managed it services

Does your Business Need a Reliable Managed IT Service Provider?

Gain the benefits of having a team of IT Experts without the pain of hiring a complete new staff. Race Computer Services (RCS) is Your Strategic Technology Partner for Managed IT Services. Let us focus on your IT, so you can focus on your business.

What are Managed IT Services, and how does it Work?

Simply Put, Managed Services is Outsourcing your IT department (in whole or in part) to an outside company. Another company will handle all or some of your IT business processes, in combination with decision-making for those related IT processes. If you have ever been put in the position of micro-managing another worker- the burden of managing an outside technical support company would become a similar burden. You (or someone from your company) has to call the IT guy EVERY time something goes wrong. And then- you need to plan on how you want to handle the issue. We’ve seen non-IT staff try to manage the technical support role for an IT department using break-fix support. It can be done, but it isn’t the right way to run an IT Department, its not efficient.

As a Managed Service Provider, we take a higher level of control than standard break-fix tech support, and we proactively manage the different components and processes of your IT department. These tasks might vary from one business to another business.

In smaller businesses, the time-cost burden of the management aspect of your technology businesses processes may not become burdensome enough to justify outsourcing the management role itself. This is why we still see a lot of break-fix services in the marketplace- where small businesses send break-fix tech contractors or companies to tend to have issue as they occur. Some of these components are like outsourcing a C Level Job type for your Company, Such as:

  • A CTO (Chief Technology officer)
  • A CISO (Chief information security officer).

We can itemize the “Managed Services” which our company has the resources to provide into different categories:

  • Managed Email
  • Managed Antivirus
  • Operating System Patch Management
  • Managed IT Security Services
    • Managed Firewall, with policy control and content filtration
    • Managed IT audit
    • Managed Control Policies
    • Quarterly Reviews
  • Managed Remote Support
  • Managed Server Services, cloud or local
  • Managed Website Services
  • Mobility Management
  • Managed Wifi
  • Managed Help Desk

Depending on your Specific Plan, you will gain:

  • Proactive Monitoring agents for each Desktop/ Laptop and Server.
  • Antivirus Software for all PC units. Antivirus for all Mac units as well
  • A managed Security Firewall with and reporting/ reviews and VPN if required
  • A cloud-based data backup system (compliant with HIPAA/PCI requirements) For easy recovery
  • Remote Support software on each PC
  • Rapid Response Helpdesk and Ticket management that provides the detailed overview of the entire support process from open to close.
  • SLA’s based on your specific requirement.
  • A service level agreement which covers your business requirements

Proactive: Now, there is a word that gets overused. However, sometimes even an overused word is a perfect fit. Clients of any seasoned MSP who engage in a managed IT services agreement prefer to stay ahead of the game. They like to have a team of IT experts who are on top of issues even before any issues arise. Prevention is more valuable than cure.

Additionally, a large value proposition for MSP contracts which our end clients see- is simply the fact that they have a reliable team to call, should something go wrong.

No small business owner wants to be put into the possible position of initiating a new business relationship with a third-party tech company based on a business technology failure. We are here for you to rely on at any stage.

Any of our Strategic Managed Services Plans will operate as an insurance policy, so you have someone to rely on- in the even that something occurs.

Benefits Of Managed IT Services

Managed IT services can take a variety of forms, but the underlying goal that drives them all is the same. They all serve to efficiently release enterprises from the heavy burden of maintaining their IT infrastructure themselves. Backup and recovery are another common service offered by IT outsourcing, which helps companies minimize downtime due to a natural disaster or unexpected outage.

Managed IT services also encompass the other services associated with maintaining the organization’s network, including firewalls, security measures, anti-spam programs, and anti-virus programs. These services are provided by companies such as NetIQ, NetSecure, and Vormetric, who provide these services in different ways. For example, NetSecure offers web-based management systems for managing these functions.

A managed service provider can offer many different types of services, but they are often very similar. Some of the most common services offered include security, database management, network management, and application optimization. These services are offered in different ways according to the needs and requirements of the customer. For instance, a company that has an on premise computer network may prefer to use a centralized service provider, while a cloud-based service provider may be more appropriate for a company that is not a cloud computing customer.

Managed IT services are also often customized to meet the needs and requirements of the customer. One common example is when a service provider offers a specific version of a particular application, such as Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) to clients. This means that a WMI application can only be executed on a certain version of the Windows operating system.

