If you’re running a business in Phoenix, AZ, you know how difficult it is to hire skilled talents lately. Add to the rising cost across the board, the work is cut out for Phoenix SMBs. According to a Guidant study, 48% of business owners fear going into a long-term recession this year which puts the focus on capital management and optimized growth KPIs. One of the best ways you can minimize operational expenditure without sacrificing quality is by hiring a Phoenix managed IT provider.
What is a Managed IT Provider?
A managed IT provider offers a team of IT experts that take care of all the IT requirements and day-to-day responsibilities. This includes tasks such as network setup and maintenance, data backup and recovery, software and hardware updates, cybersecurity measures, and user support. It’s a packaged service backed by service level agreements (SLA) which essentially allows you to be more flexible in your business.
But that’s not where the benefits end. By partnering with a managed IT services provider in Phoenix, you get access to top-notch technology and industry expertise without the need for an in-house IT team. Depending on your goals, current IT infrastructure, and liabilities, MSPs can tailor their services. This way, you not only save payroll and server costs but also improve security and compliance standards to protect against cybercriminals.
But do you need a managed IT provider? Not every business is ready to onboard an outside IT team and sometimes the costs don’t justify the investment. Here are some ways you can evaluate whether your business is primed for an MSP:
Signs that Your Business Needs a Managed IT Provider
If you’re wondering whether you should outsource the technical part of your business to a third party, closely look at these signs:
1. Distinct IT skill gap
As businesses scale and evolve, owners often find themselves staring at a widening gap between what’s required of the team and what it can deliver. After all, no business can survive with the skillset it possessed on day 1. Even though Phoenix is growing rapidly, the lack of skilled talents can be felt all too often. Even if you get hold of people with experience, it’s difficult to keep up with their salary expectations.
With managed IT, you make sure the workforce is not pulling your business down. You can offload real-time monitoring and maintenance to prevent downtime, leverage the experience to pick the right hardware stack, migrate to the cloud, and improve cybersecurity measures. Essentially, the Phoenix managed IT provider becomes your business consultant.
2. Escalating operational costs
Historically, Phoenix has a low cost of living compared to other big cities but recession fears have put a dent in that. With labor and assets becoming more expensive, 50% of US businesses think inflation is their biggest challenge.
In the year of efficiency, you need sustainable cost-cutting measures and that’s where a managed IT provider can help you. Apart from working under a fixed budget, they implement better documentation and compliance standards, give you a full picture of your business and help you bring down costs needed to run the business. If this is something you’ve been meaning to do, it’s time to hire a managed IT provider in Phoenix.
3. Outdated IT infrastructure
Most IT challenges faced by businesses can be traced back to outdated hardware that cannot run modern instances. As tasks get more resource intensive, you need a capable, scalable, and agile tech stack to help you prepare for the future. But upgrading the IT infrastructure comes with a heavy cost.
As a part of the contract, managed IT providers bring tried and tested hardware and IT assets to your business and keep everyday tasks running smoothly. Since you only pay for the services provided and not for the assets, you end up saving a lot of money. So if your existing infrastructure is not up to the task, you may need to look for an MSP.
Factors that Influence Hiring a Managed IT Provider in Phoenix
Now that you know what type of businesses require managed IT providers in Phoenix, it’s time to understand the factors that may influence your decision:
1. Business size and complexity
Depending on your business size and complexity, you get different values out of an MSP. For example, if you’re a small business in Phoenix that lacks an experienced or full-fledged IT department, outsourcing the technical tasks makes a lot of sense. Larger corporations, on the other hand, have established IT teams and vendors. In such cases, they might need to outsource only part of IT support.
Complexity also plays a huge role in hiring managed IT providers. If you’re running a Phoenix business that requires extensive compliance standards and regulatory framework, you might be more inclined to hire an MSP that can help you strategize documentation. On the other hand, this means you have silo tasks to prevent data leaks.
2. Current and future goals
A good managed IT provider in Phoenix will not only assist you in IT tasks, but they’ll also help your business flourish. That’s why a proper “fit” is very important. By fit, we mean ideological, technological, and operational comparability to get the job done.
With an MSP on board, you get to access up-to-date and cutting-edge technology, learn about improved business practices and share ideas to reach common goals. So it’s important to evaluate where you are as a business today, what you want to achieve in the future, and the challenges that are stopping you. Then, pick an MSP that demonstrates the expertise and compatibility you require.
3. Service history
Even though the right fit is a more important factor, you cannot ignore a history of customer feedback. The IT climate in Phoenix is evolving fast but there are only a handful of MSPs that possess world-class qualities. It’s better to go with a provider that has a history of positive outcomes. Talk to past customers, read case studies and testimonials, and vet the candidates thoroughly to avoid nasty surprises later on.
Managed IT Provider Challenges You Need to Look out For
Despite the benefits, managed IT is not a magic wand that solves all the problems businesses might face in Phoenix. Before proceeding, here are some challenges you need to be prepared for:
1. Dependency on external entities
With managed IT, you’re opening up your business to external parties. But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, so as long as you shield sensitive information and separate the IT work. But if your vetting process is flawed, you might end up with a partner that has access to confidential information that can open a fresh set of challenges such as cyberattacks, lawsuits, and predatory trade practices.
2. Confidentiality issues
In regulation-heavy industries, confidentiality becomes a huge deal. Make sure you have airtight NDAs and SLAs ready, frequently go through the deliverables and analytics, and have specific employees interact with the IT team. It’s easy to let managed IT run on autopilot, but business owners should be aware of confidentiality agreements.
3. Potential costs
If you’re not careful, MSPs can end up costing you more than you would have paid without them. It happens when project scope and workforce change frequently and there’s a lack of communication. Even if IT is not your domain of expertise, it’s good to stay up to date with new trends, asset and cloud costs, and competitor services. Always have a clear channel of communication, enforce the SLA, and calculate ROI for upcoming months and years to get the best out of the MSP.
MyTek: the Phoenix managed IT provider of your choice
Hiring a managed IT provider is a multi-step process that requires you to analyze your business and vet options properly. It can get overwhelming!
MyTek helps Phoenix businesses run their IT infrastructure smoothly, avoid downtime, save payroll and asset costs, and strategize business development. We offer help desk support, desktop monitoring and maintenance, VMware virtualization, hardware vendor management, cybersecurity cloud computing, and Microsoft services. If you’re not sure whether your business is ready to move to a managed IT model, we’ll answer that as well. To know how we’re enabling Phoenix businesses with world-class IT services, get in touch with MyTek today.