From recent growth in managed networks, managed cloud, and managed devices, it’s easier than ever for tech companies to call themselves a managed services provider. In fact, 94% of enterprise-level businesses rely on managed cloud services to streamline their business. But what do managed IT services providers actually do, and why would one be helpful to your business?

To put it simply, a managed IT services provider is a data center solution that remotely manages their clients’ infrastructure and end-user tools. It also supervises specialists within their clients’ companies to perform whatever functions are required, such as offering cyber security consulting services.

Managed services are typically IT and consultive in nature. The reason they’re so popular is that outsourcing to a managed IT services provider is usually much cheaper for companies than having an in-house setup.

A managed service provider may play a minor role in a company’s operations, or they may take care of most of them. It depends on what the client requires, and what the provider’s capabilities are.

However, a definition this basic doesn’t really encapsulate everything a service provider is or can do. For an improved definition, and to learn how managed IT service providers can benefit your company, keep reading.

Different Types of Managed Services Providers

Managed services providers take on broad and diverse roles within company structures, and different providers offer different services.

At their core, the different types of managed service providers can be broken down into the following three categories:

• Service subscription providers: These providers specialize in just one or a few services, and provide them as turnkey solutions to their clients. They’re a low-level involvement service, with a focus on delivering output, keeping clients’ tech running, and meeting quality metrics. They usually boast a high level of both expertise and affordability, but they don’t get involved in business planning for their clients.
• Value-added providers: At a mid-level stage of involvement, value-added providers offer a broad range of IT services on top of ordinary services. These additional services can include disaster recovery, security management, and cloud computing. As an added bonus, they also provide insights into how their clients might scale their businesses with their services.
• Full-service or partner providers: Finally, at a high level of involvement are full-service providers, or partners. These services provide the lifeblood of a major company’s infrastructure, technology, and skills. As partners with their clients, they provide full assistance in business planning and infrastructure development.

Who are Managed Services Providers For?

Any company that wants to lower business expenses while increasing their efficiency will find any of the above services providers useful. If your company has plans to expand and scale their operations, then right away is a good time to acquire the assistance an MSP can offer.

Benefits of hiring a managed IT services provider include cost reduction, since they eliminate the need for a full tech staff or setup; minimized downtime, since they offer backup solutions and always-on services that are available right when you need them; higher efficiency and security, as they employ strict standards and systems for keeping your data safe while running processes efficiently; and high-level support, with experts on call to help with almost any tech problem, often around the clock.

This is just a handful of the many advantages of hiring a managed services provider. To learn more, get in touch with ICC today.