Following many years of increased investment and focus, the technology industry in the UK is rapidly becoming one of the most dynamic global centres for technology and computing, and as a result, demand for IT professionals is soaring. To keep up with developing trends and best practices, skilled tech specialists are increasingly being sought after by businesses of different sizes across sectors.
Although the tech sector in the UK is currently experiencing a period of growth, businesses across the UK are plagued with a distinct IT-specific skills gap. According to a recent study by the recruitment and HR specialist, Hays, 94% of UK companies looking for tech talent have encountered a skills shortage over the past year.
As the skills shortage looks to continue into the future, there is a pressing question about what organisations can do to address this. With this in mind, we explore how a managed hosting provider can help you bridge the IT skills gap in your organisation.
What is the role of a managed hosting provider?
Unlike traditional hosting services, where clients are responsible for managing their own infrastructure either in-house or in a public cloud environment, a managed hosting provider will take on the responsibility of managing and optimising infrastructure on behalf of a business.
Working with a managed hosting provider will look slightly different, depending on your provider. There are, however, several core benefits that businesses can expect.
How can a managed hosting provider bridge the IT skills gap?
- Cost-effective solutions:
With IT teams facing budget cuts, more and more businesses, especially SMEs, are turning to managed service providers as a cost-effective way to bridge their IT skills gap. Maintaining and growing an in-house IT team can be financially burdensome, whereas partnering with an MSP grants access to a complete team of highly skilled IT professionals at a fraction of the cost.
Organisations have the ability to choose from a range of service packages and solutions tailored to their specific needs and budget. This flexibility allows organisations to optimise their IT budgets and focus on what they do best.
- Specialist expertise
Managed service providers (MSPs) offer businesses the advantage of gaining immediate access to a diverse skill set when needed. From cybersecurity specialists and network engineers, to software developers and cloud architects, managed service providers grant access to a broad range of IT specialisms to fill gaps in an organisation’s current in-house team.
Utilising managed service providers in such a way allows businesses to quickly tap into the specialist skills they require at a specific time, ensuring efficient and reliable handling of critical IT functions.
- 24/7 support
One of the key advantages of partnering with a managed service provider is the 24/7 support they can offer. MSPs understand that critical IT issues can arise at any time, and it is vital that these are addressed as soon as possible. When working with a managed service provider, it is expected that their team will be consistently monitoring for critical issues and always available to provide immediate assistance, even out-of-hours.
With MSPs handling IT support around the clock, businesses can rest assured that their systems and applications are in capable hands, mitigating the risks associated with potential disruptions and ensuring your customers can always reach you.
- Security
Now, more than ever, businesses of all sizes are recognising the threat of cyber attacks threats and understanding the potential for severe financial and reputational damage resulting from security breaches.
While cyber security is rapidly becoming a top priority for internal IT teams, research by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology into the UK cyber security labour market has estimated that 50% of all UK businesses have a basic cyber security skills gap, while 33% are in a more advanced stage.
To bridge this gap, managed hosting providers can play a crucial role in bolstering a company’s security posture by taking over the implementation and management of enhanced security measures. Managed hosting providers will look to achieve this by:
- Utilising expert security teams
- Regular security monitoring, security patching and updates
- Security audits and compliance
- Employee training and awareness for customers
- Disaster recovery and business continuity
For more information on how a managed hosting provider can help bridge your IT skills gap, get in touch with one of our cloud experts today.
