What are managed IT services?

Managed IT services explained

It’s fair to say that as 2025 draws to a close, the digital transformation of the business landscape is complete. Businesses are more reliant on technology than ever, making it a complete non-negotiable for IT systems to be secure, reliable and always available.

Despite that, many organisations continue to struggle with an outdated IT infrastructure, making do with reactive IT support models that struggle to keep pace with the increasing complexity of emerging threats. Sure, not every business has the resources to hire a dedicated in-house IT department to have at their beck and call 24/7/365.

But there’s a simple solution: managed IT services. Let’s look at what’s meant by this term and how IT support services could help your business.

What are managed IT services?

The basic premise of a managed IT service is to take a proactive approach to managing, monitoring and maintaining your IT systems. You can read more about it in our complete guide to managed IT services, but put simply, it means that specialist Managed Service Providers (MSPs) like us shoulder the responsibility of making sure everything is working as it should at all times. We’re always keeping an eye on your systems, meaning that we can deal with issues before they impact your business.

This turns your IT approach from emergency firefighting into continuous oversight – from reactive cost into proactive business enabler. You can think of your MSP as an extension of your team. This on-going partnership gives you the advantage of a predictable monthly cost instead of unknown costs to deal with something urgent like a cyber attack, and all without the expense of more full-time hires.

What’s included in managed IT services?

‘Managed IT support’ is an umbrella term for all manner of IT-related services, which include (but aren’t limited to):

• Infrastructure management – monitoring your servers, devices and operating systems, implementing security patches and conducting routine maintenance to keep downtime to a minimum and performance optimal
• Network management – managing routers and making sure everything stays connected, secure and reliable across wired and wireless networks
• User support and service desks – someone to call when you need quick help with an IT issue, whether it’s software troubleshooting or access problems
• Cybersecurity services – to keep your IT and wider business safe from evolving threats through monitoring, firewalls, antivirus tools and incident response planning
• Data protection and backup services – these safeguard your critical information and enable rapid recovery if something goes wrong
• Cloud and application management – keeping your business software secure, optimised and fit for purpose as your needs change

You can enlist the services of an MSP either to fully outsource your IT or to bolster your existing IT team.

Why choose managed IT services?

Managed IT services are a no-brainer for UK businesses, proactively monitoring and protecting critical IT infrastructure and reducing the risks to your business as a whole. In short, your MSP takes on the IT burden for you so that you can focus on doing what you do best. This model has the added advantage of giving you access to IT experts for a predictable monthly cost, without the overheads of hiring in-house.

If your business could use a trustworthy partner to keep everything running securely and reliably, find out more about our IT support services.