The Most common question: Does Managed Services Save your company money?

Define Cheap or cost savings. It might be a better option to buy a cheap car versus a new car, if you are a mechanic. Perhaps a low-mileage certified pre-owned car is the best value. In some cases, a Managed Services Agreement can save you money- but it depends on how you evaluate the cost in relation to your value of the service. I would compare Managed Services to that certified pre-owned car. Its costly, but its also reliable.

Hourly Support Contracts can become expensive, especially if your business is in a case where you are throwing good money after bad. Sometimes this can happen when you allow a mid-level manager (or an executive without IT experience) to take control and try to manage an IT environment.

Is your Business’ IT “throwing good money after bad?”

Some poor IT Spending habits, are on account of the lack of IT expertise. An Example of this would be a company who spent a large amount of revenue on IT Service time to remedy user-issues such as viruses or slow pc’s. This issue was due to inadequate policy control settings across your domain. This issue could have been prevented, had the right team of tech support agents been working in alignment with the people in charge of the business. This is the reason why large enterprises have a “C” Level for IT related concerns.-Information, “C” Level for Technology and Security as well. (CTO, CISO AND CTO). This issue could have been prevented in the first place, and at the same time- your data would be more secure. Additionally, you would meet mandatory compliance regulations.

This type of issue could have been prevented:

With the right people in charge of making technology decisions, a managed firewall, domain control policies and additional IT Security features would have prevented this issue. Our firewall would lock users out of facebook or youtube (per request), and our antivirus program would have mitigated other security risks. Additionally, our ongoing reporting and reviews would make sure that these threats are continually mitigated.The question is overall like asking why your business needs a manger. If your business is too small- it may not have reached the point where the requirement of having a manager in place is a valuable decision.

Possible advantages for the Managed Services:

  • You don’t need to rely on a mid-level or lower level manager to tell the IT company what to do (when he doesn’t have as much IT experience). This can create issues in certain cases, if the tech support firm is requested to do something that is outside of industry best practice.
  • You have a Team of Experts to Rely on
  • You have a Solidified IT Strategy in Place
  • You have increased Data Continuity, piece of mind
  • Managed Service companies don’t take vacations
  • A better ability to match Technical Requirements to Technical recourses. We can provide industry expertise in niche-market areas which a deskside support agent would not have. Such as IT Security and/or compliance
  • Your IT company and your company have a common goal and common interest: In a standard break/fix support arrangement- a tech support company is relying on your business breaking down in order to make any revenue from you. In a managed services agreement, the common interest is uptime. That’s because your downtime costs the service provider money, rather than profiting from your downtime.

The Answer: DOES Managed Service Save you Money? (Part 1):

Dollar for Dollar, Managed Services is not cheaper than hiring a break-fix support company. Reason being: it is more expensive to hire a manager (in any field). However; a break-fix relationship can turn into a more-costly in terms of value proposition and value delivery.

However; you might see some value added on top with an expert making decisions on your behalf. If your company is large enough to the point where you need to have someone manage the IT company, the managed services might start to look like a more valuable option.

When your run your business more efficiently, good things happen. Break-fix usually looks like the cheaper option, but in many cases- going with break-fix support is being penny-wise and pound foolish.

The Answer: DOES Managed Service Save you Money? (Part 2), and FINALLY, THE ANSWER!!

So, in short- NO. Our verdict is that Managed Services is not here to save you money. We are not selling managed services on the basis that it SHOULD save you money. Managed Services is here to deliver VALUE to your business. Managed Services is about running your Information Technology Department properly. Managed Services is relying on a Strategic Business Partner to do it for you.

A Program Tailored To Your BUSINESS:

Our team will tailor an agreement to fit your needs. That is the kind of satisfaction many businesses in Manhattan and across New Jersey have enjoyed since 2009.

Does your Organization need to outsource all or part of its Technology Processes? Or do you Do you want an expert to Help you determine if Managed Services will save you money? Allow us to run your IT the Right way. We can take a look at your expenses to see if your business is throwing good money after bad. Or we can make sure that you are running technology the right way in the first place. We can work in alignment with your accounting department to make sure that you have a solid cost control for all of your technology expenditures.

RCS provides Business IT Services for businesses, schools and healthcare offices in New Jersey. Give RCS a call at (973)343-5479 or contact us using the form submission on the side.