Do You Know What Managed IT Services Actually Manage?

These are the “must-have” components of any worthwhile managed services offering. If your IT company isn’t delivering, then it’s time to find someone else who will.

There’s no end to the variations that can be made to Managed Service agreements. The IT industry is massive, and it’s only getting bigger. In fact, last year, global IT spending will reach $3.8 trillion.

Depending on the size of your business, the field of work in which you operate, and what your Managed IT Services company of choice specializes in, your agreement could be almost entirely unique from any other.

No matter how you go about developing it, the important part is that you have the following “non-negotiables” included. These are the services and standards that apply to any size of business in any industry. If your Managed Service agreement doesn’t include them, you’re doing something wrong.

Whats Services Should Be Included In Managed Services?

In the area of managed IT services, there is a range of primary components that require some form of mandatory and ongoing monitoring and management:

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is top of mind in the business world today. More and more breaches are occurring as cybercriminal tactics become more common and more effective.

That’s why your IT company should have a comprehensive plan detailing how cybersecurity gets addressed. Their procedure must include:

  • Firewall settings
  • Intrusion detection
  • Intrusion prevention
  • Encryption at the file level
  • Service delivery specifications

Infrastructure Management & Support

It may not be as exciting as cybersecurity, but administration for your infrastructure is just as important. Don’t forget that your infrastructure is the backbone of your IT environment; it needs to be well maintained to keep your business functioning.

That’s why all managed IT services should include basic server maintenance, network administration, storage maintenance, and typical network issues.

Helpdesk Support

This seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many service contracts don’t include Helpdesk Support, or do, but impose extreme limits of its use. It could be that hours of operation are only at specific times of day, or that any overage amounts to extreme additional charges.

Either way, it’s worth checking to make sure that you’re getting the support you need at a reasonable rate. The gold standard is 24/7 support, via phone, email, online ticketing system, and even Live Chat if available.

Network Monitoring & Maintenance

Just as your infrastructure and staff need support, so does your network. Control plays a critical role, especially when you consider how network vulnerabilities can disrupt your network. You need to have a remote monitoring solution put in place and personnel responsible for tracking any suspicious activity and addressing it according to cybersecurity best practices.

Data Backup & Disaster Recovery

Your IT company shouldn’t only be concerned with supporting you while everything is working properly. They should also have plans in place to address your data and business-wide continuity in the event of data loss, power outage, inclement weather, or otherwise.

If your IT company uses the cloud for backup purposes, you’ll want to know:

  • How secure is their cloud backup solution?
  • Is their backup hosted on a public or private cloud server?
  • If they use a public cloud, will they consider using a private cloud for your backups?
  • If your data won’t get backed up in the cloud, where are the backups getting stored?

Furthermore, check the service agreement to make sure a disaster recovery plan comes standard. If it’s not mentioned in the agreement, ask to have it added.

A comprehensive and detailed disaster recovery plan must be included so that when disaster strikes your business, you’ll know you’ll have immediate access to your backups and a recovery plan that will get you back online quickly.

Ask The Right Questions About The Managed IT Services You’re Paying For

If you’ve decided you’re not getting what you need (or deserve) from your current IT company, then it’s time to start looking for someone else.

In your research, make sure you ask the right questions:

  • How often is maintenance performed?
  • What is the expected level of performance?
  • What type of damage gets and doesn’t get covered?
  • Who performs the maintenance, and how do they do it?
  • Who is responsible if the equipment gets damaged during maintenance?
  • If you are assigned a dedicated technician, how can you stay in touch with them?

You can’t afford to settle when it comes to managed IT services. Do the work needed to find an IT company that will deliver everything you need to enjoy an optimal IT environment.

If you’re interested in Managed IT Services that deliver what you need, here’s how to proceed:

  • Get in touch with our team to arrange a free consultation at a time that fits your schedule.
  • Tell us about the ongoing IT problems you want to solve.
  • Let us explain our managed approach and how it would address these issues.
  • Enjoy your problem-free IT.