How managed services help government contractors
More and more organizations are calling upon managed IT services to handle their technical support and IT projects. Managed IT can give companies of all sizes access to greater support, significantly increasing the level of expertise available to them.
For government contractors, managed IT services are particularly helpful in managing cybersecurity and compliance concerns, and keeping on top of monitoring and record-keeping. They are also more cost-effective than hiring in-house IT staff.
Here are some of the key ways that professional IT services can help government contractors.
Improved cybersecurity
Managed IT services include measures that protect sensitive information. Cybersecurity is critically important for organizations of all sizes and in all industries, as cyber-attacks and data breaches are becoming more common. These crimes are mostly perpetrated by outsiders but can also involve malicious insiders. It is predicted that cybercrime will cost the world $6 trillion in 2021, with the average data breach compromising over 25,000 records.
For government contractors, excellent cybersecurity is arguably even more crucial than it is for most other organizations. Government contractors typically deal with highly sensitive information that needs to be protected. Breaches could expose this information and significantly damage the contractors’ reputation and put current and future contracts in jeopardy. Managed IT providers are dedicated specialists who have access to the latest tools to protect your information. Therefore, working with a provider puts you in the strongest position when it comes to cybersecurity.
Compliance safeguards
Compliance is another area that is critically important for government contractors. This is particularly challenging for small to mid-sized firms that need to meet demanding federal compliance regulations. Regulations are regularly updated, and new rules are introduced all the time, making it difficult to stay on top of the latest developments.
Staying up to date is crucial, however. Instances of non-compliance cost businesses $4 million in lost revenue, on average. As with cybersecurity, managed IT providers are up to date with the latest regulations. These subject-matter experts are in a unique position to ensure that government contractors stay compliant in terms of cybersecurity and other relevant areas. In this way, firms instantly have access to new types of expertise that they probably lack in-house.
Monitoring and record-keeping
Managed IT services also typically offer comprehensive tracking and record-keeping services. For government contractors, comprehensive tracking of activities and proper record-keeping is usually a requirement of their contracts. Failure to do so could be disastrous.
However, effective monitoring and record-keeping can be a great drain on resources if you try to conduct it in-house. Professional IT companies are well-placed to perform these tasks and typically offer them as part of their regular services. Outsourcing monitoring and record-keeping to your managed services provider allow you to keep the organization safe and fully compliant with contract rules. This, in turn, protects your firm’s reputation.
Cost efficiencies
Finally, managed IT services are ideal for small to mid-sized firms because using these services provides comprehensive support without needing to establish an in-house IT department. This saves greatly on the hiring, training, and operational costs of maintaining your own IT team. Additionally, managed IT can scale up or down as your needs change over time.
An in-house IT department carries a number of fixed costs, making it difficult to expand or reduce your IT team size as projects come and go. You will either pay for staff that is not needed much of the time or have inadequate support during bust periods. On the other hand, working with an external provider allows you to call on additional support when needed, while saving on costs between projects.
