If you’re like most businesses, not a week goes by without some type of IT flare-up needing attention. It might be something small like a printer that is acting up and takes about 30 minutes of someone’s time. Or it could be something larger like a compromised cloud account that causes a major data breach.
Technology is a large part of everything a business does and any type of issue, large or small, impacts your bottom line.
The average cost of downtime for a small business is $423 per minute (for large companies, it’s over $9,000 per minute). That means just one 15-minute outage of your wireless network can cost you $6,345 in productivity and lost business costs.
To keep your business running smoothly and growing, your technology needs to run smoothly. The best way to make that happen is to have an IT support professional manning the helm.
What Is IT Support?
IT support involves many different types of services for your technology environment. This includes your on-premises technology, remote team, and cloud-based technology services.
These support services include taking care of each part of your digital infrastructure, such as:
- Computers
- Servers
- Wireless and wired network
- Software and operating system updates
- Equipment, like printers
- Data and data backups
- Cloud infrastructure
- Cyber security
- User technology help
- Business continuity
What Is an MSP?
The names IT support provider and MSP are often used interchangeably, as they both are descriptions for a technology service professional.
MSP stands for Managed Services Provider, and it’s a term that describes the all-in-one managed IT services offered by providers like Attain Technology.
What makes IT providers and MSPs special?
We have decades of experience doing nothing but managing, securing, and optimizing technology for businesses. We also have extensive training in all types of technology and applications, including troubleshooting, repairs, preventative maintenance, threat mitigation, and more.
How Does IT Support Work?
The most common way that companies will work with an IT provider/MSP is by subscribing to a managed IT services plan. This plan combines multiple technology services together into one package.
This allows companies to pay one affordable monthly rate and have all their technology needs taken care of by experts. The company’s technology is also handled proactively, with repairs and maintenance being done before equipment goes down and causes a costly outage.
Another way that IT support can work is on an ad hoc basis. Companies may decide to call an IT professional for support only after something goes wrong. This “break/fix” type of approach will typically cost a company more and cause downtime because they’re taking care of something after the fact, rather than having their infrastructure maintained on a regular basis.
What Does IT Support Do For My Business?
Using managed IT services provides multiple benefits for companies that span everything from reducing the risk of a ransomware attack to helping companies eliminate manual processes.
Some of the benefits you’ll see when using IT support and managed services include:
- Less downtime
- Reduced risk of a cyber attack
- Improved employee productivity
- Consulting to help you boost profitability with use of technology
- Longer equipment lifespan
- Lower risk of major crises, such as data loss
- Allows you and your team to focus on your business fully
- Gives you a competitive advantage
What Happens If I Don’t Have IT Support?
What happens to most businesses that do not have professional IT support is that they end up as cybersecurity statistics. For example, 43% of all data breaches happen to small and mid-sized companies. 83% of SMBs aren’t financially able to recover from a cyberattack.
MSPs bring best practices to businesses so they don’t end up on the wrong side of a ransomware attack or stuck on a plateau of growth because their technology is holding them back instead of propelling them forward.
What’s one of the main causes of data breaches? It’s not elaborate hacks of systems, it’s human error. Common errors enable cybercriminals to gain access to a company network or cloud account without much work on their part.
Without IT support, companies and their users make a lot more of those human errors.
How Big Does My Company Need to Be to Warrant Hiring an MSP?
You can have just one or two computers and still benefit from working with an MSP. This is because, for most companies, even startups, your computer and other technology you use are vital to your livelihood.
One convenient factor about IT services is that they are scalable. You can have just two devices managed, or have hundreds of different computer and mobile devices monitored and maintained, IT support will scale along with your needs.
Just think, “If I lost my computer or access to my network, could I work? Could my business run?” If the answer is no, then you’re not too small to hire an MSP.
What Does Managed IT Services Look Like for You?
You won’t have to worry about “cookie-cutter” pricing with Attain Technology We can customize a plan to perfectly fit your Boston-area company’s IT needs.
Schedule a construction technology audit today!
