Building and maintaining your network and IT services can quickly become a struggle for your IT department. For many organizations, managed services are a simple, cost-effective, and efficient way to take advantage of the latest advances, without becoming a slave to technology.
What are managed services?
Managed services entail the support of certain IT resources by a provider outside the company.
This outsourcing has been around for some time now, but has gained popularity in recent years, especially with the development of new networking technologies and the mass adoption of cloud computing. In a 2022 study of 1,007 IT decision-makers in the U.S. and U.K., more than 87% of those surveyed claimed they used at least one managed service, or were considering doing so.
According to a report by analysis firm HFS Research, companies that use managed services plan on doing so even more in the upcoming years. In fact, 90% of decision-makers plan to increasingly outsource their IT infrastructure to managed service providers.
What are the advantages of managed services?
The popularity of managed services comes as no surprise given that the benefits are numerous.
Some key benefits of managed services are performance and infrastructure optimization. These services make it possible to quickly adopt customized solutions directly aligned with your business needs. For example, a company that entrusts its internal network to a supplier, such as Videotron Business or fibrenoire, can ensure that they benefit from the latest technologies to hit the market.
Managed services also lead to a simplification and reduction of costs. Instead of making a large upfront investment and setting aside funds for repairs and maintenance, the monthly payment for managed services predictably brings together hardware, licensing, installation, and support costs. This way of doing things is not only simple and predictable, but also economical. According to research firm IDC, businesses that turn to managed services reduce their IT costs by 36%, all while increasing the reliability and security of their network.
Another advantage of managed services is that you can rely on specialized teams, members of which generally have a greater knowledge in their field than internal IT employees, who often have to cover multiple areas of expertise. They are generally better equipped to deploy the latest features of the services used, which can ultimately increase the productivity of your company.
And finally, outsourcing certain services can free up your internal IT teams, allowing them to contribute to the company’s success and create added value. For example, they can focus on the automation of processes instead of monitoring the IT network. All businesses can benefit from this freedom and flexibility.
Three examples of managed services
Networks, technical support, security, backups, software, telecommunications, printing: just about every IT service position can now be outsourced to a managed service provider. Here are three examples of popular managed services.
SD-WAN network
An SD-WAN, or Software-Defined Wide Area Network, is a virtual WAN architecture. This technology, particularly suited to the era of cloud services, allows the coupling of different types of accesses (MPLS, LTE, etc.), automatic fault detection, and correction and intelligent traffic management. Because of the cost and expertise required to install such networks, SD-WAN services are ideal when it comes to a shared services approach.
IT security
Security is another of the top managed services solutions sought out by companies. And it’s not surprising: the costs related to security incidents continue to rise year after year. In 2022, IBM estimated that data breaches cost Canadian businesses an average of $7.05 million per incident, an increase when compared to the $6.65 million per incident in 2021. Considering the risks if you don’t put all the chances on your side, a smart managed services solution to protect your network is a must.
Local and Wi-Fi network
A LAN (Local Area Network) and Wi-Fi network in managed mode offers several advantages, allowing your company to benefit from the latest technologies and state-of-the-art deployment. Companies that wish to do so can also, in some cases, opt for a co-managed mode, where they can, for example, take over the configuration of wireless devices and the production of the pre-configuration document, but leave it to the supplier to update the environment and control the quality of backup copies and recovery plans.
In addition to offering cost reductions and improved productivity, each of these managed services means you don’t have to spend as much time worrying about more demanding IT issues, such as staying on top of the latest technological trends. By outsourcing these tasks, IT decision-makers can instead focus on what really matters, without technology becoming a burden for your business.
