Technology has most definitely helped us in this day and age, improving our quality of life and productivity. Businesses are no exception, from communication tools such as emails, video conferencing, instant messaging to productivity applications such as accounting software, resource planning, and more. We have also seen a massive adoption of business digitisations accelerated by the pandemic that resulted in the rise in the reliance on these technologies, the need to have them "work for you" is also increasingly crucial.
However, IT support also comes in many forms and even more terminologies. So, how do we know what is best suited for our business? Should I outsource my IT, or should I have an IT department? Despite all the different names and terminologies IT service provided have, their services typically revolve around these four categories.
Block Hour / Block Ticket
Block hour or block ticket agreements are where you pre-purchase some support hours or tickets valid for a set period, and whenever you require any IT support from your provider, they would deduct your balance accordingly.
While it may seem like a comprehensive IT support plan, but on closer observation, what you are essentially getting is a discount by doing a pre-payment of ad-hoc support.
IT Support & Maintenance
An IT support and maintenance agreement is probably one that you would most commonly see. The advantage of an IT support & maintenance agreement over block hour/block ticket agreements is that you would usually get unlimited support for a fixed cost, and the IT provider would also perform scheduled hardware maintenance on your devices.
The downside is that the service can often still be very reactive. The IT provider is waiting for things to happen and react accordingly, often leaving you with downtime that could have been averted or reduced if detected earlier.
In-House IT
In-house IT or internal IT means that you would recruit and build your own IT department. With a dedicated team who understands your business and technology use, they will be able to provide your business with advice on improving productivity and efficiency.
The obvious challenge here is that while they would provide you with the fastest response and constant monitoring, the cost of hiring a team of IT engineers may not be cost-effective for smaller businesses. Depending on your technology needs, you will need IT engineers with different expertise.
Managed IT Service
Managed IT service or managed service agreements are in-between having your own in-house IT team and outsourcing to a 3rd party provider for IT support & maintenance. Rather than scheduling for monthly or quarterly maintenance, devices are monitored 24/7 for health and performance issues, critical updates, and patches are also done without needing to wait for the next scheduled onsite visit.
Some managed service providers (MSPs) can also provide their clients with the same technology adoption expertise as an in-house IT team would, and as opposed to selling products, MSPs generally offer all-inclusive services that would eliminate your need to purchase additional licenses.
Every business is different. Understanding how technology affects your business can help you find the most suitable IT support. If you wish to learn more about what type of IT support best suits your organisation, contact us for a free consultation today.
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