Managed IT services

What are the benefits of managed services and job opportunities available within this area of work? Lim Cheng Leong, the General Manager of the Customer Services & Support Group in Computer Systems Advisers (M) Sdn Bhd (CSA), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CSC and leading IT service provider, answers these questions and more.

During the technology boom of the 1980s, many organisations focused on developing their IT operations and worked towards managing IT internally. This changed with the proliferation of new technologies in the 1990s. Faced with highly complex tools and applications and the ever-evolving technology, professionals within the IT department now had to possess highly specialised IT skill sets. This situation led organisations to outsource part of or their entire IT department to a managed IT services provider (MSP). It has been reported that a number of Fortune 500 companies outsource their entire IT departments to a third party organisation to operate and manage.

Why do they do that? Lim said: 'Not having to worry about running and managing an IT department means that companies can now focus solely on their core business functions, which in turn will generate more revenue for their organisation.'

From service desk to service administration to security and even network administration, these are just some examples of the common functions a MSP provides. 'Basically what a MSP does is consult with the client, analyse the client's unique requirements, and design, propose and deliver the appropriate IT services supported by the relevant IT tools and industry best practices and processes to improve the situation,' Lim elaborated.

The benefits

a) Cost and risk reduction

Technology experiences rapid evolution. To keep abreast and remain knowledgeable of the latest technology, constant retraining is needed for IT professionals. This in turn can incur high costs. By employing the services of a MSP with IT professionals who have been working with the same software or hardware over and over again, organisations will be able to reduce this cost and at the same time be assured that the professionals are highly specialised, reliable and of top quality. The cost of major infrastructure components such as data centers, back-up generators, shared infrastructure, network connectivity, qualified personnel and so forth, will also be reduced significantly. In a nutshell, organisations will have a more predictable cost structure as the areas covered in the Service Level Agreement (SLA) (a contract tailored to the needs of an organisation, signed between a MSP and the organisation) will have the advantage of cost certainty.

b) Cost avoidance

During the Internet boom in the 90s, many organisations began to move their business-critical applications online. This resulted in the expectation that these web-enabled applications would be available 24/7, with round-the-clock support staff. To meet the demands of providing this support, organisations had to double or even triple the number of specialised professionals (eg database administrators, network specialists, security experts) required. Outsourcing the support activities to a MSP would help organisations avoid this substantial extra cost.

c) Creating more value for the company

In Application Outsourcing: A Competitive Advantage Tool, David Switzer of CTG wrote: 'Information technology (IT) departments face growing pressure to improve IT's business value by accelerating the delivery of new applications and technologies, and improving its service to end-users. At the same time, studies found that basic maintenance and support of the existing application portfolio consumes up to 50% to 80% of a typical IT department's resources - posing a serious roadblock to the new initiatives and improved services that can enhance an organisation's competitive position.' By providing professionals who are specialised in various areas of IT, an MSP can free up an organisation's internal IT staff, allowing them to focus on other areas which would better increase the value and profitability of the organisation.

Opportunities in MSPs

The large range of services provided by a MSP means that a huge range of opportunities exist for those interested in this line of work.

Service desk executive
Also known as call centre executive and help desk executive, a service desk executive is the main point of contact for handling and troubleshooting customer and user-related issues.

System administrator
The main responsibility of a system administrator is to maintain and operate servers as well as multi-user computer systems. The duties of a system administrator comprise system administration and maintenance, user account management, resolving system problems, backup and restore, system security and capacity monitoring.

Network specialist
Responsible for the maintenance of computer hardware and software that comprises a local or wide area computer network, a network specialist or administrator is involved in the design, deployment, configuration, maintenance and monitoring of the network and its equipment.

Database engineer
The person looking after all areas of IT databases. These include database design, installation, configuration, maintenance support, administration, optimisation, recovery, integrity, security, availability, performance, development and testing, among other responsibilities.

Desktop engineer
The desktop engineer's main area of specialisation is desktops. Working alongside system administrators and also service desk executives, his or her area of work may involve the implementation and troubleshooting of desktops as well as operating system migrations. The person will also provide technical support to resolve any application or data migration issues after a system upgrade. Desktop engineers must possess detailed knowledge in configuring, supporting and upgrading networked PCs running on the latest operating systems. They must also be versatile enough to work on a variety of different hardware.

Interested in these job areas? Lim shared that professionals recruited into CSA are usually not only from IT backgrounds, but also from electronic engineering and computer science backgrounds, among others. 'Having a relevant degree aside, people aspiring to work in a MSP must also be prepared to work in shifts, during public holidays and even after office hours. You may need to sacrifice your personal time, but when you've successfully provided a solution that has enhanced the lives of others, the sense of achievement you get more than makes up for it,' says Lim, a veteran who has been involved in this business for over three decades.

© GTI Specialist Publishers. Reproduced with permission.