Are you familiar with the frantic scramble for a solution when you experience an IT issue? It’s the last thing your business needs. Yet, many companies continue to rely on the outdated break-fix model – where support is only called upon when something breaks. While this approach might seem cost-effective at first glance, it can lead to significant downtime, unpredictable costs, and long-term inefficiencies.
For businesses in Essex looking to stay competitive and future-ready, managed IT support offers a smarter alternative. At Virtual IT, we’ve seen first-hand how switching to a managed services model not only improves reliability; it saves our clients time, money, and a great deal of stress. Let’s explore why managed IT support stands out before looking at some success stories.
Break-Fix vs. Managed IT Support: What’s the Difference?
There are two approaches you can take when managing your business’s IT: the traditional break-fix model or the modern managed IT support model. Understanding the distinction between the two is essential for making informed decisions about your IT strategy.
The Break-Fix Model:
- This is exactly what it sounds like – you wait until something goes wrong, then call an IT professional to resolve the issue.
- You’re charged per incident or by the hour, and there’s no ongoing relationship with the provider.
- This may seem cost-effective in the short term, but the reality is that it often leads to extended downtime, higher emergency costs, and a lack of continuity in your IT systems.
- Additionally, with break-fix providers, there’s no incentive for them to help you prevent problems or invest in the long-term health of your systems – they only get involved when something breaks. This reactive approach can hinder future business productivity and growth.
Managed IT Support:
- Contrastingly, this is a proactive approach, where a managed service provider (MSP) monitors your systems around the clock, performs routine maintenance, and offers strategic advice to keep your IT environment running smoothly.
- You pay a fixed monthly fee, which helps with budgeting and eliminates the uncertainty of ad-hoc repair costs.
- Managed IT support often includes 24/7 monitoring, regular updates and backups, ongoing cyber security protection, helpdesk support for day-to-day IT queries, and strategic IT planning and consultancy.
There is a constantly growing number of businesses experiencing cyber-attacks, with 44% of UK SMEs experiencing a cyber security attack and 60% saying they’ve experienced multiple attacks in 2024 alone – as reported in this article. Proactive IT support has never been more vital in ensuring prevention for your business.
Real-World Results: How Virtual IT Delivers Value
At Virtual IT, we’ve partnered with clients across different industries to provide long-term, proactive IT support. We’ve chosen two of our many standout partnerships to explore in this blog, The Kite Factory and Synergy Vision, to exemplify the long-term value of managed IT.
The Kite Factory: 19 Years of Strategic Support
Our long-standing partnership with The Kite Factory, a leading independent media agency in Oxford, began when they chose Virtual IT for our hybrid cloud expertise and personalised approach. For nearly two decades, we’ve been working alongside them to seamlessly manage their transition from on-site servers to cloud-based platforms like Egnyte, improved their cyber security posture, and provided dependable on-site and remote support.
Their IT Manager, James Mooney, shared:
“Everyone, from our execs up to our SLT, are all really happy with the way Virtual IT provides the service.”
Instead of reacting to issues, The Kite Factory benefits from a trusted team that integrates seamlessly into their operations – saving them countless hours and reducing IT headaches across the board.
Synergy Vision: Enabling Transformation
Our partnership with Synergy Vision, an award-winning medical communications agency, has gone from strength to strength. Initially partnering with Virtual IT to undertake a transformative cloud adoption project, we have since gone on to enhance Synergy’s cyber security, IT operations, and technology projects.
Senior Operations Manager Orla O’Brien Davison noted:
“The relationships became proper relationships… so much so that the people that work in the company now are much more likely to call Virtual IT for help.”
From building trust to enabling ambitious digital goals, Synergy Vision continues to grow with our proactive managed IT support.
Virtual IT: Our Managed IT Support in Essex
Rooted in Essex, our expert team understands the challenges and IT needs of businesses in the region. Whether you’re a growing firm in Chelmsford or a long-standing organisation in Colchester, our managed IT support in Essex is built to scale with you. We offer:
- Proactive monitoring and maintenance
- On-site and remote IT support
- Cloud services and cyber security expertise
- Strategic IT planning tailored to your goals
Time to Make the Switch?
The choice is clear: continue firefighting IT issues – or take a proactive, strategic approach with managed IT services that reduce downtime, boost productivity, and save money over time. If you’re ready to ditch the break-fix model and explore how our IT support in Essex can benefit your business, we’d love to chat.
Contact us today to discover how our expert team can support your long-term success.
