Managed Services vs. Managed Onsite

Companies without an internal IT department must decide how to best organize an IT solution. Perhaps the most important question to ask in making that decision is, "Do I want the majority of my users' issues, and any infrastructure needs, solved remotely or onsite?" The answer determines whether your organization is looking for Managed Services or Managed Onsite.

Managed Services

Managed Service providers are plentiful. They purport to keep your users and infrastructure functional for a fixed monthly cost, usually calculated by the number of workstations, servers and other company appliances. In this scenario, issues to be resolved are submitted via a ticketing system, and they are addressed by remote session after a period of time specified by your service-level agreement. The Managed Service provider also monitors your on-premises servers and devices and makes updates as needed. Your organization keeps costs down by knowing the monthly rate.

That is the promise of most Managed Services providers. However, it is rarely the reality. Organizations using Managed Services are often plagued by slow response times, user dissatisfaction with the remote solution experience, and scheduled server and device updates that occur infrequently. Then there's the added cost if a technician needs to come onsite. To discourage onsite visits, some Managed Services providers charge exorbitant hourly rates to send a technician to your location.

With Managed Services, everything has a charge. Has your organization been using the Managed Services provider for Hosted Microsoft Exchange? Be prepared to stay on whatever version of Exchange you were originally set up on until you pay your provider to upgrade you to the next version. This issue has been particularly difficult for Managed Services customers on Exchange 2010. Unless they engage the Managed Services provider to upgrade to a 2013 or 2016 version of Microsoft Exchange, new versions of Microsoft Outlook 365 may not function properly.

With Managed Services, your organization will typically not receive true value for the cost of the services. There is a better way.

Managed Onsite by Accurit Global Technology

Accurit Global Technology is not a Managed Services provider. We are a Managed Onsite provider.

With Managed Onsite, we assign an IT staff member to your organization and schedule that person to be at your location for a set number of hours per week.

Why is this model superior to Managed Services? Because it allows our technicians to:

• Address user issues at the desk and with the users present, providing a better solution experience;

• Keep eyes on the infrastructure in real-time, as the systems are in production, updating operating systems and device firmware as needed, and on schedule, and ensuring that all systems are operating to peak performance, or are being targeted for replacement as needed;

• Participate in any budget or management meetings that will have an impact on your direction and bottom line;

• Give your entire staff the comfort of knowing that someone with a face and a name is there to assist them at all times.

It's not only the personal interaction which makes Managed Onsite a better choice than Managed Services. Companies can create a customized IT department for their organization without incurring the costs and risk of building an IT department in-house.

Are you ready to discuss Managed Onsite by Accurit Global Technology? Contact us any time! We will be happy to meet with you and customize a plan of action to bring exceptional technology services to your organization.