Louis FrettmanManaged Service Provider refers to a business that leases or contracts with a professional service provider that assumes and ensures responsibilities for a specific range of IT related tasks. There are many benefits associated with utilizing an in-house IT Solutions provider versus a Managed Service Provider including cost savings and operational advantages. Additionally, the IT support services that are provided by a Managed Service Provider can be scheduled for any time of day or night – meaning an entrepreneur need not schedule their own IT support services. There are also few or no operational interruptions when utilizing an outsourced IT support service as they are typically contracted on a pay-as-you-go model, which means a business only pays for the hours it utilizes the service and for the IT workload it has established.
Managed service providers typically operate in two distinct modes – on premise and cloud. The former operates within a physical infrastructure similar to an office network, while the latter operates within the cloud or “virtualization” of applications and data. With the cloud model of Managed Service Provider, companies have the ability to rapidly develop and implement new software applications or ensure routine IT maintenance. This type of service allows customers to immediately benefit from the benefits of cloud computing without having to invest in the additional infrastructure required.
The benefits of the cloud hosting model include greater flexibility, faster application deployment, better scalability, and increased operational efficiency. Businesses can deploy applications and data instantly regardless of whether the physical infrastructure supports it or not. Furthermore, cloud IT service providers can scale up and down as required without the need for reinstalling or reconfiguring servers or application servers. This flexibility is especially beneficial to organizations that anticipate future growth or changes in IT needs. For example, a small business that utilizes an on premise disaster recovery system may require additional resources to support growth or may prefer to use a managed service provider for its entire network.
How Small Businesses Should Deal With Disaster Recovery
To ensure continuity in the event of a disaster, many managed service providers offer disaster recovery plans that are based on their own in-house expertise or the experience of other third-party companies that utilize the same infrastructure. This ensures that any issues with the on premise infrastructure are addressed in the fastest and most efficient manner possible. Additionally, some cloud IT providers will customize a service agreement to address the unique needs of the organization.
A managed service provider can also provide virtualization technologies to help reduce the cost of hardware. Virtualization allows multiple physical machines to be housed in a single logical server, improving the utilization of bandwidth and storage space. This ensures that the company does not become dependent on one specific provider for all its needs. In addition, several providers will enable the use of Linux, Windows, and Apple OSX platforms for the convenience of end-users.
The cost-effective benefits of using managed service providers to handle business-critical applications is that they offer the best-available hardware, software, and network infrastructure at the lowest price available. In addition, several third-party service providers will also provide the same hardware and software for less money. Many organizations find that using these third-party providers proves to be more cost-effective over time. Additionally, the lower capital costs and lower personnel expenses that result from utilizing a managed service provider can save an organization millions of dollars in operating expenses.
The Positive Effects Of MSP Services
Managed service providers also offer an unparalleled level of flexibility for managing information technology infrastructure. Most offer support for a wide range of software applications and will customize an appropriate solution to meet your specific needs. They can also provide technical expertise to help secure networks, control access to data, and reduce threats to the physical infrastructure. Moreover, many companies find that utilizing a managed service provider will speed up deployment times of new software, solutions, and upgrades. This allows users to take advantage of new features and improvements to their website or system quickly.
In short, there are many positive aspects of choosing to use a managed services provider to manage your business-critical applications and infrastructure rather than in-house. Many companies find that the benefits of this arrangement far outweigh the cost of maintaining in-house IT personnel, hardware, software, and networking equipment. Additionally, it can lead to significant reduction in downtime and increase response times for customers and employees.