Over the years, technology has grown increasingly complex. Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) could, at one time, have a small IT staff or rely on a consultant to handle their technology needs. A deep knowledge of products from vendors is the new norm because a deep base of knowledge and expertise is required to configure and manage these technologies. As a result, SMBs find themselves turning to managed service providers (MSPs) to handle their IT needs. This is especially true when it comes to managed backup services. According to Spiceworks’ 2020 State of IT report, spending on managed services is expected to increase, and organizations plan on allocating a good portion of their MSP spend (11 percent) on backup services. This was only slightly behind the No. 1 budget item of managed hosting, which is expected to consume 13 percent of the MSP budget. 

However, throwing money at a managed services provider to handle your backup services isn’t always a good idea. That is because not all managed backup services are created equal.

How well can they design and develop your managed backup solution?

Not all backup and recovery solutions are a fit for every organization. They may be tailored toward an SMB or a larger enterprise. They may support regulatory compliance needs and e-discovery, or they may simply back up and restore data. 

Not all managed service providers are able to identify your organization’s specific needs. Without first understanding who you are as a company and your goals, they are simply guessing that the technology they put in place for you is the right one.

The right MSP will work with you to design a strategic solution that will address your current needs while also considering your future needs. They should offer you unlimited storage for any type of data you need backed up.

What will happen come deployment time?

If you have ever worked to deploy a major IT initiative, then you know things can happen that derail progress. Scope creep can extend timelines, legacy technologies can hamper integrations, and training can fail to gain user buy-in. When a managed services provider doesn’t have the right experience deploying managed backup solutions, these derailments are more likely to happen because they either haven’t planned for them or they don’t know how to respond to these issues.

When looking for managed backup services, you want to work with a partner that has experience because they have seen the problems that can arise. Because of their insight, you can rest assured that they will define a solid timeline and make sure that your project delivers as expected. Simple things, such as storing backups on multiple servers instead of in one location, make all the difference when that one thing happens to go wrong. A trusted MSP is always ready for that one thing.

What type of support can you expect?

There is more to a managed backup service than just setting a schedule to back up your data. Not only do you need to run periodic tests to ensure your backups are working properly, but you may also have to make configuration changes from time to time if your systems grow or change. When this happens, you need to be able to count on your MSP for help.

Finding the right partner means finding an MSP that is willing to provide you with ongoing support and training from experts. You should expect to be able to reach them when you need them by phone and, if the case warrants, they should be on-site to ensure everything is running properly.

Rutter Networking Technologies works to ensure your data is protected from loss by relying on a staff of experienced and knowledgeable IT experts. They know the products they work with and have helped hundreds of others implement managed backup services successfully and on time. If you are looking for a managed services provider to handle your backup and recovery needs, Rutter offers a world-class managed backup offering that gives you visibility into every aspect of your solution so you know your data is stored safely and successfully.