IT Consulting Vs Managed IT Services: Which One’s for You?

Understanding The Difference Between IT Consulting Versus Managed IT Services Can Help Your Organization Make More Informed Decisions When It Comes to Technology Support.

IT consulting and managed IT services are very different. While both involve working with a technology professional or team on a regular basis, IT consulting usually involves one-time projects, while managed IT services mean outsourcing most
or all of your technology infrastructure management needs to a dedicated provider.

With IT consulting, you are working with an expert who can help you with a project—like setting up your new office’s wireless network or upgrading your existing software. This usually means that you’ll
be paying for a set number of hours and only paying for additional hours if needed. You may not need to work with the consultant again until another one-time project comes up, but you can work together in whatever capacity best suits your
needs at any given time.

With managed IT services, you’re partnering with an organization that will act as an extension of your own business when it comes to managing your technology. This could include managing your onsite servers and hardware, providing cloud storage
for data backups and offsite storage, maintaining antivirus programs on computers and other devices, monitoring network activity for security threats (or anything else!), and many others.

IT Consulting Services Typically Come in Two Different Forms: On A Project Basis or Hourly Rates.

The project basis is where you pay for a specific service, such as website design and development. The company will take care of all aspects of the project from start to finish, and you pay them a flat fee upon completion.

Another way IT companies bill their clients is by the hour. This can work well for smaller jobs like troubleshooting an issue with your computer system or helping fix a glitch in your website’s code. It can also be used when working on larger
projects that have no end date, such as monitoring your network 24/7 to ensure security.

Managed IT Service Providers Deliver a Range of Services on An Ongoing Monthly Basis.

This is in contrast to IT consulting services, which are only focused on fixing computer and network problems when they occur.

A Managed Service Provider (MSP) is an IT professional that helps companies deal with their technology.

An MSP is a partner that maintains a company’s computers and network, allowing the business owner to focus on other things.

The provider can be either remote or in-house, depending on the needs of the company.

A good MSP will be proactive, looking for problems before they occur. They will also have experience with many different industries and can offer guidance when it comes to whether certain technologies will work for you or not.

Managed IT Service Providers deliver a range of services on an ongoing monthly basis. These services ensure the stable and secure operation of your company’s technology infrastructure. Services
include things like:

If Your Company Needs a Specific Project Completed, Such as Designing a Network or Installing Servers, You’ll Probably Want to Hire an IT Consultant.

The best way to determine whether this is the right approach is to think about the scope of the project and how long it will take. If the project will last a few days or weeks, hiring an IT consultant on a project basis maybe your best option.
This usually involves negotiating a fee for the entire project based on how much time it will take and what skills are required to complete it successfully.

Once the project has been completed and approved by your team, the consultant will likely leave your company until more assistance is needed.

The most common reason small businesses hire an IT consultant is to get help with a specific project. If you need to set up a new network or install servers, for example, it’s usually more economical to hire an experienced IT consultant than
it is to have your own employees learn how to do it.

Consultants are often hired on a per-project basis, but they can also be hired hourly or as salaried employees in some cases.

If You Need Help Keeping Your Systems Running Smoothly, A Managed Service Provider Is Probably Better for You.

If you’re a small to mid-sized business, you can probably benefit from managed IT services. The alternative, hiring a full-time team of in-house IT professionals, is both cost-prohibitive and ineffective.

If you need help keeping your systems running smoothly, an MSP is probably better for you. If you’re worried about security threats, an MSSP is the better choice.

Managed service providers offer managed IT services. They provide a single point of contact managing the execution of IT service management (ITSM) processes. The goal is to make sure that IT services are being delivered as required by business
customers, and to ensure that services are delivered in a cost-effective manner. These providers manage the entire lifecycle of IT services, including design, development, testing, deployment, operation, and continuous improvement processes.

For One-Time Projects, An IT Consultant Is Best but For Ongoing Help and Support, A Managed Service Provider Is the Better Option.

IT consulting and MSPs have their individual benefits based on your business needs. If you are a growing company and want to get expert support on a reasonable budget, then IT Consulting services are a better choice.

If you are a mid-large-scale enterprise and want your business to grow without any hassle, then MSPs are there to take your IT load off your shoulders. You can focus on your business targets more than taking care of IT infrastructure. Because
MSPs will keep your system up and running smoothly without any worry.

That’s why here at AdvancedtechCo. we offer both IT consulting and Managed IT Services. So that you can get the best service for your company.