Managed IT Services
Managed IT Services
Do you feel like you may have outgrown your current IT company?
Are you concerned that your network and computers aren't as reliable and secure as they could be?
Are you concerned about the loss of employee productivity due to poorly performing technology in your company?
If those few questions made you think, then let's talk about Managed IT Services. Firstly we will cover off the generally accepted generic descriptions of what exactly Managed Services are and their likely costs.
1) What are Managed Services?
"Managed IT services are a type of IT support that involves a third-party company proactively managing and maintaining a business's IT infrastructure and systems. This can include tasks such as monitoring and maintaining network servers, computers, laptops etc., managing security protocols, providing technical support to employees, and handling data backup and recovery. Managed IT services are often provided on a subscription basis, and can be a cost-effective way for businesses to outsource their IT needs. This IT management can help businesses to reduce their IT costs, improve the reliability and security of their systems, and free up internal resources to focus on other tasks."
2) How much do Managed Services Cost?
The cost of managed IT services can vary depending on a number of factors, such as the size and complexity of a business's IT infrastructure, the specific services provided by the managed service provider, and the terms of the contract. In general, managed services providers charge for these services on a subscription basis, with businesses paying a monthly or annual fee for the services they receive. This fee can range from a few hundred dollars per month for basic IT support to several thousand dollars per month for more comprehensive services. It's important for businesses to carefully evaluate their IT needs. See below for some "ballpark" indications of the costs.
CT's Managed IT service offerings are based on a tiered model using the traditional good, better, best principle.
1) We have our "Basic" plan intended to cover the basic needs of businesses. The plan includes Priority Support, unlimited (business hours) use of our NZ based english speaking Service Desk, Secure Remote Support software, Business grade monitored Antivirus and Web filtering, 24x7 monitoring of servers, computers and laptops. We have found that the remote support from our service desk fixes 65%-80% of all issues. Any On-Site support required is charged at a discounted hourly rate (no travel charge for metro). Generally depending on the condition of IT equipment the cost works out at $50-$60 per user per month.
2) Our "Proactive" plan builds on the basic plan above and adds unlimited business hours On-Site or Deskside support, Quarterly technology reviews, Firewall monitoring and updates. Generally depending on the condition of existing IT equipment the cost works out at $70-$80 per user per month.
3) Our "Trouble Free" plan builds on the "Proactive" plan and includes Backup and Higher level Managed Cyber Security add-ons listed below. Costing for this will greatly depend on what is neccessary for your company's cyber security, data security and recovery plan.
4) Add-Ons to our Basic and Proactive Plans.
Please Email or Call us for further information: 07 850 5742 or use the enquire form on this page.
Simply put one of the biggest benefits of Managed Services is pro-actively discovering and fixing problems before they can negatively affect your business, and of course the budgetable monthly fixed fee with no unpleasant surprises..
The story of our Trouble-Free Technology and B.E.S.T. Managed Service Plans
Because we're IT people we needed an acronmyn. We called our Managed Services Plans | B.E.S.T. (Business Enhanced Support Technology)
CT Business Solution's focus on the small and medium business's has always made us the best choice for solving the technology problems which are unique to that market. We have marketed ourselves as the IT department for small and medium businesses, and have taken great pride in helping thousands of businesses fix their hardware and software problems.
The days before we transitioned to becoming a Managed Services Provider
Since 1998 CT Business Solutions (CT) helped small and medium businesses with their computer and network problems. When the server crashed, we healed it. When the network went down, we brought it back up. When viruses and spyware made desktops slow and frustrating, we cleaned them up and got the computers running efficiently again. The trouble was that we had no real ongoing vision into the clients networks, until we were called out to attend site and fix an issue. Often delays in attending site due to workload and availability also hindered the service we could provide. This method of providing IT support is known as break-fix.
No more.
Along the way (in 2006) we realised that while businesses are becoming more and more dependent on their technology to be productive and successful in today’s competitive business environment, too often they waste money fixing unexpected computer crashes or losing staff productivity due to network outages or spyware slowdowns causing significant downtime.
No more.
