You can have someone else keep an eye on and manage your network for you. But only the provider of managed services can do this task efficiently. These services are typically categorized into subsets, and businesses pick the ones that work best for their internal computer systems. Knowing the different categories of managed services will help you decide which ones are best for your situation.
Learn about the 10 different kinds of managed services, as well as some helpful hints for selecting the correct one, in this post.
What's Managed Services?
Managed services outsource IT activities. These services handle daily IT infrastructure management activities. Managed service companies categorize their services by task or hardware/system support.
Remote backup and recovery and remote IT help are examples of task-based services. If you categorize by hardware or systems, you may find managed services like managed cloud infrastructure or servers. Some providers combine different categorization methods, making it important to thoroughly analyze the specifics and understand the precise services provided when choosing a managed service category.
Why Are Types Of Managed Services Essential?
The managed service providers will provide individual services. Therefore, you have to choose the right one for your company. For instance, you need to know what kind of service it will be and how will it fulfill your requirements. As per your needs, you might need just one or two kinds of managed services. In some instances, managed service providers can offer a package of services altogether, which can save your budget. But before that, you need to explore the options on the managed services. Let’s dive into them.
10 Types Of Managed Services
Below are the 10 kinds of managed services that an MSP can offer:
- Networking & Infrastructure
Depending on the company size and how much data storage is required, managed infrastructure and networking can assist. The servers are quite pricey and it has to be replaced after some years. However, the subscription for managed service providers will allow you to rent the spaces for servers. Besides, they use a server for maintaining and hosting. If you host your servers, managed networking and infrastructure can easily perform remote backups and maintenance. - Security
Managed security services are available in several subtypes. They can relate to keeping the infrastructure secure from viruses and maintaining privacy. With managed security service you can get real-time alerts for security issues, ensuring compatibility of all hardware and applications. It ensures that security breaches are monitored for the company internally and externally. They are cloud-based and some providers also offer on-site physical components for their security service.
Below are some services that fall under managed security:
- Firewall
- Anti-virus
- Anti-spam
- Network security monitoring
- Virtual private network – VPN
- Intrusion detection
- Support Services
There are several support services such as backup and security services but MSPs will also offer general desk support which is available for several technical issues such as password resets and computer difficulties. Moreover, they can cover mobile devices, tablets, and computers but the service can be limited. Most of them work remotely and have specific office hours, while others provide on-site 24/7 support. - IT consulting
If you do not have any IT professionals who are on-site, then you must have one managed IT consulting service provider. The service can identify the goals of business which would be feasible for reaching with technology. They can check out what other managed services can be, you can determine what a company can do to enhance its resource potential, and check the strategy if is implemented or not. - Cloud Infrastructure
It is quite common for the business for having some parts of their operation on the cloud due to the rise of remote working. It is possible with shared cloud storage however it is necessary to have all virtual services. The cloud infrastructure service will be assessing your infrastructure and maintain it with cloud migration. - Software As A Service
If you have several software subscriptions, then it is a must to have SAAS for assistance. The MSP will communicate and take the stress off your shoulders. Do you know how? they will communicate with the developers on your behalf. Furthermore, they will centralize the troubleshooting requirements and installation into one area. It will help if you want to communicate with different developers simultaneously. - Communication Services
Communication services can be referred to as group communications, and it includes voice, video, and other data communications that are on the same network. It means all the employees have access to communication for the business offers to log in on one network for several email providers, video call conference providers, etc. The managed communication services often include maintenance, management, and monitoring of communications.
- Phone
- File Sharing
- Virtual Spaces
- Instant Messaging
- Video Conferencing
- Data Analytics
Managed data analytics services are able to analyze, collect, and protect users’ data. It involves tracking the websites and social media engagement. Moreover, they can identify the patterns for traffic engagement. Plus, the MSP can manage the raw data and make reports that are easy to read and understand for the right business decisions. - Backup As A Service
The data backup includes several other managed services such as security, network, or cloud, but some MSPs offer broad backup services individually. This includes data backup to servers and the cloud. It includes a disaster recovery plan for lost data and restoring data. The MSPs assist to identify the backup requirements, making more suggestions for how frequently data backups should be made, and recommending the duration of the recovery plan that you need. - Print Services
The managed print services allow the MSP to analyze the equipment remotely. Plus, it provides upgrades, support, repair, and maintenance. It would not be much useful for a company that depends on cloud-based solutions. However, it is an ideal choice if your company has excessive printing needs. A managed print service includes auditing and tracking printing habits to notice the hidden costs and elimination of excessive costs.
Tips For Deciding On A Managed Service:
- Assess Your Current IT Infrastructure:
First of all, you need to analyze your network and computing environment. Also, do not forget to check some details like the hardware, software, and features that are available. Next and quite important is to find out who is in charge of the all networks and computer systems. - Recognize Areas For Improvement:
Evaluate the current state of your infrastructure to determine where upgrades are needed. There may be opportunities to reduce expenses or boost productivity. Managed cloud infrastructure services could be the answer to your cloud's persistent performance issues and mistake rates. Get the help of your IT department in this evaluation. - Look Up To An IT Professional
If your company doesn't have its own IT staff, IT consultants can help. Alternatives to managed service subscriptions include freelance work or one-time consultations. These professionals have the ability to collect, analyze, and recommend changes to an IT infrastructure's managed services.
Follow these recommendations to determine which kind of managed service is best for your business. If you need reliable yet budget-friendly managed services, you can contact Beaconhouse Technology. We’d be happy to help.
