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Welcome to our news and blog section. Here you will find the latest updates from theICEway and our IT specialists at ICE. We are frequently invited to attend and speak at industry events, so if you don’t want to miss out on those, this is the page for you.

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Application managed services explained

by Asa Sargeant | April 5, 2023 | Products & Services | 0 Comments

The eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed that we recently changed our website menu bar. Now you can navigate straight to pages on each of our three core pillars, including cloud strategy and technology projects. But what do these terms actually mean? Starting with 'Application managed services explained', we will spend the next few weeks shining a light on what it is that we actually offer.

Application Managed Services, Aka ‘AMS’

Also sometimes referred to as ‘AMS’, application managed services are services offered to small or large companies by third-party organisations. The objective is to provide businesses with the application support that they require. AMS providers typically deliver IT and application management expertise, maintaining critical software systems and therefore alleviating the need for a business to rely on internal resources for this.

AMS providers monitor and manage applications, delivering support when required with all the IT solutions a business is using. In addition to this, AMS providers often also help with the installation, configuration and testing of new applications. Depending upon the nature of the business, providers can also manage cloud applications, upgrade software solutions and alert the management team about critical issues. In application managed services, the ultimate objective is to ensure that all IT systems are running optimally and without issues. To achieve this, there is a constant need for software updates and system tests, checking whether or not a business is adversely affected by platform or program outages.

Application Managed Services Examples

It is important to note the difference between application managed services and managed IT support. As we shall soon see, the former of the two is all about on going monitoring and management. IT support, on the other hand, tends to be more reactive as IT support teams deal with IT-related incidents and requests. This is certainly something that AMS providers handle also, but there is definitely a distinction. Some examples of AMS include:

- Infrastructure management (essentially aiming to maximise productivity whilst keeping downtime at a minimum)
- Solution operation & support plus problem management (typically, a single point-of-contact service desk will be in place on a 24/7 basis to field and then analyse any application-related requests and incidents)
- Optimisation of solutions & transition management (the best AMS providers adapt applications and service levels to suit changing business needs. They will also deploy a standardised handover process, transferring key knowledge to the relevant people and producing a detailed operational manual)

Examples of IT support in action would include data centre maintenance plus the installation and configuration of IT systems. Software maintenance and diagnosis / resolution of software faults are also typically carried out by IT support teams. (Before you ask, yes, you can receive help with both AMS and IT support from theICEway!)

Application Managed Services Benefits

Without wishing to labour the point, AMS provides a far more comprehensive service than outsourced IT support. AMS providers manage your applications. Support for IT-related tasks such as diagnosing and resolving hardware and software faults is important, for sure. But compare that to maintaining core business systems and it is easy to see how AMS requires a broader and deeper level of specialist expertise.

By managing applications and IT infrastructure, AMS providers free up considerable time for internal business resources. Teams no longer have to worry about downtime or fixing incidents. Performing root cause analysis to prevent incidents from happening again is no longer a concern. Instead, teams can focus on other important tasks as well as keeping up with industry trends. They can monitor competitor activity or brainstorm opportunities for innovation.

Perhaps the key benefit of working with any AMS provider is around-the-clock coverage. If issues arise outside of business hours, they will typically work behind-the-scenes to fix them. Essentially, the best application managed services specialists become an extension of a business’ own team. That means the business can access their experience and knowledge, likely honed over many years.

Application Managed Services TheICEway

‘Application managed services explained’ hopefully provides some key insight into a vital discipline in business nowadays. Digital transformation is continually being embraced by organisations large and small. Our general reliance upon technology and IT applications is greater than it ever has been – and that is not likely to change! Ensuring that IT infrastructure is performing to expectations and with minimal downtime is a huge task. If your organisation needs help with this, then application managed services from theICEway might just be in order.

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