Starting in 2006 everything changed. Using new technology combined with best practices guidelines based on the knowledge and experience of hundreds of CT franchisees around the world, we took on a plan of implementing managed services across our customer base. Together with improvement in the technology and our own professional development we are able to provide managed services that your ensure your business technology will have maximum uptime. No more virus problems. No more network outages. No more hard drive crashes. No more downtime. No more data loss. No more computer frustration.
How?
It’s not as hard as you might think. Computer problems happen for only a handful of reasons in unmanaged networks: viruses, trojans and spyware account for over 50% of all problems we see today, the rest are due to equipment failure, user errors, software misconfiguration, or outside hacker attacks. Our best practices guidelines prevent most of those, and our unique remote monitoring and management (RMM) software monitors for the rest, and proactively alerts your IT Services team so they can take action often before you even know there’s an issue.
So if it’s that simple, why doesn’t everyone do it?
Some are starting to, but most IT consultants don’t have CT Business Solutions depth of knowledge and experience with small and medium business technology. No one has our unique RMM software either, which makes our managed services delivery. And, to be honest, many IT consultants are only paid when there IS a problem, not when there ISN’T a problem, so they have little incentive to fix problems permanently.
Why then do we do it?
Unlike many “computer geeks” CT Business Solutions exists not just to fix computer problems, but to help businesses be more successful. We do this by helping businesses make the most effective and efficient use of their technology investment. We don’t want to make money when your computers are down, we want to make money by helping you grow and enhance your business, with technologies and services like cost-saving Voice-over-IP solutions, flexible telecommuting and video-conferencing options. We can even guide you to the right people to write custom software to fit your needs, website design, or bring in a MYOB or Xero consultant to help you streamline your accounting. In short, we want to save you money on computer maintenance so you can spend that money on improving your business through technology.
How much does it cost?
To get started your account manager will come out and make a quick initial inspection of your computers and network, and will prepare an estimate. Depending on the age and quality of your current equipment we may require upgrades or replacements of certain components or pieces of equipment in order to meet our requirements for managed IT services. Your CT account manager will give you a proposal for the necessary upgrades, but you are not required to use us for this work – you are free to purchase elsewhere as long as the equipment meets our reasonable requirements, but you’ll find our CT pricing is very reasonable.
In addition, all covered devices will need virus, spyware, and firewall protection that is updated several times daily. Comprehensive backups are an integral part of the requirements. Your account manager will examine your current solutions to verify it’s up-to-date and meets our requirements, or may recommend alternatives if needed. Alternately we can include the cost of these items in your monthly contract, which saves you the trouble of purchasing and maintaining them yourself.
Pricing for our monthly contracts is based on the number of users in your organisation and your usage patterns, and needs to meet the required specifications. Depending on the services included. your account manager will discuss specific options with you as part of working up your initial proposal to determine the costing.
You don’t want to lose any important data!
During your contract period our RMM software will immediately alert your Troubleshooter of any potential problems. This allows us to take proactive steps to resolve the problem right away, and we will ensure that your systems are safe from any unwanted outside intruders. Your Trouble-Free plan includes unlimited remote access by CT Business Solutions to prevent or fix problems during your contract period, and also includes two on-site visits per quarter to visually inspect and verify everything is running OK.
Your Trouble-free plan also means that all important Windows, anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall updates are applied automatically to all computers in your office. And you’ll receive monthly reports on all our monitoring data and any activity during the month, including defense reports on any outside hacker attacks.
If at any time you are not satisfied with our services, you can cancel your service with us with just 30 days’ notice. (Unlike some of our competitors who insist on 3 year contracts)
Last but not least, our Trouble-Free clients also receive a discount on most of our additional services, which can save you money when you move or add new computers or software. You also have access to all our enhanced services, such as:
• Voice-over-IP phone systems
• Telecommuting / work-from-home options and VPN’s
• Document Management
• Video and Web-conferencing
• PDA integration & mobile communications
• Microsoft 365, Microsoft Azure, Google Workspace, Google Cloud Platform, Amazon Cloud Solutions, Lucidity NZ
Related IT Services:
Managed Cyber Security Services
Business Backup Solutions
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Last Updated: 19/12/2022
Keyword: Managed IT Services
Author: Dennis Jones | CT Business Solutions