Benefits of Managed Infrastructure Services

IT teams are more overburdened than ever. Keeping pace with rapid technological changes as part of ongoing digital transformation is difficult; factor in that the cost of running IT infrastructures continues to rise, and the threat of staff attrition is very real.

With a constantly evolving environment and internal IT teams that lack the time, expertise, and resources to handle such conditions, many are turning to IT infrastructure management partners for help.

But why infrastructure managed services?

Below, we will explore the benefits of infrastructure management services, as well as what to look for when deciding between managed service providers. This will demonstrate how outsourcing IT infrastructure duties enables business growth and profitability, when partnered with an experienced managed infrastructure service provider.

What are Managed Infrastructure Services?

Infrastructure Managed Services involves the transfer of internal IT infrastructure duties and components to an external Managed Service Provider (MSP). It includes a wide range of services, related to both data centers and the cloud. The goal of managed infrastructure services is to guarantee that an organization’s infrastructure runs smoothly and is regularly supported, monitored, and maintained.

Managed services can include design and optimization tasks as well as the day-to-day responsibilities for various technologies related to server, storage, and network devices. In this instance an outsourced network operations center or enterprise operations center can be utilized.

8 Benefits of Infrastructure Managed Services

So why use a Managed Service Provider? The overall aim of partnering with an MSP is to allow organizations to optimize their IT operations and enable growth. We have demonstrated how this can be achieved with eight infrastructure managed services benefits below.

1. Coverage

One of the main advantages of infrastructure managed services is broadened coverage. Complete availability preserves smooth operations with around-the-clock support, which is something that many organizations are unable to provide by themselves, particularly when you consider that coverage with an MSP can be made available 24/7, 365 days a year.

For many, existing environment’s employees will be ”on call” and not actively monitoring infrastructure performance at all hours of the day, therefore any disruptions will not be identified quickly, which will worsen mean time to detect (MTTD) factors. Businesses can rely on continuous coverage, quick issue resolution, and reduced disruptions when they outsource infrastructure management to a managed service provider, as MSPs work around the clock even via remote services. This service increases in-house productivity in the long-term, due to fewer distractions.

2. Avoiding Downtime

Efficiently reducing downtime is another reason IT departments use a Managed Service Provider. Through Managed Service Providers’ expertise, IT teams can prevent instances of downtime. An MSPs’ experience also makes it possible to quickly detect any potential infrastructure issues before they become serious interruptions, or even before they occur. A key infrastructure managed service provider benefit is ensuring continuous operations while maintaining productivity.

3. Skills Gap Resolution

A common benefit of partnering with an MSP is resolving any existing skills gaps. This gap can occur due to various reasons, such as the retirement of a long-serving employee, or turnover from staff attrition.

Finding a suitable replacement for your IT team is a difficult task, due to lack of experience or nowadays the cost of hiring, however MSPs can help as they will have an expert team on-hand, with years of experience, to manage any issues.

4. Complementing Short Staffed Teams

The fourth in the list of managed infrastructure service benefits is the readiness to complement short, staffed teams. For example, if a Linux team is experiencing increased demands from expanding Linux server environments, then MSPs can step in to assist (not replace!) the in-house team

By leveraging the expertise and resources of managed services companies, organizations can strengthen their existing teams, ensuring seamless management of critical infrastructure components.

5. Consolidate Management

Managing server, storage, and network components in data center and cloud environments involves skill sets across several technology stacks. Managed Service Providers employ engineers skilled across these disciplines, as well as provide training to these technicians, in order to stay updated with the latest trends. This technique creates a deep level of expertise and streamlines management of the infrastructure.

6. Reduce MTTR

Managed Service Providers reduce mean time to recovery (MTTR) by proactively monitoring infrastructure health and performance, keeping systems/software up to date, and automating routine tasks. MSP’s build a knowledge base across the customers they support and this experience helps identify the underlying cause of incidents, speeds remediation, and can also prevent recurrence.

7. Focus on Priorities

Reclaiming valuable time that would otherwise be spent on mundane day-to-day tasks, again highlights the importance of managed infrastructure services. Instead of focusing on just keeping the lights on, IT departments can redirect their efforts towards large projects and strategic goals.

This shift in focus allows organizations to leverage their engineering talent more effectively, driving initiatives that make a difference to company profits, which were previously sidelined due to resource constraints.

8. Prevent Employee Attrition

Another benefit of outsourcing infrastructure services through managed services is preventing employee attrition. It’s inevitable that employees leave, but one way to avoid this is to outsource and automate repetitive tasks, which can improve employees’ quality of working life.

Employees weighed down with on-call responsibilities or working off-hours may experience decreased job satisfaction and increased stress, potentially leading to attrition. By entrusting these tasks to a Managed Services Provider, employee satisfaction is increased and so is retention, which generates a healthier work-life balance that benefits both employees and the whole organization.

5 Considerations to Look for in a Managed Infrastructure Services Provider

There are many IT infrastructure MSPs out there, varying in size and experience, not to mention capabilities. If managed infrastructure services and support are being considered, here are five factors to look for.

1. Necessary Coverage

When working with a Managed Service Provider, 24/7 support is often essential. Having that MSP available at all times ensures in-house staff are working only to their core schedule and not being disturbed out-of-hours, all this while still maintaining continuity and reliability.

Without this level of coverage organizations rely on out-of-office hours on-call staff, which can be expensive both in terms of costs and employee satisfaction.

2. Expertise

Choosing a Managed Service Provider with the right expertise that is tailored to your business needs is crucial. Needs can range from addressing capacity gaps in server environments, scaling leaner teams, or resolving network outages. Being able to provide these processes also ties into the service bundle the infrastructure MSP is offering.

3. Comprehensive Services

Receiving a wide range of services from a single service provider can be beneficial for IT departments. This approach not only simplifies operations by eliminating the need to work with multiple vendors, but also ensures convenience and consistency in service delivery. Therefore, it is important that an MSP can provide an array of specialist services.

Many organizations prefer a single point of contact for various IT needs, including server, storage, and network management, as well as hardware maintenance and professional services for special projects.

4. Scalability and Flexibility

A big thing to look for when choosing an MSP partner is scalability and flexibility. Asking the questions:

• Is this managed service partner going to be able to grow with you?
• Are they flexible when it comes to your needs and your requirements?
• Are they going to be able to fill those needs and requirements?

A reliable MSP should demonstrate the ability to meet both current and future needs, offering flexible solutions that can be tailored to match specific requirements.

5. Positive Results

A proven track record and positive references are vital in evaluating the credibility and expertise of an infrastructure managed service provider. These factors demonstrate tangible evidence of the MSP’s capability to deliver quality services and support.

Managed Infrastructure Support Services with Park Place Technologies

By partnering with Park Place Technologies, IT staff can focus on their main business goals, save money on operating expenditure, enhance infrastructure performance, and receive expert assistance, allowing them to reap the benefits of a managed service provider.

With the help of our powerful monitoring technologies and our 7×24 Enterprise Operations Center (EOC) engineers, ParkView Managed Services™ will maintain your infrastructure operations and apply updates on a regular, prompt, basis.

Contact Park Place Technologies to learn how we can effectively manage your entire infrastructure!