Have you ever taken a broken-down workstation or server unit to a break-fix IT technician, only to have them resolve the problem and demolish your IT budget with absurd costs? For small businesses that can’t afford to hire an on-site IT department, this is a common occurrence. Thankfully, the SMB now has more options than ever before for how they want their IT to be managed, and it all starts with managed IT services.

The traditional break-fix IT service model might have been necessary once upon a time, but these days, it’s beaten out by the efficiency and flexibility that managed IT services can provide.

So What Really IS Managed IT?
The core difference between managed IT versus the traditional break/fix method is that those who are managing the network (namely, the IT company) are treating it as if it was their own. By utilizing enterprise-level remote monitoring tools, carefully honed-in processes, and preventative maintenance, technicians are able to care for the network better. This improves the integrity of the network and all of the devices on it overall, while also identifying problems early before they cause a serious issue. With these tools at hand, caring for your network becomes incredibly efficient, and delivers a level of service far beyond what break/fix IT could provide.

Here are three reasons why managed IT services are the superior choice for your business’s technology maintenance needs.

Fewer Unexpected Costs
The average break-fix tech support is expensive, precisely because users can contact them whenever they need assistance. You can think of it as a convenience charge, in much the same way that you’d get if you went to a restaurant for dinner and tip the waiter or waitress, rather than cook your own dinner. The thing about break-fix IT is that businesses that adhere to that type of model don’t care that your technology is broken; they only care about how much money they can make off of your broken technology.

Managed IT, on the other hand, provides users with easily-budgetable payments that are designed to provide the quality tech support needed to prevent major problems from happening in the first place. This means that you’re spending less on hardware and software replacements, and you’re wasting less capital on downtime that could have easily been prevented. Unlike break-fix IT, managed IT services want to save you money and form a working relationship with your business.

Improved Security and Efficiency
Efficiency is a major pain point for businesses when it comes to IT. Network monitoring and maintenance is required if organizations want to maximize the security of their systems. Patches also need to be administered to all commonly-used applications, but this task is easier said than done. A small business with limited time and resources might forsake them altogether because they’re not immediately “necessary.” The problem with this lies in security, as unpatched vulnerabilities could allow online threats easy access to your critical systems.

This process is made much easier with managed IT services. Our dedicated technicians can monitor and maintain your systems for critical failures or vulnerabilities, and then resolve them remotely to save you the trouble of the on-site visit. Most issues can be resolved remotely, but sometimes an on-site visit cannot be avoided. However, rest assured that your systems are being watched by the good guys who want to save you money.

End-to-End Support
On the other hand, some businesses have an internal IT department, but they’re either too busy to implement new solutions, or to provide mission-critical updates to systems. Some even have no time to respond to in-house requests for technical support. This can become a major problem that leads to ignored calls for help, decreased productivity, and in some extreme circumstances, downtime.

However, managed IT seeks to keep your business connected to the support it needs to run properly. Our technicians are just a phone call away. If your team doesn’t have time to resolve its own technology problems, let us help. We can provide the service you need to keep your employees productive and efficient.

To learn more about our managed IT services, reach out to us at (610) 828- 5500.