Managed IT support is a hot topic in the UK right now and rightly so.
With GDPR upon us in 2018 & technology, systems and cybercrime moving at an alarming rate. Many businesses are facing the question “Should I outsource my IT?”
In today’s quick guide, not only will you learn exactly how local managed IT support will help your business, but you’ll also learn what to look for when choosing your new provider.
Why Do Businesses In Sunderland Need IT Support?
The top 3 reasons we find businesses in Sunderland will consider outsourcing their IT are:
- Their IT systems are too slow and they would like to bring in updated, faster and more secure technology.
- They’re concerned about GDPR, ransomware, and cybercriminals.
- They value business continuity and would like their IT support to be proactive and not reactive (more on this later).
By outsourcing your IT support you’ll find you can free up more internal IT resources (so they can focus on cash generation tasks). This also means you create an environment where you minimize your system’s downtime (so no more ripping your hair out at the thought of losing a day’s work).
You can even go a step further and outsource the management of your entire network infrastructure. This is known as managed network services and allows you to bring the expertise of CCNA certified network engineers into your organisation. The obvious benefit to this is that it ensures your network is operating as fast, efficient and securely as it can be at all times.
One other reason you may consider outsourcing your IT support is due to compliance. Over the past few years, we’ve experienced an increase in businesses looking to ‘audit’ their suppliers as part of their own internal cybersecurity program.
What this can mean for you is that new businesses who you’re looking to work with (and even existing businesses who have updated their cybersecurity policy) may only work with you if you adhere to a certain level of cybersecurity resilience.
By working with an MSP (managed service provider) you can agree to include a certain level of cybersecurity within your contract, such as antivirus, firewalls and network vulnerability scans.
How Do Managed Service Providers Work?
Your Managed Service Provider will adhere to the SLA (Service level agreement) you agreed to in your contract. Now, this can involve many different features, which are all built around your own business’s needs. This is typically charged on an annual or monthly subscription.
Most IT support will focus on a proactive approach vs a reactive approach to your IT systems. This is important for you because it ultimately means less downtime and no unwanted surprises – which could critically halt your operations.
By being proactive your MSP will monitor your systems remotely, patch updates for you when no one is in the office ,and catch internal problems immediately – before they have the opportunity to disrupt your business.
You may have gotten away with a more ‘relaxed’ reactive approach to IT in the past. This is ultimately a bad idea in modern times. With GDPR and data breaches, your company could be hit with a punitive fine of up to £17m, or 4% of your global turnover (whichever is greater).
Lastly, you’ll typically have a different level of support staff you can lean upon for help. Typically you’ll have 1st line technicians who will support you remotely, and 2nd line technicians who’ll visit you onsite when necessary. This gives you the benefits of an IT team, without the costs.
What Will Your Managed Service Provider Do For Your Business In Sunderland?
Each contract with your IT Support will come with a certain level of SLA, which will be built around your own unique business needs. This can include services such as:
- Hosted & Cloud Infrastructure (outsource your IT systems so you operate on the latest, fastest and most secure technology)
- Application management
- Business process management
- Patch updates
- Network security
- IT Support for common problems or on boarding new staff
- Cybersecurity & Risk management
- Consultancy for larger projects
For a full breakdown of services visit our managed service solutions which will provide you with an idea of what you can include in a SLA.
How Will GDPR Effect Outsourced IT Support and Help You Remain Compliant?
GDPR will not make it more difficult to outsource your IT Support. Your MSP should help you with some of your GDPR compliance requirements, but ultimately the responsibility will fall on you.
Many MSPs are suggesting for their customers to go through the government cyber essentials or cyber essentials plus accreditation. This goes a long way for businesses looking to align themselves with GDPR requirements.
For a full understanding of how GDPR will impact your business visit the ICOs website here.
To understand how outsourced local IT support will work with your GDPR requirements contact us now.
Will I Have to Let My IT Team Go If I Outsource My IT Support?
No, not at all, MSPs take the position of complimenting your current structure, rather than replacing them. This allows your own internal IT team to focus their attention on revenue generation tasks, such as custom app dev projects or cloud initiatives
This wouldn’t have been possible if all your IT resources were focused on the daily mundane tasks of fixing generic issues – which can be outsourced to your MSP.
However, for professional services who’re looking for a cost effective way of managing their IT then they may, in fact, require no internal staff at all. They can lean upon the enterprise level support you’ll receive from trained IT professionals.
Sunderland IT Support: Who Can I Outsource To?
If you’re thinking about outsourcing your IT Support in Sunderland. Then naturally, we’re going to recommend you contact us and here’s why:
- We approach your business with growth in mind. This means as your business grows and faces new challenges; we’re in a position to scale with you.
- We provide you with 24/7 support (even on Christmas day) so you can feel assured that your infrastructure is constantly looked after preventing unnecessary downtime.
- We provide you with enterprise level expertise (without the cost) so you can feel assured you’re receiving the right technology, advice and level of service you require.
- We’re in a position to visit you onsite fast should you receive any trouble or require immediate assistance.
- You’ll appreciate knowing we’re ISO9001/2008 certified, showing that we go the extra mile for our customers and always ensure quality of service.
- Given our years of experience, we’re in a position to work with your business whether you’re an enterprise, small team of professionals or a large public organisation.
Should you wish to learn more about Advantex and who we are, visit our about us page. If you’re interested in learning how we can help you with your IT support then contact us today.
