“Oh, yeah I’ve got a guy who can do that.”
If an IT guy (or gal) is the solution for your company in today’s world, there is cause for concern. With cybercrime at an all time high and breaches becoming more and more sophisticated, do you really want to rely on one person to protect the technology that makes your business run?
The discussion we are having about cybersecurity has changed dramatically over the past few years. In short, what was secure enough even a year ago isn’t secure enough today. There are a lot of reasons why you should consider trusting your IT network with a company that specializes in network management and security, rather than work with an independent IT provider.
We get it. Your IT guy is someone you know – and he’s probably been working on your stuff for a while. But there are a lot of things in business that need constant reevaluation, and protecting your company’s network and data is one of them. Behind people, they are your next most valuable assets.
Here is the difference between an IT partnership with an advanced Managed Services Provider (MSP) versus an IT guy:
- Alone, your guy is a single point of failure. He’s also human. He gets sick, he goes on vacation, he has other obligations. If you experience an IT emergency and he’s out the next two weeks for hunting season, you may be out of luck. Today’s small business IT requires consistent care and monitoring. When you work with an MSP, there is a team of people who know about your issues. Some of these issues are corrected before you even know there is a problem. The bench is deeper, and you avoid the vulnerability of a lone ranger IT provider. When I think about a “guy” handling stuff like my car or home improvement projects, I always have a little bit of anxiety. How reliable is he? Does he know what he’s doing? Did he schedule time for me, or is he just fitting me into his already crammed day?
- A guy is not usually a help desk. Does he assist all your employees with day-to-day requests if they are having trouble? Is he there during business hours waiting for your call? The “how do I, where do I, what do I?” questions are ones that can be quickly answered when you work with a team of professionals that provide this support when you need it. Keep your organization armed with the technology tools they need daily with the reliability of a help desk team.
- A guy is not a team. If your company is at all forward thinking about technology, don’t you want a team behind your approach?An advanced IT managed services provider employs help desk technicians, escalation engineers and network experts to handle the technical side of maintaining your network and keeping it safe. Look for a provider that dedicates a knowledgeable, technical person who can break it down simply for you – a client services manager. Their job is to ensure each of your IT solutions are executed without fail, and they provide the strategic planning element to your business as it relates to technology. They also manage licensing and warranties on your existing hardware to help make the most of your investment.
- A guy has one brain. There is a recurring theme here. A managed services provider has the power to dedicate several experts who specialize in different levels of protection. Companies like ours take the divide and conquer approach to the growing number of specialized tools because one person can’t be the expert on all the tools we use. This multi-tool approach is why a company offers advanced managed services. We have more tools to stave off the latest threats, and we can afford to keep current with evolving technology. As a company who specializes in network protection, we’re constantly investing in new technology for our clients and growing the expertise of our team.
- It comes down to your company culture. Technology is available for companies who embrace it, but it is most effective to those who make it a priority in their company culture. This starts at the leadership team level.
Don’t rely on one person with the most precious assets of your business. If you are ready to host a discussion on IT strategic planning and network security, contact us today at [email protected].
For more information on why your organization can benefit from a managed services provider, check out our blog on 5 Reasons to Partner with an IT Managed Services Provider.
By Jerod Fremin, IT Services Manager at Arctic IT