Recruiting contingent workers

If you receive a job order for a contingent worker, your recruitment process might be different than sourcing regular employees.

Whether you are outsourcing workers or providing contract workers, make sure you fully understand what your client needs. You and your client must be clear in the job description that the position is not permanent.

Don’t neglect referrals, especially when it comes to technical skills. Gather candidate referrals, reference your recruitment database, and use job boards and social media to source contingent workers.

When screening and interviewing workers, find out their future goals. Reiterate that the position is not permanent. And, be thorough. The contingent worker should still match your client’s work culture, even if they are not a permanent addition.

You and your client might need a lawyer to look over the job description, draft contracts, and verify the individual is classified correctly.

For more: synonym for contingent

What are the disadvantages to contingent work?

Benefits of Becoming a Contingent Worker

One major advantage of going the contingency route is that you get the opportunity to build your skills professionally. You will most likely work on a variety of projects from different companies. These projects will give you the right platform to make use of your current skills and add more. This will add enormously to your resume and make you more marketable.

Working for different companies will help you identify what type of company suits you best. This will not only give you an idea of where you want to work, but it will also increase your chances of getting more permanent and lucrative positions.

Working on a contingency basis will also give you the opportunity to interact with a variety of corporate managers and decision-makers. By impressing them with your skills and expertise, you will get a chance to add a few more names to the list of references in your CV.

How to Impress Employers as a Contingent Employee

The most important thing you need to do is earn the trust of your employer. This means you have to maintain a high degree of integrity at work and be accountable for everything. You must be confident and assertive to work with a new team and help produce from the first day. You must also be able to read people around you and communicate effectively.

The number of contingent workers today is about 40 percent of the total workforce in the US. The number is even expected to increase significantly by 2020. This presents a lot of hope for anyone who wants to become a contingent worker in the country.

for more:fieldengineer.com/blogs/what-is-contingent-employment

Which categories make up the contingent workforce?

As a category, contingent workers may include temporary employees, part-time employees, independent contract workers, employees of the temporary help industry ("temps"), consultants, seasonal employees, and interns. In contrast, full-time, permanent employees frequently are referred to as core employees.

CONTINGENT WORKERS

As a category, contingent workers may include temporary employees, part-time employees, independent contract workers, employees of the temporary help industry ("temps"), consultants, seasonal employees, and interns. In contrast, full-time, permanent employees frequently are referred to as core employees. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) defines contingent workers in a more selective way. The BLS differentiates between workers with what it calls "alternative work arrangements" and contingent workers, who have no explicit or implicit contract and expect their jobs to last no more than a year.

TYPES OF CONTINGENT WORKERS

There is much discussion in the literature about just how the term contingent worker should be defined. Following are descriptions of common contingent worker categories.

TEMPS.

Temporary employees, or temps, generally work for temporary employment agencies that place workers in companies for short-term assignments. While most temporary employees earn less than their full-time counterparts and do not receive benefits, that has changed for some job specialties, particularly in the computer and information systems areas. Milwaukee-based Manpower Inc. and Kelly Services Inc. of Troy, Michigan, are two of the largest temporary agencies.

PART-TIME EMPLOYEES.

Part-time employees work fewer than 35 hours a week. They often receive fewer or no benefits from their employer, which results in a cost savings for the company. Additionally, these employees may be scheduled to meet particular peak needs of the organization. For example, clothing stores have higher night and weekend demand for staff than during the week daytime hours.

CONTRACT WORKERS.

Contract workers are employees who negotiate a relationship directly with an employer for a particular piece of work or for a specific time period. Contract workers generally are self-employed and determine their own work hours. These employees may be more productive than in-house employees because they avoid much of the bureaucracy of day-to-day organizational life.

How are contingent workers paid?

The U.S. Department of Labor defines contingent workers as independent contractors or freelancers as opposed to employees. When a company hires an employee on a permanent or temporary basis, it becomes responsible for ensuring that taxes are deducted and paid for the employee. On the other hand, when the company hires an independent contractor or contingent worker, the IC becomes responsible for all taxes, as she works for herself. The difference between the two types of employment is defined by whether the worker is classified as an employee or a freelancer.

Contingent Workers

Contingent workers are typically defined as people who are not employees of a company. Instead, these workers are freelancers who might work under a contract, on a temporary basis or provide consulting services as needed. Many companies consider salespeople as contingent employees. Instead of receiving a salary, a contingent worker receives payment or commissions for completed work. Contingent workers cannot be told how to complete a project, as they work for themselves. The company's focus with contingent workers is not how the work gets done; the focus is on the results.

