The Evolution of IT Managed Services
September 16th, 2020 by admin
At the outset of enterprise computing, information technology services and management were focused on a break/fix basis, meaning computer systems were only managed by an expert when they did not work, necessitating a technician to come out to fix it. This technician may also have been the person who built or installed the computer system due to the proliferation of small IT shops that specialized in these small-scale client services at the time. However, as time progressed, computer manufacturing grew to a large scale, leaving the small IT professional to focus less on manufacturing and more on break/fix. This system was time-consuming, labor-intensive, costly, and reactive. It did not allow the technician room to grow their business or take on new clients without massive investments in labor and infrastructure.
As computing devices increased yearly, the divide between break/fix technicians and the number of computers they could reasonably service under the break/fix model grew wider and wider. Managed IT services emerged in the early years of the millennium to meet this need, shifting far from the break/fix model.
Managed IT services signaled a proactive approach to IT, attempting to conduct maintenance, upgrades, system monitoring, and issue resolution on a routine basis to prevent problems before they started. Automation increased internet capabilities, and cloud computing allowed for monitoring and issue resolution to be provided remotely, enabling more efficient processes and a consolidation of resources.
Efficiency, consolidated resources, and client satisfaction, coupled with lower fixed rates, the ability to offer a broader range of service offerings, and the opportunity to take on a more extensive clientele, led to managed IT services becoming the industry-standard approach to managing computer systems large and small for SMBs.
The Managed IT Services Model
ICX utilizes a broad range of IT expertise to resolve issues efficiently. Unlike break/fix providers, ICX can employ the latest processes and software to proactively monitor endpoints,keeping systems up-to-date, and preventing problems before they arise. Managed IT services are also available 24x7x365, allowing end-users to take nights and weekends off while we do the heavy lifting on tasks and processes done after hours.
ICX services are offered at a flat recurring rate in tiered levels, offering a greater level of automation and a higher degree of management based on the specified service level of the agreement. End users only pay for the services they require, and businesses can increase or decrease their tier based on business needs, the number of employees, and demand.
As with other necessary business functions like utilities, the end-user pays for services provided offsite, such as remote monitoring and management, help desk solutions, backup and disaster recovery, and more. Managed IT services, thus become essential operating expenses to maintain core functionality, rather than additional costs applied during exceptional issue resolutions with break/fix models. Managed services organizations enable their end-users to run their businesses more smoothly and more efficiently than they would otherwise. Additionally, they offer SaaS-based solutions at a price that can't be achieved with in-house options.
Benefits of Managed IT Services
Through outsourcing managed IT services, SMBs can reap the benefits of receiving IT support at a significantly reduced cost in comparison to creating a comparable team in-house. Additionally, ICX offers a wealth of experience from actively managing multiple client accounts that in-house teams would not collectively have.
Additionally, by using ICX, organizations can forecast their monthly, quarterly, and yearly expenditure on IT, and are freed from having to focus on this area of operational readiness. This allows SMBs to focus on growing their business without worrying about day-to-day IT issues or requirements.
Another benefit of managed IT services is greater opportunity for security expertise and successfully enacted security policies. ICX works with standards such as PCI and HIPAA compliance day in and day out, and can to steer your organization within the parameters and regulations it needs to adhere to. For some organizations, especially in finance, healthcare, insurance, education, and other industries, this type of regulatory compliance is mandatory for the IT portion of their business. It requires the expertise and experience that a managed service provider can offer. ICX can help clients mitigate risk in this way while assuring that the experts in charge of your IT operations are always up to date on the latest information, technologies, and processes that will keep your infrastructure working efficiently and successfully into the future.