As companies become more reliant on modern technology, they’re rapidly changing the way they consume IT services. The rise of cloud services and mobile devices in the workplace has endowed businesses with many lucrative new opportunities. But it has also left internal IT departments bursting at the seams as they try to adapt to new technologies. This has encouraged a shift towards a service-based model in which companies outsource their technology needs to a third party. IT-as-a-service (or ITaaS) introduces many important business benefits like the following:
#1. Proactive support
Traditional technology support follows the break/fix model in which you’d have to call in your IT guy to resolve a problem. Often, there was no telling how long the process would take or how much it would cost. This means extended periods of unscheduled downtime would bring business to a grinding halt and leave employees with nothing to do. IT service providers are bound by their service level agreements (SLAs) to respond within a given timeframe, and technical support is included as part of the package. Users will also have access to a self-service support portal where they can open tickets and view knowledge base articles.
#2. Standardized technology
Although there’s still a case for proprietary technology in certain niche environments, almost all modern business workloads are best off powered by standardized technology. IT service providers use standardized services, customized to the needs of their customers, to deliver mission-critical applications and functions quickly and efficiently. By standardizing your technology environment, you’ll also have access to better support and regular updates. Most service providers use industry-recognized frameworks for things like data security and privacy as well, which eases the compliance burden for regulated organizations.
#3. Predictable costs
Technology obsolescence has long been one of the biggest enemies of innovation. There’s a constant demand to innovate quickly to keep ahead of competitors, but that can also incur huge costs. From hardware maintenance to upgrades to the expertise required to keep it all up and running, both capital and operational expenses in technology can quickly become a major drain on financial resources. Outsourcing your IT to a distributed computing environment can eliminate most, if not all, capital expenses on technology, while also negating the need to have highly skilled in-house IT staff. Furthermore, since maintenance, upgrades, and repairs are all provided for a fixed monthly fee, the costs are entirely predictable with no unpleasant surprises.
#4. Increased scalability
For most modern businesses, the days of operating costly in-house data centers are gone. In this traditional computing environment, scalability is severely limited, potentially leading to serious problems whenever there’s a period of increased demand. Provisioning new systems costs time and money, which is why so many organizations are migrating to a flexible cloud-based computing infrastructure. When you’re working with an ITaaS provider, you can start taking advantage of a software-defined environment that allows you to access computing resources on demand.
#5. Enhanced productivity
Cloud technologies have become the new norm rather than something only early adopters think about. With hosted virtual desktops delivered over the internet, for example, employees can enjoy much the same experience as they can using local computing resources. The only difference is that the workloads are taken care of in a remote data center, which means employees can access the apps they need for work no matter where they are or which device they’re using. The convenience and flexibility drive better productivity in a world where people are growing accustomed to remote work environments.
Binatech Systems develops IT solutions that align with your business’s operational priorities. Call us today to schedule your free network assessment.
