There are two main types of IT support that companies use: Reactive and proactive.
Reactive support is also known as “break/fix,” meaning that companies wait until something in their technology environment is broken before they have it serviced.
Proactive support is widely known as using managed IT services, which keeps computers and other technology maintained and monitored to keep problems from happening and also catch any potential issues before they result in downtime.
You can compare reactive vs proactive IT support to reactive vs proactive service for your car. If you never get the oil changed, brake pads checked, or have any maintenance done until your car breaks down, that would be reactive.
Taking your car in every few months to keep the oil changed, is proactive, and designed to keep your car running efficiently and keep more costly problems from occurring
So, which makes more sense for a small Framingham, Natick, or Sudbury business? Which is going to be more cost effective?
Looking at the Costs of Proactive vs Reactive Support
One thing that keeps businesses on the fence about signing up for proactive managed services is the thought of adding another monthly cost to any other bills they already have.
They think that if they just take care of things as they happen, they’ll be saving money. But, typically, that is not the case at all. Actually, it’s estimated that the cost of each unmanaged computer for a business is $5,000 per year.
Here are some of the comparisons between proactive and reactive IT support.
Costs for Repairs
- Proactive Support: With proactive support you’ve having ongoing maintenance done for a predictable monthly cost. This can keep you from suffering bigger costs due to breakdowns. Managed IT monitoring can also let you know well in advance before a device is going to need replacement.
- Reactive Support: You’re often hit with high emergency repair costs because of a crash coming “out of the blue” because your devices weren’t being monitored or managed.
Costs for Downtime
- Proactive Support: Downtime is either eliminated or significantly reduced because an IT technician is receiving regular health reports on your devices. We’ll know well in advance of issues that need to be handled before they result in downtime.
- Reactive Support: When computers aren’t being managed, they’re more likely to suffer downtime due to anything from a hardware or software conflict to a worn-out part. Downtime is expensive and costs small businesses hundreds of dollars each minute.
Costs for Cybersecurity
- Proactive Support: Along with regular maintenance and monitoring, managed IT services will include standard cybersecurity protections. These include things like patch and update management, managed antivirus, and web protection. This greatly decreases your risk of a costly cybersecurity incident.
- Reactive Support: If you’re handling your IT security on your own, there’s a bigger chance that you’ll miss a device update or be unaware of a network intrusion. This can mean a costly data breach that leaves your company paying an average cost of $149,000.
Costs for User Productivity
- Proactive Support: IT providers work in the background, updating devices without interrupting users. We also are there for remote or onsite support whenever someone has a problem, reducing productivity losses caused by IT issues.
- Reactive Support: When users don’t have the safety net of a managed IT support plan, they may end up struggling with computer issues, because they don’t want to incur extra costs for their company. But the lost productivity can eat away at any perceived savings.
Costs for Lifecycle
- Proactive Support: Well maintained and serviced computers naturally last longer than computers that aren’t serviced. This means not only will computer performance be better during its lifespan, computers will also last longer.
- Reactive Support: If you only had your car serviced when it broke down, it would end up needing replacement much faster than if you took it to be serviced regularly. The same is true of workstations that aren’t regularly serviced. They can end up having problems and needing replacement much sooner.
Costs of Distractions
- Proactive Support: With proactive computer support from a trusted IT provider, your IT is taken off your plate so you can focus on running and growing your business. Likewise, your users can focus on making your company better rather than dealing with constant technology issues.
- Reactive Support: When you are handling IT on your own instead of being able to gain forward motion, you can be left dealing with IT issues throughout the week. Everything from a router problem to an issue upgrading an operating system can totally take over your entire day.
Save Money & Keep Your IT Running Efficiently
Pro Tech Guy’s managed IT services can improve your office productivity and maximize the return on your IT investment.
Contact us today to sign up and learn more. Call 508-364-8189 or reach us online.