Managed Services Providers (MSP) are primarily concerned with handling certain outsourced computing and IT-related processes such as cloud computing, maintaining the IT infrastructure, and implementing IT security.

The global managed services market is expected to exceed 200 billion U.S. dollars in size this year. Further, revenue from the managed IT services market will surpass 300 billion U.S. dollars over the next few years.

MSPs are in demand because they provide businesses with affordable and seamless ways to increase their operational efficiency. Organizations can partner with an MSP, who can act as an extension of their in-house IT team. In short, an MSP supplements the internal IT team of a business to help them perform better.

How MSPs Help Augment In-House IT Departments

MSPs manage a specific part of the business’s technology environment, while the necessary business functions and policies are managed in-house. Partnering with an MSP helps businesses free up their time and resources, which can be directed towards more strategy-driven tasks. Here are a few ways an MSP partnership can benefit a business’s existing IT department.

● MSPs Handle Repetitive Tasks

An organization’s IT team may find it burdensome to address routine tasks such as providing user support and monitoring the server. This is where MSPs can come in handy. They take over the execution of repetitive tasks and allow the in-house IT team to shift their focus on high-priority objectives such as cloud migration.

In short, an MSP saves the in-house IT team from choosing between handling immediate concerns and long-term initiatives. The IT team can focus on business-building objectives, while MSPs manage time-consuming, maintenance-related repetitive tasks, thereby facilitating better workload management.

● MSPs Help Control Costs

As a business grows, the need for expanding the IT department increases. However, the cost of hiring and training an IT employee is high, especially considering factors such as paying competitive full-time salaries, healthcare incentives, retirement plans, paid offs, and more.

Businesses incur lower costs when they hire outsourced IT services in accordance with their needs rather than pay for a full-time IT member. Also, MSPs are responsible for factors such as healthcare for their employees, so businesses do not need to worry about those expenses.

Simply put, having an MSP and in-house IT team work together can make the internal IT department scalable as their organization grows and changes through the years.

● MSPs Help Build a Robust Infrastructure

Hosting their own IT infrastructure can get costly for businesses. MSPs and in-house IT teams can collaborate to mitigate this issue.

MSPs can help businesses host some or all of their systems. They offer organizations virtualized hardware, such as server spaces, network connections, IP addresses, and other computer infrastructure, over a cloud computing environment which can help the in-house IT team function seamlessly.

In other words, while the in-house IT team can administer the systems, MSPs can host and maintain them, thereby leaving the in-house staff to focus on other important areas.

● MSPs Possess Vast Technical Knowledge

Working with an MSP provides businesses with access to a broader range of technical expertise, allowing the in-house IT team to stay on top of emerging technologies. With this kind of collaboration, the IT staff can solve problems faster and more creatively, while being engaged and agile.

Further, MSPs have multiple specialists with years of experience in different areas such as digital security and administration of specific system installations. They also have certifications to back their expertise.

MSPs cater to hundreds of clients and cases which allows them to leverage their extensive experience when addressing IT issues such as poor network security, backup issues, and hardware or software issues. They get to the root of the problem and solve any IT issue entirely.

MSPs can also handle highly specific deployments by choosing an expert from their team. A partnership with an MSP effectively extends to a business’s IT team, thereby making the in-house department more effective and productive.

● Provide Round-the-Clock Support

Businesses can encounter IT issues at unpredictable times, like in the middle of the night. The in-house IT team may not be available to fix the problem at all times. However, this is not the case with MSPs. They provide round-the-clock support to keep business operations running smoothly and mitigate any issue that may arise with servers, devices, and equipment.

MSPs leverage Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) technology to continuously track the performance of an organization’s IT infrastructure and applications. This, in turn, gives the in-house IT team peace of mind as they do not have to worry about leaving the company unprotected amid an unforeseen crisis.

● MSPs Incorporate Predictable Budgeting

MSPs charge a flat monthly fee for providing unlimited IT services, management, and support. They consider the number of users as well as server and network requirements, and then facilitate predictable budgeting. As a result, the in-house IT team can work with MSPs without worrying about unexpected bills for IT support, outages, and downtime.

Predictable costs also allow the in-house IT team to manage their budget better and invest in other areas of the business to fuel further growth.

● Provide Scalable Assistance and Security

A significant benefit to avail from partnering with an MSP is robust security for a business’s software and hardware. MSPs are familiar with the latest cybersecurity risks such as social engineering attacks, ransomware attacks, insider threats, unpatched security vulnerabilities, and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks to a business’s system. They deploy the most advanced security measures to ensure that an organization remains safe.

MSPs help in-house IT teams improve their system security through routine testing, network administration, virtual control centers, firewall setup and management, and the installation of intrusion protection systems, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), Single Sign-On (SSO), and Identity and Access Management (IAM).

Moreover, businesses can collaborate with MSPs to adhere to all applicable compliance regulations such as HIPAA, GDPR, and PCI DSS. They can work with local IT specialists to stay updated with state-specific regulations. For instance, businesses in Houston or New York City can hire Tech Pulse’s managed IT services to be in sync with local regulatory standards.

In short, MSPs can secure a business’s network, protect their data, and implement policies and programs to keep organizations in line with data privacy regulations.

Wrap Up

From providing robust security and compliance management to controlling costs and facilitating seamless workload management, a business can manage everything with the help of MSPs. Businesses can focus their time and energy on the core areas that drive profitability, while MSPs handle the routine and repetitive tasks. MSPs also deliver detailed systems information along with analysis that provides meaningful business insight into IT operations of the in-house team.

All in all, an in-house IT team of an organization can better serve the business when it has a clear understanding of the value and benefits of MSPs.