While most New Jersey companies are not technology services providers, virtually all of them use technology to facilitate some or all of their corporate functions. Most would benefit from additional IT services and support that they don’t currently have. However, in New Jersey, many small businesses still aren’t looking for IT support, nor are they investing in in-house technological upgrades or innovation. Some entities may not have sufficient revenue to justify a deeper investment; others may not yet understand the full value that digitized business services can offer.
If you’re looking for an information technology consulting firm in New Jersey, you may want to know more about “managed IT services.”
What Is a Managed IT Service?
Managed IT services work like any other outsourced services. A contracted third party provides the function and maintenance of the IT services and equipment, while the contracting party gets the benefit of that expertise without having to host it in-house. However, “providing function and maintenance” means more than just running the systems on a daily basis:
- Because the IT service provider also monitors technology industry developments, the contractor benefits by receiving updates and upgrades as they happen, as part of the service.
- Because the third-party IT contractor has already invested in a wide range of technologies, it can perform virtually any IT service for a small business at a lesser cost than the company would pay to have it in-house.
In short, managed IT service provides a fully stocked IT tools portfolio so your small business doesn’t have to develop one for itself.
Commonly Accessed Outsourced IT Services
Your enterprise has proprietary functions and supports that make it unique. However, it must also maintain a high standard to manage the day-to-day corporate requirements that ensure security, productivity and accountability.
Consulting and Audits
To maintain efficiencies and profitability, it is crucial that corporate leadership tracks all activities across the enterprise, whether it’s a one-person shop or a multi-jurisdiction corporation. A small business IT consultant can implement tracking and assessment capacities. This digital audit programming collects data from each business unit, then organizes it to provide comprehensive reports about labor, supply chains, risk assessments and all other relevant company processes. The spreadsheet software you’ve been using simply can’t compete with the complexity of the process offered by managed IT services.
Network Monitoring
Communications is perhaps the most significant corporate requirement, whether it goes from your C-Suite to your front-line workers, reaches across production lines or stretches across market sectors. A comprehensive communications system marries network data from all the disparate communications channels available. It threads conversations and connects outputs to goals to keep you fully connected and informed.
Disaster Recovery
Companies that are not familiar with disaster management often fail to adequately prepare because there are so many “moving parts” involved in the process. In New Jersey, managed IT services companies offer programming designed to identify and address every corporate element at risk of loss or corruption. This will help to save the data, maintain functionality and regain your corporate footing in the aftermath of a disaster.
Cloud Computing
Current data suggests that almost every company can benefit from cloud computing capacities, whether in conjunction with on-premise equipment or as host to whole sectors of productivity. However, the cloud also offers scalability so that companies have the computing capacities they need as they expand or contract with market demands. The cloud reduces the waste caused by unused computing power (in your off-season, for example) while providing instant access when added services are required. On-premise computing capacity is rarely capable of providing the same elasticity of function.
Security and Compliance
By now, enterprises of all sizes are aware of the dangers of failing to maintain the highest level of data security. However, “information security” requires more than just keeping consumer data safe. It also requires:
- Secure portals through which customers and suppliers can do business.
- Internal scans to identify and prevent hacks from both inside and outside the company.
- Comprehensive compliance management, even while regulations evolve.
Managed Services
In addition to providing these vital services, IT support also offers tools for development and management of day-to-day corporate functions:
- Website hosting and development keeps the company’s digital presence current and fresh.
- Email hosting services manage both inbound and outbound messaging through one of the most popular channels used by consumers.
- Application development services allow companies to digitize proprietary assets to improve function and automate processes.
Finally, accessing managed IT services also frees employees to focus on mission-critical activities rather than chasing down server or machine errors. One small business was able to reduce calls to its customer service desk by 75 percent when it took its in-house staff off-line and encouraged them to find and fix company problems. After identifying a major concern — consumers were frustrated because they received no information about pending deliveries — the team developed an app that informed them exactly when those deliveries would occur. The result was reduced costs in the customer service department, as well as happier customers overall.
Managed IT Services in New Jersey
Every small business in New Jersey needs an edge to maintain its market share. Today’s managed IT services providers offers your small NJ enterprise that edge in the form of faster, deeper, more comprehensive programming that streamlines your productivity, manages your risk and reduces your costs, all at the same time.
