Your Guide to Managed Information Technology (IT) Services
Businesses, small to mid-sized, and of all types, rely heavily on IT services to keep financial and operational processes going. Managed IT Service Providers (MSPs) help your business do this by reducing IT costs, maximizing IT efficiency, and minimizing IT downtime. Business operators cannot afford to take their focus off of what makes their business earn revenue to worry about IT issues. That’s when MSPs can be extremely useful.
What are Managed IT Services?
Managed IT services are IT plans that are adapted to the way your business functions and the methods used to run your business. Law firms, nonprofit organizations, and government organizations operating from the Microsoft Government Cloud are examples of businesses that would benefit from IT managed services.
The following focuses on what services are available from MSPs to create the IT plan that is right for your business needs.
What Services Do MSPs Offer?
MSPs offer a range of services to maintain individual computers, IT systems, and servers at optimum levels. For example, MSPs will keep networks, devices, and infrastructures operating at an optimum level by performing regular maintenance and monitoring. They will also attend to any cybersecurity concerns such as installing and monitoring email scanning and web content filtering or providing cybersecurity awareness training.
Common Services Offered by MSPs
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity concerns have become more prominent as personal information is stolen from businesses, and websites are taken hostage by ransomware. These cybersecurity disasters and revenue stream interruptions can be prevented. MSPs can help provide the utmost cybersecurity protection possible by installing and monitoring cybersecurity tools.
Wireless Network Security and Penetration Testing
Wireless network security ensures protection against unauthorized access from the internet connection to the computer or server before it gets to the firewall. This is the first line of defense against unauthorized access and malware.
MSPs install wireless intrusion detection and prevention systems that not only enable protection but also alert the MSP of a security breach. To add further protection, penetration tests are conducted to expertly seek out vulnerabilities in an IT infrastructure and find ways to strengthen the protection of the infrastructure.
Managed Firewalls
The firewall is installed on a computer or server and is the second defender against unauthorized access or malware. Keeping the firewall up-to-date will ensure optimum performance to defend against malware. MSPs will keep the firewall up-to-date and make any needed changes.
Anti-Malware
This is the third line of defense against malware. MSPs will install malware protection software on computers and servers that can help detect malware invasions so that immediate action can be taken to get rid of the malware.
Email Scanning and Web Content Filtering
Incorporating a fourth line of defense against malware, MSPs can install software and programs that perform email scanning. This entails continually reviewing every email message to detect viruses, malware, and spam. Email scans are on the lookout for suspicious addresses and domains. Using the latest threat intelligence, policies can be put in place to block, quarantine, or flag emails that contain potential threats.
Web content filtering works in much of the same way as it screens and, additionally, excludes access to web pages.
Cybersecurity Awareness Training
MSPs also provide training to anyone who has access to the business network, servers, or computers. Making people aware of how scammers operate and what to look for before clicking on suspicious websites and links is the fifth line of defense against malware and unauthorized access.
IT Managed Services
Network, Device, and Infrastructure Monitoring
Sometimes you may find your computers running slow or not running at the optimum level that they should be. MSP services provide regular maintenance and monitoring of computer systems to ensure they are running at an optimum level at all times.
MSPs provide services such as cleaning up any temporary files to create more disk space or providing disk defragment services that will improve performance. Other services include removing any toolbars or other unneeded software that may be slowing down the network, device, or infrastructure.
Remote Work Set Up and Strategies
With more of the workforce able to work remotely, there is a greater need for MSPs to help in setting up secure, protected remote connections to the main business computer or server. With so many different, remote connections, the MSP can ensure that every connection from any remote location is secure.
Software Installation, Configuration, and Patching
To increase the efficiency of business operations, software of all kinds may need to be continually installed, configured, patched, and updated.
Business Continuity Solutions
There are a multitude of disasters that can occur to a business IT system, causing excessive downtime and lost revenue. Natural disasters, human errors, power outages, or cyberattacks can be detrimental to businesses. However, MSPs ensure that information and resources can be recovered quickly to minimize downtime and resume business operations.
Other Services Offered by MSPs
Cloud Solutions
Cloud solutions, like Microsoft Office 365, take the worry of finding enough storage on business networks or servers to access the unlimited potential of that business. Cloud solutions offer affordability and security to business information and operations.
With Office 365, access to Sharepoint, Exchange, and Azure is available.
Consulting Services
MSPs can offer consulting services that will point out how certain technologies or the lack of technologies can have an impact on service for your customers. They can point out how installing or upgrading business technology will prevent issues that will hinder customer interactions or satisfaction.
Help Desk Services
Of course, immediate help is a phone call away, as MSPs can react to problems with 24/7/365 support. Because of this technical expertise, hours are not wasted trying to solve technical issues and downtime is limited.
Why Should I Outsource My IT Needs?
- Control and reduce overhead costs
- Increase security
- Reduce downtime
- Have the ability to focus on business operations
- Have access to the most proficient technical expertise
It’s Time to Ask for the Best
Outsourcing IT responsibilities has a multitude of advantages for your business. Ready to outsource your IT needs to LAN Infotech in Fort Lauderdale? Contact us to schedule a no-obligation review of your business IT service needs.
Thanks to Ashu with Orion Networks in Columbia, MD for his help with this article. Click here to visit his website.
LAN Infotech is a Microsoft Cloud Services Provider, IT Managed Support company and a leader in helping law firms, nonprofits and medical organizations deploy cloud solutions, manage computer networks, keep data protected and top technology management company. Businesses like yours need technology support to run highly-effective organizations.
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