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For small-to-medium sized businesses, hiring a Managed Service Provider or MSP is often the only way to afford reliable, around-the-clock comprehensive IT services. In today’s rapidly evolving cybersecurity and tech landscape, businesses simply can’t afford to neglect IT, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to fit quality services into the budget. 

 

So what exactly is an MSP and how can it benefit small-to-medium sized businesses who can’t afford an in-house IT department? 

 

In a nutshell, an MSP is a third-party that manages a company’s ongoing IT maintenance and monitoring needs for a flat monthly rate. Although an MSP is a third-party, they take the time to fully understand your business so they can provide custom IT solutions that meet your goals and can evolve with the ever-changing world of tech. 

 

There are many benefits to hiring an MSP, but let’s explore the top four and see how these services can strengthen your SMB and help you meet your business goals.  

 

Lower costs and less stress

When you hire an MSP, you know up-front what the cost will be on a monthly basis. You also know that you’ll be receiving ongoing monitoring and maintenance of your systems, tailored to fit your unique needs. As an SMB, it’s important to have the resources available to grow your business. An MSP makes it possible to accurately budget for your IT services, freeing up time and funds for achieving long-term goals. 

 

Focus on prevention first

Comprehensive IT services should always be proactive, with cybersecurity strategies in place that focus on prevention first. While it’s imperative to have a data breach response plan in place, an MSP can implement multiple safeguards to mitigate the risk. These include regular software updates, installation of firewalls and antivirus software and antimalware, as well as providing cybersecurity trainings to your entire team.  

 

Efficient & reliable round-the-clock IT support 

You shouldn’t have to worry about staying up to date on the latest software updates and security patches. It shouldn’t be your job alone to ensure every employee is complying with best password practices and enabling MFA across business accounts. An MSP can set up automated systems to ensure ongoing cybersecurity needs are met and to check for vulnerabilities in your network. Through ongoing monitoring and maintenance, you can rely on them to reduce daily disruptions from IT issues, catching and resolving issues with minimal network downtime.    

 

Comprehensive protection

Some MSPs only offer specialized services, such as guiding you in leveraging Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, but most provide comprehensive IT services, fully replacing the need for an expensive in-house IT team. These comprehensive services include proactive security and maintenance, backup disaster recovery, cloud solutions, ensuring all your equipment and processes are aligned with industry best practices, advising on needed technology updates, and providing you with a customer support team for all your IT questions and emergencies.  

 

Interested in hiring an MSP for your business? Check out the services that we offer for a flat monthly rate and then schedule your free IT consultation here.  

 

Feature photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash

 

Related reading: 

What to Look for When Hiring a Managed Service Provider 

What Type of IT Support is Best for Your Business?

The 5 Key Components of a Multi-Layered Security Strategy  

 

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About Pagoda Technologies IT services

Based in Santa Cruz, California, Pagoda Technologies provides trusted IT support to businesses and IT departments throughout Silicon Valley, the San Francisco Bay Area and across the globe. To learn how Pagoda Technologies can help your business, email us at support@pagoda-tech.com to schedule a complimentary IT consultation.