IT strategies are commonly associated with businesses. However, governments are essentially corporations whose day to day, macro operations impact their citizens at a micro level.
For local governments and high-level governing bodies, the public’s perception of them is an important criterion that determines their accomplishments and the length of time they spend in-office. An organisation’s image can be cultivated by the quality of the technology at their disposal.
Managed service providers have spent years administering their services to medium sized businesses, local governments, and more. They are fully capable of shepherding governments towards their goals, by upgrading their IT infrastructure now.
What is an IT strategy?
An IT strategy is a plan that identifies the technologies organisations are highly recommended to adopt to satisfy their current and future goals – for their IT infrastructure and their business. An IT strategy is not a one-time document.
It must be relevant for the business’s chosen industry and market and should be consistently updated to ensure that its organisation is efficiently and effectively achieving their desired outcomes.
Specifically, a comprehensive IT strategy addresses:
- Organisational objectives
- Areas in need of improvement
- Necessary resources and strategies to make improvements
- Internal and external implications of change
- Future consequences of the strategy
While IT strategies can be created and executed in-house, strategies that are outsourced to managed service providers can be stronger and are easier to maintain.
What are managed services?
Managed services refer to outsourced assistance for products and services in exchange for a monthly fee. Unlike in-house IT teams whose knowledge of IT tends to be broad (but no less significant), a managed service provider (MSP) is a team of experts with specific, time-tested knowledge and experience.
There are several types of managed services available. It’s critical for governments to understand what product-based services are relevant for them.
Available services include:
- Managed hardware – oversees an organisation's physical IT systems like its monitors.
- Managed security – an umbrella term for several cyber security services ranging from managed firewall services to disaster recovery as a service.
- Managed software as a service (SaaS) – consultants who are formally certified in providing long-term support for a specific software platform.
- Managed support services – all-purpose IT support provided by experienced professionals.
- And more
While the idea of outsourcing assistance may cause apprehension in some in-house staff, the purpose of an MSP is not to laud their expertise over others. They are there to implement cost-effective system upgrades for the benefit of the organisation and its employees.
How can an MSP help with IT strategies?
When a government comes to power or a business grows, technology becomes the backbone of their operations. An MSP’s expertise can help ensure organisations are well-equipped to handle core business practices, crucial projects, and upcoming deals.
Rather than forcing a mountain of products and services onto their clients, MSPs critically assess a business, before advising them on the technologies that will best suit them and their present/future needs.
While there is no rule that says a government cannot use their in-house IT staff to develop an IT strategy, crafting one takes time and it may be best for these teams to focus on upholding their governments. MSPs may serve as an extension of an on-site IT team, who can examine an organisation objectively.
By approaching a corporation with an unbiased view, MSPs offer constructive feedback that can help shape and maintain a government’s IT strategy.
What are the benefits of using an MSP for your government's IT strategy?
Whether they need a pair of critical eyes who can monitor their systems for threats or 24/7/365 support for a new software platform, a government who does not incorporate MSPs into their IT strategy may miss out on a range of worthwhile benefits including:
Reduced operational costs
Governments who focus their efforts on trying to maintain complicated IT systems may waste resources and money.
MSPs can make sense of it all, before providing ongoing support with the latest knowledge and skills. If your government outsources their IT maintenance, their on-premise IT staff are freed from time consuming tasks that add no value to them or their stakeholders.
Reduced risk
It can be easy for a government to invest in the latest technologies and wait for their goals to come to fruition. However, the more software and devices that are implemented within a network, the more diverse and complex it becomes.
If employees feel like their systems are too complicated to use, or human error causes a massive disruption, governments may risk losing vital information and the faith of the people.
If a government partners with an MSP, their IT strategy becomes foolproof as their staff will be constantly supported by professionals.
Increased efficiency
Governments serve their people, and they cannot do that if they’re not capable of delivering outcomes. These results may only be generated if workers have access to reliable systems.
MSPs provide an organisation’s staff the time to focus on completing their work without stressing over technology. They can spend more energy on strategic initiatives that will push governments towards their aspirations.
Managed services can be an organisation’s secret weapon for upgrading their IT infrastructure to meet present and future ambitions. Governments have many things at their disposal, and MSPs should definitely be one of them.
The IT specialists at Muscatech have been the root of many effective IT strategies. Contact them today to see how they can help you reach your government’s objectives easily and seamlessly.
