Thinking of partnering with an IT managed services provider (MSP)? Want to know who are the best of the best in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island?

You signed up with an IT provider thinking your troubles were over. Someone else was going to look out for your IT infrastructure and make sure things were running smoothly.

You’ve decided that working with an IT provider is the right move for your business. You’re done worrying about which part of your IT infrastructure will break next and how much the fix will cost. You are on the path of paying one, reliable amount each month for your IT support.

When you own or work for a small or medium-sized business (SMB), you juggle a multitude of competing demands: delivery deadlines, employee turnover, customer satisfaction, cash flow, and more. As you do the cost-benefit analysis on the fly, it can be tempting to do everything yourself because it may seem faster, easier and cheaper. You may think that partnering with an IT managed services provider (MSP) is only cost-effective for bigger businesses with a big budget.

We’ve all been there...you cleared your calendar to tackle that major project and your computer isn’t cooperating. The deadline is looming. You fill out a help ticket and come to that age-old question...is your ticket “urgent” or “critical?” Most of us don’t like to hit the “panic button.” We don’t want to send out false alarms, but we also want things fixed quickly.

Every business is different, from the number of employees on staff and devices in use to the long-term goals and aspirations of the owners. That’s why a managed service provider can’t simply advertise a flat fee on their website. It’s not one size fits all. And things always change.

Technology is central to your business. You may not associate your business with having an “IT” department or “IT” needs but your technology would disagree. The desktops, laptops, mobile devices, machines on the line, network modem, router, switch, and more all need to be kept running so your business can keep running. I'd bet this scenario isn't unfamiliar: you or one of your employees is typing away at a spreadsheet or invoice when suddenly the screen freezes up. No input received from the mouse or keyboard. You perform or hear that familiar sound of someone doing the mouse slam equivalent of hitting the side of an old TV set. Finally, the screen goes blank and the system goes offline for the foreseeable future.

As businesses continue to struggle with the economic fallout of COVID-19, many leaders are looking for ways to reduce costs, including technology. When implemented strategically, technology is a business enabler—an investment, not an expense. However, it’s always good to eliminate inefficiencies or redundancies in the IT department whenever possible. I recently had the chance to contribute to a TechRepublic article called “CIOs: 8 ways to trim IT budgets”. My tip, which focuses on telecom costs, is number 6. Below is more detail on how companies can potentially find savings in the IT budget.