Large-scale organizations have internal IT departments maintaining their tech infrastructure day and night. But what if you’re a small to medium-sized business owner with few or no IT resources who wants to perform a digital cleanup? The answer more and more businesses are arriving at is outsourcing. Managed service providers offer a variety of expert services like IT lifecycle management, security vulnerability assessments and more that can reduce costs, boost cybersecurity and increase uptime.

1. Reduce Costs with IT Lifecycle Management

Comprehensive digital clean-ups involve more than deleting outdated files and applications. One way an MSP can help business owners cut digital clutter, and reduce costs, is through IT lifecycle management.

Effective IT lifecycle management can help business owners make smarter purchasing decisions and improve technology longevity over several years.

How IT lifecycle management works:

Most businesses today depend on reliable technology. But technology degrades over time and leads to lagging, slowness, lost connectivity and downtime. IT lifecycle management services work by:

• Providing a detailed inventory of your IT hardware and software
• Mapping out the full lifespan of your technology
• Identifying where in the lifecycle your technology lies
• Maximizing fully operational and underutilized technology
• Retiring outdated technology safely and securely

2. Reduce Risk with Proactive Cybersecurity Services

Those large-scale organizations with internal IT departments are actually at less risk of a cyberattack than small and medium-sized businesses. Hence the importance of SMBs partnering with an MSP on security maintenance.

Cybersecurity is understandably a major focus for most business owners. Data breaches can result in a damaged reputation and, ultimately, force owners to close doors for good.

How proactive cybersecurity services work:

MSPs are well-versed in conducting assessments to gauge cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Potential weak points are evolving all the time as cybercriminals are coordinating more sophisticated attacks and attacking more frequently. Common tests include:

• Dark web monitoring: Scans the dark web for your stolen data.
• Security vulnerability assessments: Reviews your IT infrastructure for security weaknesses.
• Penetrating testing: Simulates a cyberattack on your IT infrastructure to uncover potential vulnerabilities.

3. Increase Uptime by Revisiting Backup and Recovery Strategies

Even if you have a robust data backup and recovery strategy in place, it needs regular testing and updates to ensure it will be there when you need it. As your business grows, it’s imperative that you keep your plan up to date.

Reliable backup and recovery strategies are a modern necessity when so much of today’s business relies on safe, accessible data.

How Backup and Recovery Strategy Maintenance Works:

Things change, and your backup and recovery plan should change too. Even the best of plans that worked last year may not work today. Typical backup and recovery plan maintenance includes:

• Testing of data backup and recovery systems
• Revisiting processes and procedures
• Inclusion of new or updated business assets and applications
• Recovery personnel updates

These are just a few of the benefits SMBs realize through working with an MSP. From performing digital clean-ups to increasing digitization or providing expert consultation, businesses are increasingly enjoying the rewards of working with an MSP. If you’re interested in partnering with an MSP, let us know. We have an experienced staff, innovative technologies and cost-effective services to keep your business running at its best. Contact us today.