How Much Should Managed IT Services Cost?

How Much Should Managed IT Services Cost?

Are you baffled by the different prices of Managed IT Services? Just how much should you be paying? Let’s talk about the different types of Managed IT services and their related costs.

Any sound business owner knows you will find it hard to survive without having somebody in the team who knows IT. But the problem is, creating an internal IT team (or even having one guy doing IT) becomes a bit of financial concern, especially for smaller and growing businesses.

But you also can’t afford to care about your network, servers, and workplace devices. Having a 5-minute downtime is miles better than having one that is 30-minutes long. The difference has a good IT team.

But if you can’t afford to have a team within your premises, what are your choices?

Well, you can always choose to have managed IT services.

Instead of having one or two people watching over your business, you will have a full team of professionals monitoring your business. You won’t have to worry about getting another room in your office because they will be watching it externally. It’s like having your very own army of IT guardian angels.

While the idea of managed IT services sounds like the perfect solution to any business, businesses also find it hard to allocate budget for such services. It’s because the majority of those that offer managed IT services don’t publish their prices online. This makes it hard for a simple business owner or decision-maker to compare providers.

But how much should managed IT services cost? What are the different types of managed IT services?

Let’s try to answer these questions as we read through this article. Towards the end, we hope you get a better understanding of what managed IT services are and how much you should pay for it.

The Price of Managed IT Services

Understanding Managed IT Services

Managed IT services allow businesses to entrust their IT operations to a third-party agency considered experts in the field. These agencies are called Managed Service Providers or MSPs. Depending on the agreement signed by the business and MSP, the responsibilities range anywhere from network monitoring, device maintenance, and even 24/7 support.

Managed IT services are the perfect solution for businesses that are a bit cash-strapped and can’t afford to hire an in-house IT team that can provide the same level of support as an MSP.

But why should you get your own IT team?

Well, simple.

Because having an IT team ensures your business processes will flow smoothly without a hitch. Having an expert IT team managing your network, website, and devices ultimately makes the buying experience easier and more pleasant for your customers – resulting in more sales. Just imagine having to sort through a network issue causing your customers not to process payment, ending with lost customers and income.

Different Types of Managed IT Services And How Much Do They Cost

If we are going to talk about the cost of managed IT services, we need to discuss the different types of managed IT services. The price is dependent on the kind of service you will get. Hopefully, you can pinpoint what kind of service you need to get a good idea of its cost.

Break/Fix

This type of service is pretty straightforward. When something does not work, you pay the IT team to fix it for you. The pricing can differ from issue to issue as they may require different expertise to fix. This is often not considered a “managed” IT service as it is old-fashioned, but some MSPs still offer this to some clients.

This model may sound good because you only pay when something breaks, but this also puts you on shaky financial ground because you can’t predict how much you will be spending.

Network Monitoring

A basic type of managed IT service, network monitoring is focused on assessing the functionality and condition of existing network components. When they see a possible issue (or existing concern), they will create a report and/or alert technicians. The goal of network monitoring is to warn you of potential problems before they hurt your business.

The cost of network monitoring sits anywhere from $5 to $25 per device. Some MSPs offer a package deal for small business networks for around $75 to $150.

It is worth noting that the fees for network monitoring do not include any issue resolution. This means they will only tell you what is wrong, and you choose to either fix it yourself or get somebody else to fix it for you. If you decide to hire your MSP to help you fix the problem, they may charge anywhere from $100 to $300. This may put your business in a position where you may be faced with unanticipated costs.

Network Monitoring and Support

The truth is, the majority of MSPs don’t offer stand-alone network monitoring services to all their clients. They usually reserve it for large businesses with existing IT teams that can respond to any issue that may come up.

If your business does not have an internal team, it’s always better to bundle up network monitoring with technical support.

No business owner wants to sleep at night, wondering how much they will spend on IT services tomorrow if something breaks. When you have technical support and network monitoring, you always know how much you are paying per month. It does not matter if an issue appears every other day. You pay the same amount.

Typically, MSPs will offer two different types of cost calculations for network monitoring with support.

1. Cost per user – Your MSP will charge you per user you have within your network. The rate should be around $99 to $250 per user.
2. Cost per device – Instead of charging you for every user, some MSPs may charge you for every device that they will cover within your network. Expect to pay around $25 to $100 per workstation and an additional $75 to $400 per server. They may also charge you for other managed devices like access points or routers. It’s always good to ask your provider about the coverage of their pricing.

Always ask your MSP about the level of support they will be providing. Those that charge on the lower end of the spectrum usually does remote support for existing concerns. Those that price their services higher may include several additional benefits/services, including but not limited to:

• Licensing
• Regular hardware upgrades
• Remote and onsite support
• Dedicated technology manager
• App support
• Business continuity
• Firewalls
• Cybersecurity
• Project work

What type of Managed IT Service Should I Choose?

Different types of managed IT services will appeal to other businesses at specific points of their growth. Some smaller teams may look at break/fix as a temporary solution as they grow their business, but a 50-man team will go over the budget with a break/fix type of setup.

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself before picking the right type of service for you.

1. How much support do I need? – Different businesses face different challenges on the IT front. Assess how much help you might be required, in the long run, to see if you need a team monitoring everything for you if you need somebody who can fix issues when you need them to.
2. Do I have an in-house IT Team? – If you have a trusted IT team within your business, you might not need the support. Going for 24/7 monitoring will provide you with enough security without having to pay for extra support when you can fix it with the help of your guys.
3. How much growth do I expect in the next 6/12/24 months? – IT services can be a pain when a company is expecting sudden growth. Having a team that can easily adjust to your needs will make the transition easier with fewer downtimes and issues.
4. Do I need any form of IT strategy or planning? – This may not be a question that many of us will ask, but if you are a business that relies heavily on IT, then coming up with an IT strategy and finding a partner to implement it will help propel your brand forward.

If budget allows, an “all-in” service with network monitoring and support is always a reliable choice if your growing business relies on IT to run correctly, and you don’t have an in-house team to monitor it 24/7 and fix whatever breaks. It might cost a bit more per month, but the fact that you will have peace of mind knowing somebody is out there looking out for your business and ready to attend to any issues will make it all worth it.

Atlantic-IT is a trusted Managed IT Services company that offers solutions to large and emerging companies in Philadelphia, New York, and New Jersey. We have a team of IT experts who are ready to assist you with all your IT needs. With Atlantic-IT as your IT partner, you can focus on your business as we make sure everything works well on the back end. Contact us today!