The Difference Between a Managed IT Partner and Provider

As a business owner, you may be thinking of ways to improve your company’s IT structure. Perhaps your in-house IT team is overworked, or simply not equipped to deal with the constant issues that your business presents them with. Considering the many available options, IT solutions can seem complex, and you may not be sure whether to choose a managed IT partner or a managed IT provider.

If you have decided it’s time to outsource some of your company’s IT, you might think the logical next step is to opt for a managed service solution to help your IT team out with some of the workload. But how do you know whether to choose a managed IT partner or provider?

Managed IT

Managed IT is a service that a company opts for when they decide they don’t want their in-house IT team to manage all of their IT needs, or they don't have an in-house team at all. Perhaps your company has grown rapidly in the last few years and now needs to outsource some of its IT workload. A professional and trusted managed IT partner or provider will ensure that demands are met and your internal IT team isn’t overwhelmed with an ever-growing list of things to do. 

Many businesses often operate in the outdated IT mindset of waiting until they have a problem to call in the professionals or look for professional help only when they need to upgrade their old software. This situation is not ideal for making sure that problems are tackled early on and that an efficient approach is taken from the start when deciding which IT solution is best for your business.

Managed IT services are more proactive. They negotiate with their customers on what level of service they would like and guarantee to provide it. While plenty of businesses assume that contracting managed IT services will be more expensive and result in increased costs, this is simply a misconception. Choosing a managed IT service that works with you to make sure your business has a proactive approach towards IT services will actually save you time and money in the long run.

By staying on top of your IT needs, your company will be able to better prevent cyberattacks, saving you the costs and decrease in credibility that could come from a security breach. You’ll also have peace of mind that the software you’re using has been selected because it is the most efficient and most suited type for your current business model.

Managed IT Providers

Managed IT providers are often the first step to outsourcing some of your company’s IT needs. A provider will take over some or all of the IT work and decrease your in-house IT team's workload. The business owner would usually decide alongside your IT team which services are most important to be outsourced. With this, you would work alongside a managed IT provider to determine the services you need while staying on budget. 

A good, reputable managed IT provider will work hard to determine the right level of managed IT for each business. They should work to understand the ins and outs of the business and make useful suggestions as to how their IT system could be improved and optimized.

This is likely the right step for you and your business if you’re looking to outsource a fraction of your IT needs and step into the world of managed IT for the first time.

Managed IT Partner

A managed IT partner will offer the next level of service to ensure your managed IT needs are fully met. Managed IT partners are perfect for businesses who need a high level of expertise devoted to their IT systems to fully understand the whole spectrum of the organization’s business needs. A good managed IT partner will offer a flexible range of services that will develop as the business’s model grows and evolves.

Managed service partners collaborate with the client to come up with an IT system that is fully suited and optimized for the business’ structure. There should be an open discussion about what is working and what isn’t so that the IT system is fully functioning and adapting well to any modifications within the business.  

A good managed service partner will ensure customer success by being open about their process and provide reasoning behind their decisions.

Working alongside a partner is ideal for outsourcing a large amount of your IT needs and ensuring that you’re fully focusing on what matters to your business and adapting your IT strategy along with the growth of your business. 

While it’s up to you to decide whether a managed IT provider or partner is right for you, outsourcing your IT services will undoubtedly save you plenty of time and money in the long run, making sure you can fully focus on your business’ growth. Not sure what the best choice is for your company, request a free consultation with us to find out what managed service option fits with your company's needs.