Alternative Methods of Delivering IT Services

Ensure you choose the right
type of IT support for your company.

There are two broad approaches to providing IT support and services; Managed Services and 3rd-Party Access.

Managed IT services means that all IT and related services (such as computers, servers, printers, telephony, broadband, website hosting and so on), is supplied and supported by one provider. This can simplify the perception of support as there is only one company to contact for anything IT-related.

Delivery of Managed IT support normally means that the provider will subcontract some or all the services you require to 3rd-parties and then re-sell them under their own name.  You have no access to the company actually providing the support.

The alternative, 3rd-Party Access, is where the contract lies between you and the supplier, such as the broadband or telephony company, but where an IT support company manages it on your behalf.

Managed IT services have their place and we can provide them. But we generally recommend the 3rd-Party Access model because it gives you greater control and transparency, plus it allows the most appropriate supplier and equipment for your individual needs to be used.

A managed services contract means committing yourself to one provider and there are likely to be a multitude of Service Level Agreements between them and their suppliers, any of which can affect your IT.

If you want to know more about the differences and relative advantages of each approach, we've written about the differences in more detail on our website in the article Different IT Support Methods.

The Value of Certifications

Microsoft and other IT providers and vendors often provide certification schemes. These schemes provide IT support customers with some reassurance that the organisation has a degree of competence and knowledge.

Receiving a certification will require engineers in the organisation to undertake a course of study and pass practical exams. They also have to continue to study and practise their skills to retain the certification, in a process known as Continuing Professional Development (CPD). The certifications can also be at different levels, from entry level through to more advanced stages, plus the organisation can also achieve certification depending on the number of qualified engineers it has and the systems it uses.

Certifications can give organisations needing IT Support a method to assess competency levels. Without this measure, the decision might need to be made on relationships or costs, but by comparing certifications the prospective customer can check that the organisation and its engineers have achieved at least a minimum standard.

This is particularly important when looking at IT support for an organisation, as opposed to support for home-based computers. For your home computer you might be content with an individual who is knowledgeable on IT matters and who can set up your internet and email.

But for a business or organisation with several computers networked together and needing remote working abilities, you need a completely different level of proficiency – from both the individual engineers and the organisation. And that’s where certifications can give you some reassurance that the organisation really does know what they are talking about and can be relied upon. They have to provide an ongoing minimum level of competency and proficiency, or they will lose their certification.

P&L have a number of different certifications, including Microsoft Partner (Silver Server Platform) and Kaspersky Antivirus Sales Specialist. In addition, the two principals are both members of the British Computer Society.