You have most likely heard the term “managed IT services” and how they can save businesses money. And if you are still managing your own IT network in-house, an Atlanta-based managed services provider can probably save you money, too. But that’s not the only benefit you’ll get from hiring a managed IT services company. Additional benefits are having IT experts managing your network, paring down the labor hours for IT repair and maintenance, and improving your cybersecurity. However, it may be difficult to pin down the exact pricing that Atlanta’s managed IT services will cost a small- or medium-sized business.
If you’re not in the business of computer and network services yourself, pricing for managed IT services can seem frustratingly opaque. So, we have created this guide to help you understand the pricing and costs that you can expect.
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What is Managed IT Services?
Before we get down to the costs, let’s define what ”managed IT services” is.
Managed IT services is an umbrella term for a range of services, but its primary definition is a group of external experts assuming responsibility for some or all of your IT operations — literally, they “manage” portions of IT services for you.
What is Comprehensive Managed IT Services?
Depending on the skill of your internal IT personnel and/or your need to have employees focused on your core business, it makes the most sense for a managed IT services team to act as your company’s IT department, essentially handling all of your IT needs. That includes collaborating with leadership on strategic IT endeavors to helping install updates as they become available.
What are Partial Managed IT Services?
For some businesses, it makes the most sense to outsource specific parts of the IT matrix. In this case, managed IT services might be limited to supporting the internal IT team for complex issues only, or it can include all the routine maintenance tasks, backups, security and updates.
How are Managed IT Services Priced?
Managed IT service in Atlanta can vary depending on deliverables and responsibilities, but it can also vary in the price of the services as well. That makes it difficult to offer a single, straightforward price when faced with the question, ”How much do managed services cost?”
However, pricing may be variable, but that doesn’t mean it is opaque or hard to understand. Your provider should be able to give you their pricing for each service or repair based on labor hours and parts replacements. Or they can give you a monthly price, based on what is included in your package of services.
In general, the price range for managed IT service packages run from $99 per user, per month to $250 per user, per month.
Users are defined her as employees who use technology to do their jobs. So, if you have 100 employees, and 30 of them use IT devices for their jobs, you pay the monthly fee based on those 30 users. The price per month changes depending on which services you need.
What are the Cheapest Managed IT Services?
The low end or most basic services are monitoring services. Those services range from $75 to $150 per month. In this scenario, a managed IT services team in Atlanta would monitor your server, and alert you if there is a problem. You can fix it yourself or pay an additional fee to have the repair expert determine what you need and fix it.
This type of service doesn’t save you much money and isn’t that helpful. Your own staff can generally tell when a problem crops up, and buying repair services piecemeal is bound to cost more. Additionally, the repair could require a quick outlay of cash on the spot. If your infrastructure is older, breakdowns are more common. Repair hourly rates can cost from $75 to $275 per hour.
What are the Most Popular Managed IT Services for Small and Midsize Businesses?
The most popular managed IT services for small- and midsize businesses are the medium- to high-priced cost spectrum, in which the managed IT services team monitors, initiates problem-solving actions and often prevents them from occurring in the first place.
For instance, the IT company will run network security tests daily to discover any loopholes in your security infrastructure. If any are discovered, hardware or software upgrades are implemented to fill in the gaps.
These agreements typically include 24/7 IT support, planning, strategy, design, backup, and disaster recovery services as well as on-site and remote support, all for one flat fee. These agreements are priced per technology device or per user.
Common “per device” costs range from $100 — 400 per server, $50 — 100 per workstation, $30 — 75 per firewall, and $15 — 40 per switch. Common “per user” costs range from $75-175 per user depending on the specific services that are included.
What is the Highest End of the Spectrum for Managed IT Services in Atlanta?
The high end of the price range for managed IT services in Atlanta is $250 per user per month which includes fully host and/or cloud IT systems. Your company provides the infrastructure, and you pay a monthly fee for usage and support.
What Factors Affect IT Support Pricing?
The biggest factors that determine managed IT support prices are the type of services provided, and the level of involvement needed from the managed IT services team.
How Much Will My Managed IT Support Cost in Atlanta?
Managed services adoption also helps in controlling the ongoing expenditure, along with the sharing of risks of new technology with a third-party service provider. One of the most significant benefits that it provides is the economies of scale that help the companies to cut down their costs.
According to MarketWatch
Ask yourself if you need the following in your services package:
- Retain internal IT staff
- Payment a flat amount each month or a low monthly fee with varying additional charges
- Remote and onsite services?
- Network in the cloud or on-premises
Need help evaluating IT services in Atlanta? We would love to help. Contact us at Centerpoint IT.
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