We often have clients that ask us about web development, digital marketing and software development. IT is a broad field and many times marketing and development functions get lumped in to IT Managed Services. As a result, many Managed Services companies have taken advantage of the demand and begun offering digital marketing, web development and software application development to their clients. While we absolutely agree that there is a huge need for these services, Entech has always avoided entering these markets. We firmly believe that an IT Managed Services Provider should focus on strategic insight, security, infrastructure and providing the right support to your users. While we refer and work alongside software developers, website developers and marketing professionals, we haven’t and won’t ever provide these services and feel that way for a few reasons.
- You can’t be really good at one thing when you specialize in multiple things.
Have you ever tried to pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time? People are rarely good at doing both and often one action distracts them from being able to do the other one. You’ve likely heard the phrase, “Jack of all trades, master of none.” Rather than offering the convenience of one vendor for everything technology related, Entech has elected to specialize in managed services in order to become the best at what we do. Specializing has allowed us to focus in on providing quality support and strategy so much so that we now have a sub-15 minute support ticket response time, which is unheard of in our industry. If we weren’t so locked into the details of how to delivery top-tier IT services, we would never be able to reach that benchmark.
- You can still work with approved vendors to ensure continuity.
Just because we aren’t the ones working on it doesn’t mean we can’t collaborate to ensure that all your technology works seamlessly. While we like to focus on what we’re good at refer these types of services to carefully screened and approved vendors, we always work closely with any vendor we refer our clients to. This way we can ensure that any application works closely with a company’s IT processes and existing workflows.
- You have the luxury of being innovative and using data for good.
As many people and organizations find that are juggling different services, a lack of specialization means that you have less data at your disposal and less focus on refining your processes and discovering new ways to innovate. One of the best things that has come out of specializing exclusively in managed services is that we are able to take data from our clients and use it to get a better sense for how things are working big-picture. Not only does this allow us to improve (see point 1), but it also allows us to determine where the industry is lacking and proactively plan for the future of managed services. That’s just not something that an IT provider who is spread across multiple industries and service offerings can focus on.
To a client that is used to having a single resource, a managed services company that specializes can seem limited. But when you stick with companies that specialize, you’re almost guaranteed a higher quality of service and a more comprehensive experience. If you’re seeking a one-stop-shop when it comes to technology, it might be time to reconsider your expectations.