Do you need Managed IT Services or Break/Fix?
If you’re a work-from-home professional or the owner of a small business, you’re going to need some level of computer support, network troubleshooting and repair, or other IT services.
Whether you need a Managed IT Services company (MSP) or just break/fix (your “computer guy”) depends on your volume of IT service requests, the complexity of your network, and whether or not it’s important for you to have benefits like 24/7 security monitoring and annual IT reports.
What is Managed IT Services?
Managed IT Services is just that—your IT is managed for you, and generally runs in the background. An MSP will first assess your network for any flaws and make immediate recommendations to close security holes, repair current and recurring desktop or server issues (especially if they perform onsite work as part of their agreement—not all MSPs do), and make sure you have proper backups and a clear disaster recovery plan in place. You’ll still need to call your MSP to request IT support, but your agreement with them should be more proactive than reactive.
Small businesses with more than 5 computers receive these benefits with a quality Managed IT Services provider. (Some of these benefits may also be available in a Break/Fix agreement, depending on your agreement, or without any agreement. It all depends on the IT needs of your particular office.)
1. Business-grade antivirus with 24/7 monitoring
2. Cloud solutions, virtualization
3. Backups and disaster recovery
4. VoIP phone systems
5. Strategic IT planning and consulting
If you need regular (monthly) IT support, you might consider outsourcing your IT to a professional Managed IT Services provider. Doing so could help you stay on top of your IT before little recurring issues turn into big problems. You would also benefit from hiring a consultant who can help you find solutions that lower your volume of service requests.
If you’re paying an out-of-subscription rate for regular visits from your outsourced IT professional, you might also save money by going into subscription with them (if it’s offered).
What is Break/Fix?
A Break/Fix model is generally a reactive approach to IT, which might be just fine for a smaller office, a small business that operates in the cloud, or a company that for some other reason has very few IT support requests each year.
If you are not in subscription with an IT services provider and only need occasional computer repair or computer consulting, it is still important to have a robust antivirus on all of your machines. No, we don’t mean Kaspersky, McAfee, or Norton—we mean good, endpoint protection that works, that comes out with the latest virus definitions without slowing down your machines, and can be closely monitored by your IT professional. We recommend business-grade antivirus with 24/7 monitoring to any business owner who is serious about security.
Additionally, no network is too small to have proper backups in place and a clear disaster recovery plan. Have a reliable offsite backup, and know how to retrieve that backup should the worst happen.
Is Morgan Systems an MSP or Break/Fix?
Both! We work with customers in and out of subscription with us. Our ideal customers are work-from-home professionals and small businesses with up to about 25 computers. Call us when you need us or benefit from our retainer-model subscription, wherein customers pay for a minimum number of support hours each month and receive a discounted hourly rate.
We perform onsite IT support in Dallas and surrounding cities, remote assistance, and network productivity assessments. Everything from computer hardware, server and network installations, cloud solutions, and commonly used business software like QuickBooks and Outlook. Annual IT reports are also available to our subscription customers.
Our pricing is simple and very competitive, but what really sets us apart is our high level of responsiveness, empathy for our clients, and smart, practical IT solutions that make sense.