3 min read

What are Managed Services?

Ray Bidini : May 30, 2023 1:59:57 PM

Tech Tips Network Security

Discover Managed IT Services, a game-changing solution that brings efficiency and peace of mind to businesses

So... What is Managed IT?

Managed IT Services is an efficient, outsourced IT support model that encompasses services such as IT maintenance, monitoring, security, and overall management. In a Managed IT Services agreement, an outsourced team of IT professionals contract to take on the technology management role within a client organization.

A team leveraging the Managed IT Services model of IT support delivers continuous care for your IT environment in return for a fixed, monthly subscription payment.

Find out more by visiting our Managed Services page!

Proactive IT Support

One of the key things that attract business leaders to our Managed IT Services offering is the proactive, built-in nature of the service. Instead of waiting for your systems to break down and for you to call us, we harness the power of remote IT maintenance and monitoring tools to sustain the overall health and efficiency of your IT environment. This strategy lowers the prospect of expensive IT and workflow downtime within your organization.

What’s typically included in a Managed IT Services agreement?

Each Managed IT Services package is unique. However, here are some of the services commonly made available to Managed Service clients.

Network management
Cybersecurity management
Device management
Data protection
Data backup and recovery
Business continuity
Consulting
Cloud consulting
Cloud security
Mobile device management

At Four Winds we work with each of our clients to build a completely customized service agreement based on the needs of their organization. Schedule a time to speak with a Four Winds rep and start building your own today!

What does Managed IT Services cost?

As we have previously noted, Managed IT Services is a customized way of giving your organization the exact services and service level you require. Because of this level of customization, there is no way to outline a cost structure in a blog post.
However, it is important for you to know how various MSPs approach pricing their services.

The “per seat” model ― Some MSPs take the number of employees using computers for their job and calculate their pricing based on all the services needed to keep each employee’s technology functioning at optimal levels.
The “per device” model ― Because employees are often interacting with both computers and mobile devices throughout the day, some MSPs price according to the devices at play within a client’s IT environment.
The “holistic” model ― There are limitations to both the “per seat” and “per device” models of IT services pricing. As a result, many MSPs choose a more holistic model of IT pricing that considers the entire scope of the client’s IT footprint, including cloud usage, current network needs, cybersecurity risk, and short-term growth objectives.

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Is everything included in a Managed IT Services contract?

Each of our Managed IT Services agreements is governed by a Service Level Agreement (SLA). That agreement outlines what a client can expect in return for their monthly payment. Services above and beyond the scope of the SLA are priced separately. These “extra” services are generally one-off IT needs that aren’t a part of the day-to-day IT workflow of any company.

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How does Managed IT Services improve your cybersecurity readiness?

Often, cybercriminals find their way into a company’s IT systems through operating systems or applications that have not been updated. This provides a hacker an avenue of entry. However, due to the proactive nature of Managed IT Services, an MSP keeps your operating systems and applications updated and patched to help prevent this from happening.

In addition to security updates and patches, the topic of your data is key to this discussion.

Without someone regularly encrypting your data, backing up your data, verifying those backups, and demonstrating the recoverability of those backups, your data is at risk. Managed IT Services teams put a high priority on making sure that you have always-on access to your data.

Quickly following updates and data security in importance are email security and employee cybersecurity awareness training. A Managed IT Services team puts a lot of effort into protecting your inboxes to help avoid the pain and costs associated with phishing and ransomware.

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Managed IT Services and the hybrid workplace trend

Many businesses are making use of either a flexible or hybrid workplace model.
It doesn’t matter whether your employees are connected to the company network at your facility, are working from home, or are on the road. Our Managed Services team provides an equal level of support and security, regardless of where your work takes you.

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In conclusion:

Managed IT Services is a cost-effective, outsourced method of proactively managing, maintaining, and securing the IT resources, and in turn, your data and workflow. This IT support model is beneficial because it provides robust protocols against unplanned downtime and cyber threats coupled with a predictable and easily budgeted monthly IT support expense. To learn more about Managed Services, schedule a meeting with a Four Winds expert to find out more!