Managed services are establishing themselves as a strategic choice for companies that want to remain competitive, reduce costs, and calmly tackle the complexity of the modern IT ecosystem.
This is because, now more than ever, system reliability, data security, and operational continuity are increasingly important factors in any sector. Therefore, outsourcing the management of technological infrastructure allows you to gain efficiency and flexibility.
From proactive systems management to 24/7 support, continuous monitoring, and access to specialist expertise, managed services represent a real opportunity to transform IT from a cost center to a value lever.
What are managed services and why are they strategic for businesses?
Managed services represent a strategic model through which companies entrust the management of part or all of their IT department to a specialized external provider, called a Managed Services Provider (MSP) (https://blog.sorint.com/managed-services-providers-qual-e-quello-giusto-per-la-tua-azienda/). This approach ensures operational continuity, improves security, and optimizes internal resources, while reducing complexity and costs.
How managed IT services work: models and responsibilities
Managed services are based on a long-term contract in which the provider assumes responsibility for the proactive and reactive management of specific IT areas (infrastructure, networks, security, user support).
Among the most common models are:
- fully managed services, where the MSP manages the entire IT ecosystem;
- co-managed IT, where the MSP and internal team collaborate on specific areas;
- on-demand services, for more specific and scalable needs.
The provider’s level of responsibility is defined by service level agreements (SLAs), which establish metrics, response times, and expected performance levels.
The main advantages of managed services for business
Adopting managed services does not just mean outsourcing IT management, but embarking on a path of operational transformation that can directly impact the competitiveness and sustainability of the business.
This approach allows for greater control over costs, reduced IT risk, and access to the latest technologies, without having to bear the burden of complex and costly internal management.
Managed services therefore offer numerous benefits, both economic and organizational.
Riduzione dei costi operativi e prevedibilità del budget
As an example, adopting managed services allows IT costs to be transformed from variable to predictable, thanks to fixed fees and clear SLAs. This enables organizations to plan their accounts more accurately, eliminating surprises related to urgent interventions or unexpected updates.
Improving security and reducing IT risks
In addition, MSPs adopt advanced monitoring, protection, and remediation technologies, ensuring continuous updates and timely responses to attacks. Furthermore, compliance with regulations and standards is easier to maintain thanks to specific expertise. For this specific area, we also refer to managed security services .
Access to specialist expertise and advanced technologies
It should not be underestimated that a specialized provider offers constantly updated skills that are difficult to find or maintain internally. In addition, it offers cutting-edge technological tools and infrastructure, often on an as-a-service basis.
Focusing on core business and increased efficiency
By freeing the IT team from operational and repetitive tasks, the company can also focus on innovation and improving core processes. Efficiency increases and bottlenecks in day-to-day technology management are reduced.
When is it advantageous to adopt managed services?
Although managed services are useful in any business context, there are specific situations in which they become an almost obligatory choice to ensure operational continuity, security, and scalability of information systems.
There is no single right time to activate managed IT services: the decision depends on organizational, technological, and economic variables. However, there are some recurring signs and contexts in which the managed services are particularly advantageous.
Signs indicating the need for an MSP
Many companies realize they need a managed services provider when they begin to experience a growing number of operational problems and inefficiencies in IT management.
Among the most frequent signs are:
– Increased incidents and downtime;
– Difficulty in finding qualified personnel;
– Unsustainable growth in maintenance and upgrade costs;
– Challenges in managing cybersecurity and regulatory compliance.
Launching digital transformation projects without adequate internal IT support is also a major red flag.
Sectors and types of companies that benefit most
Managed services are particularly advantageous for SMEs that do not have a structured internal IT department, but also for rapidly expanding companies that need scalability without compromising service quality.
But even organizations with hybrid or distributed IT infrastructures, or those operating in regulated sectors and handling sensitive data, benefit enormously from managed support that guarantees security, operational continuity, and constant updates. The managed security services, in particular, they provide additional support to strengthen corporate security.
How to choose the most suitable managed services provider
Finding the right managed services provider is a crucial decision that directly impacts the quality of your entire IT ecosystem. It’s not just about finding a competent supplier, but establishing a relationship of trust based on clear service levels, adaptability, and ongoing support.
