Information Technology (IT) is the lifeblood of business. And, as IT evolves and advances, more and more capabilities become crucial to success and even survival. Managed services with service level agreements are gaining traction as an effective solution for small to medium-sized businesses.
In this article, we will walk you through why that is the case.
About IT managed services and service level agreements
According to Gartner, an IT managed service provider (MSP) provides a basket of services, including regular expert support and administration of network, applications, infrastructure, and security. They do so at a customer’s data center, the MSP’s site, or a third-party facility.
Simply put, contracting for managed service means outsourcing most of the IT functions.
Build or buy?
Given that a robust IT function is a must, is it better to build your capability yourself or buy it from an MSP?
For small to medium size businesses, the answer lies in the affordability.
To build your own function, initial costs are substantial, operating costs are high, and the need to stay current adds even more costs. In addition, you will need to hire competent staff and spend time managing and training them. Tools like Skyware Inventory can assist in tracking and managing IT assets, but there’s still an overhead associated with their implementation and use.
Meanwhile, the cost of hardware, software, and other IT components is rising. In addition, a tight job market is pushing staffing costs up.
- Defining the scope of services.
- Setting service levels you will require of the MSP, including things like response time, time to resolution of issues, and % availability.
- Specifying metrics to measure success and failure.
- Listing resources the MSP will provide.
- Making provisions for expansion or contraction of services.
- Setting compensation for the MSP.
The negotiation process provides a structure to define your needs and set mutual expectations.
Importantly, IT is the MSP’s business, so that they can guide you through this process. That alone is a major source of added value.
With all of the above in mind, the logical choice for small to medium-sized businesses is an IT MSP. Some key reasons include:
- The MSP provides staffing. You save on recruiting, training, and compensation costs.
- The MSP provides current IT expertise, for example, staying on top of cyber threats.
- The MSP provides hardware and software at lower costs than you can achieve because of its superior purchasing power.
- Services are readily scalable up and down.
Not surprisingly, the market for MSPs is growing. Worldwide, the MSP market is expected to increase from $152 billion to $311 billion between 2020 and 2027.
SecureTech can help
If you are located in San Antonio, Texas, or the surrounding areas, SecureTech is your solution. With over 16 years of MSP experience, we provide seamless technology integration, updated systems, and expert ongoing technical support.
One of the key things we do is to make sure each tech request we receive is assigned a priority. Our service level agreement ensures that, based on the set priority, the issue will be resolved timely. This keeps us accountable and makes sure that no ticket gets forgotten.
What’s more, you have a clear, objective standard for evaluating our performance.
Seize the moment
Learn how you can have a robust, scalable IT function at an affordable cost and save your capital investment for your core business. For more information, contact us today.