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A continual part of running any business in the modern world is maintaining a healthy IT infrastructure. This is important for the sake of your business’s security, for the ongoing performance of your business, and to ensure the maximum efficiency of systems. 

Some businesses, however, still use a rather outdated break/fix methodology in dealing with their IT, which means hiring IT support to fix a problem only once it has occured. While this approach might seem to be saving your business money or time, in the long run, it can be a rather costly way to manage your IT. 

That’s why many modern businesses are now turning to outsourced IT management by hiring a Managed IT Services Provider to oversee their IT needs. But what are the benefits of outsourcing your IT versus using the break/fix approach? Let’s take a look at each method and see how they compare:

The Break/Fix Approach

In essence, when you follow the break/fix approach, you are waiting for something to go wrong and then fixing it after the fact. In the past, this method was adequate for many businesses and was an attractive option as it meant only spending money on IT assistance when you really needed it. Rather than always paying for a continual service, you just pay when something goes wrong.

The modern reality of technology, however, has made this a rather unsafe approach for most businesses. With the threats of more sophisticated ransomware and phishing attacks on the rise, businesses can’t afford to only care for their technology when something breaks. Without continual system monitoring and proactive detection of vulnerabilities, your systems are much more likely to fall victim to a data breach.

It’s important to bear in mind that the cost of a data breach has also risen significantly. In 2019, the cost of a data breach was between $1.25 and $8.19 million, which could be enough to send a business into the ground. While the break/fix approach seemed like a cost-effective solution in the past, modern businesses actually can’t afford to take this approach to managing their IT.

Managed Services 

A Managed Service Provider (MSP) has become the popular alternative for the break/fix approach in today’s business landscape, and for good reason. Businesses who use the break/fix method find themselves running into more frequent IT issues because underlying root causes aren’t always being addressed, whereas an MSP is continually searching for weaknesses to be patched in your systems. 

Continual (24/7) system monitoring by an MSP means that your systems will be prepared to protect against even the most advanced threats as your MSP continually discovers ways to improve your systems’ security and efficiency. It also means cost savings since many of the issues found and repaired by MSPs tend to be root causes of downtime. Less downtime means greater productivity, which can increase your profits.

Even if an issue does occur before an MSP can detect or solve it, outsourcing your IT means you have access to a fully equipped IT team who is prepared to address that issue in the most efficient way possible. Your team will already understand your infrastructure and your business goals, and they will provide solutions that make the most sense according to your business needs and strategy. 

What’s more, MSPs aren’t as costly as you might think—in fact, an outsourced IT team typically costs the same or less than just one salaried employee. In the long run, you get more robust cybersecurity, 24/7 monitoring, increased efficiency, and round-the-clock support for a very reasonable monthly fee. 

In short, your IT needs secure maintenance and management, and using a managed service provider will ensure reduced potential for data breaches, downtime, and data loss. Modern businesses are turning to managed IT services to ensure they are prepared to combat the latest threats so that their business can continue to succeed.