Fixing Your Outdated Machine

When it comes to business IT support, there are three basic ways to handle the problem. You can employ on-site IT staff, use a managed model through a contractor, or pay for problems on a per-incident basis without a contract. For many organizations, managed IT services prove to be the most efficient of the available solutions. If you can't decide whether a managed model is right for your operation, look at these 5 possible signs that it is.

Software Updates Are Woefully Out-of-Date

One of the main benefits of a managed IT services system is you can depend on the provider to keep everything up-to-date. If you're seeing that a lot or all of your software systems' updates are out-of-date, you may want to move to a managed setup. The company can regularly schedule updates across your systems to ensure there aren't any unpatched devices.

High Costs

A managed approach to business IT support allows you to structure costs. If you're using a break/fix model where you only pay when things go bad, that may save money for a while. However, it can become costly when many systems fail at once or devices get old and cranky.

With a managed model, IT support becomes a single item in the budget. More importantly, you can lock in the costs for however long a contract you need. This will reduce the risk of a price shock when a large number of systems fail at once.

Lack of Know-How

In the modern IT environment, even the best professionals can struggle to understand everything. Many businesses use a hybrid model that mixes managed IT services with on-site staff members for this reason. The everyday IT people can address basic issues, and then you can lean on the managed services provider when a problem requires additional know-how. Some businesses go all the way and simply contract the work out entirely too.

Unfilled IT Positions

Especially when the job market heats up, it can be tough to fill IT support roles. If you've tried to fill jobs only to find that no one applies or meets the qualifications, you might want to work with a third party. Even if you use a services provider as a stopgap, it can make a huge difference while you sort out the job situation.

Recovery Processes Have Been Painful or Failed

IT systems will inevitably go down. The question is what happens when you start the recovery process. If your organization has struggled or failed to handle the recovery process, it might be time to have an outside party take over your IT work.

Contact an IT support company to learn more about managed IT services.