The managed IT services model is a popular way for companies to gain access to skills their team might not have. Likewise, it's a good way to expand capacity if your team has the skills but needs more help or has to focus on other issues. If you wish to adopt a managed information technology model to expand your organization's skill base, you should be aware of how it works.
Third-Party Providers
Managed IT solutions are products and services of third-party providers. Suppose a small store wanted to add an e-commerce presence. It might not have the resources, time, or skills to invest in coding, designing, and hosting a website. However, it could turn to a managed IT company for help with any or all three of those elements. For example, they might pay for a design firm to do the coding and layout work and then have a managed IT services business dealing with the hosting needs.
Skilled Teams Paying for Skills
Notably, the managed IT model often works well even for firms that have significant IT infrastructures and teams. Consider the problem of penetration testing. First, even the most skilled IT departments often don't have qualified penetration testers. Second, even if a company does have qualified people, there's an argument for using third-party services to assure the independence of the process. Consequently, it's not uncommon for businesses with robust IT departments to employ managed IT services to fill gaps or assure independence.
Expanding IT Teams
Getting help is often a challenge in the IT world. Finding qualified folks is difficult in many cases, and a team with many skilled members may still need support.
This is especially useful if a company needs momentary or seasonal help. A business that's expanding its capacity, for example, may need managed IT assistance to help it add servers, install software, perform updates, and configure devices. Once the need dies down, the company can downsize the managed information technology footprint and turn duties over to the main IT team.
Allowing Focus
Assigning IT jobs to people isn't always the best use of their talents, even if they have the skills. If your data scientists are dealing with what are fundamentally help desk issues for other members of your team, for example, that's not a great use of human resources. Turning the help desk roles over to a managed IT solutions provider will allow your company's in-house talent to focus on what they do best.
Contact a managed IT service to learn more.