Choosing a supplier is a strategic step that can determine the success (or failure) of the entire initiative. Thoroughly evaluating skills, approach, and scalability is essential.
Selection criteria: SLA, skills, and scalability
When evaluating an MSP, it is essential to verify the clarity and reliability of the proposed SLAs, which must include precise metrics on response times, service availability, and operational continuity. The team’s skills are another essential element: the provider must have up-to-date certifications and proven experience in infrastructure, cloud, security, and management tools.
Furthermore, it is important to ensure that the provider is able to grow alongside the company, adapting its services to the evolving technological and organizational needs of the customer
Questions to ask the potential supplier
Before entrusting your business to an MSP, it is useful to ask a series of questions to assess the provider’s level of maturity, transparency, and compatibility. It is important to clarify which technologies and methodologies are used , how data security is guaranteed, what the average response and problem resolution times are, and how business continuity is ensured.
Questions about any audits, periodic reports, and monitoring tools also help to understand the level of control that the company will be able to maintain over the delegated services.
Common mistakes to avoid when choosing an MSP
One of the most common mistakes is to base your choice solely on price, neglecting service quality and the robustness of SLAs.
Other frequent mistakes include:
– Failure to define contractual roles and responsibilities;
– Underestimation of after-sales support and the provider’s communication skills;
– Lack of a long-term vision in terms of scalability.
In short, a hasty or superficial assessment can lead to inefficiencies, unexpected costs, and poor integration with business processes. This is the opposite of what you want to achieve.
Case study: How a company reduced IT costs with managed services
A concrete example, based on SORINT.lab’s direct experience, can help to understand the real value of managed IT services.
The initial context and challenges faced
Amedea, a leading provider of corporate welfare services, was faced with a crucial decision: how to adapt its on-premises data center to current and future business needs.
The existing infrastructure, based on clusters of physical servers with heterogeneous virtualization technologies, managed critical operations such as service voucher issuance, POS terminal management, and administrative data processing. The goal was clear: continuous innovation, immediate scalability, greater security, and optimization of operating costs.
SORINT.lab tackled the challenge with an in-depth analysis of the infrastructure and costs. The assessment made it possible to evaluate the TCO of a possible hardware refresh compared to cloud migration. The analysis identified Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) as the most advantageous choice: thanks to reduced licensing costs and included network services (VPN, outbound traffic), Oracle offered a solid foundation for Amedea’s future architecture.
The solutions implemented and the results achieved
A dedicated Sircle team managed a complete migration to the cloud: application VMs, Oracle databases, WebLogic configurations, and NetApp shares were transferred to ZFS appliances. The new infrastructure enabled a pay-as-you-go model, eliminating hardware costs and reducing overall costs by 37%.
At the same time, Amedea adopted SORINT.lab’s Next Generation Managed Services (NGMS), with 24x7x365 multilingual support and a 99% SLA compliance rate. The team implemented comprehensive monitoring and observability, with proactive incident management, continuous capacity management, and SecDevOps support.
The collaboration between Amedea and SORINT.lab has transformed a technological challenge into a strategic opportunity, demonstrating how managed services can enable innovation, efficiency, and security in the long term.
Frequently asked questions about managed services
To help companies clarify the main doubts associated with adopting managed IT services, we have compiled some of the most frequently asked questions on topics such as the difference between managed services and outsourcing, the suitability of the model for SMEs, and the protection of company data in a third-party managed environment.
What is the difference between managed services and outsourcing?
Outsourcing involves the external transfer of entire IT functions, often with remote management and less operational control. Managed services, on the other hand, involve an ongoing partnership with defined responsibilities, shared SLAs, and greater integration with the internal team.
Are managed services also suitable for SMEs?
Absolutely. SMEs in particular benefit greatly from an MSP, gaining access to expertise and technology that would be too expensive to manage internally, while maintaining flexibility and control.
How to ensure data security with an MSP?
Through the use of advanced tools for monitoring, encryption, automatic backups, strong authentication, and compliance with key standards (ISO, GDPR, etc.). A good MSP integrates security into the service design and updates it constantly.