Many companies need to transform their IT areas with low investment and better speed of change, without losing the efficiency of their networks. So they are looking for Managed Services providers.
It is a solution that helps companies maintain a stable and secure network infrastructure while migrating their assets to the Cloud, allowing users to continue using the network in a normal way.
This is an optimal option, especially for micro and medium-sized companies that do not have full-time IT specialists and that need to restructure their technology bases.
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Therefore, despite representing an investment market that will reach $ 194 billion dollars by 2019, according to the research of Markets and Markets, Managed Services have their pros and cons.
We are going to begin the discussion with the pros, justifying the search for entrepreneurs through solutions:
1- Organization and Standardization:
With the need to do more with an increasingly lower cost, companies try to make the most of existing structures. Many times using old networks.
In a lot of systems, it is critical to the survival of the business to find a way to manage the technologies of different hiring periods, as well as the inclusion of new tools and technologies, followed by the standardization of the systems.
2- Security 42 hours:
The great advantage of Managed Security Services or MSS (Managed Security Services) is the protection of a network in real time 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. With efficiency similar to that of large corporations, but at a reduced cost.
These companies have a team of highly trained specialists with up-to-date knowledge on cyber attacks, thus being able to keep the monitoring of the networks under constant review.
3- Specialized and updated equipment:
Monitoring is not enough to prevent the invasion of a system, it is also essential to have the knowledge and know how to recognize a potential threat.
Beyond monitoring and responding quickly to a threat, MSS companies need to identify specific elements of customers’ security assets as they deal with different types of tools. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously configure them to reduce the probability of attacks.
4- Flexible contracts:
The MSS can be hired on a monthly basis, making containment of the client’s networks or in a timely manner in the case of an invasion or to carry out a correction. It is also common for an employee of the provider to be transferred to the company in order to help the IT team that is involved in a specific project or to accelerate some security function that was being controlled remotely.
5- Economy of resources:
With flexible contracts it is possible to carry out a greater control of resource expenses, since there is no need to hire specialized labor to guarantee the security of the network, also generating savings in terms of salaries and an increase in benefits for workers.
Among the cons, there are some points that need to be considered before hiring a provider:
1- Lack of customization:
Managed It services? To have a greater range of growth, Managed Services are projected so that resources are standardized and can be shared among several clients with a minimum of customization. The downside is that there is a limitation when it comes to altering service levels to meet specific needs.
2- Culture shock:
From the moment a new supplier starts a job with the company, there may be a cultural shock of values. This can delay the relationship until smooth communication is established, as well as the parameters and boundaries in the relationship between teams.
3- Transfer of responsibilities:
at the time of contracting the Managed Services, it is necessary to make the role of each member of the team very clear. Both the provider and the customer must agree to avoid the transfer of responsibilities and find a culprit at a certain point in the delivery of services. The previous alignment must be done very clearly.
4- Security:
the Provider of Managed Services will act as an internal IT collaborator and will have access to business information, whether they are necessary or not. Therefore, it is necessary to specify in the contract the clauses that will guarantee the safe handling of the data, terms of discretion and confidentiality.
5- Rotation of technicians:
It may happen that the supplying company reassigns different collaborators for the internal project for which it was hired, breaking the continuity in the work.
Finally, as well as other outsourced services, Managed Services also require specific care before being hired in order to avoid future wear and tear between the contractor and the contracted party.
