By giving IT staff more time to focus on innovation and reducing unexpected costs, managed services provide businesses the support and room they need to thrive.
Organisations across every industry are discovering how today’s technologies help them achieve their objectives. For example, retailers use beacons to personalise marketing messages to individual customers based on where they are inside a store. Hospitals use technology to track patients and understand their experiences, helping to reduce readmission rates. Airlines use apps to streamline check-in, and sports teams use them to boost stadium attendance.
While new technologies present powerful opportunities for enterprises, they also introduce challenges. The pace of change in IT is unprecedented. No longer can IT departments standardise on one or two computer models, a single operating system, and a short list of approved applications. The mobile devices and cloud-based technologies that have brought so much possibility have also introduced a hodgepodge of devices, platforms and apps for IT departments to manage and secure.
For many organisations, those challenges add up to significant expenses: the cost of hiring and training qualified workers, purchasing the infrastructure to support emerging technologies, and keeping systems up to date and secure. Rather than struggle to keep pace with technology, many organisations turn to managed services providers for help. By trusting a third party such as teQwise to handle cloud deployments, data centre solutions, mobile initiatives, collaboration tools and security, organisations can focus their time and resources on their core business objectives.
Managed service providers take a holistic approach to IT services, resulting in a higher standard than many organizations are able to achieve in-house. Top service providers also offer ongoing management and maintenance of the underlying infrastructure, along with end-user support and service guarantees.
The benefits are clear: In 2014, only 30 percent of organisations used managed services, but within a year, that figure had nearly doubled. Managed services can cut IT costs by as much as 40 percent while doubling operational efficiency.
Turning to a trusted partner offers several advantages, including:
1. Freeing up IT Staff
Most IT departments are stretched thin. By outsourcing back-end functions or complex, rapidly changing technologies, organisations dedicate their in-house technology experts to projects that will further their core objectives and promote innovation.
2. Keeping pace with the demands for IT expertise
Organisations around the world are struggling to fill IT positions, particularly in cybersecurity and mobile app development. Outsourcing these functions to a partner with technically skilled and specialised engineers in new and emerging technologies alleviates these pressures.
3. Greater Scalability
IT shops spend months — even years — deploying massive systems. Many organizations are finding it more effective to start small, move fast and expand as needed. CDW’s modular approach to managed services makes it easy for enterprises to scale up or down depending on demand, such as a retailer increasing capacity around the holidays, or a startup experiencing sudden growth.
4. 24/7 availability
The 9-to-5 workday is as outdated today as the phone booth. When users work around the clock, so must the network. With a managed services provider, help is always available — days, nights, weekends or holidays — to support users.
5. Shifting the burden of compliance
In addition to regular audits, many organisations are obligated to meet standards and requirements with their IT initiatives. TeQwise understands the regulations that organisations are bound by, and can provide the systems, processes and reports to guarantee that organisations meet their requirements — without placing that burden on in-house staff.
6. Predictable monthly costs
Every IT investment comes with peripheral costs. Organisations need adequate networks, storage, and security. They must train staff, deploy systems and manage equipment. Unexpected costs arise at any time. By outsourcing initiatives to a managed service provider, organisations can break down their costs into fixed monthly payments, as opposed to the large capital expenditures that come with managing systems in-house.
Want to speak with TeQwise about how they can cut your costs with managed services? Contact them on 1800 123 321 today!
You can also contact Tradies Tax, who use leading software to ensure you’re getting the best experience possible for your business.
This blog was originally published by TeQwise.