When I talk with people out and about in the community about their businesses and IT needs, often I hear a comment similar to this: “Well, I already have an IT person, why would I hire a company like UDT for managed IT services?” Typically, these types of inquiries happen right after I tell them that UDT offers Managed IT as a Service, or in other words, a way for a business to outsource IT monitoring and management. This question comes up not because these people are uninterested in technology, or do not understand the importance of IT in the productivity of their company, but it could be as simple as some folks are not looking at the whole IT picture.
Anyone who uses a computer for work can sympathize with the stress, frustration, and loss of time when dealing with anything as small as a password lock-out, to an issue as critically important as a server failure. It seems like no matter how tiny or large the problem may be, it will always happen when your IT person or department is…off.
I have also heard the story from people who have lost days of valuable productivity and business while waiting for someone to come out and fix computers or systems that have crashed in the middle of the night. When your IT person is off for the night, who is monitoring the status of your systems?
We are living in a time when most of our files and important information is stored inside a computer database, and not necessarily in the brick and mortar office building. We spend most of our days sending emails and communicating with each other via the web, or some kind of high-tech conferencing technology. We no longer only rely on education from a classroom, but we can train and teach through our laptops. Much of what is important for business and pleasure is controlled by the success of our IT systems. When your IT system is unsuccessful, that often reflects on your business as a whole.
With Managed IT as a Service, your service provider acts as your “IT department” with varying degrees of “on-call” time depending on your company’s needs. Whether you want a 24/7 remote help desk, or someone on site to help you on a regular, recurring basis (Co-IT), companies like UDT can put together a Managed Services plan that works for the needs of your company. With a Managed IT Service provider, you have someone who is monitoring and managing your systems at all times—even in the middle of the night. This type of service is never “off”, and will never take a sick day. In fact, you will most likely hear from your service provider when there is an emergency with your system before you may even be aware. All of the highest level priority emergencies are handled immediately, even in the middle of the night.
UDT will also pair you with a Virtual Client Advisor (VCA) who provides strategic guidance as if he/she is your Chief Information Officer. This person is a customer advocate within UDT who will always act in the client’s best interest. Whether the client needs additional services depending on expanding business needs, or simply needs someone to confer with inside their remote “IT department”, the virtual client advisor is responsible for the full technical health of the client’s environment. The VCA works hand-in-hand with a Service Delivery Manager to make sure all help desk tickets are properly triaged and escalated promptly to ensure a minimal business impact.
The answer to whether your company needs Managed IT as a Service is personal to your business. However, it is important to consider the costs of not properly managing your IT systems, and what risks you may be taking by choosing a monitoring system that sleeps. In a world that is increasingly relying on technology and its successful functionality, are you comfortable trusting the productivity of your business to a single individual?
