More businesses are practically running to hire an IT managed services provider to take over the management of their IT infrastructure. But, it’s imperative to mention that many MSPs are seriously lacking in their capabilities. There are many IT managed services challenges that businesses find themselves navigating around, simply in order to ensure nothing is missed.
Naturally, this is not an ideal situation. As a business owner, it’s completely fair for you to expect your MSP to solve problems for you, rather than create new ones due to ineptitude or lack of experience.
Now, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to remote work, the MSP market continues to skyrocket (projected to double to $557.1 billion USD by 2028, globally) the oversaturation of said market only heightens the importance of ensuring your business isn’t beset by inadequately performing MSPs experiencing a host of their own IT managed services challenges.
That’s why, in this blog, we’re going to teach you all you need to know about the most common IT managed services provider challenges that many businesses are facing today, what you can do to avoid or mitigate them, and what you should look for when trying to hire a capable and qualified MSP who won’t make life harder for you, but rather the opposite.
What Exactly Are Managed IT Services?
Managed IT services refer to a wide scope of professional and technical support services that are provided by an organization to help businesses manage, maintain, and secure their networks.
This can include:
- Hardware and software maintenance
- Remote monitoring andsSupport
- Network administration
- Mitigating security issues
- Data backup and recovery
- Cloud hosting and support
- And more
Essentially, having an MSP on board means that you have an expert team of IT professionals who will be handling all your IT needs, taking the burden off of your shoulders so that you can focus on growing your business.
The Top 10 IT Managed Service Provider Challenges that Businesses are Facing Today
Although record numbers of businesses are turning to MSPs in order to leverage their service offerings, there are still a vast number of challenges MSPs face that can both directly and indirectly harm your business.
Here are the 10 most common challenges with managed service providers (MSPs):
1. Inadequate Support and Response Times
Many MSPs are lacking in the responsiveness department, which can be extremely frustrating for businesses that need immediate IT support when problems arise.
2. Sub-Par Technical Expertise and Knowledge
Another common challenge is the fact that many MSPs simply don’t have the necessary technical know-how to provide effective IT services, resulting in frequent errors, downtime, and other issues that cause major headaches for their clients.
Ensure the MSP you select is capable of delivering high quality services and are backed up by the requisite experience and technical expertise.
3. Lack of Adequate Staff Capacity/Resources
Many businesses outsource their IT needs because maintaining an in-house team of IT professionals comes with substantial overhead costs and ongoing management requirements that not all companies can afford or have time for.
Unfortunately though, many MSPs don’t have the resources to support their clients properly and often end up oversubscribing their services, which can result in sub-par performance and even outright negligence.
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If the MSP you’re considering seems more focused on sales and marketing than providing the services you need, it’s time to drop them from consideration and move on.
4. Inadequate Maintenance Strategies
One of the biggest IT managed services challenges that businesses face when working with an MSP is dealing with IT systems that are continuously breaking down or becoming outdated as a result of inadequate maintenance practices. This can be especially problematic for businesses that rely heavily on technology to run their operations smoothly.
It’s imperative that the operation of your business continues to chug along at a measured pace. Don’t settle for an MSP that is habitually bogged down by this particular IT managed service provider challenge.
5. Poor Compatibility with Existing IT Infrastructure/Applications
When it comes to managing complex IT infrastructures, it’s essential for MSPs to work well with your existing IT systems and applications in order to ensure optimal performance.
Unfortunately, this is not always the case and many MSPs lack the technical knowledge required to properly manage these systems, resulting in poor compatibility that can cause major disruptions in both network and security services.
6. Lack of Security Monitoring and Threat Protection
In today’s digital age, it’s absolutely 100% necessary for businesses to have reliable security measures in place in order to protect their networks and sensitive data from external threats.
Many MSPs fall short on this front though, either due to a general lack of expertise or skimpy security budgets that result in sub-par protection strategies and inadequate incident response plans. This consideration is especially important to be aware of in our work from home era, when one remote employee’s corrupted device can spell disaster for the whole organization.
7. Network Stability Issues/Outages
Another common IT managed services challenge is dealing with network outages and other stability issues that cause major disruptions in service.
Whether it’s due to poor monitoring, inadequate maintenance practices, or a lack of technical expertise, these issues can be extremely costly for businesses whose operations depend on reliable access to IT systems and applications.
8. Inefficient Management of Hosted/Cloud-Based Services
Many MSPs offer their clients the option of cloud-based services like hosting, storage, and software as a service (SaaS), which are undoubtedly beneficial since they allow businesses to take advantage of advanced technologies without having to invest in expensive hardware and software licenses upfront.
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However, managing these services properly is not always easy for MSPs and because it often requires specialized expertise that many simply don’t have. As a result of this IT managed services provider challenge, many businesses end up with inefficient cloud services that aren’t delivering on the promise of cost and resource savings.
9. Poor Management of Sprawling IT Environments
In today’s modern businesses, it’s not uncommon for organizations to have hundreds or even thousands of devices connected to their networks at all times – from desktop computers and laptops to smartphones, tablets, IoT devices, and more.
Unfortunately though, managing such complex IT environments is far from easy, especially if your MSP doesn’t have the necessary expertise or resources required to effectively manage these systems properly.
As a result, you may be faced with issues like slow network performance, security vulnerabilities due to outdated software patches and configurations, and many other IT managed services challenges that can significantly hinder business operations.
10. Poor Customer Support and Communication
Perhaps the biggest IT managed service provider challenge of all is dealing with poor customer service and inefficient communication.
Whether it’s not being able to get in touch with your tech support team or having difficulty understanding billing statements, these kinds of issues can be incredibly frustrating for businesses who are relying on their MSP to ensure reliable IT services.
To avoid this problem, it’s important for businesses to carefully vet their potential MSP partners before making a final decision – and ideally choose one that has a track record of providing stellar customer service and communications across the board.
Avoiding Every IT Managed Services Challenge with XL.net
Looking for an MSP that can help you avoid all of the common IT managed service provider challenges? Look no further than XL.net!
As one of the leading IT managed services providers in the industry, we have the expertise and resources required to ensure reliable, efficient IT services for businesses of all sizes and industries.
Whether it’s managing your cloud-based services effectively or monitoring your network security to prevent outages and other disruptions, we have you covered every step of the way.
With our top-notch customer support and communication channels, you can also rest assured knowing that any issues you may encounter will be dealt with quickly and efficiently – allowing you to focus on running your business without any worry or hassle.
Ready to experience the XL.net difference for yourself? Contact us today to learn more about our managed IT services and start avoiding every IT managed services challenge out there!