Businesses looking to leverage technology in new ways should consider working with a managed IT service provider – but it is important to know which type of service you need…
In today’s business landscape, it is important for organisations to be up-to-date with their information technology. IT is a big part of modern work, and leveraging it in the right way can make a big difference for a company. An increasingly popular method for businesses to access newer technologies is the use of managed IT services. We spoke with TechQuarters, a managed IT service company based in London – they have been providing managed IT support for architecture firms, manufacturing companies, financial institutes, and dozens of other types of businesses. According to them, managed IT services are the best way for smaller businesses with smaller IT budgets to access newer technology solutions.
What are Managed IT Services?
You might be wondering exactly what managed IT services are. Many people think of managed IT services as simply outsourced IT support – but the truth is that the latter is just one of the many different types of managed service. For example, TechQuarters provides managed IT support Guildford companies rely on, but they also do other types of managed services, such as backup services, security, infrastructure, etc.
So, managed IT services simply mean any technology-related, business-to-business service, where the service providers manage it all for the client. Let’s now look at some of the common types of managed IT services, and what they can do for a company…
Managed Network and Infrastructure
For a better network that can maintain high performance, low running costs, and security, businesses often turn to managed network and infrastructure services. Managed service providers take care of the infrastructure, software, and support needed to keep their client’s networks running properly. All operations, monitoring, and maintenance are the responsibility of the service provider – and this is also backed up by a service level agreement (SLA). Managed network and infrastructure services may also include hosting and storage services. Connected services include managed Wide-Area Networks (WAN), and managed Local-Area Networks (LAN).
Managed Security
For cutting-edge security at a price that the average business can afford, managed security services are a good idea. These services include a wide range of solutions that cover different aspects of modern business cybersecurity. Some examples of this include…
- Antivirus & Antimalware
- Patch & Update Management – Outdated software is a security risk.
- Network Security – Including firewalls, network access control (NAC), and data loss prevention.
Managed Support
This type of managed service is well known in the business, and it is probably the most common type of all. TechQuarters have provided managed IT support for education, and many other sectors, and according to them, managed IT support is a good way for businesses to free up time and resources. Oftentimes, managed support providers work alongside a client’s own in-house team, meaning that the company has staff available to focus on projects, whilst also ensuring that they had support on-hand for the everyday IT needs of the company.
Managed Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
Another very popular managed service involves cloud-based software, or software-as-a-service (SaaS). Most businesses will be familiar with SaaS – Microsoft 365, which includes products like SharePoint Online, and Microsoft Teams, is an example of software as a service. It is very common for businesses to acquire these kinds of software as a service through a managed service provider. In fact, TechQuarters does this in their capacity as a Microsoft Solutions Partner. Working with a managed software provider can be a good idea because it means the client gets more direct access to expertise, consultancy, and support surrounding the software they use.
