Delivering Efficiency with Managed IT, Part I

Anyone that uses a computer knows just how frustrating it is when that computer doesn’t function as intended. For a business, it negatively affects profitability. If you don’t have the support structure in place to mitigate your technology problems, you could be spending a whole lot of money on nothing. In part one of our five-part series on managed IT services, we talk about how being proactive keeps your technology, and your business, working fluidly.

What are Managed IT Services?

Managed IT services work to mitigate computer problems through the use of remote monitoring, management, and proactive maintenance. This strategy helps a business in several ways. Firstly, by using state-of-the-art tools to monitor a business’ network and hardware, our certified technicians can ascertain how this technology is running. What’s more, if a piece of hardware isn’t working as intended, our techs can typically get it back working properly through the use of our remote management platform.

How does this save your business money? Simple, since your hardware will last longer and perform better than hardware that isn’t managed in the same proactive way, you won’t constantly have to replace your technology; and, you won’t have to pay your staff to sit around twiddling their thumbs every time a piece of technology fails.

Cost of Break/Fix Against Managed Services

You may be thinking that computer downtime can’t possibly be that costly. You’re wrong. The biggest cost for malfunctioning technology is the resulting downtime. Don’t believe us? Think about it this way: The most expensive computer you will have at your business might cost you $15,000 and it can last anywhere from three to seven years. That’s the amount you’d pay a full-time employee if he/she made the federally mandated minimum wage; and, you’ll have a hard time finding a professional technology technician that will work for anything less than three times that.

If you are constantly paying a staff of people to sit around because the technology your company uses is breaking, you are paying for your downtime and that's not even considering the money you are paying your computer guy to fix your technology. Managed IT services presents your organization a way to keep its technology up and running effectively, spurring gains in productivity, efficiency, and overall organizational effectiveness.

Proactivity Is Central to Managed Services

The core tenet of managed IT services is to act before little issues turn into operational problems. This proactive approach is why the service holds so much value. Having experienced professionals at the ready to actively monitor and manage your business’ IT, and doing so for a fraction of the price that you would normally pay a team of onsite IT technicians, allows you to prioritize revenue generating decisions rather than investing capital just trying to keep your business running long enough to generate some type of profit.

Applying and Installing Patches and Updates

Another proactive service that Horne & Benik provides is a comprehensive patch management service. It’s more important than ever for a business to be using updated software. Software vulnerabilities are one of the main causes of data breaches. A data breach could put your data, including sensitive and personal data of your customers and your staff, at risk. With the negative situations that surround data breaches, patching your software becomes imperative to the long-term success of your business.

Check back next week for part two of our series on the benefits of managed services, and as always if you need help with your business’ IT call us today at (603) 499-4400.