Do Managed IT Services Cost More Than The Break/Fix Model?

The term break/fix is fairly self-explanatory. If the IT equipment breaks down, you call someone to fix it. This is a very different service model than the managed IT service model where proactive maintenance is provided for a flat fee each month. Though it may seem like break/fix services would be cheaper, that is rarely true.

Do You Regularly Service Your Car?

If you look at this from a different perspective, it’s easier to see why. Let’s suppose you buy a new car. You never have any service done to the car. You only take it into the shop if it breaks down. How long will your new car last if you never put oil in it, have the tires rotated or the brakes fixed? It’s pretty easy to make a case for servicing your new car on a regular basis. Cars that get good regular service will last longer and they’ll have a higher resale value.

But when we talk about servers, networking equipment and computers, it’s harder to see why regular service is so important. However, servers and IT equipment do often cost as much or more than a new car. Plus, this is very delicate equipment that requires professionals to operate. Anyone can jump in a new car and drive it down the street. But you wouldn’t let your teenage son operate your new Oracle Server.

If you want your IT equipment to last longer and perform better, then it needs regular professional servicing. The way to get this is to sign up for a managed IT service package from a reliable local provider. They employ techs who are highly trained and know how to service and operate servers of all kinds. They understand how to fix a computer that’s locked up. They can trace down a problem and repair it in your network.

Need 7 More Reasons To Switch?

If you’re still not convinced, below are 7 more reasons to switch to the managed IT service model that offers regular maintenance and support for all your IT infrastructure.

1. If your technology breaks down and you have to call an IT support company for help, your productivity is already suffering. Some employees are sitting around waiting, but you’re still paying their salaries. Don’t forget to figure in expenses like this when deciding how much break/fix costs.
2. IT equipment that breaks down continuously will cause your employees lots of frustration. They will form a negative feeling about coming to work or working on certain projects, because that equipment always breaks down and has to be fixed. That equates to waiting, not being able to get a job completed and unhappy clients. Now you’ve got unhappy employees and unhappy clients…not a very good work atmosphere!
3. Your server broke down again. The IT guy is here now trying to fix it. Your employees are sitting around waiting. The repairman finally gets it fixed at 3pm. Guess what? You’re going to have to pay overtime to your employees if you want them to complete the work they were doing when the equipment broke.
4. When you constantly have equipment failures, it’s easy to get behind. You can’t get projects out the door in a timely manner. Some of your customers will eventually get aggravated because you’re always putting them off and telling them the project will be completed next week. They’ll take their work elsewhere.
5. If your computers, network or servers break down today, how much will that cost? Did you have those expenses figured into your budget? Most small business owners can’t afford huge invoices for IT repairs.
6. With no one monitoring and maintaining your IT equipment, you could easily become the victim of a data breach. Data breaches are occurring almost daily across the U.S. Cyber thieves are searching for any business that doesn’t have the strongest possible cyber security. Thieves love easy targets because they’re basically lazy. If your business has a data breach, you must follow the new protocols for reporting it and notifying those affected. One data breach now costs approximately $1.2 million.
7. Often, businesses that don’t work with a reliable managed IT services company also don’t have a business continuity plan in place. What would happen today if a strong wind blew the roof off your building and it filled up with nasty rain water? Do you have viable data backups that work just in case your business is hit by a tornado, vandalism or other catastrophe? Business continuity is all about making sure you can get your operations back up and running very quickly so there’s almost no loss of income.

Are You Ready for A Data Breach?

You need proactive monitoring of critical systems, such as server logs, antivirus and backups. Otherwise you could experience a disaster that shuts the doors to your company. Programs must be updated and patched on a regular basis or else you’ll be the next victim of cybercrime. The firewall and antivirus programs must be updated and working 100% each and every day. If you lose even a day’s worth of records, you could lose invoices, product orders, and work records that would be nearly impossible to replace.

Why Take Chances With Your Business?

Your customers and your employees deserve better. They’re counting on you to handle all work in a professional manner. Don’t let them down. Make sure your IT infrastructure gets the regular maintenance and monitoring it requires to work at peak performance.

Running a business can be challenging enough on its own. Remember the old adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Get the IT support you need to keep all your systems running well so that you can focus on your customers instead of your technology.