Over the last 10 to 15 years, as computing has spread from being the domain of only the largest companies in the world to being available and accessible to everyone, including the small business, a “traditional” style of computer support has become prevalent.

You use your computers day in day out and they’re amazing.  They do everything you ask them to do (OK you need to reboot occasionally!) and they have completely revolutionised the way you work and the amount of work you and your company can do.  Imagine a call centre today using a Rolodex to find a phone number and then dialling every number by hand!

Then – BANG! – it all goes horribly wrong.  Your computers have been slowing down for a while, you keep having to reboot the server to get your emails working again and to access your accounts software, but this time it’s serious; you can’t get to anything.

That’s where your computer support chap comes in, he gets in all working again, it only takes a day and you’re eternally grateful.  Yes it seems a bit pricey but, hey, that’s just one of those business costs and it’s worth it.

That’s the traditional break-fix IT support model.

With managed IT services, we take a fully rounded approach to actively managing your computer (and associated technology) systems.

• We monitor the key areas of your server and workstation performance
• We fix small issues before they become big issues
• We run maintenance tasks out of business hours to ensure that your computers are always in tip top condition
• We make sure that all machines are fully protected with the appropriate Microsoft updates
• We remove spam email and email containing viruses before it gets to your mail server
• We manage your backups so that all your critical business information is safely stored offsite

Of course, there is also a helpdesk to call when you have problems and we use remote connection software to fix problems while you watch (if you want to!).  All this is done for a transparent, per machine fixed monthly fee.

So what?

Primarily this means that there are far fewer interruptions to your business, it all just keeps working.  In the example above it only took a day – that’s a day when everyone still had to be paid, but where actual work was restricted because there was no access to computer systems.  A day when your clients possibly didn’t get the support that they expect from you. (hopefully you got away with it this time)

Managed IT Services are all about having experts on tap to look after your systems at a fraction of the price of employing your own IT department.  It’s also about the peace of mind in knowing that your IT will keep working so that your business can go from strength to strength.