Understanding Managed Services Within Data Centers

Managed services have become central to modern business operations in general and modern IT operations in particular. With that in mind, here is a quick guide to what you need to know about managed services within data centers.

Understanding managed services within data centers

Managed services within data centers operate on much the same principle as managed services in general. Managed services providers take over routine tasks that are not core to a business’ main operations. In the context of managed services within data centers, these tasks often include:

• Monitoring of infrastructure health
• Security monitoring
• Backup and disaster recovery
• Performance optimization
• Resource allocation

Benefits of managed services within data centers

The main benefit of managed services within data centers is that it allows staff to focus on the core business objectives rather than managing infrastructure. All its other benefits essentially flow from this.

Here are five of the most important ways using managed services within data centers can benefit your business.

Improved operational efficiency

Using managed services is a reliable, convenient, and economical way to ensure that routine operational tasks are carried out promptly and effectively. It therefore helps to improve operational efficiency throughout the entire business.

Better cost-effectiveness

As managed services providers are specialists in their area, they can generally be relied upon to know the most cost-effective way to approach any given task. For example, IT managed services providers will know how to get the most from automation without compromising their service. Moreover, the fact that managed service providers charge a guaranteed price for a guaranteed service makes forecasting and budgeting much easier.

Enhanced security and compliance

A lot of security essentially comes down to routine tasks such as monitoring, maintenance, and updates. These are all tasks that can be handled capably by managed services providers. Managed services providers can also effectively handle many security-adjacent tasks such as backing up data (and ensuring it can be recovered).

Access to specialized expertise

Using IT managed services relieves businesses of the need to recruit and retain highly skilled IT staff while ensuring that businesses can still have access to them when needed. Furthermore, the fact that there is an ongoing relationship between these staff and the business means that the staff will develop a strong knowledge of the business’ infrastructure.

Greater agility

Using managed services fits perfectly with the modern, agile approach to business. In particular, it makes it much easier for businesses to scale their use of human resources to reflect their IT provisioning.

Choosing a managed data center services provider

Here are 10 key points to consider when choosing a managed data center services provider.

Expertise and experience: Evaluate the provider’s track record, technical expertise, and experience in managing data center operations, including their proficiency with relevant technologies, industry certifications, and successful client deployments.

Industry knowledge: Experience in relevant industries allows providers to gain a better understanding of specific business requirements, compliance regulations, and challenges, enabling them to deliver tailored solutions and insights.

Security measures: Managed data center services providers need to implement robust security measures to protect their clients’ data and infrastructure from cyber threats. This includes effective physical security and staff vetting as well as effective digital security.

Compliance support: Most businesses will need to comply with various data security standards. It is helpful, if not essential, for a provider to support these.

Disaster recovery and business continuity planning: Managed data center services vendors need to have their own disaster recovery and business continuity plans in order before they can manage disaster recovery and/or business continuity for their clients.

Service offerings and capabilities: Assess the breadth and depth of managed services offered by the provider. Think about how they relate to your current needs and wants and also to your plans for future growth.

Service level agreements (SLAs): Clearly defined SLAs outlining service availability, response times, resolution procedures, and performance metrics help establish expectations, accountability, and quality assurance for clients.

Scalability and flexibility: Determine the provider’s ability to scale resources up or down on demand, accommodate future growth, and support emerging technologies. These can be key to facilitating effective change management.

Support and customer service: Evaluate the provider’s responsiveness, communication channels, escalation procedures, and technical support capabilities to address issues promptly, provide proactive guidance, and maintain a collaborative partnership with your organization.

Cost and value proposition: Compare pricing structures, total cost of ownership (TCO), and value-added services offered by different providers, considering factors such as upfront costs, ongoing maintenance fees, scalability options, and the overall return on investment (ROI) in terms of improved efficiency, reliability, and business outcomes.