As the workplace landscape is shifting, so is the world of IT management. Many organizations are moving away from onsite staff to an outsourced model.
As businesses are changing, expectations for a managed IT provider are changing too. And the best MSPs are listening. This article highlights three significant shifts to the IT management model:
- Moving away from break/fix
- Dumping hourly rates
- Providing a wider availability of offerings
From Break/Fix to Strategic
If you follow the IT world, it should be no surprise that the break/fix model days are behind us. The break/fix model means you purchase hardware and software and manage this technology independently. When an issue comes up, you call a technician or take your tech to a repair shop to fix it. The cycle continues endlessly from there.
The best providers no longer solve problems as they happen but are actively working to find solutions before a problem arises.
Enter the strategic MSP: an IT company that puts your organization's needs first. Strategic MSPs are actively involved in creating the IT infrastructure that addresses your organization's current needs and looks at your future goals.
A strategic provider can offer value in three ways:
Expertise
A strategic IT partner's business and technical expertise allow your business to grow and stay agile through technology while focusing on revenue-generating activities.
Scalability
Since a strategic IT partner will manage your organization's technology, juggling multiple providers and vendors is not required. As your organization adds or removes employees, adding or removing users is easy.
Integration
A strategic MSP wants and needs a seat at the table to understand the company's objectives and commit to the output. For example, suppose you plan to engage a new industry requiring specific encryption procedures for handling data. In that case, a strategic MSP can identify the right technology and the proper scale, recommending a path for implementation within your budget and resources.
From Hourly to Flat Rate
Another shift in managed IT services is from hourly billing to a flat rate model. Under the hourly rate model, the basic management of endpoints—servers, desktops, laptops, etc.—fell under a standard service agreement. You could receive additional support if you have a rough month with technology, such as chronic printer failure, but that support is billed at an hourly rate.
Hourly billing creates two problems: first, higher invoices than expected. Because of the sticker shock, an organization might scale back on the number of calls to IT, only saving calls for "critical" emergencies to save money.
The second problem then comes—lots of minor issues compound, leading to more extensive and most time-consuming (and therefore costly) problems.
The flat rate solves both issues. In one flat, manageable fee, organizations received basic managed IT support and more advanced services such as proactive monitoring.
Organizations see more value through a flat-rate model because there are no surprises at the end of the month, and we address issues before they become significant problems.
From MSP to More Openings
Gone are the days when managed IT service providers only provided IT help desk support. Many providers, including Anteris, offer private cloud, cloud management services, IT security advancements, staff training, and more.
MSPs like Anteris can elevate your business by working with you to create a strategic IT plan that integrates technology in the way that best works for your business.
How Anteris Can Help
We don't shy away from innovation. We are actively changing as the industry does. From security to cloud computing, we are technology experts.
We're confident in the value we offer our Clients. At Anteris, we provide consistent valuable, predictable service, valuable innovations, and IT knowledge to help you leverage technology into greater productivity and revenue.
Let us make your technology freeing, not frustrating.
