As each small business grows, it will eventually reach a turning point. Sooner or later, technology will start to become a problem. Systems that were cobbled together early on struggle to function effectively under their new workloads, and outages are handled by a friend of a friend who understands a little about technology. While these strategies were once effective, cracks are now beginning to show.
It’s at this point that leadership might consider asking an expert for help. But with dozens of options available, this can be easier said than done. Which partner is best for your needs? And what should you keep in mind going in?
Keep reading to discover the answers.
The IT Challenges Faced By Growing Businesses
To understand how IT solutions and services help, it’s first crucial to explore the issues that begin to appear as your business grows. Many of the most insidious technical problems are not loud or ostentatious. They build slowly, quietly, and announce their presence only when they’ve already caused severe disruptions.
Infrastructure That Wasn't Built to Scale
IT decisions made in the business’ early days aren’t necessarily designed with growth in mind. They’re chosen based on what works well at the time. This can become a problem as your company continues to scale. Cloud storage that seemed generous fills up faster than expected, and networks that fulfilled the needs of a five-person team suddenly struggle when a second office location is added to the mix.
Security That Hasn't Kept Pace
Smaller businesses have smaller attack surfaces. But as your headcount grows, so does the risk. Each element added to your digital environment is another potential attack vector for threat actors to exploit, and it’s likely that your security posture hasn’t kept up. If you’re still relying on the basic antivirus software you installed on day one, then your entire business is at risk.
An IT Team That Can’t Handle Your Needs
Most companies start out with a single IT staff member – or worse, none at all. This situation is often functional while the business remains small, but collapses the moment growth begins. As your digital infrastructure becomes more complex, security risks become more prevalent, and more advanced solutions are needed, this knowledge gap will only get bigger and bigger.
Unpredictable Costs
Poorly planned IT is expensive. If hardware fails without warning, you’re forced to pay for the first replacement you can find. Lack of oversight can result in cloud expenses creeping upwards. And let’s not even discuss the hefty price tag incurred by a serious security breach. These additional expenses are a nightmare for CFOs (chief financial officers) who are trying to plan for growth.
What Are IT Solutions and Services?
IT services and solutions are designed to address these problems, reducing your risk of:
- Downtime
- Cyber-attacks
- Legal issues
- Reputational harm
- Data loss
They come in many different forms, but all have one thing in common: they help make daily IT management easier.
IT Solutions and Managed Services: What’s Included?
Understanding the various types of IT infrastructure solutions and services available, and what’s covered in each, will help you determine which best suit your needs.
Managed IT Services
Managed IT services (sometimes known as infrastructure management services) are a comprehensive solution designed to address every component of infrastructure maintenance. Under this model, a third party expert (known as a managed service provider, or MSP) handles:
- Continuous monitoring of endpoints, network, and infrastructure
- Helpdesk support with defined response and resolution time commitments
- Patch management and software updates applied on a scheduled basis
- Security monitoring and incident response
- Asset lifecycle management and procurement support
- Regular reporting on various aspects of the IT environment
These services are delivered under a monthly subscription fee.
Co-Managed IT Services
For businesses who require extra support but don’t want to fully replace their in-house team, the co-managed model provides an alternative to fully managed services. This solution provides the same comprehensive service scope, but designed to work alongside existing employees.
Cyber Security Services
Cyber security services have become non-negotiable for many businesses within the last few years, due to the practical protection and peace of mind they offer. These services focus on defending your digital environment against threats, through methods such as:
- Endpoint Protection: Securing every device that accesses business systems or data
- Email Security: Controlling the primary delivery mechanism for phishing, malware, and business email compromise
- Identity and Access Management: Ensuring the right people have access to the right systems, and that compromised credentials don't provide unrestricted access
- Network Security: Protecting the environment at the infrastructure level and managing traffic between systems
- Backup and Recovery: Ensuring data is protected and recoverable when something goes wrong
- Security Awareness Training: Addressing the human element that technical controls alone cannot manage
- Incident Response: Implementing a defined, tested process for containing and recovering from security events
IT Support Services
IT support services provide your business with crucial technical assistance when problems arise. This might include:
- Troubleshooting and resolution of hardware, software, and connectivity issues
- Helpdesk support for staff experiencing day-to-day technical difficulties
- Remote and on-site assistance depending on the nature of the issue
- User account management, including setup, access changes, and offboarding
- Device configuration and software installation
- Vendor liaison on behalf of the business for third-party product issues
These services can be delivered under either the managed IT model (i.e. a monthly subscription) or under a break-fix model (meaning that you hire them when you need help).
Cloud Services
Now that the cloud has become a crucial component of daily business operations, MSPs offer services designed to optimise and maintain it. Common cloud services and solutions include:
- Assessment of which workloads are suitable for cloud migration and which should remain on-premises
- Migration planning and execution that minimises operational disruptions
- Ongoing management of cloud platforms, including security configuration, cost optimisation, and governance
- Hybrid environment management where cloud and on-premises infrastructure coexist
Similarly to IT support, these are usually offered on either a project-by-project (e.g. during migration) or ongoing basis, depending on your needs.
IT Consulting/Strategy Services
Unlike most of the other services on this list, which are more practical in nature, IT consulting and strategy solutions are more hands-off. But this doesn’t mean they provide no value. In the long term, this service may actually provide some of the greatest business advantages.
Consulting and strategy services provide you with access to knowledge. You’re put in touch with an expert who can advise you on a number of topics, depending on the type of consultant you’ve hired. Some common areas of expertise include:
- IT strategy: Guides the future of your IT infrastructure by explaining how each strategic decision will bring you closer to (or further away from) your goals.
