Determining the costs of managed IT services can be hard because of the various factors impacting this. Considering this type of service, you need to know what these factors are. You also need to understand how these factors affect the potential cost you will face.
1. The Type Of Managed IT Service
The first factor that impacts the cost you face is the type of managed IT service you are considering. There are two board categories of fully managed IT and partially managed IT. Further examples of IT service will be found within these broad categories.
The partially managed IT service will be the cheaper of the two. The exact cost will depend on the existing IT personnel you have and what the managed service will be handling. This type of service is best for businesses that need certain IT services handled in-house while other tasks can be outsourced.
The more expensive IT service is the fully managed one. Small and medium-sized businesses often find that this is a more economical option, but on the surface, the costs are greater. With this service, you will not need any dedicated in-house IT staff, and you will be able to scale the service you get based on the current needs of your business.
2. The Pricing Structure
Once you know the type of managed IT service you want, you need to look at the pricing structure. The pricing structure used will impact the overall costs, and you need to choose the right one for your business. When you select the wrong structure, you could end up paying more than you need to for your managed IT service.
One of the most common pricing structures is per-user pricing. As the name suggests, you will pay a fee for each user being cared for by the service provider. You will be able to easily calculate the number of users you have and what the costs of this service will be. If someone is using a business computer or device, they will count as a user.
With a per-user payment structure, most IT service providers will give block discounts. This means that you get a discounted rate if you purchase support for a set number of users. While this can decrease the costs, you could be paying for users that you do not have.
The second pricing structure commonly used is per-device pricing. This pricing structure is not as common as the per-user pricing, and it can take more time to determine the costs. With user pricing, the number of devices the user works on does not matter. With per-device pricing, you are paying for each device used in your business, and this can be substantial.
If you have a business where employees have a set workstation but also use mobile devices, your costs can be very high. However, if your business only has desktops for your staff, it is easy to determine the costing for this pricing structure.
The Services Used
Understanding the pricing structure is important, but the actual cost will be determined by the service you have purchased. Managed IT services pricing will be the lowest when its basic, but the variables that increase the costs. Many basic IT services are sold in time blocks, where a technician will work on your IT systems for the duration of the neighborhood. If you need additional time, this will generally come at a very high premium.
A mid-range IT service is recommended for most businesses but will have a higher initial cost. However, you will generally save money in the long-term with this service range. This service range offers more than the basic monitoring service as the technicians will take the initiative to solve problems without your direct input.
The user will generally price the mid-range service level. The rate for this can vary depending on the experience of the team and the complexity of your business. Generally, the costs of this will range from $50 to $200 per user. You may be able to get per-device pricing for this service level. The cost for the device will vary depending on the type of device with servers costing more than workstations.
The last type of service is the high-end IT service, and this is only recommended for certain businesses. If your business only operates using cloud systems, this is the best option. It is also the most expensive option, but you do get the full scope of all services on offer. This service can cost around $300 per user or more depending on the complexity of your business.
Managed IT services pricing can vary depending on a range of factors. The actual services you want will be the primary factor, followed by the type of service you want. Fully-managed services cost more than partially managed ones. The pricing structure is also important because it can affect the overall costing.
