What is Managed Services?
It's no mystery that Information Technology is still a black art to many people. Understanding and keeping abreast of technology trends, evolving product offerings from the likes of Google, Microsoft, Apple and PC makers can all be a bit overwhelming for many people. Managed Services takes the pain of managing your IT environment away by having a 3rd party (like ContinuIT) manage all of your IT systems for you.
What's included?
Everything or one thing. The choice is yours. Managed Services can be tailored to your specific needs but typically would include the following:
- IT procurement (Servers, Desktops, Comms, Printers and Scanners, etc...)
- Installation and configuration of above items
- Monitoring and capacity management of the managed devices (to ensure your equipment is secure, available and reliable)
- Problem management (IT support) for managed devices
What are the benefits of managed services?
Small businesses often need similar IT infrastructure to big business (servers, PCs, network, smartphones, printers, etc...) and therefore need people trained in IT to manage that infrastructure. You can hire a system admin but you probably won't be able to pay him/her anywhere near what larger organisations pay. This means you either compromise on the quality of the person you get, or they'll probably leave you at some point (when you need them most) for a larger environment to further their experience. Either way, it's not a great result for your business. Using a managed service, you get expert advice and experience for less cost. It's all about getting the most value possible for every IT dollar you spend.
Why use ContinuIT?
Who you use to provide your managed services depends greatly on the size and complexity of your environment and the service levels that you expect from your provider. ContinuIT is an excellent choice for small business customers looking for a virtual IT Manager. We can provide the complete range of Managed Services, as well as the necessary skills and experience to help you align your IT with your business plan, so that your IT grows with you and doesn't become a finacial drain on your business. We can help you navigate the maze of IT options to make the most of your IT investments and ensure that every IT dollar spent, is either helping you save money, or generating income. After all IT is just another business tool - and it's all about the business, right?
What you get from ContinuIT is personal service and commitment to learn your business and provide the right advice so that you can avoid any technical pitfalls on your journey to success.
How much does it cost?
Again, this depends on your environment. There's no simple answer. There are a couple of choices here though. Managed Services can be provided as either an ad-hoc service, delivered as "best efforts" for no up-front cost, a PAYG (pay as you go) service (typically billed by the hour), or as a fixed price service where a set of services are provided for the term of the contract at an agreed price (typically paid monthly). The benefit of a fixed term agreement is that your IT costs are predictable for the term of the agreement.
