There are many reasons why you might be looking for a new IT support company – you’ve outgrown your current provider, your IT manager is leaving (or already left), you’re not confident about your security, technology is a constant frustration, etc.
Whatever your reason, you might be reluctant to use managed IT services because of preconceived ideas about how it may not be a fit with your company. The managed IT services industry has come a long way since its inception. Now may be the time to give it another look.
To help clear up some misconceptions, let’s look at these 7 managed IT services myths:
- I Can’t Afford Managed IT Services
- I’ll Have to Buy More Services Than I Need
- We’ll Have to Get Rid of Our Current IT Department
- We’ll Get Cookie-Cutter Services
- The Bigger the MSP, the Better the Service
- We’ll Have to Give Up Control of Our IT Systems
- We’ll Be Less Secure If We Outsource
Now let’s slay these myths!
1. I Can’t Afford Managed IT Services
When you’re looking to move to managed IT services for the first time, you might have a little sticker shock when you learn about the monthly fee. The truth is, however, that you might be paying too much for IT right now. You just don’t know it.
When you add up all of your expenses (labor, tool licensing, the cost of lost production when your technology is slow or down, etc.), it’s very likely that you’ll save money going with managed IT services.
2. I’ll Have to Buy More Services Than I Need
It used to be true that small businesses had small IT needs, but not anymore.
Because of the increasing complexity of technology and the exponential increase in cyber threats, companies of all sizes need sophisticated IT management. With managed IT services as your outsourced IT department, you get just what you need, and you can scale up or down as your business changes.
3. We’ll Have to Get Rid of Our Current IT Department
Many managed IT services providers offer comprehensive IT outsourcing agreements along with co-managed options for working with your existing IT department. So if it works best to keep your IT department on staff, you can!
As you begin your partnership with a managed IT services provider, your internal IT team might feel a little threatened. After all, they’re handing over a lot of responsibility, which might stir up negative feelings or a need for control.
As the partnership develops, your IT staff will actually find that they can be personally and professionally more successful. This is because they’ll be free to focus on areas of technology that allow them to expand their skills, exercise their creativity, and help your business innovate.
A mature MSP will help elevate your IT staff to be the best they can be – not hinder their growth or try to force them out.
4. We’ll Get Cookie-Cutter Services
Part of the value you get from partnering with an MSP is that they use industry best practices and standardization to streamline processes. And it’s not just their processes – it may include improvements to your processes too, such as how you onboard new employees with their technology.
Companies partnering with an MSP may get some of the same features and go through similar processes, but each company’s IT strategy and setup are unique. At Accent, we work with over 170 clients and no two IT environments are the same!
Your strategy will depend on your situation and goals and will evolve as your business evolves. That’s something you just can’t get from an assembly-line approach to IT.
5. The Bigger the MSP (or the Smaller the MSP), the Better the Service
What you should look for is a managed IT services company that’s right-sized for you.
It might be tempting to think that the biggest company will be the best, but what often happens is that they have a sweet spot for clients that are also very large companies. If your company size falls below that sweet spot, your needs may get pushed down the priority list.
The same can be true with small MSPs. The "boutique" service may mean you’ll be waiting longer for things to get resolved since they may not be able to keep up with demand.
Ask the company what their typical or ideal client size is. That may help you figure out if they’re the right fit for you.
6. We’ll Have to Give Up Control of Our IT Systems
You’ll be handing over access and responsibility for many facets of IT to your new managed IT services provider, but you still own everything.
You will still be making decisions.
If you pick the right MSP, they will prove very early in the process that they are your partner, working toward your mutual success, and the relationship that forms will be collaborative and not controlling.
7. We’ll Be Less Secure If We Outsource
You’ll probably be MORE secure when you contract with a managed IT services provider.
It’s in the MSP’s best interest (and yours) to make sure that you don’t have a data breach (internal or external). MSPs are continually investing in sophisticated cyber security tools and training to stay up-to-date in their knowledge about cyber threats, how to repel them, how to monitor for intrusions, and how to respond if an attack gets through.
How to Choose a Managed IT Services Company
Now that you have slain your misconceptions about managed IT services, learn how to choose the MSP that’s the best fit for your company. Check out the top 10 tips to help you choose the best IT support company for your business.
