Why Outsourced IT Support Is the Way to Go

Small businesses accounted for up to 99.8% of the 3 million businesses in Texas. The total number of small businesses would continue to grow, provided the state’s business climate remained favorable. Strategic partnerships can be one of the effective strategies for small business success in the Lone Star state.

If you are a technology decision-maker for a small to medium-sized business (SMB) in Texas and you’re considering using outsourced IT support, you have come to the right place. To make a sound investment decision, you need to understand the benefits that managed IT services can deliver to your enterprise.

Here’s why you should engage a managed services provider (MSP) for your business IT needs.

Access to Competent IT Support

If IT is mission-critical to your business operations, you will want to ensure consistent, timely IT support. The expertise of internal IT support teams is often limited to specific aspects of a business’s IT requirements. Plus, the support team typically operates within standard business hours. This can make it difficult to access IT support around the clock.

With IT managed services, you can get all-encompassing solutions to virtually all your IT from anywhere and at any time of the day or night. This translates to zero or reduced downtime for your business.

Increased Productivity

Outsourcing your IT function to a dedicated specialist can boost your company’s overall productivity. The third-party specialist will perform routine tasks faster with a lower risk of error. This will allow you to reduce the amount of time spent handling IT situations.

They will also help free up in-house staff and other critical resources necessary to keep your business running. This helps allocate the available human and non-human resources to the core competencies of your business.

Increased Scalability

The demand for IT-related services tends to be stable for larger or established companies. However, it can fluctuate considerably for startups and newer ventures.

An IT managed services provider can quickly scale up or down to meet the changing needs of your business. This is a boon to startups and small businesses who expect increases and declines and need a partner who will help them scale the right way.

Consider Azure Cloud if you need industry-specific cloud security solutions that will keep up with the pace of your enterprise operations.

Faster Technology Adoption

Technology changes fast and requires fast adoption to keep pace with the changes in your particular industry. However, successful technology adoption often requires complex new skills. Plus, it can be expensive and time-consuming.

Many managed IT service providers are fast adopters of new technology. This is because rapid technology adoption increases their competitive advantage. Partnering with an MSP is a clever way to access the latest technologies while avoiding large initial cost outlays. This ensures you have more money for daily business expenses.

Increased Cost Savings

From business app builders to cloud engineers to cyber security experts, tech jobs are among the most in-demand in the U.S. labor market. This means hiring top IT talent can be a costly proposition.

A managed IT service often costs less than in-house IT support. This is because you won’t be responsible for employee training, equipment, and benefits. This can mean having more funds for other operation-critical aspects of your business.

Increased Flexibility

Hiring outsourced IT support does not mean you have to change your work schedule to match the service provider’s business hours. Most MSPs provide support round-the-clock, including during after-hours, holidays, and weekends. This means you can get IT support whenever you need it.

Additionally, you will only pay for the services that you use. This can lead to further savings on operating costs.

Reduced Security Risks

Every small business faces cybersecurity risks. If you don’t stay on top of these threats, your business can suffer significant financial losses and reputation damage. This will, in turn, affect your bottom line.

An MSP can help you handle digital security risks and concerns. These IT specialists keep up to date with the latest innovations in security tech. This makes them the best people to help prevent data breaches and ensure cybersecurity compliance in your organization.

Improved Employee Welfare

If you overburden your workers with daily IT tasks, they are more likely to be unhappy and dissatisfied with their jobs. This can result in increased employee turnover because unhappy employees quit their jobs. Using an MSP is a great way to reduce the workload of your in-house IT staff so they can focus on your company’s key strategic initiatives.

Increased Competitive Edge

Traditionally, SMBs have struggled to compete against major competitors. Larger companies and established brands may have access to vast in-house resources that your small business may not enjoy. But that doesn’t mean you can’t compete with them.

The MSP industry is leveling the playing field for SMBs by providing the same level of IT expertise larger companies have at a lower cost. This means you don’t have to break the bank to compete against the big boys.

Increased Peace of Mind

The volume of work necessary to keep up with your business’s IT needs can be overwhelming to complete. Without a fast and efficient method of fulfilling these needs, you could end up with a backlog of unresolved IT situations. This can lead to increased downtime, lost revenue, and increased stress levels.

MSPs can provide a technology roadmap to help you find effective small business IT solutions. You will enjoy increased peace of mind from knowing you can detect and mitigate any tech risks and vulnerabilities when they arise.

Industry-Specific Benefits of Managed IT Services

Outsourced IT support offers plenty of advantages for all types of businesses. However, certain industries stand to gain unique benefits from partnering with an MSP.

These include healthcare, construction, and tech firms. The right MSP can help with the specific needs of each industry and tailor their services accordingly.

Healthcare

The healthcare industry is one of the most regulated sectors. Providers need to comply with strict standards such as HIPAA, which protect the privacy and security of patient data. Outsourced IT services can prove a worthy investment. Their expertise makes implementing and managing IT systems easy. They will manage telehealth platforms, deploy devices for physicians, and more.

And the best part is that they provide all these upgrades while ensuring compliance. This allows healthcare administrators to focus on patient care rather than IT and regulatory concerns.

Construction

Construction companies rely heavily on IT to manage several projects on different sites. The ability to access and share data like blueprints, contracts, schedules, and more is invaluable. They also need to collaborate with contractors, suppliers, clients, and other stakeholders.

Managed IT services can help by providing cloud storage to access data anywhere. They can provide network security to protect data from cyberattacks. Moreover, simple communication tools allow teams to collaborate effectively.

With these IT solutions, construction firms can focus on managing projects rather than IT issues. Outsourced support enables access to information while keeping data safe.

Financial Services

The financial services industry is one of the most sensitive and challenging sectors when it comes to IT. Businesses need to protect their customers’ data from cyberattacks and breaches. They also need to comply with various business regulations, such as PCI DSS and GLBA, that govern their IT operations.

But how do they leverage IT solutions like fraud monitoring and risk management while ensuring the above? Managed IT services can help financial services providers through

• Secure hosting
• Ongoing security upgrades
• Compliance expertise
• Fraud monitoring
• Access management

By leveraging managed services, financial businesses can focus on their core competencies.

Legal

Law firms need to securely store confidential client information. Managed IT services help by providing systems to protect sensitive legal documents and communications.

They also offer expertise in legal technologies. These include eDiscovery, which seeks out evidence in electronic formats such as emails.

Outsourced IT helps keep law firms compliant. This is especially true when it comes to regulations guarding client privacy and confidentiality. This allows lawyers to focus on cases rather than IT security.

Retail/eCommerce

The retail/eCommerce industry is one of the most dynamic and demanding sectors when it comes to IT. Brands need robust eCommerce platforms and POS systems that enable them to sell products and services online and offline. The ability to scale IT resources for seasonal changes in customer demand is also necessary.

Managed IT services can provide eCommerce solutions that make it easier to create and manage an online store, shopping carts, and more.

They offer cloud solutions that allow businesses to scale IT resources on demand. This reduces costs while improving reliability and performance.

You’ll also get help implementing and managing security solutions. This ensures that your systems and customer data are safe from breaches.

Get the Right Outsourced IT Support for Your Business Today

Managed IT services offer a cost-effective and efficient way to handle IT situations. But these services aren’t created equal. Thus, what works for other businesses won’t always work for your business.

At Terminal B, we offer a wide range of products and packages at different prices to cater to the specific needs of different businesses. Feel free to talk to us to learn more about our offerings. We’ll look at your specific needs and budget to help you choose the best outsourced IT support for your business.