What Are Managed IT Services?
Outsourced, proactive IT for a flat monthly fee. Here's what that actually covers.
Managed IT services means an outside company runs your technology for you, proactively, under an ongoing agreement for a predictable monthly fee. Instead of calling someone when a computer breaks, a managed service provider (MSP) monitors, patches, secures and supports your systems every day so most problems are handled before anyone notices them.
What's inside a managed IT agreement
The specifics vary by provider, but a complete program usually includes:
- Help desk support for your users, by phone, email and remote session.
- Monitoring and patching of servers, workstations, firewalls and cloud services.
- Cybersecurity protections such as endpoint detection, multi-factor authentication, email filtering and security awareness training.
- Backup and disaster recovery that is tested, not just scheduled.
- Vendor management so you are not the go-between for your internet provider, phone vendor and software companies.
- Strategic planning through a vCIO who owns your roadmap and budget.
The full breakdown is in what is included in managed IT services.
How it differs from break/fix support
Break/fix IT bills you by the hour when something goes wrong, which means the provider earns more when you have more problems. Managed IT flips that: the provider earns the same flat fee whether you have two tickets this month or twenty, so the incentive is to prevent issues. The comparison is laid out in managed IT vs break/fix.
Who it is for
Managed IT fits businesses that depend on technology to operate but do not want to build a full internal IT department. In our experience that is usually companies with roughly 25 to 500 employees, one or more offices, and something to lose if systems go down: a law firm with client deadlines, a manufacturer with a production line, an accounting firm in tax season.
How Mentis Group delivers it
Our Fully Managed IT program includes unlimited remote and on-site support, recurring alignment audits against more than 350 technical and security standards, and a dedicated vCIO for quarterly planning. It is built for businesses across Dallas-Fort Worth and client locations in more than 14 states. Pricing models are covered in how much managed IT services cost, and if you are trying to decide whether a provider is even the right move, start with what is an MSP.
For a longer look at this topic, read What Is Managed IT, and When Does Your Business Actually Need It? on the Mentis Group blog.
Have a question about your own environment? Schedule a consultation with Mentis Group or call (866) 901-7808.