How to Prioritize Your Managed IT Needs in Q4
The year is rapidly coming to a close, and the struggle of indecision when it comes to end of year IT spending is on the forefront of many nonprofits and small businesses' minds. Our goal is to always make your life easier, through IT services and otherwise, and one option that is often overlooked is managed IT services. We are here to help you prioritize what you need to help maximize your success with your extra budget before it’s gone.
Why You Should Use Your End of Year Funds for Managed IT
There are a plethora of reasons to use your end of year funds for managed IT services within your business:
First, managed services have been proven to help you reduce your overall technology costs. Providers are great at negotiating better pricing on hardware, software, and services than you can on your own. In terms of real estate, anyone can go out and look at new property, but a real estate agent with knowledge of the industry can help you find the greatest location, at the best price for you. By utilizing your IT provider, we can also help you optimize your IT environment which can lead to further cost savings in the long run.
Second, managed IT providers can help give you the highest form of IT security due to the knowledge and expertise of resources available- by keeping your systems up-to-date with the latest security patches and software. By investing in a managed IT service, you have a provider constantly monitoring your systems for potential threats and vulnerabilities.
Third, managed services can improve your IT uptime by providing 24/7 support. Since managed IT can keep your systems up and running, this will help minimize lost productivity and revenue.
Lastly, by utilizing managed services, we can help you implement new technologies and processes that will make the technology you currently have in your business more efficient. This frees up time and resources so all you have to focus on is your company, your services, and your customers.
How to Prioritize Your Needs for Managed IT
When taking a look at your end of year funds and seeing how managed IT services could fit in, it is important to focus on the factors that help you prioritize your needs.
Your business goals and objectives: What do you want IT technology to achieve? Do you need to improve your security, uptime, or productivity within your business?
Your budget: How much money are you willing to spend on managed IT services?
The size and complexity of your IT environment: How many users do you have? What types of devices are you using? How complex is your network? Will you need to scale up or down?
Your current IT staff: Do you have in-house IT employees who need co-managed solutions or do you need your entire IT environment managed by a managed service provider (msp).
An Overview
Once these factors have been considered, many nonprofits and small businesses improve the following areas within their company through the help of managed services:
Security: MSP can help you keep your systems up-to-date with the latest security patches and software. They can also monitor your systems for potential threats and vulnerabilities.
Uptime: Managed IT providers can provide 24/7 support, so that your systems are up and running. This can help you to avoid lost productivity and revenue.
Productivity: MSP can help you to implement new technologies and processes that can make your IT more efficient. This can free up your time and resources so that you can focus on your core business activities.
Compliance: Managed IT providers can help you to stay compliant with industry regulations. This can help you to avoid fines and penalties.
Consulting: MSP can provide you with expert advice on your IT needs. This can help you to make informed decisions about your IT investments.
Additional Tips
Be realistic about your budget. Managed IT services can be expensive, so it is important to be realistic about what you can afford and prioritize what you need.
Read the fine print. Make sure you understand the terms of the contract before signing it, so you are well aware of the technology services you are getting.
Be clear about your expectations. Communicate your expectations to the managed IT provider so that there are no surprises.
Cornerstone Technologies is dedicated to providing you excellent service that helps keep your organization successful. To learn more about how you can improve your security, increase productivity, and reduce downtime costs - set a meeting with us today!
