Every business has three levels of technology support needs.

Ensure it works Every organization needs IT staff that are able to offer routine maintenance and support, including updating hardware and software, handling maintenance, and handling emergencies.

Ensure it works when needed  Technology supports business activity around the clock. Even when everyone in a small business has gone home, there are periodic staff needs at unpredictable times.

Ensure it helps make more money  This is the most important. This is the support that is helping you to proactively manipulate technology to improve revenue.

Why is an IT Managed Service Provider useful?

When your business only employs a part-timer or one full-time IT person, too much of this well-paid resource may be focused on responding to emergency IT situations, completing routine maintenance, and handling software updates. So, what's the result? The IT staffer that best understands your business doesn't have the time to help you devise forward-thinking applied technology to grow your business. This is a waste of resources. Instead, use their expertise to develop your business: use an MSP to provide all of the below-ground support.

Here are some areas where a managed service provider can be your best business ally.

Specialized areas of support  MSPs often specialize in specific business sectors and have deep knowledge of the their needs, the specialized software packages and the Federal, state or provincial level regulatory environment. They can help you make sure your technology stays in compliance with regulations, such as those requiring the maintenance of verified security procedures like HIPPA.

Help desk support  For all of the various questions, problems, hardware and software crises that can happen at any time a round-the-clock help desk means your IT staff isn't distracted by smaller problems, and dragged out of bed by a routine client issue at 3 a.m.

Security and data protection With the increasing news about hacking and data theft, it seems obvious that everyone will be compromised at some point. This is an area where you can benefit from the deep specialized knowledge of an expert. Because it seems new malware and hacking tools are invented on an hourly basis, an MSP can provide the support you need to protect your data.

Disaster planning and recovery Smaller firms are the most vulnerable financially to the damage that comes from down time. However, they have the least resources to focus on these threats. A Managed Service Provider can provide consulting resources to plan what needs to be done to minimize the effects of a disaster, and put into place procedures to ensure a speedy return to business.

Software updates Software updates are a near constant necessity, but can also create headaches for every user. Instead of distracting your in-house IT staff with this routine and time consuming job, use the resources of a MSP on a scheduled or as-needed basis to handle all of this in the background.

Avoid expensive add on fees Managed Service Providers can offer you a service plan that provides on-going levels of support and includes priority attention in the event of an emergency, so you avoid becoming just another client in the queue.

Managed Service Providers offer more than IT support. The MSP model provides a different business model for the role of IT as an integral part of your entire long-term development strategy.

About Chicago IT Managed Service Provider BKS Systems

BKS Systems has been a leading Managed Service Provider in the Chicago area for nearly 20 years. We focus our services on the healthcare, professional services, logistics and banking fields. If you're a small to medium-size business owner with IT needs, contact us today to discuss how we can help.