When it comes to IT support services, there are two main choices – Break-Fix or Managed Services. So how do you choose which is right for your business?
What are Break-Fix IT services?
Break-Fix – when something breaks, you contact an IT support provider to fix it. Under this type of agreement, your supplier only gets involved when something goes wrong – the rest of the time you retain responsibility for keeping your IT systems running.
What are Managed Services?
Managed Services are much more hands-on; your provider assumes day-to-day responsibility for keeping your systems, applications and databases running. This means that they are always working to optimise your systems, not just when something breaks.
Which is the smartest choice for my business?
It is important to acknowledge that break-fix services tend to be cheaper, but there’s a good reason for this. Because you only contact your support provider when you have a major problem, they do not have to dedicate as much time and resources to your account, allowing them to reduce their overheads. However, a break-fix provider will also charge extra for anything that falls outside the scope of the contract, such as applying software updates or optimising databases.
An IT-managed services provider (MSP) is proactive, working to optimise your systems for maximum uptime and performance. Their efforts help to reduce the chances of something breaking in the first place. Although the headline charge for an MSP contract may seem higher, once the cost of downtime (or lack of it) is considered, they offer greater value than a break-fix alternative.
Stop accepting downtime
Given the importance of IT to their operations, businesses simply cannot afford to have unscheduled downtime. An MSP monitors your IT environment, constantly on the lookout for warning signs of an imminent failure or poor system performance. Once a potential issue is identified, they can schedule the necessary remedial work before there is a catastrophic outage or impact on operations.
The proactive efforts of an MSP significantly reduce the risk of system downtime, making them a smarter strategic choice for all but the smallest of organizations.
It’s also important to note that MSPs do more than simply prevent system outages. By proactively optimising software and databases, they help to improve operational efficiency and maximise ROI from IT investments for instance. Similarly, by taking ownership of software patching, they can help to improve the overall security posture of your systems and data – vital for compliance and data protection requirements. A break-fix provider does not offer either of these benefits – unless you are willing to pay a premium on top of your standard agreement terms.
To learn more about our Solaris and Linux Managed Services (and why break-fix services simply aren’t good enough for your business), please give us a call