When it comes to small businesses, we see plenty of reactive IT management. There are obvious cost concerns when it comes to owning a small business, so owners wait until a problem arises before putting resources toward solving it. However, savvy business owners recognize that a proactive approach to IT maintenance can lead to greater benefits over time, and in more ways than just the direct financials. Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are brought in to continuously monitor the IT infrastructure in search of potential pitfalls–and then mitigates those issues before they come to fruition. Let’s review a brief comparison of the value that being proactive can add to your company.
Reactive IT Management
Reactive management, or the “break-fix approach,” is when organizations only react to issues after they’ve occurred–and have potentially done damage. An organization’s server will go down or an application will fail, and an outsourced IT service is called to the business to diagnose the issue, order any necessary replacement parts and, eventually, fix the problem.
This approach can be very costly as it creates operational downtime. The time it takes for the problem to be noticed, then fixed, can be hours or days, and in that time, significant damage could be done. Not only do organizations using this approach see the loss of income due to operational downtime, they also receive a bill for an unknown amount from the outsourced IT company that was not budgeted for. On top of the costs of repair, downtime can lead to frustrated employees, dissatisfied customers and damage to your reputation.
While some organizations may feel that their IT infrastructure is impenetrable to failures and the resulting costs, the truth is none is, and unfortunately this approach to IT has few upsides.
Proactive IT Management
In a proactive IT management model, an MSP monitors the status of your networks and equipment–24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. It’s the job of these skilled computer experts to test your systems regularly and evaluate thoroughly for a wide range of potential problems. When they locate an issue, they will work behind the scenes and fix it, without you ever noticing it.
The providers will ensure your systems have the most up-to-date drivers and software that are often overlooked by the average IT department. This action is mission critical in today’s cyber threat environment. If your software isn’t updated, then you are putting your data at risk.
Other benefits of being proactive about IT management include helpdesk support, allowing your internal staff to focus on growth projects versus running around and putting out fires. If an issue arises, help is just a phone call away no matter the time. Proactive Managed IT also simplifies budgeting with a fixed cost each month. In the case of an emergency, such as a server failure or cyberattack, the MSP will certainly “pay for itself” many times over.
As IT infrastructures become more complex–and hacking more sophisticated–organizations are opting for a proactive approach that ensures optimum uptime and productivity, helps mitigate risks, and resolves problems before they ever occur.
Is it time for you to stop putting out fires?
We’d like the opportunity to prove to you we are the right Managed Service Provider for your business needs now and into the future. We are certain that we can provide best-in-class service at a reasonable price. Our staff is friendly and knowledgeable and our technicians at our help desk are expertly trained. Give us a call and let us show you just what we can do for you!
