What are Managed Services?

August 2nd, 2018
What are Managed Services?

Oftentimes in our industry, we use terms that the layperson does not understand. I wanted to write a quick article to describe what a "managed service provider" or MSP is just to clarify.

Historically, in the Information Technology field providers or computer support companies would provide what we describe as "break-fix" support.

This means what you think it does; if it breaks, then you call the IT company and they fix it.

That was the way it was done for years.

The problem was that there wasn't much happening that was proactive. Meaning everyone would wait until things were broken before they fixed them.

The worst part was the big unexpected bill that had not been in their budget (if there was an IT budget). The relationship was always a little sour when the IT company had to always react to last-minute emergencies and try to staff for that type of support. Also, the client was angry about the item breaking, and the unexpected bills.

It was a lose-lose situation.

So naturally, IT companies moved to a more proactive approach.

This means defining an ongoing relationship with the client so that hardware can be replaced before it becomes an emergency. The budget is set at the beginning of the contract so both parties know what to expect. That is what we mean by "managed services".

This resulted in much happier clients and made it easier for the IT company to accommodate with the appropriate resources.

At DPC Technology we include Quarterly Business Reviews as part of our Managed Services Plan with our clients. These meetings include going over the budget for the coming quarter and any upcoming needs in their IT department. We also go over any issues that may not have been brought up throughout the quarter, customer satisfaction, new solutions etc.

We have found that this new way of providing managed service has been a win-win for our relationship with clients.

Happy Clients

It is important to have an IT budget for your small to medium-sized business to eliminate downtime and unexpected costs.

Interested in stepping away from break-fix support and getting on a monthly, fixed-fee plan? Get started by requesting a complementary phone consultation to learn how we can help you manage your IT.

Contact Us

Christina Archer, COO and Service Manager