IT Teams Are Overworked! Are Managed IT Services the Solution?

In a time where hybrid and remote work is more common than not, IT departments have played an integral role in keeping distributed teams connected and secured while working away from the office. Today, IT teams must accommodate the growing needs of videoconferencing, collaboration and simplified communication solutions. However, the demands for IT departments have dramatically increased over the past few years. An article published by Spiceworks Ziff Davis shows that 72% of technology professionals said the shift to remote work created additional work for IT departments. When IT teams can't meet their demands, some users go around IT, signing up for cloud services and SaaS tools paid out of department budgets. With no oversight, these shadow IT services increase the risk of security holes, data breaches and poor governance—precisely what IT is supposed to prevent.

Additionally, businesses are struggling to find and retain top IT talent to fill key technology positions or backfill roles lost due to the Great Resignation and face an overwhelming need to find candidates with technical skills to drive digital transformation. As many businesses know, not having the right people puts pressure on how fast any company can move, regardless of budget.

There are advantages to having a dedicated technology provider that can scale an IT environment, maintain business agility, upgrade an outdated IT infrastructure, provide advanced cybersecurity support and more. So, what are the benefits of Managed IT Services, and why consider them?

Alleviate the Burden of Your IT Staff

Today, information technology is essential to most organizations' success. The more overworked your IT department is, the more you should be concerned about retaining your staff. Organizations are looking to automate and streamline operations so internal IT teams can focus on higher-value tasks and not just break-fix service delivery or routine busywork. Adding Managed IT Services to your organization allows your in-house IT personnel to focus on mission-critical initiatives and operations that support top-line growth.

Security Solutions

Stakes are at an all-time high in today's rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape. With ransomware, malware, phishing and social engineering at every corner, foundational security tools are no longer enough. According to a report published by VMware Carbon Black, 49% of businesses stated that they do not have the necessary tools and resources to detect or respond to cyber threats. A managed IT service provider adds a layer of security services by offering 24x7x365 remote monitoring of servers and networks, threat detection and mitigation and data backup and recovery.

Meet Today's Collaboration Demands

Businesses are adapting to an everchanging digital landscape and the growing remote workforce trend. With the rapid increase of this digital transformation, the need to support a hybrid or remote workforce is paramount. An integrated unified communications solution is critical to accommodate collaboration demands, including voice, chat, text/SMS, email, fax and video conferencing.

Organizations must keep up with current IT systems to maintain a competitive edge. However, IT management can be complex and costly and affect more parts of the business than ever before. Managed IT Services provide additional support by effectively managing your IT environment so your team can remain focused on strategic goals while gaining peace of mind that your network and connected devices are being proactively monitored.

Connect with your local office technology representative today to see how Managed IT Services from Sharp can help alleviate the burden of your IT team.