Managed IT Services are an alternative to an internal IT team. These services enable organizations to outsource IT tasks to a vendor as contracted or subscription-based services.

These services can reduce the workload for in-house IT teams, complement teams that cannot meet IT demands, or even replace them. They can also add specialty knowledge or expertise that may not be available otherwise.

The Security of Your Own Home

Security is one of the most critical elements of Managed IT. It protects the data and hardware of an organization from cyberattacks.

Keeping up with the latest cybersecurity technology and solutions is time-consuming, especially for IT teams that are busy handling their day-to-day operations. This knowledge can be provided by an MSSP in a timely fashion and applied to the infrastructure of their clients, reducing cyberattack risk.

A MSSP`s security measures can help you comply with industry standards and regulations, including PCI, HIPAA or GDPR. They also provide regular monitoring to help you generate compliance reports, automatically.

Managed security services provide comprehensive cyber security for a fraction the cost of a team in-house. It also provides 24/7 threat detection and response capabilities to minimize the damage an attacker can cause.

Availability

It is important to avoid hardware and software failures which can cause service disruptions. This can be done through fault-tolerant design and configuration, backups, network redundancy, and other strategies.

The ITIL Availability Management Process provides a variety of methods to measure and evaluate the service`s effectiveness in delivering its functionality. It also helps IT professionals identify any potential issues with the system and ensures that they can be fixed in a timely manner.

Availability is typically calculated as a percentage. Divide the agreed service time less downtime by the desired level of availability.

It is important to remember that many factors need to be taken into consideration when choosing the metrics and reporting for availability. Ultimately, what is measured and reported needs to add value in terms of delivering benefits to the IT and business organisation.

Reliability

Reliability is the probability that a system or device will function properly and will not fail over a specific period of time. This is an important metric to track for Managed IT since it allows the organization to evaluate the effectiveness of current site practices and identify areas for improvement.

Comparing equipment to industry standards is often done using reliability measures. These metrics provide a comprehensive view of an asset`s performance and help organizations make informed decisions that impact the business.

Another important measure of reliability that can be tracked is availability. It shows how long it takes to complete a transaction or process when there is no failure occurring. This helps teams balance innovation with reliability.

Measuring reliability and availability together is essential to evaluating infrastructure performance. Having a reliable network is a critical part of any business and will help teams deliver optimal service levels to customers. This helps managers decide if they can upgrade or replace equipment in future.

Cost

The cost of Managed IT services can be difficult to calculate. It depends on a few factors, including the type of service you require and whether it is offered in an all-inclusive, fixed fee model or in a pay-per-user or per-project basis.

It`s crucial to know the costs of your service provider before signing a contract. A knowledgeable provider will be able to determine a base price for their service package and then analyze the impact of any special requirements, such as multiple business locations or additional servers required for high-end security protocols.

Many MSPs offer group purchasing deals for hardware and software, which can also lead to significant savings on equipment purchases and installation. Ultimately, your business`s budget and resources will play a large role in determining the most effective ways to reduce IT costs.