SMBs Need Managed Services More than Ever

By the DynaSis Team

Several recent reports have highlighted the growing importance for small and midsized businesses (SMBs) of outsourcing their IT functions. There is also new evidence that SMB owners are actively embracing the use of managed services.

Per a 2015 report from the MSPAlliance, an international association of cloud computing and managed services providers (MSPs), North American firms spend approximately $154 billion annually for managed services. The MSPAlliance also reports that SMBs are at the top of the list, in terms of adoption. Benefits cited by the SMBs contracting for managed IT services include increased operational performance, decreased operational risk, reduced IT costs and accelerated innovation.

The IT solutions offered as managed services range from computing, storage and networking resources to mobility strategy and management, expert, 24/7 support for users, and even telephony services. Some IT support companies offer ongoing monitoring, management and maintenance of the underlying infrastructure (with service guarantees).

The most engaged MSPs also offer IT consulting and strategic planning services to help organizations create roadmaps of upgrades and improvements, maximizing budget while minimizing downtime. With all of these options potentially—but not necessarily—available, SMB decision makers considering managed services must both identify their own priorities and vet their candidates carefully. Following are a few issues to consider.

• Does the technology partner focus on the business goals of its clients when it makes a recommendation? Providers must develop offerings tailored to the client’s business goals rather than recommending a cookie-cutter service plan.
• Does the partner take a long-term view of relationships and act as a trusted advisor? MSPs that see value in ongoing technology roadmaps help their clients be more resilient as market conditions change.
• Is the service portfolio comprehensive? Even if your company is outsourcing only a few functions initially, identifying an MSP that can grow with you will ensure you never have to manage multiple vendors.
• Has the MSP identified and addressed your technology pain points? The most qualified IT partners should perform assessments and make recommendations based upon your vulnerabilities, not just on their strengths.
• Does the MSP value and commit to close communication? If the provider doesn’t offer a timetable for regular meetings with account managers, reports that show the effectiveness of the engagement and periodic formal reviews, you won’t be able to benchmark the value of the relationship to your firm.

In the long run, many organizations find that contracting with an MSP for all IT services is the most cost-effective solution. This is especially true when the provider offers proactive monitoring and problem resolution, which is proven to reduce outages significantly. With virtually all SMB staff requiring computing resources, IT outages quickly become costly based on wasted staff resource alone. When the cost of lost sales and goodwill are factored in, the price tag is even higher. For even the smallest providers, the new reality is that uptime is no longer optional.

Selection of an IT outsourcing company is a very important business decision. For almost a quarter century, Atlanta’s small to mid-sized businesses have relied on DynaSis’ for managed IT services, internet security, and 24 x 7 x 365 helpdesk support. Today, with cybercrime becoming an ever-increasing threat, DynaSis has become an industry leader in network protection and ransomware prevention. Please take a tour through our website at www.DynaSis.com or speak with a technical expert at 678.218.1769.