Managed IT services not only offer a host of security benefits, but they are also a cost-effective way for companies to dramatically reduce their IT infrastructure costs.
An expert IT team for your business can either entirely take over the running of your network, or you can use them to free up your IT team’s time. Either way, they offer cost effective solutions for practically every office-based business out there.
Security, though, is the focus of this post. Check out these compelling advantages of managed network services.
It Gives You Highly Distributed Backups
If you rely solely on your in-house systems, you can’t geographically distribute your backups. If all your servers are in your office building collecting copies of all your files, then if anything happens to your premises, such as fire, you run the risk of losing everything.
But with managed IT security, you can diversify more effectively. Network support firms periodically collect your company’s data and then distribute it to data centers around the world, spreading your risk.
These days, backing up your data is essential, not just from an operational perspective, but also to comply with the law. Many authorities, including the US government, insist that companies keep records for a certain amount of time. If they don’t, they can face fines and investigations.
It Protects Your Assets
Also, think about how much you rely on your IT network. If you’re like most companies, you utterly depend on it functioning. If it goes down, your operations cease, workers are idle, and you have to start sending people home.
What’s more, your IT network is home to your precious data – the information that gives your brand a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Without it, you lose your edge and have to go back to the drawing board.
Here, again, managed IT services can help. Unlike firewalls and anti-virus software, they actively monitor all your systems, checking for any suspicious activity that could be a precursor to a security compromise.
What’s more, your in-house team doesn’t have to dedicate their time and energy to maintaining security, along with all the other things that they have to do. Ultimately, that helps to cut your labor costs and make your company more efficient.
It Helps You Stay Updated
Lastly, allowing managed IT services to take over your network security helps you stay up to date with the latest patches and upgrades for your systems, software and servers.
These updates are critical for two reasons. First, they ensure that your systems remain stable and compatible with the latest drivers, operating systems and standards. And second, they patch any exploits that might be open for hackers to compromise your system.
Usually, patches arrive soon after a company reports a breach to a vendor. So installing them rapidly is essential. Unfortunately, doing this in-house requires server shutdowns and the time of IT technicians. But when you outsource it, the IT service provider deals with the problem, eliminating the hassle for you.
So, now that you know the three major advantages of managed IT security, will you implement it in your business?