If you want a business that offers both technical assistance and ongoing solutions for all of your technology needs, then a managed IT support company is probably right for you. Managed IT companies will usually offer a variety of outsourced IT support services to suit individual needs. Depending on your level of service provided by an MSP, you may be able to get basic hardware and networking support, data center management and security, help with diagnosing and resolving problems, and even help with cloud and remote backup services.
Most managed IT support companies have a web site
where you can find out more about their services and what you can expect. Some offer more extensive solutions than others, so do some research before choosing a provider. The following are some of the basic services that most MSPs offer:
Technical Support: This is usually the simplest service provided by a managed IT support company. Your technicians will fix or repair minor hardware or software problems for free. Many times, this is only offered on a trial basis, but if your issues don’t seem to be related to anything else on your network, it’s an easy service to use. If your hardware or software fails, contact the technician to return your equipment or ask him to come back at another date and time.
Data Center Management: Some managed IT support companies offer data center services such as controlling power usage and maintenance, monitoring security devices, or even troubleshooting your network. Your technician may work together with your IT staff to set up a data center that includes multiple server rooms. When data is lost, it is often sent to a remote backup service, which allows your employees to retrieve any lost information at a later date.
Cloud Backup: A lot of organizations offer some sort of cloud storage system
to make it easier for them to maintain and share their data. If you own a website, a cloud storage service can allow you to keep your entire website data on a server somewhere else, allowing you to save it on the cloud when it is needed. A cloud backup service will store all of your website data in the form of either a local hard drive or a remote server. And will allow you to access your files anytime you want without having to store them on your own computer.
Data Analytics: If your company is growing, it’s important that you know how much data you’re creating and transferring. Every day. An MSP can help you build a report that shows how much data you’re generating and transferring.
- Data analytics can be helpful if you are experiencing high error rates, slow response times, and a general slowdown of your business.
- The reports will tell you how many clients are opening and closing accounts.
- and whether you need to perform maintenance or upgrades to your systems to improve things.
They can also show how many customers are actually paying and which areas of the site are attracting the most traffic.
Data analytics is particularly useful if you’re trying to keep track of the number of users logging onto your site each day and how much bandwidth you’re using. It’s a great way to gauge whether you need to update your site or replace the server or database servers that you currently have in place. With a data analytics program, it’s easy to see how much space is being used by users, and which pages are attracting the most attention or generating the most clicks.