Is your IT network running at its very best to support your staff, customers, and to contribute to your growth? These are just a few of the questions you need to evaluate to know:
- How often do your employees work remotely, and what apps and video conferencing tools are they using?
- How do your employees work together on documents or projects?
- If they need to get answers quickly, what apps & devices do they use and how long does it take?
- What are some of your concerns around data security and/or privacy? Where do the biggest threats come from?
- When is your next software refresh, and are you considering any additional tools/capabilities?
- If you had a wish list for your technology, what would it include?
- What are some of the barriers you face in adopting new capabilities? Look for cost, skills, business risk, time, difficulty, etc.
Though critical to your operations, do you REALLY want to be spending YOUR time on evaluating and planning your IT posture? Like other backend business functions (HR, Accounting, Legal, etc.), IT is an area where it makes sense to outsource to an expert vendor partner. A Managed Service Provider (MSP) is CONSTANTLY considering the above questions and helping you leverage your network for happy employees and customers that lead to growth. Your small business needs managed IT services for proactive, high-quality IT support.
An MSP takes over the role of your in-house IT department (or comes alongside in a co-managed partnership) for a fixed and agreed-upon monthly rate. They will install, support, and maintain all of the users, devices, and applications connected to your network on a routine basis. When hardware or software needs to be upgraded or replaced, they can connect you with options and partners that are the most compatible with your network and budget. An MSP helps protect your business from computer problems resulting from rogue employees, lost devices, hardware failures, natural disasters, or the many other issues that can interrupt or outright destroy your IT infrastructure and the data it secures.
While this model is great for many businesses because it allows them to plan for IT services in their monthly budget, it is important to understand the level of maintenance and IT support provided. Managed IT services can vary widely across different MSPs, so it is important to pay attention to the services offered under the proposed contract.
Pearl Solutions Group offers managed services packages to meet organizational needs for businesses with 30-300 tech users:
- Basic: This level provides basic IT support and a professional resource users can call for assistance. We will monitor your computers, servers, and firewalls for any issues, ensure Windows and 3rd party patches are being applied successfully, and provide basic anti-virus and anti-malware protection for your users.
- Essential: At this level, we begin proactively supporting you as an organization, including unlimited remote assistance to your users and live 24/7 support if needed. We actively monitor and fix problems with all of your IT systems and include reports so you have visibility into how you are being supported. Essential items like 1 TB of data backup, critical security tools and resources, and design and administration of Microsoft applications are included. Our essential clients receive Cysurance 360Protect to cover costs from a ransomware attack and access to additional services we do not offer to our Basic package customers.
- Complete: A robust partnership of both Managed Service and Managed Security Service solutions, the complete package includes everything in the basic and essential packages, added cybersecurity, and a strategic approach to IT. You will have a dedicated client success manager to serve as an internal advocate and ensure we are providing the value you deserve. We will help you and your teams learn how to use applications like SharePoint and Teams to their fullest to increase collaboration and productivity. You can count on the latest cyber tools installed to protect your business from evolving threats.
