How an IT service provider can help your business
Businesses are more reliant on information technology than they have ever been. Whether it’s the hardware required to keep an office running smoothly or the essential software needed to manage clients and customers, there’s not much left in the modern workplace that isn’t linked to IT in some way.
So, it’s surprising to note how many organisations out there continue to rely on family or friends to help with their infrastructure, or put up with a hit-and-miss “IT Guy” who’s just not up to scratch.
As a leading end-to-end IT service provider, we know the difference that great IT solutions can make. And we’ve seen first-hand how effective support, consulting and management can both boost productivity and protect against an IT disaster. In recent years, we’ve helped businesses from a broad range of industries (with all requirements and budgets) to use technology to their advantage.
In this first blog post of 2021, I wanted to delve deeper into how an IT service provider can help businesses not just survive but thrive in their respective marketplace. I’ll also tackle some of the frequently asked questions that I am quite often asked by potential clients.
What is an IT service provider?
As a modern IT service provider, it’s important to draw the distinction between our model of managed service delivery and the kind of “call for help when things go wrong” format that some businesses often rely on. The truth is that the sign of our service working at its best is when a client doesn’t need to think about their IT requirements at all. We’re helping to keep things running smoothly, there are no unexpected crashes or unwanted periods of downtime – and, crucially, we’ve thought one step ahead to make necessary adjustments before they can become a drain on internal resources.
That’s the benefit of an experienced team of IT professionals that often goes unnoticed. And that’s also how we like to keep it. Our focus is always on maintaining and optimising the security, reliability and availability of your IT systems and critical data. We actively deliver support, protection, backup and connectivity to enable your business to maintain operations as usual. Our team can also assist in the development of bespoke business management tools to help clients innovate and improve to gain a competitive advantage.
Which companies benefit from an IT service provider?
It’s a question I’m often asked and the answer is a simple one: any company can benefit from an IT service provider. The question should really be, How much support and what type of solution does an individual need?
One thing I am always keen to stress when meeting with a potential client is that we never quote for services that are unnecessary at itcent.re. We tailor our scoping to the specific requirements of an organisations and look to add value wherever possible. This is crucial to our outlook as a business because we stake our reputation on acting as trusted partners – not a provider trying to turn a quick profit.
Over recent years we have worked with a wide range of businesses from all sectors, from small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to large multinationals. In some instances, we offer a supporting role to an in-house team, adding capacity and resource where necessary. More often than not we work as a standalone managed service provider, the support needed for organisations that understand the value of outsourcing their IT function.
The majority of our organisations have 10 or more employees with a pre-existing IT infrastructure but perhaps without a clear strategy for how to run securely, efficiently and cost effectively. In fact, our first job with a new client is to identify where software and solutions are duplicating each other – causing unnecessary expense. With so many monthly SaaS style solutions available, the relatively small subscription cost can often lead to a sense of malaise amongst staff. Leading to unnecessary cost and replication.
So, how much does an IT service provider cost?
Needless to say, every company’s requirements are unique and so the cost of service provision will vary from business to business. However, in the interest of being transparent and offering clarity to decision makers, I think it’s helpful to share a breakdown of spend from our current client base, to help with indicative costs.
Here are the headline stats:
Unlike many other IT support providers, we don’t offer a one-size-fits-all service. Instead, we provide transparent pricing for bespoke packages that suit your needs and budget.
Why should SMEs adopt IT service providers?
For SMEs in particular, using an IT service provider unlocks many benefits. As our track record proves, you don’t need to invest in big teams with hefty salaries to enjoy an end-to-end IT solution for your business.
At itcent.re, we provide access to market-leading expertise in a flexible and agile format. In terms of cost savings and, more importantly, value for money, I believe that our model really is preferable to in-house teams or ad hoc support from a freelance consultant.
By taking the proactive approach, a company can benefit from a higher level of cyber security, productivity and peace of mind. One of the common queries I hear is about responsiveness (and particularly about whether an outsourced team can be as responsive as an in-house IT professional). The answer to this is absolutely, yes.
We pride ourselves on delivering the same speed of action as you would receive from a payrolled team member and, importantly, we can provide additional resource if an IT disaster or issue requires it. This level of scalability can be incredibly valuable. And by reducing the dependence on a single individual or small team, holiday or sick leave is also not an issue.
Our support services are also fully scalable, so have the capacity to grow as your business grows. All of these features are designed to help our clients focus on what they do best – looking after business.
Want to find out what we can do for your business?
Contact us today to discuss your current IT setup and requirements going forward.
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