Why Managed IT Services Are Just Good Business

Small businesses have an array of options for maintaining their technology. They can try to do it themselves, arrange for an all-purpose “computer guy” to fix things when they break or establish their own IT departments.

The main disadvantage to all these options? They’re what we call “reactive IT” -- the “break-fix” model that springs into action only when a problem arises, costing small businesses money to fix the problem and time and productivity while it’s being fixed.

There’s a better way -- managed IT services through a Managed Service Provider (MSP) that offer specialized service and support at affordable, predictable monthly costs and emphasize problem prevention rather than “break-fix.”

Here are some reasons why managed IT services make for good business.

• They save money in the long run. As a small business owner, you can handle consistent monthly expenses. Where you run into a problem is the budget-busting one-time expense to replace an outdated server or redo your entire IT system. By monitoring small business systems for problems before they occur, managed IT services keep expenses predictable, allowing you to confidently budget for them -- and save money over time by avoiding huge one-time expenses.
• They let you run your business. Unless you’re a technology firm, IT is a tool you use to help run your business, not the business itself. So why should you spend hours messing around with technology problems when you can leave those matters to skilled technicians and concentrate on your business? Often, MSPs monitoring small business IT can spot and fix a problem without even having to let the owner know.
• They concentrate on preventing problems, not fixing them. Unlike “break-fix” vendors, who focus on fixing a discrete problem and moving on to the next one, MSPs have a built-in incentive to look at a small business’ bigger IT picture: where its weak points are, where it could use an upgrade, what might prevent a catastrophic failure. It’s another feature of managed IT services that provides important peace of mind to the small business owner.
• They can adapt quickly as technology evolves. IT services are getting simpler to use and more complex to maintain, and that trend is sure to continue as small businesses use technology to try to accomplish more with fewer resources. According to the Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), American small businesses estimated they spent 65 percent more on technology in 2009 than in 2008, and 24 percent more in 2010 than in 2009. Small business owners have enough to worry about without having to stay abreast of every advance in a rapidly evolving IT landscape.

As a Managed Service Provider dedicated to serving small businesses with five to 99 employees, CMIT Solutions has embraced the managed IT services model as the best way to help small businesses use technology to their advantage. Interested? See www.cmitsolutions.com and look for a locally owned CMIT Solutions franchise in your area!