Commentary

The case for managed services for kiosks

As the economy keeps getting more and more specialized, businesses have to focus on what they know to stay alive. For many businesses that use self-service kiosks, it makes sense to have a managed services provider.

Image courtesy of iStock

July 18, 2019

Amy Robison is a contributing writer at Advanced Kiosks.

By Amy Robison

Experienced companies think of managed services as proactive outsourcing. This means knowing what you don't have time to become an expert in and which rabbit holes aren't worth going down. It's getting clear on your business priorities.

So why should a business that uses self-serve kiosks outsource managing these assets to a specialist?

Estimates vary, but the managed services market is growing by 9-13% a year. The Computing Technology Industry Association says 64% of organizations are using some form of managed services and expects the industry to hit $193 billion by 2020. That's a lot of people getting proactive about their outsourcing with good reason. Our economy just keeps getting more and more specialized. Businesses have to focus on what they know to stay alive.

In the early days of managed services, companies chose to partner with companies known as managed services providers to save money. That's still a top reason for signing a service level agreement, but with the explosion of new technologies, CompTIA reports cutting costs is taking a back seat to other objectives like improving security, increasing uptimes and generally getting smarter about leveraging new IT solutions.

Regardless of why you choose to enter into a managed services contract, Forbes provides some excellent tips for getting the most out of your MSP relationship. Pick someone you trust and can build a relationship with. Be very clear about your business goals and why you've chosen to outsource these particular services; write your rationale into your SLA. Finally, always keep the lines of communication open.

Managed service offerings can include the following:

1. Monitoring, alerts and notifications: Make sure each of your touchscreen kiosks stays within established operating parameters.
2. Software and operating system updates: Keep the whole kiosk fleet up-to-date with the latest plugins and upgrades. This can include staying on top of third-party software updates.
3. Kiosk security: Install and manage antivirus software, handle malware scans and address any and all found issues.
4. Inventory management and analytics: Your MSP can track how your customers are using your self-service kiosks and make recommendations based on the data it collects and analyzes.
5. Monthly executive summary reports: Tell your MSP what's important to you; let them monitor and report on it.