subject: The Need For It Managed Services [print this page] IT managed Services refers to crucial IT support, Maintenance and Infrastructure. Proper management of IT is a prerequisite. It will facilitate the smooth conduct of core IT business. IT Management should be free from drawbacks. Downtimes are responsible for delays and failures of IT projects. During the crucial stages of the project, downtimes interfere with business operations and productivity. It will affect the project quality, in the absence of a proper mechanism to handle downtimes and technical glitches. This leads to loss of business and disrepute. In some cases, companies have paid fine to the extent of several millions of dollars and faced lawsuits on account of poor service, delays and drawbacks in quality. A better alternative is an outsourcing services provider.
Even IT majors with adequate infrastructure and resource-bandwidth have benefitted by engaging an outsourcing services provider. Bigger companies have outsourced a significant chunk of IT managed services. The advantage is the service of a specialised service provider. They can also help the in-house team to stay abreast on the latest trends and adopt the best practices. This can save costs to a huge extent. Projects get executed faster.
It is important to choose the right IT managed Services Company. These companies can service clients as per the latters requirements. It is preferable to choose an IT managed services provider who adopts a flexible approach. Their track record, references, testimonials and specific areas of expertise should be assessed. It is also important to check their ability to handle downtime and major repairs. Some companies will work on the basis of a pilot project. This is a better option to check their credibility. During a Pilot-phase, major technological break-downs can be simulated to test the vendors response (in terms of quick remedy and the overall response to the situation).The vendors personnel will be a part of the in-house team and responsible for day-to-day operations. Right escalation models should be in place to rectify problems, at the shortest notice; In the event of malfunctioning. Therefore, it is important to document these in the SLA.
By outsourcing to the right vendor, companies get the benefit of shared expertise. This will help the in-house teams to upgrade IT knowledge. They can replicate the best practice of the vendors IT managed Services. Major drawbacks can be avoided in this manner. The cost of repairing defects is lesser in the initial stages. IT managed services provider will not only help in identifying errors in the initial stage, but prevent them from occurring, through their rigorous methodologies and process-oriented approach. Instead of completely outsourcing IT managed services, a cosourcing model is a better option. In this model, the vendors resources can be ramped up according to requirements. The business control will remain with the company. The companys resources will be free from IT maintenance and related complaints and concentrate on core-business activities.
