Today, rarely do you see sizable companies who have to rely completely on their own in-house IT staff. There are a lot of reasons for this which usually boils down to the two factors of efficiency and economy. Companies often partner with so-called IT services to source-out tasks or parts of their business process. Depending on the kind of need your business has, there is usually an IT service provider that is right for you. In this article we will discuss the types of IT services that your company can partner with.
IT services is an industry that continues to rise to this day. Cloud computing ensured that the skills that engineers learn from one client can be easily used to another. The cloud gave the platform for it to be possible.
Managed IT Services
The most common type of IT service offered is probably the Managed IT Services. It is also the one that is most recognizable. It is common for small size enterprises to hire this kind of service. However, that does not mean that medium-sized, or even large-sized companies can partner with one themselves. The term Managed IT Service often encompasses multiple functions thus the generic qualifier. Having the direct connection with the managed service also means that they maintain a network together. The IT staff of the company will talk with the managed service team on a regular basis. They will be able to work out any problems at a faster rate and they can treat the partner employees as if they are permanent employees. This sort of set up usually means that the partner service provider will be signed with contracts that span a long time. Typically, it is a renewable three or six month contract that is extended invariably.
The sort of intensive cooperation between the company’s in-house IT staff and the partner service provider can spur a lot of positives. The first one is the economic benefit which is mainly because there would be no big problems that would arise in the first place. Problems, as we all know, are expensive. And these problems can be easily avoided with a proper team manning the business processes. By avoiding these mistakes, the company can also focus on things that really matter to them. This can, of course, be any part of their business. Like, for instance, the managed service team can focus on the development of new features, while the in-house IT team can focus on the maintenance. Such a collaboration is not unheard of and it is likely to be the way that things will go going forward.
Most managed IT services providers rely on two keys, that is experience and constant reinvention. The world of IT is fast-paced to say the least. What this essentially means, is there could be a brand new way to do things after a short period of time. Here is where the two keys become a factor. Experience lets a managed service partner how to deal with persistent problems and to ensure that they are permanently fixed. While constant reinvention makes sure that the services that your business offers will be on par with top competition. And, more importantly, in the development side of things, the process is fast, efficient and reliable.
On Demand IT Services
Unlike managed services where a company usually ties a service provider with a contract, on-demand IT services means that the partnership is basically an on-call service. An example of such is when a company buys a product from a software provider. While the product itself is not necessarily considered to be part of IT services, the installation, training, software customization, and limited maintenance can be part of the package that the customer buys. This is probably the more common type of on-demand IT service and has been a profitable model for most software providers.
Security IT Services
Security and compliance are no small factors in ensuring that the company stays in business. The damage that can be done through a security breach can be enough to drive a business into the ground. The reason why this is so is because of how valuable data has become. Nowadays, top companies will pay big bucks for information that they can use to gain market information. This has not diminished and enhanced further by the introduction of big data and artificial intelligence.
The rate by which computer systems are advancing also means that there are way more devices than usual. Meaning that there are more and more nodes that communicate with each other. Networks are often looked at in terms of size and it is often incomparable to compare a business that started now to a business that started just a few years back.
Cloud Computing IT Services
Cloud computing started out with one promise, and that is to eliminate the difficulty of maintaining your own on-premise infrastructure. The idea did not seem simple at first given the reluctance to rely on internet communication which was slow then. Now, however, with the introduction of 4G, and of course, 5G, internet speeds are breaking limits. And as the demand and confidence in cloud computing, as well as hybrid computing, grows, the need for experts in the field also continues to ramp up.
All of the top players of the high-tech industry have made names for themselves in the realm of cloud computing. As more companies switch to cloud, there is no question that they will become even bigger as the time goes by. Although there are a few number of cloud computing providers, the fact is that the big 3 have always dominated the space. They have made their own implementations of cloud computing services and have varieties. Because of this, there is little chance for in-house IT staff to be able to tackle it on their own. This is where cloud computing IT service providers can lend a hand. Cloud experts who specialize in one of the cloud computing platforms will offer their expertise.