Plenty of small businesses don’t have either the expertise, or the resources to set up a full IT department. There may be some colleagues who know how to fix certain IT problems, but in order to really prepare the business for growth, outsourcing IT is a must.
By choosing to outsource, you can save money and time for the business, and rather than pay for unpredictable break-fix situations, your budget will go towards predictable, proactive management.
There are many types of professional services supported by IT companies, so in order to make the right decision for your business, you need to know the differences between them to get the best service for your particular business needs.
Managed Services and Professional Services
One of the biggest differences between managed IT services and professional services, is that managed IT services view your business from a more holistic perspective in order to help your business in the long run. Many managed IT services offer on-going services, and generally work via a contract.
As a result, this can cover different aspects of IT, as the needs can alter each week, even each day. Professional IT services tend to be project-based, as they will usually be required for a specific problem, or issue that pops up. If there isn’t an on-going contract, there could be some delays with resolving issues when you need to get the help required.
Knowing the right choice for your business depends on your type of business, the budget you have, and what your IT needs are. The size of your business is a factor, as a larger business is likely to face more issues than a smaller business, based purely on the number of employees you have, and the range of roles that IT plays within the business.
To better gauge which is best, consider the team that you have and how much you rely on technology. If you would face downtime from IT problems, managed IT services is the recommended choice.
Depending on what you do, your business, your budget, and your expertise, managed and professional IT services, can definitely offer you a range of different benefits.
Pros of Managed Services
If you want to know what’s best for your business, look at the pros and cons to see what the differences are, and what is going to benefit your business.
- Managed services are preventative: managed IT services are there to cover all aspects, and don’t wait until there already is a problem. When this happens, it can cost money and time, which is not what a business wants. With a team on-hand ready to help, issues will be resolved in a timely manner.
- Managed IT services are ongoing; you get round-the-clock support with managed IT services, which can be vital for small businesses. As there is an ongoing contract, it means that the managed IT service company can get to know your business and have a clear relationship and interaction.
- As there is an ongoing contract, managed IT services are easy to budget for. You know what the costs will be each month or year. When you choose professional services, the costs can change from job to job, and in some instances, could be more than you had budgeted for.
Professional services assist you with a specific task, and charge only for that task, depending on the time and resources used, and then you don’t contact them again until you need to. So what will work for your business may not work for another.
However, IT is increasingly a more integrated portion of modern businesses, and there are many aspects to a business that are more technologically influenced than realized. So while it may seem convenient to use professional services, for long-standing support, it’s best to partner up with a good tech team.
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