What is a Managed IT Service?
Are you spending a lot of time focusing on your IT problems? Have you ever considered getting your IT outsourced by a Managed Serviced Provider?
Simply put a Managed Service Provider, or MSP for short takes the stress out of all your IT problems. As your IT problem is now in the hands of the MSP, it has now become their problem. Just to clarify, the more problems you have, the more time and resources the MSP needs to designate, rather than you.
Certainly, the MSP is not looking to spend excessive time or resources that reduce their profitability, on your problems. And as result uses proactive measures to reduce your organisations IT problems. It’s a win, win solution for your organization and the MSP as both your purposes align. Sound good? There are even more reasons to consider an MSP.
Why are Managed IT Services important?
- It aligns the outcomes of the organisation. As we’ve discovered the MSP has an incentive to do a good job, as they are looking to minimise your IT problems. They have KPI’s that are directly linked to your organisations, IT efficiency.
- IT experts give you peace of mind. You are not an IT expert. Therefore, you need the experts to take care of your IT, giving you peace of mind, and alleviating your stress! Now, you can focus on running your business.
- Proactive support Rather than you consistently getting your in-house IT to fix problems, an MSP will proactively identify these before they happen. As a result of no interruptions, your systems are continually operating and therefore more productive.
- Strategic IT planning. MSP help you to plan- ahead. What systems do need in 12-18 months- time? What advice can your MSP give you? Above all you need to ensure that your IT infrastructure and software is upgraded/updated to reduce the risks. For -instance the risks of downtime, viruses and crashes.
- Complete outsourced IT It’s not just the day to day IT support you get with an MSP. You also get an IT Manager and a virtual CIO (Chief Information Officer) in order to think strategically about what you need your IT to do.
What are the Challenges of Managed IT Services?
- Finding a provider with a good track record. Before entering a contract with an MSP, check their history. Have they demonstrated a proactive service with measurable outcomes previously? Please check their references, do your homework! Ask what clients they have, and are the companies similar -to yours?
- Getting strategic IT planning. Your Managed Services contract should include Strategic Planning. And therefore, you must ensure that the MSP is proactively planning your next 12-18months. Do they have strategies in place to improve your IT and upgrade any out of date software? Have you made them aware of any changes in the business?
- Holding providers accountable You have chosen to go with an MSP, firstly to improve your efficiency and secondly to reduce the amount of IT problems that affect your team. Therefore, you need to hold your MSP accountable.
- Are they delivering improvements?
- Do they offer reporting on the work they are doing?
- Has the efficiency and productivity increased, with less issues?
Three keys to successfully implementing Managed IT Services
If you’re seriously considering moving your IT to a Managed Service Provider, here are the three keys to a successful implementation.
- Do a cost analysis of your current IT spend, to determine your real spend on IT
- Identify potential MSP, and request an audit of your current system
- Choose an MSP and complete an on-boarding process with the new provider
- Do a cost analysis of your current IT spend, to determine your real spend on IT
Your initial step to moving to an MSP is to determine your real spend on IT.
And an easy way to calculate your real spend is firstly to look at the total cost of your staff salaries within the organisation; secondly factor in how much your inefficiency is costing the organisation every day. Is Mary the Accountant losing 20 minutes every day due to an in-efficient or outdated systems?
- Identify potential MSP, and request an audit of your current system
The second step is to investigate and shortlist some Managed Service Providers. This process is usually about finding a good fit for your organisation. Do you feel comfortable working with the MSP, have they got a good track record and are they familiar with your industry and can cater to your requirements? I recommend getting an IT audit done, even if this is quite an intrusive process. The MSP will need to do a full review of all your IT infrastructure, software and systems.
- Choose an MSP and complete an on-boarding process with the new provider
You’re now on your way to a stress-less IT life! as we come to the final step in the whole process. Make sure the MSP meets your requirements. If you are choosing based solely on the cost, you might not find the right provider. You need to remember that your IT systems, hardware and software are your staffs on the job tools and are a necessary part of business productivity. Ask yourself:
- Will they be able to help you improve IT efficiency?
- Will they increase productivity and minimise downtime?
- These questions will help determine your final choice of MSP.
The on-boarding process is about enabling security to ensure the previous IT company, no longer has access to your systems. There, also maybe corrective security measures that need to be enabled to bring your systems up to best practice levels. Lastly, the MSP collects and consolidates documentation, checklists, network diagrams, authorities and such to effectively manage your IT.
It can take from 14-45 days in most cases to transition over to an MSP, once you’ve signed the contract.
As you can see a there are many benefits in using a Managed Service Provider for your all IT needs, and certainly worth considering as the world of Technology is constantly evolving.
What do we do?
Rock IT is the Cybersecurity and Managed IT Services Provider to companies who are growing fast or in desperate need of help. Trusted by 100’s of Australian companies since 2003. We are headquartered in Melbourne and have great reach and presence across Australia with offices also in Sydney and a team of staff ready to deploy across Australia.
Rock IT’s Cyber security and managed IT services are curated for each customer, all wrapped up with our renowned personalised support service. And through Rock IT’s unique partnerships we can give our customers access to managed services typically only available to enterprises. Our team of highly skilled staff test and select the best technologies available and offer them to you as a suite of tools, tailored to your business.
