Downtime may be an expensive and disruptive factor in today's fast-paced company climate, affecting revenue, customer happiness, and productivity. Reducing downtime is critical for businesses that significantly rely on technology, including apps and IT infrastructure. In today's cutthroat business world, downtime is one such nightmare in addition to being costly, inconvenient, and unwanted. According to Carbonite, if an IT system for a small or medium-sized business (SMB) goes down for even an hour, the cost could be over $25,620, or $427.00 per minute.
So, how long is the outage? How it impacts your company's standing and bottom line, and how managed IT service providers may help you efficiently manage or even prevent it. As we explore these and other subjects, keep reading to find out more!
IT Downtime: Meaning and Repercussions
Downtime is the period of time that an organisation's IT systems are unavailable or offline due to a natural disaster, network outage, application unavailability, or technical problems. When it happens, a server, computer system, or network is offline or unavailable, which prevents workers from conducting business or offering customer service, unintentionally rendering them unproductive.
A company’s revenue, reputation, and brand value can be significantly impacted by downtime if they do not have a comprehensive business continuity or disaster recovery plan in place.
In what ways do managed service providers minimise downtime?
It is imperative that businesses identify potential sources of downtime and develop contingency plans to mitigate their impact. Even if it could appear like a challenging task, a provider of cloud-managed services can assist. Managed service providers can help decrease downtime by offering a range of services that not only safeguard your data but also mitigate its impact. How to do it is as follows:
- Constantly watching IT
The servers, networks, and applications that make up the IT infrastructure are constantly checked for functionality using a variety of security and software solutions. This helps them identify potential issues before they become serious ones that could cause downtime.
- Regular Upkeep of IT Infrastructure
through carrying out standard maintenance tasks including software updates, security patch installations, and firmware upgrades. They also perform hardware checks and upgrades to ensure that the IT infrastructure is running as efficiently as possible. Regular maintenance lowers the possibility of hardware and software issues that could cause downtime.
- Prompt Disaster Reaction
Companies that offer IT-managed services have a dedicated support team available around-the-clock to handle any issues that may arise. Through a number of communication channels, they provide up-to-date information on the problem's status and the solution's progress. By addressing issues as soon as they emerge, rapid response aims to minimise downtime.
- Performance Optimization
By routinely evaluating the performance of the IT infrastructure, they discover ways to improve it. This includes making configuration changes, swapping out hardware, and installing technologies like load balancing, caching, and content delivery networks (CDNs) that increase speed. By optimising performance, MSPs can reduce the likelihood of downtime caused by system overloads or other issues connected to performance.
- Robust Security Protocols
Managed IT services companies implement a comprehensive set of security protocols to safeguard the IT infrastructure from breaches, cyberattacks, and other security risks. Using the greatest security tools and techniques, such as firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS), antivirus and anti-malware software, and data encryption, MSPs identify and address potential vulnerabilities in the IT infrastructure.
- IT Education and Training
When IT empowers your workers, the probability of downtime due to security events or human error will probably go down. Another service provided by MSPs is employee education and training on the safe and effective use of IT infrastructure. It can address anything from how to use passwords safely to avoiding phishing scams to how to securely access the company's network.
Four Simple Steps to Select a Managed IT Services Provider
Selecting a cloud managed services provider (MSP) is a significant decision that requires careful consideration. The four stages listed below will help you choose the top cloud managed services provider:
- Evaluate Your Needs: You need to determine your specific needs before choosing a cloud MSP. Consider your company's size, business goals, and IT infrastructure. Determine the services that you require, including cloud migration, disaster recovery, security, and ongoing administration and support. By determining your needs, you may narrow down your search and select the best MSP that offers the services you require.
- Assess MSP Capabilities: Once your requirements have been established, research MSPs that offer the services you require. Look for MSPs who have managed cloud infrastructures similar to your own. Assess their abilities, expertise, level of service, and experience with the specific cloud platforms that you use. Analyse case studies, recommendations from clients, and industry certifications to gauge the MSP's credibility and moral character.
- Evaluate Security and Compliance: Security and compliance are critical considerations for any cloud MSP. Verify that the MSP has robust security measures in place to prevent internet assaults on your data and infrastructure. Look for Managed Security Providers (MSPs) with industry-standard security certifications like ISO 27001 or SOC 2, and who follow relevant laws like GDPR and HIPAA.
- Examine Account Cost and Support: Examine the potential MSPs' expenses and support provisions. Look for MSPs that offer pay-as-you-go or predetermined costs as flexible pricing alternatives. Analyse the MSP's support services, including its 24/7 availability, specialised support teams, and issue resolution protocols.
Final Thought
Downtime can have a big effect on a company's financial performance. However, by partnering with a cloud managed services provider, businesses may decrease the likelihood of downtime as well as its consequences. MSPs typically work closely with companies to manage their IT infrastructure proactively, lower the likelihood of downtime, and assist companies in operating efficiently and with the least amount of disruption to their everyday operations.
