The logic of managed services is fully apparent to MSPs, but not all IT shops understand the beauty of being relieved of administrative duties allowing them to be more strategic.
IT support and computer consultancy eMazzanti Technologies wants to share the joy of managed services – particularly the economic value of this approach.
Why this matters?
The views of firms like eMazzanti are important because managed services aren’t always well understood, and their value therefore not fully realized.
The case is made in the aptly named article “Why You Need a Managed Services Provider.”
The article is clearly aimed at MSP novices. “Managed services can be generally defined as outsourcing day-to-day management responsibilities,” argued said Jennifer Mazzanti, president, eMazzanti Technologies. “In the computer world, the definition is more specific and usually means the 24x7 monitoring and the day-to-day IT administrative duties of a whole network.”
Mazzanti believes MSPs are the key to proper around the clock IT operations. “Information technology (IT) systems are expected to meet high standards of operation, while offering 24/7 availability, security, and performance. In today’s environment, a business has to keep pace with the constant changes in IT, performance demands, and pressure to deliver competitive IT functionality. To meet these challenges, many organizations consider outsourcing their IT activities to be an attractive option,” the company argued.
Much of the rest of the piece is pretty fundamental, defining what an MSP is, and what services they might provide. And for the uninitiated this is important information that once understood can help transform the nature of IT.
And that transformation is the true value Mazzanti is trying to get across. “MSPs act as an extension of your IT department, taking care of routine IT infrastructure monitoring and management around the clock and freeing up your IT staff to focus on more important projects. An MSP proactively monitors and maintains your systems in order to help you avoid problems and downtime,” the company believes.
The great thing about outsourcing IT to an MSP is the shop still has essential control, choosing the apps and the provider – and how tasks are apportioned.
The ROI is strong, the company believes. “Sometimes it appears the easiest way to handle IT needs is by dedicating resources to having an in-house team of IT professionals. While this may seem like the most fiscally responsible move, it can end up costing more than hiring an MSP,” eMazzanti argued. “A technology professional with five years of experience may be worth $70,000+ a year. That $70,000 salary only gets one person, not a team of professionals with expertise and knowledge. When a company hires its own IT staff, there are also challenges scheduling around vacation, training, and illness. An MSP provides full time IT coverage, but vacations, illness, and other absences don’t affect needed support.”
MSPs on the Move
The economic value of MSP is driving strong market growth, at least according to various research findings compiled by MarketsandMarkets. The market is moving from $142.75 billion in 2013 all the way to $256.05 billion in five years. This is all based on 12.4 percent CAGR through 2018.
The compilations of reports also establishes the value, finding that managed services can lower IT expenses 30-40 percent.
Edited by
Stefania Viscusi
