Managing your IT can be challenging, but there’s a cost-effective solution that businesses can take advantage of. Outsourced IT is the answer for many organizations. It provides the support for your business, whether you need a fully-fledged IT department or help with new IT solutions. Managed services will cover you, and for the right price. Let’s run through some of the benefits of managed IT, as an alternative to the older break-fix approach, and see how the costs compare.
Managed Services v Break-Fix
What’s the difference? Let’s first define how each model works.
– Break-fix services are transactional. Every time you have a problem that needs attention, the work will be billed for each incident.
– With managed services, all work done is covered by the pre-agreed monthly subscription (subject to the specific agreement in place).
It boils down to the way services are charged for. There are other differences too, such as proactive versus reactive IT maintenance, but we’ll focus today on the costs associated with each model.
What Do You Get for Your Investment?
The problem with the traditional break-fix model, is that some downtime is inevitable. Something breaks, you get it fixed. Obviously, there’s going to be a time lapse when you’re reacting to problems that have already occurred. Any downtime can affect your productivity and your profits, and more serious problems can be incredibly disruptive. The bottom line is whether the savings you might make if you rely on the break-fix model (and there’s no guarantee that there will be savings) are worth it, once you factor in downtime, disruption and, perhaps, missed opportunities too.
A managed services agreement includes complete and continuous remote monitoring and IT maintenance. Live assistance is available at all times, at no additional cost. That’s why they offer such good value for money. Of course, not everything can be managed remotely, but if a visit to your premises is needed there’s a time-saving, because your technician will already have most of the information needed to carry out repairs. With a managed service provider, you have consistent, ongoing service. It’s also easier to budget for, instead of having to find the funds at short notice when something goes wrong with your IT. Managed services are like having your own in-house IT department, except at a significantly lower cost.
The Value is Self-Evident
We may be biased, but we are confident that managed IT services have multiple advantages over relying on break-fix IT care. If you partner with us, you won’t be charged for every little job, because our business model is all-inclusive. You always know what you’re spending. There may still be unexpected expenses (if hardware needs replacing, for example), but we work to limit those so you can get on with your main mission – running your business.
A low commitment model of tech management will work for some, but always remember that break-fix providers rely on your technology not working properly for them to make a living. Managed services will provide you with IT maintenance that aims to keep everything functioning, instead of picking up the pieces after problems arise. For more information on our managed IT services, call us today at (973) 882-4644.