If you’re in the market for IT services, you’ll have doubtless come across the phrase “managed service provider”. What actually is a managed service provider, what do they do, and why should your business think about investing in one?
What is a managed service provider?
A managed service provider oversees the implementation and integration of agreed-on services for their client. Managed service providers exist in all fields – financial, legal, healthcare, security, hygiene, catering, IT, and so many more.
A managed IT service provider is, quite simply, a company that manages a client’s IT infrastructure/end-user systems. Generally, it will be done under a subscription service, where the client pays a monthly fee for a certain amount of “managed services”.
The services that are managed, how they are managed, and what the company actually does for the client all varies on a case by case basis. IT infrastructures are complex and individual things, and every client has unique requirements. Therefore, a managed service provider must tailor their services to best satisfy their client’s needs, depending on what they require. There’s no “one size fits all” approach.
As an example, managed service providers can look after your web hosting, IT security, data management, and backup; they can handle the upgrading of your business software and a host of other services designed to meet your IT needs.
Why would you need one?
Managed service providers take the time, stress, and guesswork out of keeping your business IT infrastructure working at peak efficiency. Handling your IT requirements can be a complicated process, especially if you’re not trained or experienced in IT.
With a managed service provider, you’re buying into their experience, professionalism, creativity, and ongoing training. This allows you to take advantage of industry-leading insight into your IT infrastructure without having to worry about the implementation. Whether your managed IT services are narrow or broad in their scope, you’ll gain the benefit of considerable fresh insight and new ideas.
Then there are costs to consider. Investing in outsourced services might not seem the way to save money, but it really is. With managed IT services, you won’t have to risk making bad and potentially costly mistakes with your IT infrastructure. You also won’t need to invest in such a broad in-house IT department, and in some cases, you might not even need one at all. You’ll also have a consistent monthly subscription, making budgeting easier.
Something else to consider is security improvements. Your IT systems will benefit from the attention of professionals who are constantly undertaking fresh training and learning more about ongoing changes in cyber-security threats. This keeps your data safer.
How can catalyst2 help you?
catalyst2 is a managed IT service provider geared to finding the right solutions for our clients.
We offer a broad range of managed IT services, everything from hosting to data storage. We offer:
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- Data backups
- Disaster recovery
- Web hosting
- SSL certification
- Cloud hosting
- VPS servers
- Managed AWS/Azure/Office 365
- Email hosting
- Data migration
- General IT consultancy
Plus, so much more! The benefit of the catalyst2 service is we offer a broad range of options for our clients, allowing you to mix and match our services depending on your requirements. This allows us to create a tailored managed IT services package just for you.
We can help you with everything from website hosting to managing your Office 365 installation through to general consultancy. Our friendly and professional team offers managed IT services you can rely on to keep your business operating smoothly.
Contact catalyst2 today to learn more or to get a quote, and discover how managed IT services can benefit your business.
