Managed IT services – a definition

Managed services are pretty straightforward really! It’s when a business outsources IT services instead of handling them in-house. As a managed service provider, we provide a huge range of IT services to boost productivity, resilience and security.   

What are some examples of managed services?

Pretty much any IT service you can think of. Here at Pure Cloud, we provide cybersecurity for business, outsourced IT support, desktop virtualisation, cloud services including file storage and migration, disaster recovery and more.  

Who are managed services for?

The short answer: just about anyone! It could be a smaller business with no in-house IT specialists. The reason why is pretty self-explanatory – with managed services, these businesses are outsourcing essential tasks they can’t handle themselves.

But it’s just as useful for businesses that do have in-house IT. Modern businesses’ IT needs are incredibly demanding. There’s cybersecurity, device maintenance, IT support, network management, patch management, and … Well, you get the point! And that’s not to mention any one-off IT projects, like rolling out new software or hardware.

There’s a huge amount of IT work to do. And if you leave it unattended, you’re taking a big risk. A business IT infrastructure has to be proactively managed. Otherwise, you risk poor performance and downtime. Even worse, you could be open to all kinds of security risks. We’ve often worked hand in hand with customers that have IT teams.

What are the benefits of outsourcing business IT?

There are lots of benefits to outsourcing your business IT, but we’ll go with our top three.

1.     Expertise  

Some businesses have all the IT knowledge you could possibly need in-house. But most don’t. There are just too many specialist jobs to keep on top of. A managed service provider offers all the IT knowledge you need, instantly.

At Pure Cloud, we take technical expertise very seriously. That means constantly keeping up with new developments and products in the business IT world, so we can pass that knowledge onto our customers.

2.     Convenience   

This is a big one. Of course, you can recruit IT staff. But that’s not exactly simple or easy. There’s always a risk in recruitment, not to mention the complexities of growing your team. And at the same time, your IT workload isn’t constant. Projects come and go, and you don’t want to be under-staffed or over-staffed.

This is where managed services really come into their own. Here at Pure Cloud, we’re totally flexible, and we will offer the support you need – no more, no less. As your demands change, our service changes with you. This also saves money, because you’re only paying for the service you get!

3.     A bespoke service  

In a way, this is a combination of our previous points. What happens when you combine deep knowledge, a wide range of services, and a provider who wants to make your life easier? You get a truly bespoke service!

At Pure Cloud, we are passionate about this. Every business is unique, and so every business needs a unique service. We’ll be guided by you – your budget, size, location, plans, industry … We’ll take all this into account, and tailor what we do accordingly.

What makes a good managed service provider?

This is the big question. There are so many good reasons to use a managed service provider, but you need to know you can trust them.

Of course, you should check their reviews and ask around. Another good thing to check is their accreditations. We take pride in ours, and they’re clear evidence of a partner you can trust. As well as all our many technical qualifications, we hold Cyber Essentials Plus and ISO 27001 certification. This means we maintain the highest standards when it comes to data management and cybersecurity.

It’s important to know you can trust in that. But ultimately, you need good service. That’s what we’re committed to, every single time. First off, we perform a thorough audit of your business technology needs.

We’ve described our audit in more detail before. But the basic purpose is clear. By understanding your business, we can offer a better service. We can make sure we’re offering the exact service you need, when you need it. From there, you can always trust us to be responsive to your needs, and proactive in keeping your IT infrastructure in good shape.

Ultimately, every business needs optimised IT one way or the other. Managed services are a great way of ensuring this. To get your business IT in better shape, get in touch today.