Sometimes it’s not what’s on the inside, but what’s on the outside that matters. Yes, you read that correctly. From a business perspective, outsourcing is as important an investment for your future as your internal operations are.
One way to accomplish this is through investing in remote security management from a managed service provider (MSP). An MSP does much of the heavy lifting for you by remotely managing your IT infrastructure and end-user systems. Companies that opt for collaboration with MSPs can hand over the responsibility of monitoring servers, firewalls and routers to experts.
So how can you decide if an MSP is right for your business?
1. Your IT capabilities are limited
Many smaller businesses struggle to acquire and maintain vast internal IT resources that satisfy their needs. Therefore, they rely on external support to help stretch the capabilities of what they have internally. Having skilled labour and the right infrastructure is necessary to stay productive, which makes an MSP a valuable tool in your arsenal.
2. You look toward the future
Like all businesses, MSPs need to have a competitive business model. And competitive usually means having the newest state-of-the-art technology at your fingertips. Since their clients deserve the very best, an MSP will employ updated tools and products combined with highly experienced specialists. In turn, your internal IT team members will benefit from collaboration with these people and technologies, which is the best professional development they can ask for.
3. Security is your top priority
By now, any business wishing to operate safe and secure digital communications should have implemented regulations defined by data privacy laws like the GDPR. An MSP is no exception. In addition to their forward-thinking approach to technology, they are also pursuing the latest developments in cybersecurity. They take the basic regulations to a higher level, with specialised data centres and networks ready to take over business processes in the event that yours suffers a breach. Since their technology is often more sophisticated than what small businesses can afford, you don’t have to worry about safeguarding every last file on your own.
4. You’re careful with your money
Expenses never go away. But there is a way to reduce costs while maintaining quality. An MSP has multiple clients, which means you won’t have to bear the cost of their technology and services alone. You can receive the most up-to-date care at a fraction of what you would pay to invest in it on your own. The price you pay to outsource to an MSP is also a regular one, so you can factor it into your budget just as you would monthly rent or utilities. Normal IT operations can run incredibly high at times of higher saturation, and without an MSP you might find yourself suddenly footing a bill that is out of your budget.
5. Time is of the essence
Where your internal IT department might spend a long time in developmental stages, MSPs already have a vast library of codes at the ready for your computing needs. The centralised nature of an MSP means that all of your data is in one location – no need to spend hours filtering through folders and disks trying to locate an infected file. They are fully dedicated to your business’ cybersecurity so you don’t have to stretch your IT resources thin in order to protect yourself. An MSP performs necessary security checks and can respond instantly when it detects any variation in your computing that could impact performance. This gives them precious time to divert the threat or halt ongoing processes that could be most vulnerable to an attack.
