Why IT Support With MSP Experience Matters

With the prevalence of attacks like denial of service, phishing, ransomware, and malware, your business needs a coordinated and strategic game plan to defend itself and reduce your risks of data breaches.

A data breach can negatively impact you financially and reputationally, and it could even be enough to derail your company. Without experienced IT staff members, you’re at a distinct disadvantage.

Keep reading to learn more about why an experienced IT staff is key to a healthy IT network.

Why an Experienced IT Staff Matters

The average price of a data breach in the U.S. last year was $9.44 million. That’s up 10% year-over-year. The same source notes that a cyberattack is launched every 39 seconds with an average of 2,200 incidents daily.

But you’re not in it alone. One line of defense is your company’s IT department, which oversees the installation and maintenance of software and hardware. Since the IT team needs to ensure your company’s infrastructure is safe, the people working in the department must have the right mix of skills. Cybercriminals continually push the boundaries, so IT professionals need to be up to the challenge of safeguarding corporate networks and thwarting cyberattacks.

The question is—do you have experienced IT staff members? You need IT professionals who know the ins and outs of IT best practices, including IT support experience. If you don’t have the in-house IT expertise or don’t have enough qualified professionals to meet your company’s needs adequately, managed service providers are your best option.

With an MSP, you’ll get:

More Security

Experienced IT staff members will have hands-on experience dealing with cybersecurity issues that can keep CIOs up at night. The risk profile in the cybersecurity space is significant, so having an experienced IT staff can make a big difference in preventing cyberattacks that lead to data breaches.

Professional staff will know about best practices and the latest threats, understand how to use the latest technologies, and more. You’ll want an experienced IT staff to help manage and oversee things like hardware and software installation and maintenance, data backups to secure files, and document sharing. Skilled IT staff will also put a disaster recovery plan in place to protect your company’s data.

Better Efficiency

Simply implementing technology isn’t enough to drive efficiency and productivity. Another reason an experienced IT staff matters is that IT workers with expertise under their belts will be more efficient. Having the wrong solutions can even hamper efficiency and cause more problems than they resolve. It’s essential to ensure that you have the right people in the right positions when it comes to choosing the technology, sorting out technical issues, and ensuring software, hardware, and networks are in good working order so that your company’s operations aren’t bogged down.

When your business is running like a well-oiled machine, efficiency will rise, leading to more productivity as well.

You’re missing out if you don’t have IT workers with IT support or MSP experience. But you can remedy that by considering managed service providers. Ensure you do the proper research, however, to find the right service provider for your business. Here are some questions to ask:

What security measures do you employ?
Do you have a service-level agreement?
What price structure do you have in place? Do you offer co-management options or only managed options?
What methods will you use to safeguard my data?
How will you protect my data against data leaks or security breaches?
What’s your process for data backups and disaster recovery?

The goal should be to ask any questions on your mind. Don’t settle for responses that are unclear or evasive. You need the right information to make informed decisions.

Peace of Mind

Having an experienced IT staff means you’ll have some peace of mind. If there’s a problem, for instance, with hardware or software, your IT workers can help to minimize downtime and get things up and running as soon as possible.

Unplanned downtime can cause many issues. If your systems are offline, your workers might even be unable to work. You’ll be paying them even though they can’t perform the responsibilities you hired them for, and you’ll also risk disappointing customers who might wait hours or longer to get what they want. All of these negative issues will harm your company’s bottom line.

If you don’t have the in-house talent or outsource to an MSP with experienced IT workers, even minor problems can become significant issues in your business operating correctly. Getting the help you need on the IT front means you won’t have to fret over rolling out, managing, and troubleshooting tech issues. It gives your workers space to focus on their core duties.

Increased Revenue

Speaking of downtime, did you know that unplanned downtime can cost about $5,600 per minute? An experienced IT staff will help minimize downtime and get you back online relatively quickly if something goes wrong. This means your employees will be able to serve customers and get back to work. Addressing the unplanned downtime issue also means your revenue will go up. Don’t underestimate the value that an IT department can offer your business.

Our team has experience serving many industries, including manufacturing, retail, healthcare, education, and financial services. Learn more below.

Industries We Serve

How to Choose a Managed Service Provider

Choosing the right managed service provider (MSP) for your business can be a difficult decision. It’s important to thoroughly research each company and have the right questions to ask a managed service provider to ensure you’re making an informed choice. Here are some essential steps to consider:

Do Your Research:
The first step is to identify which managed services your business requires, such as network monitoring and management, data storage, or disaster recovery.
Create a List of Potential Providers
Compare the services of multiple MSPs and narrow your list down to three or four that meet your needs.
Ask Questions
When you’ve settled on a few MSPs, contact them and ask specific questions about their services and the experience of their staff. It’s also important to inquire about pricing and any additional fees that may arise.
Check References
Speak with other clients who have used the MSP and ask about their experience. This will provide a reliable picture of the quality of service you’ll receive.
Analyze the Contract
Read over the contract carefully to make sure all services you’ve requested are included and that you understand all terms and conditions.
Make Your Decision
After taking these steps, you’ll be able to make an informed decision on which managed service provider is right for your business.

Do You Need Help on the IT Front?

Whether you don’t have an IT team or you don’t have enough IT workers, Medlin Communications can help. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, we’re a systems integrator that has served thousands of clients across the U.S. since 1989. At Medlin, we strive to offer clients the most efficiently managed IT support. Whether you’re operating a small business or a large enterprise, we can help you maintain your operations.

Our managed service provider program connects your network infrastructure with the latest technology and support services. Going this route will also be a more cost-effective strategy than adding experienced IT pros to your in-house team.

If you’re unsure what option to choose, an IT consulting session might be what you need. Get in touch with us to see how we can help your business.

IT Consulting

Mergers and Acquisitions

XaaS (Anything as a Service)

Strategic Resourcing

Data Backup and Disaster Recovery

Remote Monitoring

Why IT Support With MSP Experience Matters