Why combining managed IT, security and print makes business sense
Most growing businesses don’t set out to have three or four technology suppliers, it just happens. One company looks after the IT, another handles the printers, a third bolts on some security, and before long nobody owns the whole picture. The result is more cost, more risk and a lot of finger-pointing when something goes wrong.
Bringing managed IT, cyber security and managed print together under a single provider changes that. Here’s why it works.
One relationship, one point of accountability
When something breaks, the last thing you want is suppliers blaming each other. With a single-source partner there’s one number to call and one team that owns the outcome, whether it’s a laptop, a firewall rule or a production printer.
Joined-up decisions
Technology choices don’t happen in isolation. The way you print affects how you handle confidential documents. Your cloud setup affects your security posture. A partner who sees all of it can make decisions that fit together, rather than optimising one area at the expense of another.
Security wrapped around everything
Printers are computers too, and unsecured ones are a genuine risk. When security is built into your IT and your print environment, you close gaps that single-service providers often miss. Secure release printing, endpoint protection and email filtering all reinforce one another.
Lower total cost
Consolidating suppliers usually reduces cost: fewer contracts, less duplicated effort, better-aligned hardware and software, and the buying power of a partner who manages it all. Just as importantly, proactive management means fewer expensive emergencies.
What to look for in a single-source MSP
- Genuine breadth, real expertise across IT, security and print, not one bolted onto the others.
- Accreditations that matter, ISO 27001 for security, manufacturer partnerships (such as Canon Platinum) for print.
- UK-based, accountable support, people you can reach and who own the result.
- A pre-emptive mindset, monitoring and prevention, not just fixing things after they break.
At Alternative Managed Services we’ve delivered exactly this model since 1992. If your technology feels fragmented, a free review is a good place to start, book a consultation and we’ll show you where a joined-up approach could help.