Contractual Employees

All employees who are hired in states with at-will employment guidelines are contractual employees whether there is a written agreement or not. The IRS defines these employees as common-law employees. At-will employment allows an employer or employee to terminate the work relationship at any time without cause. As long as employees meet the rules of employment, and work continues to be available, their "contract" for work continues. Violations of the contract, such as disciplinary actions or company violations may result in the ending of the contract. Contractual employees might work on a permanent or temporary basis. Contractual employees have taxes withheld from their paychecks and might be eligible for benefits dependent upon company policy and employment laws.

for more: https://www.fieldengineer.com/blogs/what-is-contingent-employment

What is the difference between a contingent worker and a contractor?

When looking outside the company to hire new employees, you have a number of options. If core team members are fully occupied, and you have new tasks that must be handled on an ongoing basis, it probably makes the most sense to hire additional full-time or part-time employees.

If, however, upcoming projects are of limited duration or you need specialized skills unavailable internally, then a mix of full-time employees and contingent workers may be your best bet.

There’s a wide world of talent out there, and you don’t have to approach tapping into it the same way for every individual or job. There are different ways you can engage workers that depend on your particular needs at the time you’re recruiting. But you have to know what you’re doing when you engage workers who are not employees of your company in the traditional sense.

The relationship of various workers to your company is of key concern to federal and state governments, in particular the agencies responsible for collecting payroll taxes. Confusion around these relationships is driving a growing number of lawsuits, and it’s critical that you understand the differences. Here is a fundamental look at worker classifications.https://www.fieldengineer.com/blogs/what-is-contingent-employment

There are three factors determining how workers will serve a business:

• Their relationship to the company in need of their services (the capacity in which they work)
• The duration of their engagement (short term or long term)
• The schedule they work (part time or full time)

Of these three, relationship is most important from a legal standpoint. There are three basic types of worker relationships:

• Employees: Workers are employed directly by the company for which work is performed.
• Contingent workers: Workers are provided by a staffing firm to the company for which work is performed and are employees of the staffing firm.
• Independent contractors: Workers submit their own invoices for services provided. They are neither employees of the company for which the work is performed nor employees of a staffing firm

Factoring in duration and schedule, workers in all three relationship categories could be full time, part time, short term, or long term.

What is considered a contingent worker?

Companies are continuously trying to maximize efficiencies and cut costs in order to increase profitability. With labour being one of the biggest expenses in business, it’s only natural that companies would start looking for innovative ways to get work done more efficiently at lower costs, which is how the contingent workforce was born.

What Is a Contingent Worker?

Contingent workers are defined as freelancers, independent contractors, consultants, or other outsourced and non-permanent workers who are hired on a per-project basis. They can work on site or remotely. However, they are not simply temp workers—this discounts the high-value nature and complexity of today’s contingent workforce. Contingent workers are highly skilled experts in their fields.

These workers are hired to complete specified tasks under a statement of work (SOW) provision. Once the project is over, they leave, though they may be called back when another project arises. As such, they are not employees of a company and the business owner has no responsibility to provide continuous work on a permanent basis.

Contingent Worker versus Employee

Contingent workers are not salaried. They do not receive benefits. They are responsible for their own taxes as they work for themselves—not the company. Therefore, the company is not responsible for deducting federal and provincial taxes, CPP, or EI.

Contingent workers also have more control over their own work than employees of a company do. They aren’t told how to complete projects or when to work. The company’s focus is not on how the work is completed but rather on the results.

Is Ethernet faster than WIFI?

Wi-Fi is obviously more convenient than wired Ethernet cables, but Ethernet still offers significant advantages. Join us as we take a look at the pros and cons of wired and wireless connections.

You probably won’t be connecting an Ethernet cable to your smartphone any time soon. But it’s usually worth running Ethernet cables to the devices that matter, if you can—gaming and media PCs (or consoles), backup devices, and set-top boxes being just a few examples. To help you make the decision, we’re going to take a look at the three main advantages of using Ethernet over Wi-Fi—faster speeds, lower latency, and reliable connections.

Ethernet is just plain faster than Wi-Fi—there’s no getting around that fact. But the real-world differences are smaller than you might think. Wi-Fi has gotten significantly faster over the last few years, thanks to new standards like 802.11ac and 802.11n, which offer maximum speeds of 866.7 Mb/s and 150 Mb/s, respectively. Even though this is a maximum speed for all your wireless devices to share (and you likely won’t get those speeds in the real world), Wi-Fi has become good enough to handle most of our daily tasks.

