As the need for different experts grows, a business may not have sufficient funding or time to hire new employees for each task. That’s when the time comes to delegate.
Different types of outsourcing exist. Today, we’ll talk about managed IT support and technical support. Which one do you need? What is the difference between them? And what are your competitors likely to choose?
Managed IT support
Several IT specialists aren’t sufficient. Expanding the team may be costly. That’s where managed IT support comes in. Experts at PreciseIT.Tech point out that even the smallest business may have a wide variety of IT needs. This type of service covers virtually all IT requirements of the company. You get access to a large team of experts, who are ready to do anything from hardware adjustment to custom app development.
Managed IT support is aimed at catering to all IT-related needs a business could have. These specialists are focusing on the best way to service a company while offering insight into their IT environments.
This type of support also has several service options. A company chooses a plan according to its requirements. Some may need IT support for one device, while others require servicing an entire network. A business owner can select the set of services it needs and adjusts it along the way.
Technical support
Technical support is aimed at dealing with a specific problem. When a company faces a task, which its current IT team can’t deal with, it may call a technical support provider. This team of experts is ready to deal with a specific project when you need it the most.
In the majority of cases, technical support is required by companies that already have a big IT department. But sometimes, they face a task for which they need a hand. That’s when technical support comes in.
Small businesses may ask for technical support when they are just setting up an office or moving to another location. They could also require these services when they start growing or change the direction their business is taking.
Technical support is also called a “break-fix” service. When something breaks down, you call the technicians.
Overall, technical support is usually a one-time gig, while managed IT support is an ongoing relationship with regular services.
Active vs. proactive
Technical support is active. When something breaks down, you pick up the phone and call the technical service company near you. This scenario doesn’t necessarily have to be a broken computer. You may need to recover lost data, install new software, deal with a hack attack, and much more.
Managed IT support is proactive. You search for a company in advance and sign a contract that describes the work model. From the moment a contract is signed, you start getting the services you agreed upon. You may have a designated representative, who is on call at all times to cater to your company’s requirements.
Responsive vs. 24/7
Technical support is responsive. When you call technicians, you can expect them to come to your office without 24 hours to deal with the problem. Some companies offer faster response times. But you have to be ready to wait.
Managed IT support providers usually offer 24/7 service options. So you can expect to get assistance at any time of the day.
Price issues
Both technical and managed IT support have different pricing models. However, when you sign a contract with a managed IT service provider, you are agreeing to pay monthly or yearly amounts even if nothing breaks down, or you never take advantage of the services (which is a rare occurrence).
With technical support, you only pay for the work done. However, it’s hard to say which service is cheaper. Everything depends on the volume of work.
Which one is better for your company?
When it comes to technical and managed IT support, there is no right answer to the question, which one is better. The only way to figure out what suits your company best is to evaluate its needs and requirements while considering the budget.
Are you ready to dive deep into the managed IT support setup? Do you need constant support for a variety of your IT matters? Then you can find out the pricing options offered by managed IT support providers.
Do you have a large IT team? Or perhaps you are on a tight budget? Then you may want to consider one-time technical support options for each of the problems you may be facing.
Today, many companies choose managed IT support because it takes care of the majority of their IT-related matters. They can enjoy peace of mind while dedicating time to other important projects.
The truth is, managed IT support providers can act as technical support. However, it doesn’t work vice versa. So when you are looking for technical support options, you may want to consider managed IT services as well. You might need more of them in the future.
Contributor
Maria Victoria MacAraig
Maria is an SEO specialist and writer at MiroMind. She has been writing articles for 5 years. She specializes in business and marketing. On her free time she loves to read and write about her travel experiences. You can find her doing this by the beach.