicagoland businesses that are considering outsourcing their tech support may have heard about managed IT services. As a small business owner or IT manager, should you hire a managed IT services provider? How can they benefit your company?
Understanding Managed IT Services
Simply put, managed IT services providers manage your IT infrastructure and all of your information technology needs. They work with your company’s chief technology officers and directors (if you have those positions on staff), or they serve as your company’s CIO, making technology-related decisions to keep your business moving forward.
The right managed IT services providers should understand your industry and help you and your company achieve your business and technology goals. Your provider should complement your company and what you’re working toward.
Managed IT Service Provider Tasks
Managed IT services providers help you strategize to grow your business effectively and efficiently. They are responsible for taking on tasks like –
- backup and recovery,
- monitoring your network,
- email hosting,
- data storage,
- data analytics,
- advanced customer relationship management,
- and other application installment and monitoring.
Benefits of Working with a Provider
SMBs, in particular, may have limited staff resources or budget to hire an internal IT manager. In these cases, the management of IT can fall to the other employees who already have a full plate. A managed IT services provider removes this burden.
They also monitor your entire system constantly, checking for updates and implementing new software and apps to keep business running smoothly. If your workstations are not running the latest update on your Windows operating system or iOS, a managed IT services provider can take care of the upgrades. They can also make suggestions and provide assistance to keep your software and hardware up to date, which ensures you have maximum security and minimal risk of your network being compromised.
Do You Need a Managed IT Services Provider?
If you are in need of an IT assessment or are looking to work with a new provider, contact Oak Brook-based EQ Technology Group online or give us a call. We work with your IT budget to bring your business up to date with the latest technology and help move your business forward.