Introduction
If you're a nonprofit, your managed IT services ought to be capable of taking care of any IT problems for you in a proactive manner. In addition to discussing managed IT services, this article will go over four essential components of quality managed IT services for nonprofits. You'll know what to look for and what not to accept by the end of this article when it comes to managed IT services.
What are Managed IT Services?
Managed IT providers offer managed IT services that are outsourced.The managed IT services you select will take care of your existing IT infrastructure and seal any holes in cybersecurity, though the exact services you receive will depend on the provider you select.
To elaborate, Managed IT Services comprise:
- Taking care of network security
- Reducing the risks associated with cybersecurity
- Supervising upgrades and installations
- Keeping an eye on and testing your network Helpdesk assistance
- Providing solutions for connectivity and bandwidth
Good IT Service Provider's Components for Nonprofits
Four components make up well-managed IT services:
- One-time IT expenses
Make sure you are aware of the cost of these services. The very last thing you want is to open your monthly recurring bill or contract from your managed service provider and discover an unexpected expense.
During the discovery phase, service fees ought to be disclosed and deliberated upon in advance. You can learn more about the managed IT provider, their offerings, and their business practices during the discovery process.
- Puts cybersecurity needs and goals first.
Depending on the state in which they are located, nonprofit organizations must comply with different state laws. Regulations governing donation collection and fundraising must be complied with by nonprofit organizations.
Nonprofits must have software that allows them to accept digital donations while safeguarding the sensitive information they are collecting to collect personal information. This information consists of phone numbers, home addresses, credit card numbers, social security numbers, and other details related to individual accounts.
- Proactive and Quick Response IT Help
When it comes to IT helpdesk support, responsiveness, helpfulness, patience, and attention to detail are the key indicators of quality support agents.
For the IT issue at hand to be resolved quickly, responsive IT support is essential. An IT support agent ought to be able to get back to you in a day or two, depending on how urgent the problem is. In any case, the help desk support from your provider ought to offer contact details for various urgent situations.
- Competent and Informed IT Assistance
The kind of support you will receive going forward will depend on whether or not you work with a managed IT provider who has experience with the nonprofit sector.
How? A managed IT provider experienced in your sector can ensure your company complies with state regulations and that the appropriate software is installed on your computer network. Your IT support staff should be knowledgeable about all cybersecurity and managed IT procedures and capable of handling any problem that arises with your IT infrastructure.
Conclusion
Proactive, knowledgeable, and responsive IT support, upfront costs, and a focus on cybersecurity are all characteristics of managed IT services for nonprofit organizations.
There might be better times to switch Managed IT providers if your nonprofit is happy with its in-house IT staff or current supplier and doesn't feel the need to improve its offerings.
Reassessing your managed IT, however, can be the best course of action if you see that it needs to provide more high-quality service and that it needs to improve for your business.
We at Imagine IT Solutions offer a network assessment before making any managed IT solution recommendations. This assessment will give us details about the cybersecurity infrastructure you currently have in place. After an assessment, we will inspect your area and make suggestions for ways to reduce risk.