Managed IT services typically refers to “fully” managed IT services, which typically include security, monitoring, management, and support of a company’s IT systems and users for a fixed, and predictable, monthly fee. In contrast, IT consulting services may be included with managed IT services or purchased separately as individual line items, billed monthly as subscriptions, or sold in hourly blocks.

Consulting IT services will help you solve many common business problems. With solid IT strategy and compliance guidance, SMBs, midmarket, and enterprise clients:

• Save time, money, and increase profitability.
• Improve team morale.
• Reduce employee frustration and IT staff burnout.
• Solidify defenses against data breaches, ransomware attacks, and legal exposure.
• Lower cybersecurity and compliance risk.
• Prevent the loss of knowledge, certification expertise, and skill sets from departing IT employees.
• Leverage best in class tools and onshore help desk with partnership level support.
• Refocus internal IT resources on mission-critical, strategic endeavors.

Businesses with the following profile are a good fit for IT consulting:

• Rely on their IT infrastructure to properly support their daily business processes, staff, and clients.
• Consider technology a business differentiator.
• Understand the value of mature operations, which ultimately translates to predictable outcomes and improved risk management.
• Expect high availability, efficiency, and productivity, which can only be achieved by proactive technology planning and actions.
• Value reputation in a marketplace and understand that reputational risk, if not managed, can potentially erode public trust in the business.
• Do not have sufficiently trained staff, expertise, or time to formally deal with proper maintenance, updates, and repairs.
• Prefer to pay one monthly, flat fee for services for a premium level of service quality to the business.

There are several ways to find reputable IT consultants. Independent review sites like Clutch conduct independent, third-party reviews with real clients (full disclosure, Integris has 4.9 stars on Clutch). You can also ask trusted business associates and partners for their IT consultant recommendations.