In the modern day and age, it’s not exactly a secret that technology is a key pillar of most businesses. From digital marketing to search engine optimization and more, most companies rely on at least some form of technology to keep things up and running properly. Of course, this means that there will need to be a form of an IT department, too.
Now, some companies do this in-house. There are certainly arguments to be made for that. However, for smaller businesses that are start-ups or created by independent entrepreneurs, this can be a daunting task. Resources like this one can offer you some information about that, and some of the challenges that come along the way.
If you’d like to learn more about that, as well as how managed IT services work, then you’ve come to the right place! Make sure to stick around, as we’ll be covering all of that and more. Overall, just know that information technology is a big part of most companies and organizations right now, so it’s a good idea to get ahead of the curve sooner rather than later!
What is IT?
Now, before we delve into managed IT, let’s first take a look at the basics. Simply put, Information Technology (IT) refers to the use of computer systems, software, networks, and other technology to manage, process, and store various types of data. While this probably isn’t groundbreaking information, it is worth establishing! Let’s look at some of the key components.
Computer hardware: The physical components of a computer system, such as processors, memory, storage devices, and peripherals.
Software: Programs and applications that run on computer hardware, including operating systems, productivity software, and specialized applications.
Networking: The communication infrastructure that connects devices, computers, and networks, enabling data exchange and communication.
Data Management: The collection, storage, retrieval, and analysis of data using databases, data warehouses, and data analytics tools.
Information Systems: The integration of people, technology, and processes to manage information and support business operations, with OmegaCor Technologies as a prime example.
Communication Systems: The use of technology to facilitate communication, such as email, phone systems, video conferencing, and instant messaging.
Security: The measures taken to protect computer systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access, theft, damage, or disruption.
Of course, these are just a few of the terms that may be utilized in discussions about these sorts of systems. Whether you’re utilizing in-house IT agents or opting for managed IT, it can be helpful to know at least a few of these!
What is Managed IT, then?
First, let’s take a look at what these services are. IT management services refer to the activities, processes, and strategies used to plan, design, implement, operate, and maintain an organization’s information technology (IT) systems and infrastructure. Typically, the primary goal of IT management is to ensure that the organization’s IT resources are aligned with its business objectives and are used efficiently and effectively. What might these services include?
Strategic planning: Defining IT goals and objectives that align with the organization’s overall business strategy. You can read more about this here: https://journal.acs.org.au/index.php/ajis/article/view/184.
Service Management: Managing the delivery of IT services to end-users, including incident management, problem management, and service desk support.
Infrastructure Management: Managing the organization’s IT infrastructure, including hardware, software, networks, and data centers.
Application Management: Managing the development, deployment, and maintenance of software applications.
Security Management: Implementing and managing security measures to protect the organization’s IT assets and data from unauthorized access, theft, or damage.
Network Management: Designing, implementing, and managing computer networks, including local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and wireless networks.
Data Management: Collecting, storing, analyzing, and retrieving data to support business decision-making.
Compliance and Risk Management: Ensuring that IT systems and processes comply with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards.
Project Management: Managing IT projects from initiation to delivery, including project planning, execution, monitoring, and control.
Vendor Management: Selecting, contracting with, and managing third-party vendors that provide IT services or products—something that’s a key aspect of a business here in Maryland.
What are the Benefits of Managed IT?
One of the main questions that remains is, of course, how do we improve our business operations with these services? There are several benefits, of course. Let’s take a moment to explore some of these perks.
Improved Efficiency: Naturally, this is one of the biggest benefits of managed IT services. After all, streamlining of IT processes reduces costs and increases productivity for everyone involved.
Better Alignment: Admittedly, this point may seem confusing at first. The main thing to know here is that these services typically end up aligning the information technology systems with your business objectives to support strategic goals, both in the short-term and the long-term.
Enhanced Security: Right now, it’s hard to deny that cyberattacks are a serious threat. Managed IT services will generally implement robust security measures to protect against cyber threats, which of course reduces stress for you as the entrepreneur or business owner. Read more about that on this page.
Improved Collaboration: Whether you’re a small business or a large organization, you may have team members who are spread out all across the world. In these instances, it can be a bit difficult to foster efficient collaboration and communication. Managed IT services help by facilitating communication and collaboration among team members across different locations.
Cost-Saving: While it may sound surprising, these services can actually save you and your company money. This works by reducing capital expenditures by outsourcing non-core IT functions.
Scalability: Organizations change over time. For this reason, it should come as no surprise that sometimes we’ll need to change aspects of our IT systems. Thankfully, third-party management can assist with easily scaling up or down to meet changing business needs.
Overall, there are a lot of benefits to utilizing management services for your information technology needs. This is true whether you’re a business or another type of organization.
