Identifying the Value of Managed IT: Procurement

One of the best things about information technology today is that it is frequently improved. However, this improvement makes it crucial that you keep up with these changes. A managed service provider can greatly assist you with these procurement needs. Here, in part five of our managed service value series, we’ll discuss how invaluable this assistance can be.

Why IT Procurement Matters So Much

In order for a business to see the most value from its technology, there needs to be an awareness of how interconnected and codependent the individual pieces are, and what technology solutions are needed. Let’s go over some of the components that a business will need.

Servers and Networking Solutions

In order for your employees to be appropriately collaborative, there needs to be an infrastructure in place that makes communications and data sharing practicable. As a business grows, the capacity of this infrastructure needs to grow with it.

However, if tackled by someone who isn’t very familiar with the solutions currently in place, this expansion is apt to only cause further problems. The same goes for other improvements as well - a single misconfiguration could potentially cause a very expensive downtime event.

On the other side of the coin, by calling in a professional to assist with the expansion of your networking infrastructure, you can effectively eliminate the risk of causing downtime while greatly expediting the actual process of upgrading your infrastructure. A professional can both advise a business in what is best for it to adopt, as well as come in to assist with the installation of the improved solution.

Workstations and Computing Resources

Without the right technology for their tasks, your employees aren’t going to be able to achieve very much. This makes it important that you acquire the right tech for the task at hand, rather than focusing exclusively on bargain hunting.

Consider the possible ramifications of automatically going with the least expensive option, without taking the time to consider it more comprehensively. Bargain hunting online can lead to ultimately wasting money on a system that doesn’t actually serve your needs - or worse, doesn’t even work properly. In that case, you’d likely be stuck having to pay a professional to fix your newly acquired systems… and that’s assuming you wouldn’t be stuck having to purchase other ones.

Once again, in working with a managed service provider, you have a resource that will assist you in selecting the right technology - the first time - potentially even getting a better deal than you would have otherwise.

Software as a Service

Of course, if you plan on using your technology, you are also going to need the appropriate software. If handling this independently, you may be tempted to cut corners a bit - downloading torrents instead of paying for the software you need. Doing so puts your business at considerable risk, and subjects it to negative attention from law enforcement and the public at large.

However, a managed service provider provides a much better option. Instead of putting your reputation and operations at risk, you can lean on your provider’s Software-as-a-Service offering, Instead of investing a large lump sum on a software title that’s only going to need replacing in a few short years, a Software-as-a-Service arrangement effectively serves as a subscription to a particular solution. For a low monthly sum, SaaS provides your business with the most up-to-date version of a given software, as well as all the support you may need for it. That way, your employees have the tools to do their job, while you (and your budget) can rest easy.

Which Experience Would You Prefer?

If you’re looking for the best option to obtain IT solutions, look no further than a managed service provider’s offering - particularly, what we offer at Walsh IT Group. Find out how else we can serve your technology needs by calling (832) 295-1445 today!