Managed IT services is not new, but it has gained considerable prominence, thanks to COVID-19, and the need for IT systems and networks to work optimally, with limited onsite support. Christopher Reckord, CEO of tTech Limited in Jamaica, provides a primer on managed IT services, including when it might not be a good fit for an organisation; and questions to ask when evaluating a managed IT service provider.

 

This episode is also available in Apple iTunes, Google Play Music and on Stitcher!

Over the past few months, and due to the restrictions instituted to manage the spread of COVID-19, organisations have had to rely on telecoms and ICT to not only help them to stay connected to their employees and customers, but also to facilitate the proper functioning of their operations. Due to the work from home arrangements that had been implemented, and continue to varying degrees, there has been limited hands-on or onsite technical support organisations’ systems and networks. As a result, and during these times, organisations’ performance has been hit-or-miss, as remote and teleworking arrangements have had to be made on the fly, and with limited time for planning and implementation.

Managed IT services, also called IT-managed services, may provide a way for organisations to better optimise their operations. The term, managed services, speaks to outsourcing the responsibility for maintaining a range of processes and functions. Hence the term, managed-IT services, points to the outsourcing of select IT-related processes and functions.

One of the reasons IT-managed services has become popular in recent years is the fact that it can be a cost-effective way for organisations to secure the support they need – on an ad hoc or ongoing basis. In addition to the securing the requisite expertise, hardware and software costs, along with their ongoing upgrade and maintenance, would need to be factored in. These can be prohibitively expensive, and it is unlikely that an organisation will be able to use of those resources optimally. hence, third party providers are able to provide managed IT services to their clients cost-effectively, whilst allowing the latter access to the expertise and resources they need, as or when required.

 

G Christopher Reckord

Introducing our Guest

G. Christopher (Chris) Reckord is the Chief Executive Officer of tTech Limited, an IT outsourcing and managed services solutions provider, headquartered in Jamaica, with areas of focus that include: server management, network management, IT security, applications development and support. He has over 30 years’ experience in the IT industry in Jamaica and North America.

Chris is a regular speaker on technology in the IT industry in Jamaica, and in addition to his role at tTech, he holds senior voluntary positions in organisations such as Jamaica Computer Society, the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica, and the eLearning Jamaica Company, to name a few. He was also a founding member of the Jamaica Information Technology and Services Alliance, a working group representing local and international IT service providers, software developers and IT consultancy and advisory service companies.

 

Key Questions and Discussion Points

Our conversation with Chris touched on virtually all of the broad issues and queries people are likely to have about managed IT services, and whether or not it might be a good idea for organisations to secure such services.

Although to many organisations managed IT services might be a no-brainer, it does require preparation and careful consideration, in order to ensure that works optimally for the organisation, and to ensure that both the client and service provider are meeting each other’s expectations. To that end, below are key questions posed to Chris during the course of our conversation:

  1. How would you define IT-managed services?
  2. What services tend to fall into, or can be included, as an IT-managed service?
  3. When, or under what circumstances, might IT-managed services not be a good fit for an organisation?
  4. Talk to us about tTech, and the services it offers.
  5. tTech was recently in the news due to its plans to establish a presence in Guyana. Why Guyana, and does the company have plans to expand its footprint into other countries?
  6. As an IT-managed services provider, how has tTech been managing its own operations and serving its clients during COVID-19?
  7. In a time when organisations are grappling with the impact of COVID-19, is it a good idea for them to secure IT managed services now, or to wait until the future looks a bit clearer?
  8. Talk to us about the impact securing IT-managed services can have on an organisation’s internal IT department. Will job loss ensue if an organisation migrates to IT-managed services?
  9. What might be some questions an organisation should ask a provider when it is evaluating an IT-managed service provider?

 

We would love to hear from you!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

 

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

 

 

Image credits:  Gerd Altmann (Pixabay); tTech 

Music credit:  Ray Holman

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