We work hard to understand your business and the problems you face, and we’ll ensure you get the best managed IT service plan and Cybersecurity solution – let us do the heavy lifting so you can focus on your business!
We are experienced with Managed IT Services
With over 16 years of experience in providing managed IT and Cyber security services to the Melbourne market, Rock IT have worked hard to be trusted and recognised not just in Melbourne but also the Australian IT and security industry. Rock IT holds partnerships with global heavy-weights Microsoft, Dimension Data and NTT, plus many other leading technology and security providers in Australia and world-wide.
We’re also recognised as a leading Managed Service Provider (MSP) globally, having been ranked in the top 501 MSP’s globally since 2011. In the most recent 2019 rankings we were ranked 367 globally and 21 in Asia. In 2014 we were in the BRW Fast 100 and CRN Fast 50.
We deliver secure managed IT and Cybersecurity services in Melbourne and beyond from small to medium sized businesses and our services include:
- Antivirus Management
- Cybersecurity
- Hardware Procurement, installation and configuration
- Disaster Recovery
- Domain name purchasing
- Financing
- Hosted Exchange
- Internet Monitoring
- Mobile Device Management
- Office 365
- Office 365 Backup
- Cloud and Remote Desktop
- Software Procurement
- SPAM Filtering
- Storage Solutions
- VOIP Phones
- VPN – Remote Office Connectivity
Cyber security services
Cyber security and Managing IT services in-house can be expensive, time-consuming and counter-productive. Unless your core business is IT Support and Cyber security , why maintain your own IT department?
To help you with this, Rock IT has a range of plans intended to save you time and money. You can choose to work with Rock IT for all your IT and Cybersecurity requirements, or just the parts you need help with right now. If you’re not sure, our team will help you decide which IT systems and plan best suits your business.
Secure Essentials Plan
This is for the self-sufficient business that needs occasional support. Our Secure Essentials Plan is aimed at the next generation of businesses coming through who consume almost everything from the Cloud with very little infrastructure on the ground.
If you want the peace of mind of having a high quality managed IT Support and Cybersecurity company you can call, who knows your business – without having to pay a monthly fee for features you might not use – then this is the plan for your business.
Secure Essentials Plans are just $19.50 per computer, per month which enables your business to call our service desk and includes our Endpoint Security suite (including antivirus) and automatic security patch management. You can then add-on what you like, from email & security services through to support bundles – all under your control.
You still get a Service Level Agreement (SLA) and access to all of our expertise, but you forego some of the trimmings of our Managed Services plan such as a dedicated Account Manager and enhanced SLA targets.
Secure Managed IT Services Plan
Our ultimate plan for the business that wants a close relationship and strategic guidance.
Our Managed IT Services plan is designed for businesses with complex requirements – be it technical or strategic requirements. You will get an enhanced SLA which includes tighter targets, a dedicated Account Manager and proactive management services.
At Rock IT, our managed IT services team of specialists are on call whenever you need them. When you hire experts to help you with the IT side of your business, you want people who understand technology inside out. At Rock IT, we don’t just employ brilliant people; we employ brilliant IT people who know how to speak about IT in terms everyone can understand.
Why is that important?
In the day-to-day running of any business, it can be difficult to identify an underperforming IT infrastructure and it is important that your IT team can communicate these problems to you, in simple, straightforward talk.
Issues such as outdated hardware, an unsecured firewall, VPN, or FTP may not bring your operations to a standstill, but they do make you vulnerable to data loss, and have an adverse effect on the efficiency and productivity of your entire system. Whilst an in-house IT manager may be able to manage minor issues as they arise, to institute systematic change, business automation and optimise performance, you need a team of experts, and that’s where Rock IT’s managed IT services team come in.
How can we help you?
We’ve tackled just about every IT challenge and successfully delivered solutions to a variety of businesses. Our customers and their testimonials are reflective of that. “I love working with Rock IT. Their communication is fantastic and have helped me on many occasions. Definitely my preferred managed IT support company in Melbourne”.
Many companies don’t realise they need managed IT services until they begin having problems with their computers. If you are tired of dealing with computer problems and need IT support, Rock IT can help. We provide managed IT support that will fix your technology issues in Melbourne and surrounds.
You can trust our managed IT support services in Melbourne and beyond.
When you invest in Rock IT managed services, you can expect the following:
- We’ll spend the time necessary to fully know your business, your budget, and exactly what you expect to deliver exceptional IT solutions.
- We’ll deal proactively with computer support to prevent disastrous data loss and down time from taking place.
- Our team will stand firm on every recommendation, delivering 100% satisfaction-guaranteed results.
- We can show you how our essentials or managed service IT plans mean you can stop focusing on how much your IT is going to cost and focus on your business instead.
Get Started
Contact us for your free managed IT services consultation.
If you’re looking for the best Managed IT and Cybersecurity services in Melbourne, look no further than Rock IT. Our strategic computer network maintenance solutions and IT management will help you achieve the highest return on your technology investment.
For all your business IT needs including network consulting and systems management services, network maintenance services, Cybersecurity, IT support, computer wireless networking installation, network and server support, remote and on-site support, or IT management services, contact Rock IT.
Contact Rock IT today to learn more about our IT managed service, IT support and Cybersecurity services in Melbourne and throughout Australia.
