Managed Services Explained- the Different Types of Managed Services

Many a time, business grows to the extent that it becomes hard for the business owner to manage every department and to take care of each chunk of the human resource. In that case, he/she may outsource one (or some) of the departments to another company. The other company, which will take over a certain division of the business on fixed annual or monthly payments, is known as the managed service company.

Very often, the work force is also hired by the managed service company. Everyone in this work force is the employ of the managed service company and not of the organization, which is outsourcing its department(s).

There are different types of managed services. This article discusses the most prevalent forms of the managed services.

Type of Managed Services # 1: Managed services for IT Department

Many businesses hire managed services for their IT departments. A managed service for IT department is responsible for providing all the hardware equipment (like PCs and web servers etc.), all the required software, LAN and/or WAN equipment. The managed services company/contractor has to make sure that everything works properly and also has to handle all the IT related problems and complaints.

Usually large multinational, corporate organizations outsource their whole IT department. It saves them capital for buying new equipment. It also saves them from management and maintenance hassle.

Type of Managed Services # 2: Managed services for Email Management

Sometimes many companies do not require a separate IT department. However, their setup requires generation of hundreds (if not thousands) of emails every day. In that case, the company might require a separate email exchange system. The managed services company/contractor would be responsible for uninterrupted email generation through an efficient program (software) and for all the attached privacy requirements and settings.

Type of Managed Services # 3: Managed services for Customer Support and Service

Many organizations arrange for the managed services regarding customer support and service. This may include only telephonic customer support or on-venue customer support (or both). The managed services company for the customer support and service is responsible for ensuring the customer satisfaction and loyalty through state of the art customer handling techniques.

Type of Managed Services # 4: Managed services for Web Hosting

These days it sounds impossible for a business to operate without a website. However, the business owner does not have to be a web page developer and designer to have the company's website. One can hire a managed services company for the website design, development, and maintenance. It is one of the simplest examples of the managed services as the website development services from another company takes only a few hundred dollars and the maintenance might even cost less than a hundred dollars monthly.

Type of Managed Services # 5: Managed services for Health Care Plans/Insurance

The mammoth corporate and many multinational organizations offer health care services and insurance facilities to their employs. Usually this is also handled by a managed services company (in this case, a health insurance company).

The managed service company for health care plans and insurance is responsible of finding and engaging hospitals and clinics for the employs. They have to verify and process all the medical claims entered by the employs of an organization.

Type of Managed Services # 6: Managed services for Goods Distribution

The mass producing goods companies often require hiring managed services for their product distribution. In that case, the managed company is responsible for distributing goods at proper timelines, arranging logistics and for getting all the required distribution licenses.

Source(s):

My husband, Neil M.

He has the experience of working with both, the mammoth multinational organizations (which have outsourced different departments) and the managed services companies.