As many SMBs know, managed IT services provide a multitude of benefits. When you delegate the time-consuming task of IT management to a third-party expert MSP (managed service provider), you take back time, efficiency, and dollars spent. However, an on-site manager can be costly. That’s why virtual IT managers are becoming more popular as a cost-effective and advantageous alternative. 


What Does a Virtual IT Manager Do?

IT managers are outsourced service providers that offer IT expertise to businesses. While IT managers can be located on-site as internal employees or contractors, this can be costly to manage. Meanwhile, a virtual manager won’t be at your location full-time, and will provide most services over the phone, via online communication, and even by controlling your computer screens remotely. If you do need a virtual IT manager on-site every once in a while (to look at hardware or server issues, for example), you can typically arrange it fairly easily. 

Virtual managers do everything an on-site manager does. They’ll handle your tech and software in order to improve security, create business continuity, and more, all without the hassle of hiring an on-site employee.


Why Should You Hire a Virtual IT Manager?


Cost-Effective

One of the greatest benefits of a virtual manager compared to an on-site manager is that it’s often far more cost-effective. This is especially beneficial for SMBs, who often can’t justify hiring a full-time IT manager for their occasional IT needs. 

IT services have become increasingly important over the years, with 44% of businesses planning to increase their tech spend in 2020. With so much budget already being spent on IT, many businesses simply can’t afford to hire an on-site, full-time manager, so they’ve turned to virtual managers for a more budget-friendly method.


Improved Productivity

As a business, you already have many tasks on your list, and worrying about technical support only makes the work pile up even more – especially if your technology is hindering rather than helping your operational processes. IT managers are here to offer their support for this exact reason, so you can run your business without handling IT. The added benefit of a virtual IT manager is that you won’t have to hire and manage another employee, so you can keep your focus on the work at hand.


Security and Disaster Recovery

When you’re running a business, you don’t have the time to constantly protect your data and information. IT managers are in a state of constant vigilance for your business to keep everything safe and secure. They can monitor your information remotely while simultaneously making improvements to your cybersecurity. Plus, you can have them continuously back up your data in case a breach does occur, giving you a complete disaster recovery plan.


Reports, Recommendations, and Other Need-to-Know Information

One of the more challenging aspects of trying to manage IT on your own is that you often have no one to give you advice and guidance. New technology and software are released at a rapid rate now, making it difficult to keep up when it isn’t your full-time job. When you have a virtual IT manager, they can help far beyond providing support services. Your manager will be able to advise you on their findings in your business’s network, so you won’t have to spend hours Googling for support or talking to people who don’t understand your entire network. This way, you’ll always be in-the-know, even if you’re not a tech expert.


Revenue

Remember that your virtual IT manager will be working for your business, and that means they’ll do everything in their power to help you meet your goals. Expert IT management can fully optimize your technology, creating efficiencies, reducing costs, and providing better customer experiences. This directly and indirectly impacts your bottom line. Virtual IT managers aren’t just “break and fix” technicians – they’re go-to business and technology experts. 


Find a Reliable IT Manager in Canada For Your SMB

Virtual IT management gives you support, guidance, and solutions for all your technology problems. At Alt Tech, we want to help your business grow and prosper, which is why we offer top-quality virtual IT management services for businesses across Canada and in a wide variety of industries. Contact us today for an assessment and quote!