More and more Australian businesses are hiring managed service providers(MSPs) every day. Why? Because it makes sense. Hiring an MSP has massive benefits for your company. A managed service provider reduces your IT expenses, improves your network infrastructure, and helps you move to the cloud, among other benefits. Small to medium businesses (SMBs) in Australia benefit the most from MSPs because they get better IT services at a lower cost. So it’s worth learning about the benefits of MSPs, especially how they can move your business to the cloud.
What are Managed IT Services and How do they Help with Cloud services?
An MSP is a third-party company you can outsource your IT needs to, including your move to the cloud. These needs include setting up computers, updating your software, ensuring data protection, etc. A managed IT service does these tasks, so you don’t have to.
The biggest service they provide is moving your business to the cloud. It’s not easy moving your entire business infrastructure to the cloud, but MSPs do it effortlessly. They’re experts who fully understand your cloud storage needs.
These companies have dedicated IT professionals with years of training who are up-to-date on the latest tech. They’re also highly experienced because they provide services to multiple clients. So, MSPs effectively provide a highly specialised service.
Why SMBs need managed IT services
Every Australian SMB uses technology. You likely use computers for everything from interacting with clients to preparing invoices and scheduling your day. It just makes sense.
Computers do things better and faster than people. But computers have problems, too.
Computers get hacked, stolen, or damaged. The solution is cloud storage. You can protect your data by regularly backing it up on the cloud. But, moving to the cloud can be a complicated affair, especially if you have complex operations. Moving everything to the cloud may even be a headache.
Luckily, MSPs take care of that for you. They’ll seamlessly bring your business to the cloud and provide you with the best backup facilities. You won’t have to worry about misplacing files online when your MSP sets up a great cloud system for you. They’ll also regularly back up your data online to protect it.
What can MSPs give to you?
1 Move you to the Cloud
Moving an entire business to the cloud can be complicated and disruptive if you do it yourselves. When you have an MSP do it, they’ll take no time to recognise the right cloud solutions for you. You’ll gain the benefits of cloud services without suffering any disruptions.
An MSP will immediately recognise what cloud infrastructure best suits your needs, whether public, private, or hybrid. They also have the technical knowledge to effortlessly set it up for you to minimise disruptions and complications. You’ll gain the benefits of cloud services without suffering any disruptions.
The best part is that MSPs can even set up a hybrid cloud solution for you.
2 Hybrid Cloud solutions
Moving to the cloud is a great idea! But, you can’t completely shift your business online for security reasons. You don’t want all your data in a single place. A single hack to your cloud storage account is enough to cripple you. Even worse, you could get sued for being hacked if your customer’s data gets leaked.
What’s the solution? Go for a hybrid cloud regime. You’ll save some of your data online and some on your own servers. The goal is to strategically store data to minimise costs and maximise security.
Naturally, it’s not an easy task. So, that’s where the experts come in. MSPs know exactly how to easily set up a custom hybrid cloud solution for you. Hiring an MSP saves you money and maximises your security.
3 Off-site hosting
As an Australian business owner, you’ll likely host some data in your servers to comply with security and data compliance laws. You could set up servers in your office, but that’ll probably be uncomfortable. Server rooms can be loud, hot, and messy to handle.
MSPs understand this. So, they provide off-site hosting services. They’ll host your data in a secure location for you and ensure a high-speed connection to the remote servers. That way, you won’t have to invest the time and energy to set up and maintain your servers.
The best part is that MSPs are experts when it comes to setting up secure remote servers for you. They’ll pick the best locations, choose the best infrastructure, and ensure you pay only what you need to.
4. Cost and time savings
85% of all enterprises are moving to the cloud in 2022. Having an MSP manage your transition saves you both time and money. An experienced MSP will have moved dozens of companies to the cloud. So, they’ll know exactly what your business needs too.
As a result, your work will get done better and faster than if you did it yourselves. Your MSP’s expertise ensures you won’t have to pay for anything they don’t need. And their experience ensures MSPs complete your work with the fewest delays.
Why do you need a hybrid cloud solution?
Most businesses move to the cloud to improve efficiency and reduce costs. You should too. But, the problem is that a private cloud is expensive and requires maintenance, while a public cloud costs less but isn’t as secure.
So moving completely to the cloud involves a trade-off. Lower costs or better security? A hybrid cloud solution achieves both. A hybrid cloud solution is when you shift some data to a public cloud and the rest to a private cloud.
For example, you could store important information like customer data in a private cloud and other information in a public cloud. That way, you’ll reduce costs and maximise security for important data.
This can be a complicated process. But, MSPs can seamlessly set a hybrid cloud solution for you.
How MSP helps with Cyber Security Issues for SMBs
Cyberattacks can be devastating. Small businesses are specifically targeted for cyberattacks because hackers know they generally have the fewest cyber protections. These hackers could steal your data, ransom it, or leak it. You could even be taken to court for not adequately protecting your data.
MSPs know this. So, they’ll provide you with the security services you need to protect your data. For example, your MSP can give you email and domain name system filtering to remove spam and malicious emails. They could also set up a firewall to prevent computers from downloading malicious files and regularly back up your data to ensure it’s never lost.
You can also have your MSP save your data on an off-site server for you. That’ll ensure your data’s safety without you having to worry about maintaining the servers.
How do I get an MSP?
First, you’ve made a great decision by thinking of hiring an MSP. Your business will run faster than ever with a solid team of IT experts behind your back. Secondly, you could start your journey of finding an MSP by booking a free audit with PowerITs.
Their time will have a look at your current setup and recommend what you should do next. The experts at PowerbITs will give you the confidence and clarity you need to understand your needs.