There’s no such thing as low-maintenance IT. Every system needs regular patches and upgrades, regular backups, and regular monitoring. And even with all that ongoing support, networks get overloaded, disks fill up, and servers crash. Businesses need a plan and the resources to give their IT infrastructure the attention it needs.

One option is to have your own in-house IT staff. That approach gives you a team that’s on site, but you probably can’t have an expert in every technology you use on staff. Another option is to rely on an on-call support service. They’ll fix problems for you, but they only come after there’s already a problem that’s impacting your business.

The third option for looking after your IT infrastructure is to use managed services. In this model, the managed services provider takes over the management, maintenance, and monitoring of your system on an everyday basis. They aren’t there just for when problems occur; they’re there to help prevent problems from occurring in the first place. You’ll get five big benefits from working with a managed services provider:

1. You can access deep technical expertise

Technology is the sole business for a managed services provider. That means they build a team of expert knowledge, often holding multiple certifications, and keep up to date with developments in a broad range of technical areas. You can rely on the provider to use their knowledge to apply best practices to your environment, ensuring the highest levels of security and reliability.

Related: Shedding Light on Managed IT Services

2. You can respond more quickly to new IT requirements

If new business requirements mean you need to bring in new technology, you don’t have to wait for your internal team to develop the skills: the managed services team already has them. They can help you quickly and effectively integrate new technology into your infrastructure.

3. You’ll have a more robust, reliable architecture

A managed services team will implement the appropriate security measures to defend against attack, 24×7 monitoring and support to identify and respond to issues around the clock, and tested backup and recovery processes to meet compliance requirements and keep your business operational.

4. You’ll have remote support and management of desktops and mobile devices

Managed services can include a virtual help desk, providing an easily accessed support service to employees experiencing issues on any platform.

5. You’ll experience cost benefits compared to creating your own IT support organization

Managed services are often available on a fixed price contract based on the number of people or devices being managed. This stable price simplifies your budget management and is frequently less expensive than building your own team and continuing to train them on the latest technologies. Because the managed services team offloads routine tasks from your IT team, they’re able to focus on more important tasks that add to your company’s bottom line.

Want to learn more about how managed IT services can benefit your business? Contact Prescient Solutions for a free IT assessment to identify where your technology is vulnerable and to identify the ways that managed services will improve your company’s IT infrastructure.