Brief Comparison of Break-Fix or Block-Hour
versus
Managed Services Total-Care
Break-Fix or Block-Hour
Reactive Support
Limited IT Support
Recurring “White-Hot” Emergencies
Stressful Management
Lower Employee Morale
Limited IT Knowledge
Access to Limited Resources
Slow Response Without Prioritization
Unstructured Approach
Unpredictable &Vulnerable Onsite Backups
Vulnerable Offsite Backups
Unpredictable Regulatory Audit
Qualifications
Unpredictable Security – High Risk
Exposure
Break-Fix Network
Unmanaged Antivirus
Unpredictable Crisis Patching
High Variable Cost, Low Value
Unpredictable Costs – Lots of Surprises
No Maintenance Audits Included
No Security Audits Included
No Compliance Included
No Executive Reporting
Exasperated Strategy Deployment
Damage Control Campaign
Ticking Time-Bomb
Managed Services Total-Care
Proactive Approach
Specialized ICT Support
Resolution Before Crisis
Stress-Free Management
Higher Employee Productivity
Uniform Application of Optimal Resources
and Corporate Knowledge Base
Access to Teams of Highly Skilled
Resources
Fast Response Regardless of Priority
Structured Approach
Managed Onsite Backups
Managed Offsite Backups
Satisfies Regulatory Audit Requirements
Managed Security Services – Managed
Risk Exposure
24/7 Network Monitoring
Managed Antivirus & Antimalware
Monitoring
Managed Patching & Security Updates
Fixed Cost, High Value
Predictable Flat Rate – No Surprises
Regular Maintenance Audits
Regular Security Audits
Compliance Included
Regular Executive Reporting
Continuous Improvement Strategy
Future Proofing Company
Peace of Mind
First, the Basics:
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) have to juggle many priorities and daily
demands. Acquiring and retaining customers. Avoiding inefficiency. Delivering excellent
customer service. Managing costs. Hiring employees. Meeting government regulations.
Keeping current with industry trends.
Technology can help SMBs streamline their processes, improve employee productivity, and
maintain a competitive edge. But technology comes with its share of challenges, especially as
mobile devices continue to take over and computing needs rapidly change.
That’s where managed services come in. Defined as specialized IT support delivered
according to a clearly described service-level agreement over a fixed period of time for a low
and predictable cost, managed services are the safest bet in today’s tech environment.
Especially when compared with reactive or break-fix IT services.
Some businesses today continue to use the reactive model and handle IT issues as they arise.
... Though reactive services may be less costly than proactive services, you are getting far less
value. Instead of protecting yourself in the future, you are essentially running damage control
campaign after damage control campaign.
In Conclusion:
None of the issues faced by small to medium-sized businesses — relentless competition,
technological complexity, the never-ending need to do more with less — are not going to
disappear anytime soon. So the value of a high-quality, low-cost solution to these issues will
only grow. That’s why ASG has spent years tailoring a variety of managed services that can
help boost efficiency and productivity for your business.
Proactive IT support takes the complexity out of technology by
providing comprehensive support at one flat-rate price — no
surprises.
The break/fix approach to IT support has not only failed to meet the needs of SMBs, it has
damaged the relationship between technicians and the small businesses they serve. Small
businesses feel vulnerable because they don’t understand their technicians’ jargon-heavy
language, heavy workload, and unpredictable costs. Meanwhile, technicians feel overworked
and under appreciated, locked in a loop of repetitive, high-stress tasks as they run from one
crisis to the next, unable to work on more satisfying projects that could offer lasting value to
the business.
Only a radical change in IT support philosophy and delivery can make the break/fix model
obsolete and deliver greater efficiency and productivity to SMBs at a lower, more predictable
cost. Technology is integral to the success of a small to medium-sized business, and ASG
understands that.
In a nutshell: Break-Fix = High Cost, Low Value, whereas, Managed
Services = Low Fixed Cost, High Value