Before Managed Service providers became a common resource, an organization was faced with calling in a tech service provider every time something went wrong with the IT infrastructure.
This usually required paying charges based on the hourly rate of the technician and the cost of the equipment necessary to make the repairs.
And until the service call was made, there was no way to know how much it would cost to get the network back up and running – or how long it would take.
An organization could be quite literally held hostage to exorbitant costs because without the repairs, they were unable to service their customers.
And because technology is constantly evolving, it can be incredibly challenging for businesses to maintain their competitive advantage.
Those unpredictable costs, however, meant that managers on tight budgets would often wait to call, avoiding the issue until it was unavoidable, thereby making the costs even higher.
Fortunately, flat-rate managed IT services let your business remain on the cutting edge without risking investments in technology that take away from other operations requirements.
Today, Calgary and Alberta businesses who work with The ITeam benefit from flat-rate, fixed-cost IT services in a variety of ways:
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State of the Art Technology
One of the biggest benefits of flat-rate IT services for Calgary businesses is the ability to have access to technology without having to make significant capital investments in the infrastructure it takes to have the technology.
By partnering with a Managed Services Provider (MSP), your organization benefits from being able to have secure, local storage in the cloud without incurring the costs of keeping those servers up to date.
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Predictable Repair Costs
One of the biggest benefits of flat-rate IT services is predictability.
Rather than pay an hourly rate to a technician, or suffer an unknown cost for equipment replacement costs, the organization pays a monthly fee that doesn’t change, regardless of how often services are required.
That predictability allows the organization to operate in confidence, knowing that their own customers will not be without service.
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Better Planning
For the organization that is trying to remain competitive, agile, and capable of continued growth, turning IT costs into a predictable, monthly utility cost instead of a capital expense is significant.
Not only can you avoid unexpected capital expenditures during your fiscal year, so that you can invest in growth, marketing, and other business needs, but you can also plug IT into your budget with confidence.
Many organizations who use flat-rate IT services in Calgary are able to not only have more money for investing in attracting talent and growing their organization but also are able to have access to better, more customized IT solutions.
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Scalability
As we have seen here in Alberta, we’re all impacted by the economic downturn.
But one of the benefits of flat-rate IT services is scalability. If your business grows quickly, you can handle that growth by scaling up your services. If you lose a big contract and need to tighten your budget, you can likewise scale back your services as needed.
This almost instantaneous ability to scale allows you to be more agile. If a big opportunity comes along to ramp up your business, you don’t have to wait for large-scale capital investment approvals to move forward.
Simply call your MSP, let them know what you need, and increase your planned monthly budget. You’ll know ahead of time that the scale-up is worth it because you’ll have a definitive cost to measure against your ROI.
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Reduced Downtime
Hiring a flat-rate IT department to provide support to your infrastructure reduces downtime.
Downtime costs you and your business, not only in loyalty but in dollars. According to the VEEAM Data Protection Report 2021 [downloadable PDF, registration required], the cost of downtime averages more than $85,000 per incident. VEEAM explains:
“Downtime doesn’t inconvenience just a few internal people. It can have vast and damaging effects on the organization. In 2020, the average downtime for an outage was 79 minutes, and with the cost of downtime now averaging $84,650 US per hour, there can be a significant financial impact. However, the impact cannot be measured solely in costs per hour. There are many other potential downsides to outages. According to our respondents, there are three core impacts of downtime. External impact, including loss of customer confidence and damage to the brand, internal impacts such as employee morale and diversion of resources, and the third, litigation and regulation, which can have a significant effect on company valuation.”
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Less Hesitation to Repair Equipment
When the company knows they must pay significant infrastructure costs for repairs, they often postpone making repairs to avoid the expenditure. This results in higher risk for the company, both in terms of costly downtime but also invulnerability. Managers with fixed-rate IT services with tight budgets are more likely to call for help when they need it because they know the cost will not change, and the organization experiences less overall downtime as a result.
As well, your flat-rate IT service provider is motivated to keep everything running in peak condition to make sure you don’t have to call them unexpectedly.
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The Main Benefit of Flat-Rate IT Services Is Your Bottom Line
When your organization no longer has to worry about unpredictable IT bills costs, while at the same time increasing the reliability and functionality of your systems, it’s easier to focus on other aspects of the business that keeps you competitive. At the same time, you have a team of experts – a strategic partner – to work with you to ensure you are able to leverage technology in ways that strengthen your organization and improve your ability to meet your customers’ needs.
Who Does Fixed-Rate IT Services Benefit Most?
In all honesty, the industry or business that doesn’t benefit from fixed-rate IT services is rare. Small and mid-sized businesses find that fixed-rate IT helps level the playing field so that they can compete for customers more effectively. Large companies are able to manage strategic planning without unexpected capital outlays. Even freelance workers in the new gig economy benefit from having IT be a predictable expense.
Every industry can benefit from fixed-rate IT services, whether oil and gas/energy, dental, construction, legal services or medical care because predictability makes planning easier for every business and consistent uptime helps ensure customer and patient needs are met.
“In a health care setting patient care must remain a priority; managing IT infrastructure and troubleshooting is frustrating for health care professionals and takes the care provider away from what they should be doing. This has NEVER been the case with the ITeam. They provide proactive solutions to keep systems running smoothly and their dedication to finding results that are tailored to the unique needs of their clients is paramount. They have experienced staff who understand the challenges we face in healthcare, especially as it relates to privacy and confidentiality, and they always stick with a problem until it is solved. We have never been dissatisfied with their service – A++!!” – Leah Tschritter-Pawluk RN, MN – Clinical Operations & Client Relations, Helios Wellness Centres
What You Get with The ITeam’s Flat-Rate IT Services in Calgary
24/7 Monitoring & Unlimited Support Services – We can immediately identify and correct issues and provide remote and onsite maintenance. As a result, your business is always protected.
Cloud Storage and Hosting – We provide public and private cloud services through Microsoft Azure and our own private hosting solution
Backup and Disaster Recovery Planning – We ensure that your data is on hand when you need it, no matter what happens
Asset Management – Software license renewals, hardware contract management, ISP/Domain management and warranty administration
Priority Call Response – We guarantee a response within an hour, but response time is typically measured in minutes.
Virtual CIO – Consultation on issues relating to capacity planning, remediation of chronic or recurring issues, budgeting and IT strategy planning
Annual Security Reviews – Recommendations for necessary adjustments and additions to the network and system security
The ITeam is dedicated to helping Calgary- and Alberta-based businesses remain competitive, flexible, and ready to face whatever challenges come their way. We do this by providing essential IT support and customized services designed to meet the needs of your business. The ITeam will work with you to develop a cost-effective and comprehensive flat-rate IT strategy that will help you thrive. Contact us for a free consultation.
