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Managed IT Services for the Automotive Industry

Companies operating within the automotive industry, including vehicle manufacturers, dealerships, distributors, and others rely on technology for many of their processes. Networking, the internet of things (IoT), cloud processes, payments processing, and communication with prospective clients all require complex IT systems. New motor vehicles are also increasingly connected with varying degrees of automated systems. All of these factors within the automotive industry have made it increasingly important for companies to expand their IT management and ensure their technology remains current. This article will detail managed IT services for the automotive industry.

What are Managed IT Services?

Managed IT services allow companies to outsource some or all of their IT tasks to third parties. These third parties are called managed services providers (MSPs) and offer expert IT services to organizations. Companies can choose to outsource only a small portion of their IT tasks to managed services providers are opt to outsource all of their IT needs. Managed services providers offer IT solutions, including cybersecurity, hosting, continuous monitoring, backups, and support. Increasingly, organizations of all sizes are turning to managed IT because they have access to experts without substantially expanding their in-house IT departments. Multiple factors have driven the demand for managed IT, including the following:

  • Pressure to remain current with ever-changing tech advancements
  • Difficulty with remaining compliant with regulatory changes associated with the use of various technologies
  • Lack of specific expertise about certain systems within the organization’s internal teams
  • Constant threat of cyberattacks and the increasing need for cybersecurity measures

A big advantage of turning to managed IT services is the availability of expertise and support 24 hours per day at predictable costs. Automotive organizations typically do not have round-the-clock availability from their in-house IT staff, but problems can arise at any time. Outsourcing your IT tasks can ensure continuous protection, prevent downtime and disruptions, and keep your technology costs at a predictable and manageable level.

Services Offered by MSPs

IT services providers provide a range of services to organizations. Some of the most popular services are detailed below.

Continuous Monitoring

Monitoring systems and networks is very time-consuming for most companies. A managed IT services provider can assume this responsibility with a management platform and remote monitoring. Continuous monitoring can continue round-the-clock so threats and problems can be quickly identified and fixed to minimize disruptions. Internal IT staff can then be freed up to focus on other critical tasks for the organization.

Threat Detection and Cybersecurity Management

Cyberattacks are constant threats and they have been steadily increasing. According to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2.76 million complaints were filed with the agency between 2017 and 2021 for a total estimated loss of $18.7 billion. In 2021 alone, the agency received 847,376 complaints with losses of $6.9 billion, which were up from 791,790 complaints and $4.2 billion in losses in 2021. Cybercriminals often target organizations to garner higher returns for their conduct. Managed IT services providers can use threat detection to detect attempted intrusions and provide ongoing maintenance, patching, and other management services to protect organizations from bad actors.

Advising and Recommendations

An IT services provider can help by evaluating an organization’s systems and advising them about technological changes to help them keep current. The IT services provider can ensure that the organization’s upgrades are performed regularly so that the company can remain ahead of the competition. They can also help with budget planning so that companies can understand what they need to do to meet their organizational goals each year.

Disaster Recovery and Data Backup

Backing up your company’s important data is crucial for minimizing disruptions to your business operations caused by disasters such as fire, tornadoes, hurricanes, and others. A managed IT services provider can ensure the safety and integrity of your data by backing it up securely to a remote, off-site location or the cloud so that it can easily be recovered when a disaster occurs.

Regulatory Compliance

Organizations face significant challenges with maintaining regulatory compliance as technology constantly evolves. A managed IT services provider stays up to date with compliance standards and can help you minimize risks involved with handling sensitive payment and client information.

Analysis and Reporting

Your MSP should conduct regular analysis and provide reports to help you assess your organization’s key performance indicators (KPIs). You should receive snapshots of your workflows, and your managed provider can make recommendations for how to improve them.

Benefits of Working with an MSP

Some of the specific benefits organizations receive from outsourcing their IT services to a managed provider include the following:

Reduced IT Costs

Outsourcing your IT services can help to significantly reduce your costs as compared to building out a comparable level of IT expertise within your organization. If you opt for a subscription package, your costs will be regular and predictable so that your company can better forecast your monthly and annual IT spending.

Access to Experts

A managed IT provider can offer expertise in various aspects of your networking and management responsibilities that your in-house staff don’t have. You can leverage the expertise of your managed provider to help with cybersecurity regulations, compliance, and threat detection and monitoring without having to hire a full staff of certified professionals.

Dependable Support

Third-party providers can provide help desk support for end-users, internal staff, and customers. The reliability of your services can increase and disruptions reduced. Internal IT staff can balance their workloads more easily, and your clients can benefit from receiving focused attention so that their experience will be more positive.

Managed IT Services for the Automotive Industry

Regardless of the sector within the auto industry in which your organization operates, disruptions in your networks and systems can be devastating to your business operations. Identifying the right experts and products to fix problems could require a substantial capital investment. Because of this, dealerships, manufacturers, distributors, and others within the auto industry have started switching to managed service models to reduce costs and mitigate risks. Automotive organizations can rely on managed providers when they manufacture new vehicles with IoT features.

No matter what role your organization fills within the auto industry, outsourcing some or all of your IT services to an MSP might help you maintain compliance, protect your sensitive data, minimize disruptions, and stay ahead of the competition. To learn more about managed IT services for the automotive industry, contact us for more information. Learn more about the new FTC Safeguards Rules for auto dealerships and the extended deadline of June 9th, 2023!

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