Today, a business’s information technology (IT) infrastructure is pivotal to its ultimate success or failure. As a result, making smart investments in IT assets and management is of vital importance. However, most businesses don’t have infinite budgets and must be strategic with their IT outlays. One of the best ways to stretch precious IT dollars is to partner with a managed IT service. They’re an all-in-one IT management solution that can supercharge a business’s profitability. Here’s how.
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Cost Certainty
One of the ways that a managed IT service can boost business profits is by providing cost certainty. Managed services contracts can be limited or all-inclusive. In either case, they feature defined costs and clear service definitions. In almost every case, they cost less than the labor overhead of staffing an in-house IT department. That certainty can simplify strategic budget planning and reduce surprise costs. It also frees up more money for additional bottom-line-bolstering investments.
Reduces IT Outages
Having a full-time IT staff watching over critical systems improves their reliability and reduces downtime. It also enables proactive equipment maintenance and replacement in place of the customary break-fix IT model. Managed IT services also frequently include provisions to schedule system downtime during off-hours. That prevents disruption to the business during its ordinary operating hours, protecting productivity and revenue generation.
Reduces Cybersecurity Risk
Few things are more destructive to a business’s bottom line than falling victim to a cyberattack. For small businesses, the threat is existential. According to industry data, some 60% of small businesses shut down for good within six months of a cyberattack. Those that don’t end up shouldering severe financial burdens that destroy profitability. In 2024, the average cyberattack cost an affected business a staggering 4.88 million dollars.
Managed IT services help guard against cyberattacks in multiple ways. One is by providing patch management services that keep software and hardware up to date. Another is by hardening the business IT infrastructure against unauthorized access. Most managed IT services also include firewall and intrusion prevention systems that actively shield customers’ networks. They also help reduce permissions creep through active management of employee user accounts.
Reduces New Technology Onboarding Costs
Since IT is an ever-evolving field, businesses must remain nimble enough to adopt new technologies as they appear. However, making IT changes on the fly can be costly and challenging. Managed IT services help by providing the necessary expertise and project planning capabilities. They retain staff with broad expertise in multiple IT disciplines and assign them to clients as needed.
For example, a managed service provider would assign a subject expert to the project if a business wanted to migrate to a new, cutting-edge accounting system. That person would already have experience with the business’s existing accounting system and the target one. That would enable them to plan a smooth transition and provide a training program to get the relevant employees up to speed.
Managed IT Services Drive Profitability
The bottom line is that managed IT services produce clear and beneficial bottom-line effects for businesses. They deliver some excellent benefits including cost savings, productivity improvements, and risk management. That should make them a priority for business planners looking to unleash their company’s true potential for profit.