6 very serious reasons to partner with an MSP

At this point, you should be pretty familiar with an MSP – or, in its long-winded version, Managed Service Provider. Businesses who partner with an MSP pick ongoing IT services over break-fix services (something breaks, someone fixes it – repeating, of course).

Many business owners and executives choose to stick with the whole break-fix scenario because they feel like there’s the potential to save money.

But that’s hardly the case.

Paying the monthly fee for managed services can actually save you more money than paying those one-time, break-fix fees. Seems backward, but it’s true. This being said, cost-management is only one of the many benefits an MSP can bring your business.

A worry-free workday

No one likes weaving in and out of technology issues. It’s stressful, expensive, and everything productivity isn’t. Basically, it’s a one-way ticket to splitting migraines and a tub full of ice cream and your salty tears. However, when you partner with a Managed Service Provider, things work a little differently.

For starters… things actually work. Since MSPs approach everything proactively, most of the issues that stem from technology can be avoided. Features such as routine maintenance, regular monitoring, and automatic upgrades make sure that’s the case. Because of this, companies who partner with an MSP can stay productive for longer periods of time.

A flat, monthly fee

Every month, there’s always the small chance that nothing bad will happen to your IT. Everything will work exactly as intended, and you can go an entire month without seeing an obnoxious repair fee. But then… you remember that you live in the real world and that magic doesn’t exist. The smallest repairs will often lead to the largest bills and, before you know it, that IT budget of yours will be dead in the water.

When you partner with an MSP, though, this isn’t the case. Going the entire month without an out-of-this-world repair fee is doable because everything you need to keep your technology working is bundled up into a flat, monthly fee. In other words, you can actually create a budget and stick to it. It’s as close to magic as you’re going to get.

A dedicated support outlet

When issues do creep up on you, it’s nice to have support… and immediately, not a day or two after the fact. But without an MSP, a 2-day wait time might be your reality ten times out of ten. Just because you have a problem doesn’t mean some tech out there will be ready and willing to run to your rescue. In most cases, you’ll end up waiting hours, if not days, to find some sort of resolution.

The great thing about partnering with an MSP is that most companies couple remote support with a priority-based ticketing solution. Large issues that affect your ability to work are ranked higher and taken care of quicker, and smaller issues that can be resolved with a few clicks of the mouse can be taken care of remotely. In the latter case, there’s no need to wait on a tech or even get out of your office chair. What’s better than that?

A partner who knows you

No one likes strangers. You don’t know who they are or where they’ve been. Because of this, you can’t trust them, and within a business context, this is a recipe for nothing good.

Nonetheless, every time you call up a repairman to come fix an IT issue, that’s exactly what you’re doing… calling up a stranger and heading towards nothing good. You don’t know them, and they don’t know your network – which means you’ll have to cross your fingers and hope for the best. It’s sort of like diving into a pool without knowing how deep it is first.

MSPs take the time to fully understand your network. They become familiar with your processes, staff, and working habits, and as a result, they never have to start from scratch with you. In other words, you’ll never have to explain any piece of your infrastructure to an MSP… mostly because they’ll likely know it better than you will.

An expert who can guide you

Partnering with an MSP goes above and beyond avoiding issues, strangers, and large expenses. This is the company you can turn to when you want to change how you operate. An MSP can help your business take things to another level by providing you with quality advice on what technologies will best fit your operations.

You simply can’t get this type of advice from a fix-it-when-it-breaks type company. Sure, they might be knowledgeable about technology and how it works, but if they don’t understand your network, how will they ever put two and two together? They won’t. But an MSP will.

A more secure network

These days, maintaining a secure network is like acquiring a rare artifact. Cyber threats are all over the place and want nothing more than to wreak havoc and tear down digital walls.

If you aren’t partnered with an MSP, then protecting this wall is all your responsibility. This includes updates, patches, monitoring, prevention, training, upgrades, you name it… it’s all on you.

MSPs take the DIY out of your cybersecurity strategy. They layer on the protection; they cover all the angles, and they make sure your staff knows what to be on the lookout for. MSPs keep you as protected as you possibly can be, something you just can’t get anywhere else.

How can we help you?

At Immense Networks, we have decades of combined experience providing Managed IT Services for our partners. We help our partners maintain their technology, take care of their infrastructures, and plan for better futures. If you want to know more about our services or if you simply want to learn more about Managed IT Services, then give us a call today. We’d love to talk.