Interest in managed IT services has grown considerably in the last couple of years, especially among small businesses. Companies with just a couple full-time employees and limited IT budgets are trying to find a way to harness the full power of what the latest innovations in technology can offer them.
However, they realize that they can benefit from the help of IT professionals along the way. Hiring a managed IT services provider is a better choice for small businesses when compared to the alternatives, like relying on limited in-house IT staff or using a local IT services provider whenever they have a problem or need advice.
Chicago managed IT service providers are now focusing on the small business sector, offering affordable and flexible solutions built with the needs of small businesses in mind. Here are some of the top advantages of managed IT for small businesses:
Lower Labor Costs
Hiring your own IT staff can be an expensive and time consuming process. Not many small businesses have the budget for a fully staffed IT department that is available around the clock to provide any needed service or support.
When you use a managed IT provider, you instantly get a team of IT experts working for you. They can provide any service that you need, such as helping you choose the right technologies to grow your business or provide technical support for your existing IT infrastructure.
Expert Assistance Whenever You Need It
Managed IT plans give you access to business technology experts around the clock, ready to assist you and your users in every way. This can range from simple online helpdesk support, all the way to on-site disaster recovery and network management or health monitoring.
Your IT service partner will have many different service plans that you can choose from, ranging from the most basic to more advanced ones. That way, whether your IT needs are very basic or more complex, you can always count on them to provide the 24/7 assistance you need.
Reduced Downtime and Business Risks
In today’s world, there are many IT security risks that small and medium-sized businesses face. These include malware, malicious hackers and other types of security breaches. New IT security threats appear on a regular basis.
By using managed IT services, small business owners can reduce their exposure to these risks. IT experts can come up with a plan that will keep your business protected from both common and uncommon threats. They can also create and implement a data backup and disaster recovery strategy that mitigates the downtime caused by data loss from a security intrusion or equipment failure. If something goes wrong, your IT services partner will be there to get you back up and running faster than you would have ever imagined.
Ability to Focus on Your Main Business Tasks
When you get an IT services partner, you get the ability to outsource many IT-related tasks that you were previously doing yourself. This can include maintaining servers and workstations, performing software and operating system updates, troubleshooting problems and so on.
You save time and can now focus on tasks that are more important to you and that will actually help your business grow.