Bridging the IT skills shortage gap
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of technology around the world, particularly among public-sector organizations. For municipalities, not only have residents’ service-related expectations changed, but remote and hybrid working arrangements have permanently altered the way municipalities operate and provide programs and services.
Behind these transformations is a backbone of municipal Information Technology (IT) staff, who appear to be in increasingly short supply. The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) estimates that by 2025, Canada’s employers will need to fill an additional 250,000 technology jobs to keep pace with the rising demand.
To reduce risk and shore up a (potential) talent deficit, public-sector organizations are partnering with Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to augment their IT workforce. MSPs can provide a variety of benefits, including:
- Predictable IT spending – managed services tend to have low start-up costs, along with steady (and predictable) monthly payments that make budgeting easier
- 24 x 7 x 365 Help Desk support – they provide around-the-clock support for clients, reducing downtime, and working to maintain user productivity
- Future-proof service – managed service providers continuously train their staff on the latest technologies, and work to keep up with (if not, stay ahead of) the latest business technology trends
- Economies of scale – in addition to having competitively priced standing offers, MSPs can add and provide services for less and faster than starting from scratch
Strategically, MSPs take on day-to-day system administration so in-house resources can shift their focus to strategic projects that empower their operations and customers. Leading MSPs will also collaborate with partners to determine where the gaps are and where they need help.
For more information on managed IT services, please contact hylann [at] abmunis.ca (Hylann Ma), Growth and Innovation Manager.
