IT is like fuel for any business. With the rise of AI, these days IT is playing a more important role than ever. Gartner forecasted that IT spending will see a 6.8% rise in 2024. As a business owner, you have two options – Managed IT services and break-fix to pick.
Managed IT Services offer 24/7 monitoring, where Break/Fix IT service is done after something happens to your IT system. Also, the cost of Managed IT services is predictable compared to it counterpart. Managed IT Services also confirms smoother operations and less downtime than Break IT services.
This decision can significantly impact operational efficiency, cost management, and long-term growth. You have to take several things into account before making the final choice between these two. Let’s find out what you should consider.
Managed IT Services vs. Break/Fix Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Managed IT Services | Break/Fix |
| Cost Structure | Predictable IT costs | Pay-per-service for each call |
| Business Impact | Best for IT-dependent businesses | Suitable for less critical IT needs |
| Service Type | Proactive monitoring and maintenance | Reactive support when issues arise |
| Scalability of IT services | Highly Scalable | Limited scalability |
| Security | Continuous security monitoring and measures | Addresses security issues as they occur |
| Response Time | Quick response times | Can vary based on availability |
| Technology Updates | Regular updates and upgrades | Not included |
| Predictability of Costs | Predictable | Variable |
| Customisation | Extensive | Minimal |
| Cybersecurity Risks | Less | High |
What Is Managed IT Service?
Managed IT Services are proactive IT management services offered by a service provider called a Managed Service Provider (MSP).
These services cover almost all of your business’s IT requirements. They make sure the technology in your organisation is well maintained.
Instead of having to wait for IT problems to arise and reacting when they do, you now have an entire support team that constantly maintains and operates your systems.
Here Is How Managed IT Service Work
- You sign an agreement with an MSP and this agreement determines the services you will receive and the payment you will be charged on a monthly basis. This makes it easy to plan your budget.
- The MSP assesses your IT systems 24/7 to be able to identify problems early.
- They perform maintenance routines to ensure that the systems are performing optimally.
- They resolve issues before they escalate into significant ones, which is why they are best for IT downtime prevention.
- They maintain and safeguard your systems so that you can concentrate on developing your businesses.
What You Will Get With a Managed IT
Managed services are designed to help you with almost everything possible with respect to IT infrastructure monitoring. You will get the following IT services through Managed IT Services:
- IT consulting
- IT System building
- On-site preventive maintenance
- System health monitoring
- Helpdesk services
- Security solutions
- Data storage
- Cloud computing.
You also get Technology maintenance strategies from them.
This exhaustive package meets all your requirements with ease. Therefore, you can relax and let your people work on what you need as a business.
This service has flat monthly fees, which means that IT expenditures will not fluctuate from month to month. The focus is now on preventing such problems from occurring.
What Is Break/Fix IT Service?
Break/Fix IT service is where we approach the IT support in a ‘fix it’ rather than a ‘preventive’ manner. This process offers Reactive IT solutions.
They are managed as an emergency service that is called upon whenever something goes wrong. Clients only pay for the completion of a particular task. This work is performed on a labour and material (item) basis.
Break/Fix IT service is convenient during the failure of certain systems or equipment, for instance, a downed network or failed piece of hardware.
Here Is How the Break/Fix IT Service Works
- You call an IT service provider only when something breaks, like a network or hardware failure.
- You pay for each service call and cover the time and materials needed to fix the issue.
- This is a one-time service. You don’t get any ongoing support.
- You get IT support when you need it. As a result, you don’t have any fixed monthly cost for IT service.
What You Will Get With Break/Fix IT Services
As the name suggests, the Break/Fix model is an On-demand IT fixes support. You can hire experts for example for network reparing, hardware failures, software issues, and other immediate problems.
The main benefit of this model is that you don’t need to pay on a monthly basis. Instead, you can hire a company to work for you when you face issues with your IT infrastructure.
If your business heavily depends on IT then this should not be the best option for you. But if you need IT support occasionally then the Break/Fix method can be hadny.
Break-Fix Services Are Losing Market – Why?
These days businesses are relying heavily on IT. Any issues can hamper the natural flow of businesses. Break/Fix services take time to take action and can not fix issues immediately.
As a result, businesses lose valuable working hours. Moreover, IT issues can hamper customer communications which destroy brand reputations.
As businesses install more IT infrastructures to their businesses, they need permanent solutions rather than just on-demand actions. Therefore, Break/Fix is not a Cost-effective IT support.
Why Managed IT Services Are Taking Over
Managed IT services are becoming more and more popular as technology is progressing day by day. As a business owner or employee, you don’t want to wait after facing an issue.
If your company has a Managed IT service, you will get immediate support. If you don’t. You have to call a break/fix company and wait for their response.
A statistic that shows that the Managed IT Services market is expected to grow to $427 billion by 2028.
This growth is obvious as companies want to reduce downtime costs.
Managed vs. Break-Fix – Which One Should You Pick?
Selecting Managed IT Services means fixed costs and fewer problems that you do not have to deal with.
These are services that involve administration of your company’s IT environment in order to avoid problems from arising, and the contract allows support when necessary.
For example, a school with computer labs needs a managed IT service for regular checkups and updates.
On the other hand, Break-Fix Support works only in repair mode and only when something breaks down. You might also spend money on primary security services and equipment, which are packaged under Managed Services.
For example, a small recruiting agency might not need a dedicated team to look after its IT infrastructure. In that case, that business owner can depend on the Break/Fix IT structure.
Ultimately, Managed IT Services make budgeting easier and provide a smoother, more reliable IT experience compared to the unpredictable costs of Break-Fix Support. If you are looking forward to IT budget optimisation, managed IT service is your best deal.
Final Thoughts
Managed IT Services are the best choice if you require continuous IT support for your IT infrastructure or business. They’re cost-effective and allow you to address any issues before they occur. Also, you do not need to take any responsibility for your IT system issues and face any sudden issues as well.
Rely on the best IT service providers to ensure the best managed IT services. If you are looking for a Managed IT Service provider in Brisbane, Australia, ITTechBox is at your service.
We have been providing Managed IT Services here for years. Let us handle your IT system responsibilities, and you can move forward with plans to grow your business.
