Almost two-thirds (64%) of organizations are using managed services for at least one IT function, according to a 2015 CompTIA study of technology buyers. Managed services can include a multitude of solutions, ranging from setup and implementation to administrative support to strategic guidance.
Businesses are turning to managed IT services because they are recognizing the soft costs associated with having internal teams dedicated to administrative, setup, and maintenance tasks, and the benefits of a team of specialized experts dedicated to service and satisfaction. Managed Netsuite services provide a partnership, rather than a replacement and free up internal resources to focus on strategic planning.
Why Small, Mid-Market Businesses Need Managed Services
Complexity or Dependencies of IT
Using managed IT services can be a great deal of help when you have limited or absence of in-house IT expertise. Companies may rely on the most “technically savvy” among employees to take on the ad hoc work for when problems with devices, software like glitches, or network issues. As companies grow in various ways, this approach isn’t always the most scalable or cost-effective. That’s when a decision must be made to hire an IT resource internally or look outside to a managed service provider to take on management of the business systems.
Depending on your company and IT needs, a full-time in-house person makes sense if the services rendered commensurate with what they are being paid. On the other hand, if your IT needs ebb and flow or consist of low-grade issues with few major initiatives, a highly skilled managed service team that offers skill on demand might be a better alternative.
Daily Management
Another consideration for managed services revolves around balancing maintenance and innovation. Maintenance, sometimes referred to as “keeping the lights on,” refers to expenditure needed to perform daily operational tasks, standard updates, or support items. Though crucial to any application, some IT leaders are spending too much time, effort, and cost around keeping the lights on, causing less time and energy to be focused on solutions or innovations that will help the company reach its goals.
For many companies, moving managed services to a public, private, or hybrid cloud has a huge impact on resource allocation and cost.
Cloud versus Hybrid Cloud
It’s important to understand that managed cloud infrastructure doesn’t stop at the server and storage, but includes the OS and often databases or platforms required to support the computing environment. Cloud applications also are an option that provide a flexible and scalable setting for the workforce to access information, communicate, and collaborate from anywhere and on any device. Instead of moving ahead with a full project, cloud apps allow for testing with small groups before implementing within larger workgroups or across departments. What’s even better is that the software is continually updated with new features automatically in addition users have access to an experienced help desk as part of the managed subscription.
Public Cloud: A public cloud is based on the standard cloud computing model, in which a service provider makes resources, such as applications and storage, available to the general public over the Internet.
Private Cloud: The private cloud delivers similar advantages to public cloud, including scalability and self-service, but through a proprietary architecture. A private cloud is dedicated to a single organization, has more security and privacy control, is cost and energy efficient and has improved reliability. One downfall is that the organization implementing the private cloud is responsible for running and managing IT resources instead of passing that responsibility onto a service provider.
Hybrid Cloud: Ninety percent (90%) of enterprises say they are going to pursue a hybrid cloud solution this year.1 As the name suggests, Hybrid is a mix of both public and private cloud. By spreading things out over a hybrid cloud, each aspect of the business is kept in the most efficient environment possible. Hybrid architectures are especially attractive for large organizations that want to explore the flexibility and scalability of the public cloud. A hybrid system is a good solution if there is institutional hesitancy about the security of the public cloud for sensitive data. The downside of the strategy may come when tracking multiple security platforms and ensuring that all aspects of the business can communicate with each other.
What makes Tricension Different
Tricension takes on a trusted advisor role to understand your current business strategy, as well as your company’s future vision and goals – this is to help you create and implement a sound technology plan. Tricension can help you with virtual CIO responsibilities, assessing applications, workflow, automation, and enterprise application planning.
Your organization may need an independent assessment of a business system due to performance, stability, or business risk. We offer an Application Assessment which involves an extensive evaluation of the overall Application Architecture that includes: quality, best practice utilization, risk consideration, and recommendations for remediation. Other factors that may be considered are technical factors, business value, cost impacts, staff and skill issues, and vendor considerations.
With technical leadership on demand, you may not need a full-time CIO on staff. As a virtual CIO we can help ensure your technology is being leveraged to support the overall strategic vision of your organization.
Additional Advisory Service includes Enterprise Application Plan that includes a thorough analysis of your data architecture, applications architecture, and technology infrastructure. We map out and redesign or refine your IT plan, with your budget, organizational practices, highest business priorities and business strengths in mind.