- IT Procurement: Helps you make smarter technology investment decisions by locating tools that address your needs at a lower cost.
- Virtual CTO Services: Performs the same functions as a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) but on a fractional or part-time basis.
- Compliance Consulting: Breaks down your regulatory obligations and helps you understand how to comply with them.
Software Solutions
In addition to the many third-party services available, there are also hundreds of software tools that can assist with many parts of IT management and maintenance. These are best used to automate simple, repetitive tasks, such as:
- Tracking compliance activities
- Basic threat monitoring and response
- Automated patch management and software updates
- Network performance tracking and diagnostics
- Asset inventory and lifecycle tracking
- Backup scheduling and verification
- Password management and access control
- IT ticketing and helpdesk request management
- Log collection and retention
- Software licence tracking and utilisation reporting
- Vulnerability scanning and risk flagging
- Email filtering and spam management
- Cloud cost monitoring and optimisation
These tools can help reduce the burden on human employees. However, it’s also very easy to become overreliant on them.
Software Solutions vs Third-Party Services
Often, small businesses are placed in a situation where they can’t afford everything they want at once. You may need to choose between software solutions and outsourced services. So if you find yourself at this crossroads, which option is best?
Choose Software If:
- You have a single clear, defined need that a program can easily address
- You already have an in-house team who can monitor and act when necessary
- You’ve considered the total cost of ownership - not just the initial license fee
- You’ve verified that it will integrate smoothly into your existing infrastructure
Choose Outsourced Services If:
- You feel the company could benefit from external expertise
- You’re looking for a more comprehensive solution, not a simple fix
- You lack in-house employees
Avoiding The Software Trap
Many businesses assume that software can fully replace human employees. Unfortunately, despite recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, this still isn’t the case. While software tools are valuable, they typically require oversight and occasional action from staff members in order to function properly. If this is not provided, errors will begin to quietly build up in the background, potentially even leading to downtime or undetected threats.
This doesn’t mean you can’t implement software solutions – to the contrary, there are many scenarios where they can be extremely valuable. But when doing so, ensure that you’re providing the human supervision needed to prevent issues.
How to Evaluate Whether Your Current IT Arrangement Is Working
You may be uncertain whether your current IT setup is working, or whether there are gaps you just haven’t found yet. In that case, you can quickly identify the difference by asking a few key questions:
Are You Operating Reactively or Proactively?
If the majority of your technology decisions are triggered by something going wrong (e.g. a hardware failure, system outage, or security incident), you should be worried. Reactive decision-making increases your risk of downtime and reduces your ability to adapt quickly to changes within the company. This is one of the clearest indicators that your IT needs work.
Do You Have Visibility Into Your Environment?
Can you answer the following questions about your IT environment without checking?
- Which devices are approaching end of life?
- When were operating systems and applications last patched?
- Who has administrative access to your key systems?
- What would happen to your operations if your primary systems went down today?
If the answer is “No”, then you don’t have enough visibility into your digital infrastructure. This means you won’t be able to make informed decisions.
Is Your Technology Keeping Up With Your Business?
As your business grows, is technology scaling with it? Or are gaps beginning to appear (such as storage limitations or incomplete workflows)? If your IT is beginning to fall behind, then you may need to engage with an expert to determine why.
Are Your IT Costs Predictable?
Unpredictable costs are a sign that your IT isn’t functioning as it should be. If you’re regularly coming across expenses you didn’t expect and didn’t plan for, something within your digital environment isn’t working.
Choosing the Right IT Solutions and Services
If you investigate the situation and determine that additional solutions or services are needed, then your next step is locating the right ones. Unfortunately, they won’t all suit your requirements. Use these strategies to find the best fit for your current situation:
Examine Your Needs
Before you do anything else, sit down and outline your needs in as much detail as possible. This may involve conducting an in-depth IT audit, so you can determine exactly where the gaps are. The more clearly you understand the problems you are trying to solve, the better positioned you are to choose a solution that addresses them effectively.
Determine Whether You Need Software or Expertise (or Both)
Depending on the requirements you’ve managed to define, you might need a software solution, an MSP, or a combination of both. Compare your needs against the advantages offered by each to determine which path is best. If you decide that managed services are in order, continue onward to the rest of the steps in this section.
Look for Genuine Alignment, Not Just Capability
If you choose IT services, then keep in mind that the best partners are those genuinely invested in your company. Your technology is part of your business and directly influenced by it. Look for an MSP who is interested in learning more about your goals, strategy, and company culture.
Evaluate Proactivity
Proactivity is another important trait to search for, especially if you’re signing up for any kind of managed service. Pay attention to their communications. Do they ask questions proactively, or wait for you to reach out first? How long do they take to answer emails and phone calls? This information will tell you plenty about how quickly and proactively they will address problems within your IT infrastructure.
Verify What’s Included
Before you commit (to either a software tool or third-party service), check one last time to ensure that your requirements are being met by this solution. You may need to read over service level agreements (SLAs), contract fineprint, or other details. Once you have signed up it may be disruptive or expensive to switch, so don’t skip this step.
Choose the Right Tools for the Job
IT infrastructure solutions and services might seem complicated at first. But they don’t need to be. Once you understand what each service offers, when to choose software instead, and how to choose the right fit, you’ll be equipped to improve, support, and protect your IT infrastructure.
Selecting the right tools for each individual need can be challenging at the best of times. If you don’t have accurate information, it’s even harder. That’s why we’re committed to providing all the facts about the various services and solutions available. Get started by reading our warts-and-all analysis of Microsoft Copilot.