The success of managed services depends on strong underlying technical abilities; however, the service has to be operationalised to be successful.
So says Paul Fick, divisional MD at Jasco Enterprise, a Jasco Group company.
According to Fick, a large part of the delivery of managed services depends on the ability to measure success, to report in real time and to be proactive in terms of determining potential points of failure.
He adds: "The managed services operational team needs to have access to the right skills, at the right time, to address such issues. The business benefit of managed services is that the organisation can rely on these skills without having to pay for them on a full-time basis."
To determine the current views on managed IT services within South African organisations, ITWeb, in partnership with Jasco Enterprise, is running the managed services survey during June, the aim of which is to better understand the managed services landscape in SA.
Commenting on the popularity of managed services within South African firms, Fick says: "Managed services are becoming extremely popular within organisations of late, especially in the financial services industry."
When organisations outsource managed services from an experienced and reputable supplier, they can concentrate on their core business while their technology infrastructure is being professionally serviced in a cost-effective manner, making it a business enabler, says Fick.
Successful partnerships
According to Fick, when an organisation outsources its IT requirements, management should not underestimate the importance of involving the managed services supplier in all aspects of decision-making.
"Organisations must be willing to make their managed services partner an integral part of their management structures and involve them in all strategic and operational decision-making," he says.
"Managed services combine traditional break-fix SLA services and in-house technology management. In rolling out a managed services contract, it is imperative that these services be integrated and managed end-to-end in order to achieve the desired efficiencies and economies of scale."
Click here to complete the survey and stand a chance to win an Apple iPad.
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