The most common services businesses demand service on are: Database Backup. It Specialists protect and preserve your data from data loss and let you restore data as large as whole databases or as small as a single file. Database backups are usually performed weekly or monthly and need to be scheduled, planned, and executed by a qualified professional.
Most often your IT Specialists will use scheduled data backup to avoid system downtime due to accidental or unscheduled maintenance. Your IT Specialists can also perform maintenance and backup routine as needed. The IT Services your Business needs can depend on several factors including your IT Support Service provider, frequency of backups, and cost. These factors must be considered while choosing an IT Support service provider. For example some IT Services providers offer a full range of solutions for network, data, and file maintenance and management, while other provide only database backups. When choosing an IT Services company, it is wise to compare and contrast the services, pricing, and capabilities of various service providers.
The price for a managed service provider charging their customers does not necessarily indicate how they run their business. Often times IT Support companies charge more because they are in a Fortune 500 company that requires specialized expertise and expensive equipment. IT support company’s that are part of a Fortune 500 organization typically have more staff, better trained workers, and more sophisticated technology than many smaller companies. However, the cost of IT support can still be less than most small business IT support if a small business IT support company chooses to implement a data backup policy in addition to their managed service provider services.
Small Business Operations and IT Support Services
A small business may be able to save money on IT Management Services by using IT managed backup solutions. There are some IT managed services providers that provide their customers with a full range of solutions including data backup, recovery planning, site optimization and configuration management, site security, site administration, application monitoring, troubleshooting, and application connectivity management. Many companies that use IT managed backup choose to implement their own in-house managed services providers. If you cannot afford a managed service provider, you can always contact your local Internet Assessor or an accredited IT Management Services Provider to assist you in providing managed service to your company.
Some IT Management Services Providers offer managed services for cloud services. A cloud service is similar to a managed service provider; however, instead of having staff that performs work as IT Management Services personnel, cloud services personnel perform work as Service Desk managers. Service desk managers are responsible for answering customer emails, providing assistance to customers that need help with their applications, and managing the company’s IT resources. These professionals are usually part-time employees that work from home and are compensated by the hour.
IT Managed Services may also require the employee to be located in the office or outside of the company to provide IT support services. This type of managed services provider is commonly known as an in-house IT support staff. This type of service provider is advantageous for companies that need technicians that are onsite and that can be reached during normal business hours. Most businesses choose to have an in-house technician assigned to their company because it saves valuable resources that can be used elsewhere. Furthermore, an in-house technician provides IT support twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Differences Between On-Site and Off-Site IT Technicians
An off site managed service provider is a mix between an in-house IT support staff and a cloud service provider. An off-site technician works only during business hours, and the technicians are compensated by the hour. Off site technicians provide IT support as needed, and they are compensated by the minute. Some advantages of choosing this type of managed service provider include: off site technicians typically offer better rates than in-house technicians, and they are not located within the office, which allows them to be reached during normal business hours.
One final option is an in-house or managed services technician. An in-house technician is a highly trained professional who has been hired by a company to provide IT support on site. They are highly trained in all aspects of the Microsoft technologies that the business uses. Although, many companies choose to have an in-house technician to perform their daily IT support duties, there are times when businesses experience unforeseen events that can interrupt IT services. When this happens, the in-house technician can be called in to help with immediate and uninterrupted IT support.