On the other hand, a wired Ethernet connection can theoretically offer up to 10 Gb/s, if you have a Cat6 cable. The exact maximum speed of your Ethernet cable depends on the type of Ethernet cable you’re using. However, even the Cat5e cable in common use supports up to 1 Gb/s. And, unlike with Wi-Fi, that speed is consistent.

While all that speed is great, the thing to keep in mind is that the speed of your Internet connection is the bottleneck for activities involving the Internet. If your Internet speed is significantly lower than whatever type of connection you’re using, upping the speed of that connection won’t matter much.

What are benefits of network?

Benefits of computer networks

Setting up a computer network is a fast and reliable way of sharing information and resources within a business. It can help you make the most of your IT systems and equipment.

Advantages of computer networking

Main benefits of networks include:

• File sharing – you can easily share data between different users, or access it remotely if you keep it on other connected devices.
• Resource sharing – using network-connected peripheral devices like printers, scanners and copiers, or sharing software between multiple users, saves money.
• Sharing a single internet connection – it is cost-efficient and can help protect your systems if you properly secure the network.
• Increasing storage capacity – you can access files and multimedia, such as images and music, which you store remotely on other machines or network-attached storage devices.

Networking computers can also help you improve communication, so that:

• staff, suppliers and customers can share information and get in touch more easily
• your business can become more efficient - eg networked access to a common database can avoid the same data being keyed multiple times, saving time and preventing errors
• staff can deal with queries and deliver a better standard of service as a result of sharing customer data

Cost benefits of computer networking

Storing information in one centralised database can also help you reduce costs and drive efficiency. For example:

• staff can deal with more customers in less time since they have shared access to customer and product databases
• you can centralise network administration, meaning less IT support is required
• you can cut costs through sharing of peripherals and internet access

You can reduce errors and improve consistency by having all staff work from a single source of information. This way, you can make standard versions of manuals and directories available to them, and back up data from a single point on a scheduled basis, ensuring consistency.

What information is stored on a router?

Yes, your router does store information about your computer when you connect to it. Typically, it will save a routing table that consists of your computer's MAC address, the IP address that was assigned to your computer, and the lease time of your computer's IP address.A router is a hand tool or power tool that a worker uses to rout (hollow out) an area in relatively hard material like wood or plastic. Routers are mainly used in woodworking, especially cabinetry. Routers are typically handheld or fastened cutting end-up in a router table.

The hand tool type of router is the original form. It is a specialized type of hand plane with a broad base and a narrow blade that projects well beyond its base plate (giving it the nickname old woman's tooth). The power tool form of router with an electric-motor-driven spindle is now the more common form. The hand tool version is now often called a router plane, and for some tasks, still provides a few advantages over the power tool. Some workers consider the electric router one of the most versatile woodworking power tools. CNC wood routers implement the advantages of CNC (Computer Numerical Control).

Related to the router is a smaller, lighter version designed specifically for trimming laminates. It can be used for smaller general routing work. For example, with an appropriate jig it can be used for recessing door hinges and recessing lock faceplates. Even rotary tools can be used as routers when the right bits and accessories (such as a plastic router base) are attached.Before power routers existed, the hand tool form was frequently used, especially by patternmakers and staircase makers.

The first handheld power routers were invented in 1915 and were Jet Motor Hand Routers, called Onsruters. The name derives from a combination of the inventor's last name "Onsrud" and the term "router". The Onsruter combined a router plane with an endmill to create the first handheld power router. The idea for the Onsruter started when a rail road company decided they wanted to power the front light on a steam locomotive using steam from the engine. Oscar Onsrud and his son Rudy submitted a design for an air turbine to generate the power for the light, however they didn't win the contract. A few months later Rudy Onsrud told a friend about his frustrations making the groove in the bottom of a cane bottom chair using a router plane. He suddenly realized that he could re-purpose the air turbine to run on compressed air and spin a modified endmill to rout the groove. Modified endmills would have to spin at 30,000 RPM, instead of the 3,000 RPM of a milling machine to cut wood without burning it. The bits also needed a steeper rake and clearance angle than a traditional endmill so they could evacuate the chips. These new bits became known as router bits or router cutters (UK).

Further refinement produced the plunge router, invented by ELU (now part of DeWalt) in Germany around 1949. This is even better adapted for many types of work.

