An increasing number of businesses are turning their focus to managed IT services. These solutions, when maintained and updated by a team of trained professionals outside of the core business, can offer numerous benefits, including cost savings, enhanced security and access to a growing number of advanced tools.
Those are just a few of the reasons businesses across many industries have adopted managed services as part of their critical IT infrastructure. As a result, the market for these solutions has been on the rise – MarketsandMarkets reported that by 2021, the global managed services sector will reach a value of $242.45 billion, a considerable increase over 2016’s $145.33 billion.
One of the most attractive advantages of leveraging managed services is the ability to access some of the most innovative, state-of-the-art IT tools and components. Let’s take a look at three ways managed service providers make this benefit possible for today’s enterprises:
1) Leveraging advanced infrastructure as a market differentiator
As the market for these services continues to grow, competition among solution vendors will only ramp up. Currently, there are more than a few service providers existing in the marketplace, with more breaking into the sector every day.
This not only creates more options for business decision-makers, but also helps ensure that companies have access to the most advanced infrastructure tools possible. In order to compete, solution vendors utilize their modern infrastructure components to differentiate themselves in their industry vertical. The most advanced tools become feathers in the caps of service providers, helping them grow their client base.
“The most advanced tools become feathers in the caps of service providers.”
“[A]s customers seek to adopt these new capabilities, managed services offerings must adapt too,” wrote MSP Alliance contributor Charles Weaver. “Offering higher value advanced services not only helps to overcome the potential revenue loss, it also helps MSPs differentiate and grow their businesses more profitably by providing greater customer value.”
In this way, having the most up-to-date infrastructure that takes advantage of the newest network components and management strategies enables service providers to make a name for themselves in a growing marketplace. Best of all, clients get to utilize the most advanced equipment possible.
2) Bridging internal technology gaps
One of the top reasons businesses adopt managed services is to leverage innovative solutions in a way that works with the assets the company already has in place. Managed service providers can provide technology that integrates with the enterprise’s infrastructure, helping to bridge any caps in capability or functionality that might have existed previously.
This is especially pertinent as vendors expand their reach, offering access to an increasing number of advanced solutions. In today’s market, an array of critical processes can be outsourced, allowing enterprises and small businesses alike to create a holistic technological approach.
“[W]hile companies are increasingly relying on outside providers for part of their IT needs, MSPs generally complement rather than replace internal IT,” noted CIO senior writer Thor Olavsrud. “Instead, especially in larger companies, bringing an MSP into the mix frees up existing IT staff to focus on more strategic projects.”
This is a considerable boon, not only for the service provider, but for its client partner as well.
Managed service providers can offer access to advanced tools that might otherwise have been too expensive for businesses to implement internally.3) The most cost-efficient IT resources
Building upon this is the fact that managed services can help even the playing field among businesses of different sizes, providing access to advanced tools that might otherwise be out of reach for smaller organizations. Many solution providers offer innovative solutions at an incredibly cost-effective price, enabling businesses to eliminate the need for up-front investments while supporting predictable IT costs.
This benefit is especially powerful for small businesses, but can be a significant advantage for organizations of all sizes.
“Some small businesses just don’t have the capital to purchase new hardware,” Netswitch pointed out. “Instead of figuring out whether you want a lightning-fast server to work with your databases or your web hosting, you get access to high-end servers working in a distributed resource environment. This gives you an even better performance boost. You avoid paying the overhead for expensive servers while still reaping the benefits.”
This only scratches the surface when it comes to the advanced IT tools offered by today’s managed service providers. To find out more, contact industry-leader ISG Technology and check out our managed service solutions today.
