Many companies look for outside help in order to keep their IT systems running. Only very large companies can afford to keep specialists on staff that can each cover one aspect of complicated IT infrastructure.
So, it is a good idea to outsource many functions of IT support. Outsourced services need to be procured on a contract or, at the very least, a contacts database. Having specialists on call is like taking out an insurance policy in case things go wrong.
However, there are two main strategies to adopt when looking for services to keep your IT system operating: the break/fix model or remote monitoring and management (RMM).
The concept of break/fix IT services is pretty self-explanatory: When something breaks, the IT provider shows up to fix it. This is essentially the old stereotype of the IT technician who works almost like an appliance repair person. You sort of forget they exist until your workstation crashes and you have to call the phone number on his magnet he left on the break room fridge.
Break/fix IT services usually revolve around these types of emergency calls and the associated on-site visits. Customers are billed for parts and time spent fixing their IT issues. As you can imagine, there’s little discussion of strategy or the future of the organization’s IT infrastructure.
This purely transactional approach to network, hardware, and software service means organizations get exactly the amount of attention they need to keep things running. From a customer’s perspective, this once sounded ideal. Why pay for IT when everything is working? You don’t pay for water when the faucet isn’t running, right?
(This perception has changed quite a bit over the last decade or so, as we’ll discuss further along in this article.)
Common break/fix scope of services typically include:
Remote monitoring and management offer a better solution to business IT maintenance and operations than the break/fix model. An RMM system is much easier to run than an IT support department. The RMM route is particularly important for startups and small businesses.
Companies that don’t have the budget to keep in-house IT specialists tend to foist the responsibility for IT system on a business manager who just doesn’t have the time or skills to keep on top of all issues.
RMM is a package that includes all the IT infrastructure monitoring software that any business needs in order to run an IT system. The management part of RMM describes a series of automated processes that reduce the amount of time that an administrator must spend in order to head off problems and prevent failure.
Being able to spot problems and fix them reduces performance impairment that users might notice. So, with no system failures occurring, there is no need for anyone to call the IT Help Desk.
Not only does RMM reduce the number of calls to the Help Desk, it even provides that service. Most RMM packages include user support functions. These include self-service portals and knowledge bases with troubleshooters, so users can fix their own problems without having to resort to ask for help from support technicians.
Large companies with many sites can centralize IT support in one location thanks to the “remote” part of “remote monitoring and management.” RMM systems enable technicians to access computers on a site remotely. The RMM software’s automated processes can also reach equipment in other locations.
Smaller companies can’t afford to employ technicians. However, RMM helps those enterprises, too. RMM software enables managed service providers (MSPs) to fulfill IT support functions for other companies. So, those small businesses would outsource all IT support to an MSP.
Your business does not exist to operate an IT system. It has a primary activity and the IT system is meant to serve that purpose and not absorb too many resources. RMM systems include system monitoring functions that can be left to watch over the IT infrastructure. When problems occur, the RMM will notify an operator, who should intervene. In many cases, the RMM system can act automatically to head off failure.
With an RMM system watching over the IT system, companies can get on with their business and spend their resources on improving sales and making profit.
Cloud-based RMM systems are even better because they remove the need for the business to buy and maintain hardware on which to run the RMM software. One step further is to sign up for an MSP service that combines the technicians along with the hardware and software needed to keep IT infrastructure operating efficiently.
In a digitally transformed hyper connected world, the break/fix model is rapidly becoming obsolete. As businesses can’t afford any potential downtime, managed services is now at the heart of modern business.
The break/fix model has been around for as long as companies have used enterprise technologies. While it has certainly served its purpose for decades, it simply doesn’t cut it anymore.
Why can’t businesses depend on the break/fix IT model anymore? To put it simply, in a hyper-connected world, waiting to react to something that you know is going to happen often comes with dire consequences. Proactive management is what is needed.
XEOX is a cloud based modern remote monitoring and management software solution for IT teams and professionals to gain better visibility and control over all critical assets in their company’s or customer’s IT environment. This advanced RMM tool allows to manage various IT assets automatically and remotely from a central location using any device.
The software is equipped with tools that streamline repetitive IT support and management tasks. It enables automated deployment and installation of software packages to endpoints, computers and users without causing disruption. XEOX simplifies patch management processes with instant endpoint scanning, patch distribution and patch compliance reporting capabilities.
IT teams and professionals gain a complete and clear view of their entire network. They can monitor the activity of users and devices connecting to VLAN networks and receive notifications about switch port status and availability. Efficient endpoint management also allows them to detect and fix problems on their Windows endpoints immediately. XEOX also has a mobile app that allows them to track and troubleshoot issues, perform tasks, and access important alerts anywhere.
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