Small business owners often want to know the advantages of a network service when they already have an in-house IT staff. Managed network services generally involve outsourcing the functions and management responsibilities of a network on a proactive basis, usually for the purpose of reducing expenses and improving operations. The specific problems that network services can solve for a small business may be grouped into the following categories:
- Strategic development
- Third-party opinions
- Business needs
- Cost savings
- Risk reduction
Strategic Development
Managed network services allow an organization’s IT staff to focus on strategy and tactics instead of individual tasks, especially when the company’s bandwidth is limited. In these cases, a third party can be useful for helping to develop an overall IT strategy that drives specific tactics. An effective network services provider can also use the results of these tactics to ensure the strategy is aligned with the organization’s business objectives. The organization can therefore make informed investments rather than reacting to the latest network problem.
Third-Party Opinions
An opinion from a third party is often helpful for obtaining a clear understanding of best practices in network services, especially when your experience is limited to a single organization. A good network services provider is experienced with many organizations similar to yours, so they’re less likely to be biased towards a particular operating process. A fresh viewpoint on network services can therefore complement internal staff members who may not be aware of all the solutions that are at their disposal.
Business Needs
Network services can improve an organization’s ability to address its business needs. The IT staff members in a small business often have other duties that prevent them from focusing on network problems, making it difficult for them to be proactive. The appropriate managed services can thus allow business owners to focus on business requirements, rather than technological decisions.
Cost Savings
Outsourcing network services reduce operating expenses once you consider the full economics. The hidden costs of IT expenses are almost always higher than they appear for a small business, since proactive management can eliminate problems before they impact a business’s bottom line. Offloading these tasks to a provider who already has expertise in the best practices and automation required for network services can therefore cut costs in the long run.
Risk Reduction
A small business typically has only a small internal IT staff and may not have any employees who are dedicated to this task. Supplementing IT staff with an outside team is an effective method of eliminating dependencies on a particular individual, which can prevent a task from getting done when that person is absent. Managed network services also allow a small business to bring domain-specific expertise to bear on critical areas such as security and regulatory compliance.
Summary
CSCI offers network services for small businesses in the San Diego area. Our remote monitoring and management services can help you to improve your organization’s network infrastructure. You can choose from one of our pre-configured plans or we can develop a custom program to meet your particular needs.
