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Making Smart Telecom & Network Choices: 8 Reasons Business Customers Partner with a Managed Service Provider

Businesses increasingly are utilizing managed services providers to assist them in making smart network decisions and streamline their

operations.

In addition to cost savings, what do companies hope to gain with this expert assistance?

Here’s what an IDC survey said:

53% 50% 39% 35%

33% 29% 29% 23%

Expect to gain 24/7 support

Expect to see reduced network operations costs

Want improved network, application availability,

& performance

Want improved internal process and

procedures

Expect to be able to refocus IT staff

on strategic initiatives

Want to access external skills and

expertise

Want a single point of contact for all telecom and IT

needs

Expect to see more upgrades, migrations,

or new app deployments

Are they realizing these benefits?

Let’s take a closer lookat the outcomes.

1Cost Savings

Businesses that used a managed services provider instead of internally staffed services catalogued:

79% lower total cost of ownership (TCO) for a managed WAN service deployed at a midsize multi-location sales office

84% lower TCO for a managed Internet and security service deployed at a single health care clinic

Why do businesses realize cost savings through an MSP?

Predictable monthly fees aid budgeting.

Companies pay only for the networking services used.

Consolidating voice and data services onto a single network can cut costs in half.

Companies can access innovative network technologies without high capital

expenditures or ongoing investments in upgrades and maintenance resources.

Their extensive knowledge of the market results in efficient and strategic decisions

regarding the best choice of carrier.

2Expert, 24/7 support

MSPs offer comprehensive, high-quality service. They have a large, experienced staff that specializes in router and security technology, and their staff has a broader and deeper access to technical expertise than most businesses’ IT staff.

IT staff can then focus on strategic internal initiatives.

3MSPs relieve the pressure put on a business’s IT staff

Staff must have multiple technology certifications in these areas:

Each member of the business’s IT staff requires continuous technical

training to maintain skills in these rapidly changing fields.

• Routers• Ethernet switches• Firewalls• Intrusion detection

systems• Content filtering

• VPN devices• Wi-Fi• Mobile devices• Server, desktop, & mobile

operating systems

4Improved performance of communications services

MSPs streamline the management of communications services like these:

Broadband Internet access links—including T1, bonded T1, business

Ethernet, DS3, DSL, cable, satellite, and wireless broadband

Virtual private networks (VPNs)

Carrying voice and data traffic on the same circuits

Comprehensive management of security elements to mitigate network

intrusions, attacks, viruses, spam, and other threats

5Single point of contact

MSPs offer objective advice based on their extensive knowledge of multiple carriers, carriers’ product lines, and a business’s needs and goals.

Questions—among many—that MSPs can answer about carriers:

Do they have an MPLS network to support VoIP?

Do they do SIP trunking?

Can they offer an IP-VPN solution for remote office sites?

6Improved network

performance

75% of midsize businesses are network dependent. Network reliability is critical because a network outage essentially shuts down business. MSPs guarantee improved network performance because of these factors:

They have robust, reliable, and resilient networks

Industry-average SLAs promise 99.95% network availability

Networks are proactively monitored 24 hours a day

SLAs guarantee response and resolution times for network problems to minimize impact on users

7MSPs ensure high-quality

network operation

They manage, maintain, and upgrade network infrastructure and management systems more often than individual businesses do

They must meet 24-hour demand

They define and monitor Quality of Service (QoS) and Class of Service (CoS) parameters to prioritize voice traffic and ensure call quality

They secure data, transactions, and communications to keep up with the latest security threats, as well as meeting privacy and security regulations

They deliver services to more remote offices and employees than individual business networks do

8Improved network security

31% of targeted cyber attacks are aimed at businesses with fewer than 250 employees, according to Symantec.

MSPs help businesses realize improved network security through:

Firewall management

Intrusion protection service

Advanced security solutions

For more information on

Time Warner Cable Business Class,

see

 business.twc.com/partner.