IT Support is critical in today’s business environment, but IT Support can take many forms, and it’s sometimes difficult to tell which is the right solution for your business. Many small and medium businesses are turning to Managed Services Providers to handle their IT needs, but you may be asking yourself: what is Managed IT Support, and how do I know it’s right for me?

Managed IT Support involves handing over your IT operations to an outside partner, as opposed to having on-site IT staff, or consultants on call who bill hourly rates for any work performed. A good Managed Services Provider will proactively monitor all systems on your network, performing routine maintenance and detecting problems in the network before they affect users. A Managed IT Support plan will usually include affordable remote support, as the vast majority of problems can be solved remotely, without the need for a technician to come on-site. Of course, there are some problems that require in-person attention, so most plans will be built with this in mind. Network necessities, such as a strong firewall and a solid data backup plan, are crucial in good Managed IT Support as well. The goal is to provide effective, fast and personable IT support, at a predictable cost.

How do you know hiring a Managed Services Provider is right for you? Here’s a few signs that it’s time to consider Managed IT Support.

  • Your current IT guy is swamped with problems and cannot address day-to-day concerns in a timely fashion.
  • You have multiple IT employees on-staff who can handle your issues but are costing too much in payroll and benefits, but you can’t afford to reduce support levels.
  • You rely on “a friend of a friend who knows a bit about computers…”
  • You outsource your IT currently to what’s known as a “break-fix” provider – the guys who only come in when things are going haywire, and bill outrageous hourly rates to fix even the simplest issues.
  • You have a well-qualified IT professional on-staff who is too bogged down with day-to-day support to properly plan and budget for upcoming IT projects to help your business stay current and competitive.
  • You don’t have any dedicated IT support and frequent downtime and network issues are costing your company money.
  • Your level of production has increased to where any downtime is devastating, and you don’t have a reliable IT provider you can trust in case of total emergency.

Sound familiar? Layered Systems wants to help you take your mind off of IT concerns, and put your focus back on what really matters: your business! Contact us today to learn more about how leveraging Managed IT Support from Layered Systems can help your organization grow and stay competitive in today’s business environment.