Many IT leaders and senior management outside of IT perceive Managed Services as a luxury rather than a need. However, when considering the ever-increasing complexity of IT environments, coupled with new challenges involving security, IoT, the Cloud, hybrid working and more, Managed Services is no longer just nice to have. Instead, it’s a necessity for organisations large and small.
There are several misconceptions and myths associated with hiring an MSP. After all, they are essentially strangers coming into your organisation, right? Wrong! Before acquiring the services of an MSP, you should do thorough research and get yourself comfortable with their company and services. The goal of every MSP is to support your organisation, and they will do so with your best interests in mind. To demonstrate how an MSP can benefit your organisation, we will debunk seven myths about MSPs that may be deterring you from getting the support you need.
Myth #1: Managed IT service providers cost a small fortune!
Our number one myth is why companies steer clear of managed service providers. The common belief that MSPs will create a gigantic hole in your monthly budget is a huge misconception
In most cases, the cost is fairly predictable, even with factors outside of your contract. Whether your provider charges per user or device, you’ll know every month how much your bill will be. You should also have an idea of how much your bill will increase or decrease for changes to your IT stack or user count.
So, do managed services cost more than one-off IT providers? They certainly do. But they also provide high-quality IT maintenance and upgrades for you around the clock. If your IT needs are minimal and don’t require dedicated expert attention, MSPs might be a cost-effective choice you desired. But if your needs go beyond that, the value provided by professional MSPs is practically a bargain compared to your alternatives.
Myth #2: Keeping IT in-house is better
IT leaders should view MSPs as an extension of the IT team, not as a replacement. While having the dedicated time of a full time IT professional can and is helpful, it also may limit the breadth of knowledge your business can take advantage of. A good MSP will have a structured team with varying areas of interest and specialised skills, offering broader experience, skills and understanding of good business IT.
A good Managed Service Provider will carefully build a strategy to reduce downtime, security risks and even the number of reactive tickets. A managed IT Service Provider that tracks and targets the right KPIs and reduces risk is a win-win for both parties; the fewer issues you have, the less risk you have, the better for both parties.
MSPs also have access to monitoring and maintenance platforms out of reach for in-house IT teams.
Myth #3: MSP is only for big tech companies
One common misconception is that only big corporations hire outsourced managed service professionals. In fact, small and medium-sized businesses will often benefit more from working with a MSP. After all, large businesses tend to have a dedicated IT to secure data and maintain its systems.
Smaller businesses tend to rely on someone internally to be the ‘IT Guy’. This individual is often employed in another role, but gets dragged away when there’s a paper jam in the printer. They may be ‘good at IT’ but they are likely to putting on sticky plasters, not getting to the root cause of issues.
Outsourcing gives any business access to skilled IT specialists. They are specialists in securing data, managing networks, and user access. You get top talent and best practices, without having to add employees to your roster.
Myth #4: An MSP will replace your current IT Team
Rarely will an MSP replace an entire IT department. Instead, the services of an MSP are a complement to in-house IT teams, addressing commodity tasks or specialized tasks better suited to the efficiencies of an outside team. This frees up in-house IT to focus on integration and strategic items of higher business value. For smaller organizations, MSP’s can take on these strategic business initiatives as well in wholly-outsourced scenarios. In all cases, MSP’s can bring skills and experience that it is difficult to acquire working within an in-house IT department. Ultimately, an MSP is here to empower, not replace, your IT team.
Myth #5: Outsourcing an MSP will make you more vulnerable to cyber threats.
Many organisations underestimate the vulnerability of their network. As the threat of cybercrime and hacking continues to grow, it is much too easy to fall victim to a security breach. Companies often fall behind staying current with security patches, application updates, regulations, and configuration changes while tending to day-to-day issues. It may seem like a cost-saver to only fix what's broken, but for security to be effective, it needs to be monitored, regulated, and updated regularly. Failing to do so could be catastrophic to your organisation. This is where MSPs can help. Yes, you will be opening up your system to an external party, but MSPs will actually make you less vulnerable to cyber threats, not more.
The utmost priority of any MSP is to keep your security systems current, clean, and secure. MSPs are equipped with the time, personnel, and expertise to make your security their only priority, as opposed to your organisation that has to train team members and devote valuable time to do the same task. While an MSP cannot offer you 100% protection, it will lower the odds of a successful attack and strengthen your security system.
Myth #6: It is too much work to manage an outside partner.
The opposite is true! In obtaining an MSP, you are actually alleviating your organisation of a great deal of demanding and time-consuming work. Your MSP will handle certain aspects of your IT, giving your team more time to focus on critical projects. Should something go wrong within your system, you will have 24/7 support to quickly correct the error at no disruption to your team members or their work. Your MSP will fix the problem quickly, with minimal effort, and take detailed notes for future reference.
Myth #7: The MSP service model will mess up your IT infrastructure!
Last but certainly not least, there is widespread belief that the moment you decide to outsource your IT procedures, you give up control over your IT infrastructure. While it is a logical conception, acquiring an MSP partner will never threaten the integrity of your digital ecosystem. Don't get it wrong - you are still firmly in control!
MSP will not come in and reinvent the way you conduct your IT-related business. They will deliver managed IT services like remote support, hosting services, disaster recovery, improvements to business technology, and much more. These vital services will serve as natural extensions to your existing IT infrastructure. An expert-managed service provider will seamlessly weave new features and improvements in your network without producing any extra complications or unwanted workload changes. In short, MSPs will only add to your IT prowess. They will not try to reinvent what already works and cause your daily operations to become more complex.
MSPs work with service level agreements where you and the provider can work out terms of engagement. This helps to outline your expectations and what assistance you’ll need specifically. This makes sure that neither party is stepping on each other’s toes.
Now that we have debunked the most popular myths surrounding MSPs, we can reach a logical conclusion. If you are a small or medium-sized company with a functional IT infrastructure, there is a big chance that an MSP could make your life significantly easier. A wisely chosen MSP partner will not only save you money and handle your complex projects in IT. They will enable you to focus on core business activities and forget the constant troubles of IT management, tech improvements, or daily issues with software and hardware.
IT services provided by MSPs are not one-off solutions that apply to your business like a band-aid. They are direct ways to build upon your digital progress and lead your digital transformation efforts! So, do not be afraid that MSPs will cost you a fortune, and provide limited features, low quality, or poor cyber defenses. With due diligence, you will acquire a lifetime IT partner that continuously augments your digital capabilities and fortifies your weaknesses!
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