The term consultant comes from the Latin word consultare which means to “discuss.” So essentially, consultants are experts in their respective fields and are brought into businesses to offer advice on special projects and other business tasks. With IT consulting, an IT consultant is brought in to assist the in-house IT staff with a major project such as a server upgrade, a cloud migration, or moving from one hosted email provider to another.
A consultant may stay on for a period of a few weeks or a few months depending on the scope of the project, but when the project has been completed, he or she will leave.
Unlike an IT consulting firm, a managed IT services firm provides IT experts to businesses as part of an ongoing service contract. Companies use a managed IT services firm to outsource some of their IT needs. These types of firms provide services such as network and hardware monitoring and maintenance, cloud management, and even help desk support. An outsourced IT services firm may offer consulting on specific projects, and may be hired by a company for a one-time project, but they are usually brought on to either augment existing in-house IT staff or to act in lieu thereof.
So what are the benefits of an outsourced, managed IT services provider compared to an IT consulting firm?
They Are A Member Of Your Team
Your managed IT services company is an extension of your in-house staff. They are available when you need them, and they take the time to get to know your business, your processes, and your employees. While the business model for a managed IT services firm is much like many other business providers, you pay a set monthly fee for services, your IT support is available when you need them and often visit your business in person to make sure everything is in order.
They Bring A Collective of Experience
Instead of having one consultant on-hand providing expertise, when you enlist the services of an IT services firm, you enjoy the benefits of an entire knowledge bank of IT professionals. As your IT needs and goals change with your business, you can relax knowing that your IT services firm will provide you with the most up-to-date knowledge of trends in IT as well as to make the best recommendations that are specific to your business.
They Are In It For The Long Haul
Unlike an outside consultant, your outsourced IT provider is with you for as long as you need them. Not only do you get a breadth of services each month as part of your service agreement, but you can add or remove items as your business grows and changes. A managed IT services provider goes beyond consulting. Even if they are needed to consult on a specific IT project, when that project is completed, they will stay on for maintenance, monitoring, and daily servicing to ensure that your IT infrastructure is operating smoothly and efficiently.
