Do SMBs need an AWS/Azure Managed Cloud Services Provider?
In many ways cloud technology has been a great leveler, allowing both big and small businesses to get more productive, cost-effective, and competitive. This also extends to managed service support. It is common to think that Managed Services is a luxury that only big brands can afford. But the reality is that smaller businesses can and should utilize the many benefits of outsourcing certain service-related tasks to Cloud Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in terms of cost benefits and improved operational performance.
Businesses looking to expand their business scope need the expertise that MSPs offer in handling their complex internal procedures. With more duties to manage, it makes excellent business sense to outsource to MSPs. This is even more of an imperative in the cloud-driven world of today. As AWS MSP, as well as Azure MSP, Teleglobal has seen the challenges SMBs face, especially as they grow and evolve. And these challenges drain a lot of their time, which can be easily moved to an MSP.
IT Services vs Managed IT Services
The importance of a strong IT department from a business perspective cannot be overstressed. From troubleshooting technical errors to handling software/hardware installation/maintenance, and network administration the IT department is an essential factor in enabling business-as-usual.
Large businesses that have deeper pockets—as well as greater needs—can maintain strong IT departments. Smaller outfits often do not have enough resources or budget needed to keep a big internal IT team, which is why managed IT services can serve as a good alternative.
How MSPs can be a difference maker to your SMB unit.
⦿ Creates innovative solutions in sync with advances in technology
⦿ Delivers more flexibility in adapting to volatile macroeconomic environments
⦿ Ensures extensive technical expertise among the workforce
⦿ Helps you meet regulatory compliance demands
Signs Your SMB Needs Managed IT Services
If you’re not sure if your SMB firm can benefit from managed IT Services, here are some sure signs you indicate should be considering this option.
1. Greater risk factors
Digital services have become so ubiquitous today that almost no business can survive without its manifold benefits. But it also comes with proportionate risks, as the internet also opens users up to a variety of risks that can increase and become harder to manage with time.
Smaller businesses tend to believe that cyber-attacks happen mostly to bigger enterprises, as hackers have more to gain there. But this is a fallacy. Statistics show that more than 40% of all cyberattacks target small businesses. It could be lack of a robust security sets up small businesses as easy targets. So it is important to put a security system in place to protect your company’s financial data and client’s personal information. And MSPs are the ideal solution to shore up your internal security structure.
2. Evolving business structure
As smaller businesses begin to grow, so do their production scale and profits, which leads to the expansion of their operations, and infrastructure. They need to bring in extra tools like computers and printers and also enhance their workforce’s capabilities. Inventory growth too brings a need to invest more in software and hardware solutions to meet the need to manage this inventory efficiently.
Managed services for SMBs can help in aspects like operational management, stock maintenance and tracking, and hardware/software upgrades.
3. Problems with personal device data management
Personal devices have become an intrinsic part of people’s professional lives, and Covid-19’s WFH mode has made this even more common. As a result, data management of multiple devices, including cell phones, tablets, and laptops makes the company data vulnerable. Some smaller companies have put systems in place that set protocols for data management covering personal devices, such as prohibiting the use of these in sensitive areas. But this doesn’t always go down well. Also when people work away from the workplace, it is harder to enforce such mandates.
In such instances, MSPs can improve cybersecurity by implementing secure features like VPNs and 2-step authentication. They can also beef up password security—essential if multiple employees are accessing a shared business online system.
4. Time management issues
Managing data is always tough; it takes time, effort, and staff. This is true for smaller businesses as well as large enterprises. Both tend to generate vast volumes of data, which their staff cannot properly handle in a timely fashion, which becomes increasingly difficult as a business grows, as growth generally brings multiple responsibilities and roles with the extra work that goes with it.
Even if extra security is not needed, it is difficult for businesses to ensure that their employees are backing their files up and saving their data regularly. Managed IT services can take care of this problem.
5. Need for skilled IT support
IT departments of SMBs are chronically short of manpower and talent. This also comes with keeping abreast of new technologies, best practices, etc. Partnering with an MSP is an excellent and cost-effective way to counter this. After all, there is a limit to how many IT experts you can employ to manage IT service tasks, streamline management activities, and cybersecurity measures.
Benefits of Managed Services for Small Businesses
1. Data recovery and backup
In the hustle of daily work, data backup and security protocols can fall by the wayside. Managed Services Providers take this task off your hands, putting in place systems to carefully and safely back up all data, including customers’ personal information and financial details.
Depending on your contract, the MSP will also conduct monthly or daily backups.
2. Secure network
Cybersecurity as we saw earlier is as big a factor for SMBs as it is for large enterprises. Smaller businesses are hit harder as it costs more per capita to handle an incident. Partnering with MSP gives you the benefit of expert security services. Not only, do MSPs monitor and control potential problems before they appear, but they also ensure regular upgrades of the software and hardware and monitor cybersecurity measures for gaps and address them routinely.
3. Mobile device/print management
Managed services make it easy for smaller business owners to track their employees’ online activities on company devices. In the case of print management, they monitor factors like:
⦿ Type of documents the employees print on
⦿ Management of compatible computer systems
⦿ Manage usage of necessary resources like paper, toner, and ink
4. Help desk support
All businesses need to provide customer care services. But it can be tougher for small-scale businesses to manage multiple queries, given that they usually operate with a smaller staff. Here too managed services can come to the rescue, handling and resolving extra queries efficiently.
MSPs can provide an organized customer help desk system and the support needed to productively manage customer complaints and calls systematically.
5. Wide range of talent
There’s a limit to the bench of talent that SMBs can sustain. Partnering with an MSP however gives small businesses access to a broad range of expertise. MSP teams comprise diverse skilled and dedicated IT professionals with specialized training in their own particular IT field/service, backed by years of experience. The combination of talent, skill-sets, and experience gives them the capability to provide focused guidance for the SMB they are partnering with to handle different types of issues.
Takeaway
Managed IT services support can help small-scale businesses can excel in their area of business by taking away the responsibility for the management of IT-related issues, handling customer support, and ensuring records and data are up-to-date and secure. However, it behooves the SMB to do their due diligence before engaging an MSP to ensure they have the necessary credentials and consistent C-Sat ratings of past projects before selecting one for their business.
Still unsure how your business can benefit from partnering with an MSP?
Contact Teleglobal today for a detailed, no-commitment presentation.
