In this day and age, many businesses and organisations don’t have the time, resources, or knowledge to have their IT operations managed in house. While it is vital to be equipped with the latest tools and superior technologies to help stay ahead of the curve, designing an effective IT service and staying up-to-date with the latest trends is daunting for any organisation. This is where managed IT services come in.
Handled IT services is the whole process of delegating the IT operations of an organisation to a third-party called Managed Service Providers (MPS). These highly-qualified third-party organisations are responsible for managing the IT operations of an organisation, providing a variety of services like security, on-demand support, data backups and constant monitoring services.

What services does an MSP provide?

MSPs work with businesses and organisations to better understand their unique requirements to fulfil the different objectives while focusing on upcoming trends and changes in technology to be ahead of the curve. They also provide constant software patching, maintenance and other security management services to protect organisations from cyber attacks.
Besides managing the integrity and safety of an organisation’s data, MSPs also implement sufficient backups for quicker and easier data recovery in the event of any data lapses. On top of that, MSPs engage in regular analytics and reporting to help organisations evaluate network performance and other KPIs. Coming from a third-party perspective, they can provide unbiased feedback and suggestions for the organisation. Other services include auditing and compliance and networking and system monitoring.

New trends and challenges in managed IT services

As the market is evolving all the time rapidly, businesses face extreme pressure and therefore, turn to managed IT services to take the weight off their shoulders so that they can prioritise their day-to-day operations. Following are some of the latest trends and challenges in the managed IT service market.

• Keeping up-to-date with emerging technologies

Organisations need to prepare and hire people with an extensive skill set and deep understanding of emerging technologies like blockchain and IoT, to address changing and evolving needs. While it may be difficult for businesses to directly hire such professionals, this opens more opportunities for MSPs to provide their services to organisations. For IT professionals, this also means a growing demand for those certified in these emerging technologies.

• Increasing frequency and complexity of cyber threats and attacks

The increment of cyber attacks have recently driven companies to place more emphasis on their security, and MSPs can help organisations incorporate security solutions to recover from potential cyber attacks. The need for cybersecurity will only go up in the next few years, so it will be worthwhile for IT professionals to be equipped with relevant skills.

• Higher demand for MSP from large corporations

Due to the increase in mergers and acquisitions, the demand for MSPs is on the rise as MSPs offer a wide range of services for various customers. Organisations can fully utilise this and outsource their massive IT operations.

• Cloud-based IT services are a growing field

Organisations are taking advantage of cloud services to build new platforms to keep up with digital transformation needs. In such cases, MSPs provide consumption-based pricing models that differ for each organisation.

• A growing preference for subscription-based technologies

With an enormous increase in subscription-based technologies, organisations can benefit in terms of scalability, security and cost. MSPs can aid organisations in switching to subscription-based services without any hassle.

How to land a career in managed IT services

If you are keen on handling the IT infrastructure of an organisation and want to be part of an MSP, you can equip yourself affordably with approved SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) training courses. You can begin by familiarising yourself with IT management best practices in the ITIL 4 Foundation course at BridgingMinds. Through such courses and certifications like a CISSP or CEH certification, you can also stay in the know on related fields like cyber security, cloud computing and blockchain, making you an in-demand IT professional.