When it comes to utilizing managed IT services, figuring out what the right mix is for your business can be challenging. There aren't many operations that 100% use either managed or on-site solutions.
If almost everybody is somewhere in between, how did any of them determine their approach? Presumably, you don't want to amble toward a solution so let's look at how you can take a more purposeful approach to figuring it out.
Temporarily Expanding Capacity
Many businesses have established IT services within their organizations. For these companies, managed IT providers are still valuable, though. A company might need the surplus capacity to handle a round of software upgrades on their devices over a long holiday weekend, for example. Bringing in the managed IT services professionals may make the difference between completing the job on time or not.
Offloading Tasks
Similarly, many firms with IT departments use managed IT providers to tackle mundane tasks. A company that does analytics work, for example, might let the folks on the managed side deal with everyday problems, such as setting up new users and monitoring security risks. Their dedicated staff can then focus on internal projects that are more hands-on.
An IT Department Where There Is None
Conversely, some operations have little to no IT capacity. A small chamber of commerce, for example, might depend on one person who doesn't really have an IT background. That sort of business would likely benefit from going close to all-in on managed IT services. They would upgrade by their level of expertise and their ability to tackle more projects.
Cloud Computing
One area where it's very intuitive to work with a managed IT services firm is cloud computing. If you already have resources sitting on the cloud, someone has to access them remotely. It doesn't matter whether you have internal people or managed IT providers doing the job so there's an argument for letting the latter handle it.
Scaling Up
Going from a small business to a big one often carries with it the specific risk of investing too heavily while trying to scale up. An advantage of having managed IT providers in the mix is that you can scale back if you overshoot the mark. To a certain extent, as needs fluctuate, your managed IT services contract is self-adjusting. Not only does this save you the grief of letting people go if growth doesn't come as fast as expected, but it allows you to address needs if you see more growth than anticipated.
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