IT is at the heart of most businesses today and few could function without their computers. IT technicians are key players, because they are the ones who keep mission-critical systems running. Technological innovations are transforming business technology and best practices.
With the arrival of managed IT services the old ‘break-fix’ way of maintaining IT systems is becoming obsolete. Here’s an overview of the disadvantages of break-fix IT and the advantages of adopting a business model that uses managed IT services.
The Disadvantages of Break-Fix IT
What is break-fix IT? It’s simply the IT maintenance approach where problems are taken care of as and when they pop up. Break-fix IT can be expensive, especially when dealing with hardware failures that could have been prevented with ongoing monitoring and maintenance. The downtime caused by hardware failure and other disasters could be powerful enough to derail your budget and disrupt operations for months. Ditching your break-fix IT should be a priority in the light of best practices today.
The Benefits of Managed Services
With managed IT services you don’t wait for something to go wrong. Managed services focus on proactively updating technology and performing preventative IT maintenance to prevent catastrophic hardware failures or other budget-busting technology problems. Some of the many benefits include the following:
• Reduced capital expenditure: If your technology is getting the attention it needs, when it needs it, you will spend less on replacing crucial items of hardware if they fail. It’s useful to remember too that, for revenue purposes, your managed IT service counts as operational expenditure, rather than capital expenditure.
• Spend less time on maintenance: Some businesses have an in-house IT department that’s responsible for overseeing IT maintenance and management. Others utilize existing staff who have IT skills. Outsourcing IT maintenance ensures that it gets done regularly, so your staff can get on with the core work of your business.
• Cut down on downtime: Properly maintained hardware is less likely to break down, which means less time wasted while it’s being repaired. Reduced downtime leads to more profitability and improved functionality for your business. Let’s not forget that it’s less stressful for everyone too.
What is your policy for maintaining and managing your company’s technology? Do you replace it when it breaks down or do you proactively seek to keep it functioning? If you’re still stuck in the days of break-fix IT, changing the way that you approach tech maintenance can have big benefits for your business. You can save money at the same time as you improve your operations. For more information on how to get started with managed IT services, give Quikteks a call at (973) 882-4644.