Business budgets are tricky. Companies often have to plan months in advance, and as a result, money is allocated based on projections that may or may not fall on target. As information technology is the back bone of most companies, it is crucial that IT budgets are allocated correctly each year to ensure that the company’s IT infrastructure is able to operate smoothly and efficiently. A managed IT service plan by an IT service provider is a great way to control IT costs through enterprise level network and tech support and IT consulting.
Here are 3 ways a managed IT services provider can help to control IT costs:
An Easy To Budget, Monthly Fee
One of the biggest issues facing IT budgets is being able to establish an accurate budget each year. Employees come and go, and as a result, the portion of the IT budget set aside for personnel and labor tends to fluctuate. Or, oftentimes a company takes on a major IT project that was way under-budgeted for. With a managed IT services provider, companies are given predictable, fixed cost options for IT support that can be easily factored into monthly and annual budgets.
Save On Fringe Employee Costs
With an in-house IT department, employees have costs that extend beyond their labor. In addition to having funds to cover salaries (or hourly rates), paying employees has additional costs such as unemployment insurance, health insurance, taxes, and fringe benefits such as retirement accounts or subsidized commuting costs. With a managed IT services provider, you only pay for the service. There are no additional fees for insurance, taxes, or other items that are required to be taken care of when dealing with in-house IT staff.
Implementation of Technologies to Save Money
One of the biggest cost saving advantages to using a managed IT services provider is their knowledge of expertise. A managed IT services firm has years of IT experience across its employees. Companies that use an IT provider are able to tap into this knowledge bank. As IT service providers are up to speed on the most current trends, and have experience managing many different types of IT environments, the provider can work with your company or organization to find solutions that best fit your business’s goals while optimizing IT costs.
For example, your managed IT services provider may recommend moving from an on-site system to a cloud platform in order to save on equipment costs (as well as the costs associated with running and maintaining said equipment). Or perhaps your organization is already using high-level, energy efficient hardware. Your IT services provider can assist with virtualizing your existing hardware to consolidate servers, databases, and other network components to reduce costs on maintaining and running extra hardware. In addition to hardware recommendations, a managed IT services provider can also make suggestions of technology services such as internet and telecommunication providers, as well as software options – to maximize your IT budgets.
Find out just how much you can save on your IT costs by hiring a managed IT services provider like Roan Solutions. Contact us today to speak to one of our IT consultants to set up a plan that is right for your business.
