Using Managed IT Services To Control Costs
Outsourcing your IT support needs to a third party has many benefits. A big one is the opportunity to control your companies costs. However, that doesn't happen the instant you adopt the managed IT services model. Instead, you'll want to talk with your services provider about the following three issues, with an eye toward reducing your IT expenses.
Standardizing Systems
Many of the best cost-saving measures are investments that pay off over time. Standardization makes a difference for several reasons. First, it simplifies the process of performing updates, repairs, and installations, because systems will be highly similar. Second, it allows a managed IT services technician to quickly set up the user environment when someone receives a new device. Third, it makes it easier to find parts, because you'll be using standardized systems with common components.
Suppose you have a standard set of office productivity applications that everyone in a department uses. Rather than doing a new setup each time someone joins the company, the IT support staff can have cloned versions of the standard setups ready to go. That means they can drop a cloned environment into the new hire's phone, tablet, laptop, and desktop in a matter of minutes, rather than spending hours on new installs.
Service Agreements
The break-fix model of paying for IT help can chew through money. A major benefit of working with a managed IT services company is that you can enter into an agreement that guarantees service whenever you need it.
Service agreements also allow you to control costs. While you might pay more in a very slow month with no problems, you can dramatically reduce costs when there's a busy month. For example, your entire office may need the operating systems patched for a major vulnerability. With a service agreement in place, you won't have to pay a major bill.
Bulk Licenses
It's normal for an IT support firm to have access to bulk licensing arrangements with vendors. The IT services company then passes their savings onto their customers. For example, you might need a license for 20 people to use a spreadsheet application. Rather than pay for 20 copies of the software, you can have the IT support service leverage their bulk licensing agreement. Also, this approach usually speeds the installation process along, because bulk licensees typically receive copies of the software that allow them to manage installations concurrently on many machines.
