First Focus Acquisitions

Managed IT services are as they sound – a set of IT services is controlled and operated by a third party. As the client, you define a selection of tasks and responsibilities that you would otherwise have to perform in-house and outsource these to your chosen provider. With managed IT services, an MSP provides professional IT support. This can take the form of managing and maintaining IT infrastructure or providing help-desk solutions to internal staff. Other MSPs offer more proactive services, including planning solutions, professional consulting, and recruitment.

Traditional IT support operates on a break/fix model. If something breaks, you take fix the issue, and perform a little maintenance along the way to keep things running. This operational IT model works well with businesses running smaller IT operations that service a limited number of users. Capital costs can be higher up front, but once the solutions are in place it’s just a matter of maintaining them and keeping enough in the budget for upkeep and repairs. A managed IT service works alongside your organisation on a long-term basis. The provider takes on the responsibility for actively managing a set of services, ensuring they add value to the organisation. The MSP provides access to expertise and staffing capacity that you might otherwise be out of reach. Over time, the MSP becomes an integral part of normal business operations.