IT decision makers can scale up or down managed IT resources quickly and easily, without costly investments in additional on-premise resources that may go underutilized when the need for them subsides. IT leaders can take a targeted approach to the IT resources they scale up or down through managed IT services as well, and adopt new capabilities as needed.

MSPs make it their business to provide the latest and most cost-effective IT capabilities to the clients for whom they provide managed IT services. Conversely, on-premise IT resources become dated quickly; they are difficulty to replace; and they require consistent upkeep by internal teams in order to keep them up to date. Managed IT means IT leaders can access the capabilities they need upon request simply by updating their financial arrangement with an MSP.

Since managed IT is provided as a service, IT leaders can make cost-effective arrangements with MSPs that nonetheless give them access to the leading IT resources they need. MSPs often bill on a recurring, subscription basis rather than requiring IT leaders to make costly upfront investments as they would when adopting on-premise solutions. IT leaders free themselves of unexpected costs associated with maintaining, updating, and repairing internal IT resources as well.

It is the business of MSPs to provide safe and secure IT resources to their clients. With this in mind, MSPs are well positioned to invest in industry-leading cybersecurity capabilities beyond what may be possible in on-premise or internally managed IT environments. IT leaders leveraging managed IT for the bulk of their infrastructure spend less time and money on security capabilities if they have an MSP with dedicated security resources working for them.

MSPs hire IT experts beyond what may be possible in a company’s internal IT department. MSPs consistently update their offerings to become more competitive; they ensure their own teams are up to date on the most pertinent capabilities as well. IT leaders enjoy industry-leading support without costly and time-consuming training or searching for high-end talent.

Internal IT resources are scarce and valuable—the more resources spent on simply supporting the regular course of business, the less time spent exploring new opportunities and innovating or transitioning from existing processes. Managed IT can support some or all of an organization’s business critical infrastructure, enabling IT teams closely familiar with their company’s goals to add value or explore more innovative IT opportunities for the company.

For internal IT teams overburdened with responsibilities, keeping digital resources up to date with the latest updates and patches is an ongoing and tedious challenge. For MSPs, keeping software up to date is a core part of their business. IT decision makers who leveraged manage IT can be confident they will avoid downtime, vulnerabilities in security, and other incidents caused by outdated software or unaddressed vulnerabilities.

Modern MSP business models are often designed to align with the success of their clients. For example, many MSPs adopt a ‘pay for what you use’ model, or they align their payments with real ROI from the relevant capabilities utilized by their clients. MSPs that approach business in this way often provide high levels of customer service to ensure IT leaders see the results they want from their capabilities.