As technology evolves, it becomes increasingly difficult for businesses to keep up and amend strategies that support best practices. Procedural shifts become commonplace as new solutions limit the effectiveness of existing operations and force new IT practices.

According to a survey conducted by SWC Technology Partners, over 28 percent of respondents list “keeping up” as the most challenging aspect of IT management. Also, more than half said that their business typically depends on one person to manage many IT systems and strategies because that’s typically the extent of departmental knowledge. This means that instead of training an entire staff on new IT systems and challenges, businesses rely on one person to cover every base.

This isn’t a sustainable policy. If the individual in charge of keeping up with IT trends becomes ill or leaves the company, the rest of the organization could suffer in their absence. Because relying exclusively on one employee isn’t a practical strategy, many companies are partnering with a managed service provider (MSP) to complement their IT departments.

Working with an MSP gives companies access to the knowledge they need to meet any technological challenge. According to the report, 33 percent of respondents have partnered with a third-party provider to help manage their IT systems.

“This significant number is supported by other third party research findings indicating strong adoption of this network support model,” the report said. “This trend could reflect a decision by mid-market companies to focus their time ‘keeping up’ with the industry technologies by outsourcing the basic infrastructure to a managed services provider.”

By working with an IT managed services professional, companies can upgrade to new IT solutions with confidence because they will be backed by a team of professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to ensure successful operations.