For the last 2 years, The Miller Group has been known as something called a “managed service provider” or MSP. In the IT industry, this is a label used most often by technology companies who offer clients services based on a monthly subscription model. Wikipedia says “Managed services is the practice of outsourcing, on a proactive basis, the management responsibilities and functions and a strategic method for improving operations and cutting expenses… Most MSPs bill an upfront setup or transition fee and an ongoing flat or near-fixed monthly fee, which benefits clients by providing them with predictable IT support costs.” Here is a bit of background on us. Many of our clients have been with us for 10, 20 even nearly 30 years. This new way of operating may seem different from The Miller Group of the past. From 1985 to 1996, TMG focused on software and large enterprise level contracts based around corporate IT training. From 1997 to 2002, TMG added hardware specialties and Microsoft expertise. From 2002 to 2015, we operated as a company with the break/fix mentality- “We fixed something when broken and billed after.” In late 2015, we began the journey of transitioning our business to a full MSP. This means we can keep our clients technology up and running with a proactive approach. MSPs are the guardians of IT, delivering ongoing monitoring and management of client applications (email, website, security, etc.) and IT infrastructure remotely. This is typically accomplished through remote monitoring services, which allows us to keep tabs on the health of our clients’ IT environments, change and update systems, and troubleshoot problems. MSPs closely monitor a wide variety of IT solutions a business has implemented, including web apps, desktop and server management software, backup and disaster recovery, storage management tools and security software. We also deploy updates ASAP to close loopholes for hackers who use outdated systems for Ransomware and Malware. Small and medium-sized businesses often outsource their IT to keep operations as simple and efficient as possible. So instead of waiting for something to break, MSPs aim to avoid downtime altogether. Technology downtime can have a huge impact on revenue stream especially for smaller businesses trying to grow. The Miller Group offers service packages for our clients as well as some items a la carte. Most of our clients pay a monthly fee (usually near fixed) based on the amount of users in the company. Our small and medium-sized clients have realized that our All-Covered and TMG Way plans are a cost-effective way to streamline their IT needs without adding staff. For more about changes to your contracts and the future of your service from us, please contact us at 314-822-8090 or email me, joesvoboda@themillergroup.com.
We’re A Managed Services Provider -Why Is That Different From Other IT Companies?