Starting in the 1960s, the power tool form of router became the more common form.

Modern routers are often used in place of traditional moulding planes or spindle moulder machines for edge decoration (moulding) of timber.

Who has the best home Internet service?

High Speed Internet.com simplifies the search for the best Internet Service Provider (ISP) for your home or business. Enter your ZIP code, and we’ll show you which ISPs are available in your area. From there, you can easily compare speeds, features, customer reviews, expert ratings, and prices to find the ISP that works best for you. With over 1,200 internet providers in our database, you’re sure to find a good match.

Below you’ll find national internet service statistics, FAQs, and general provider information to help you in your search. Enter your ZIP code to get information specific to your area.

Make a more informed decision when selecting your ISP by reading our expert insights and customer reviews first.

View our expert ratings and reviews to compare how ISPs scored for customer satisfaction, speed, reliability, pricing, and customer support.

Read real reviews from real customers of ISPs in your area, and use their personal experience to inform your search.https://www.fieldengineer.com/blogs/what-is-wireless-lan

What is the WLAN button on my router?

Wireless local area networks (WLANs) are often implemented as an overlay to the wired LAN. The two distinct WLAN architectures in use are lightweight and autonomous, each having varied impact on the wired network infrastructure.
A wireless local area network (WLAN) is a wireless distribution method for two or more devices that use high-frequency radio waves and often include an access point to the Internet. A WLAN allows users to move around the coverage area, often a home or small office, while maintaining a network connection.

A wireless local area network (WLAN) is a wireless distribution method for two or more devices that use high-frequency radio waves and often include an access point to the Internet. A WLAN allows users to move around the coverage area, often a home or small office, while maintaining a network connection.

A WLAN is sometimes call a local area wireless network (LAWN).

In the early 1990s, WLANs were very expensive and were only used when wired connections were strategically impossible. By the late 1990s, most WLAN solutions and proprietary protocols were replaced by IEEE 802.11 standards in various versions (versions "a" through "n"). WLAN prices also began to decrease significantly.

WLAN should not be confused with the Wi-Fi Alliance's Wi-Fi trademark. Wi-Fi is not a technical term, but is described as a superset of the IEEE 802.11 standard and is sometimes used interchangeably with that standard. However, not every Wi-Fi device actually receives Wi-Fi Alliance certification, although Wi-Fi is used by more than 700 million people through about 750,000 Internet connection hot spots.

Every component that connects to a WLAN is considered a station and falls into one of two categories: access points (APs) and clients. APs transmit and receive radio frequency signals with devices able to receive transmitted signals; they normally function as routers. Clients may include a variety of devices such as desktop computers, workstations, laptop computers, IP phones and other cell phones and Smartphones. All stations able to communicate with each other are called basic service sets (BSSs), of which there are two types: independent and infrastructure. Independent BSSs (IBSS) exist when two clients communicate without using APs, but cannot connect to any other BSS. Such WLANs are called a peer-to-peer or an ad-hoc WLANs. The second BSS is called an infrastructure BSS. It may communicate with other stations but only in other BSSs and it must use APs.

What Does WLAN Mean?

A wireless local area network (WLAN) provides wireless network communication over short distances using radio or infrared signals instead of traditional network cabling.

What Does WLAN Mean?

WLAN means wireless local area network. A WLAN can be built using any of several different wireless network protocols, most commonly Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

Network security remains an important issue for WLANs. Wireless clients usually have their identity verified (a process called authentication) when joining a wireless LAN. Technologies such as WPA raise the level of security on wireless networks to rival that of traditional wired networks.

WLAN Devices

A WLAN can contain as few as two devices and as many as one hundred or more. However, wireless networks become increasingly difficult to manage as the number of devices increases.

Wireless LANs can contain many types of devices, including:

• Mobile phones
• Laptop and tablet computers
• Internet audio systems
• Gaming consoles
• Other internet-enabled home appliances and devices

How does a WLAN work?

WLANs use radio, infrared and microwave transmission to transmit data from one point to another without cables. Therefore WLAN offers way to build a Local Area Network without cables. This WLAN can then be attached to an allready existing larger network, the internet for example.
A wireless LAN consists of nodes and access points. A node is a computer or a peripheral (such as a printer) that has a network adapter, in WLANs case with an antenna. Access points function as transmitters and receivers between the nodes themselves or between the nodes and another network. More on this later.
WLAN data transfer in itself is implemented by one of the following technologies:

• Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS)
• Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS)
• Infrared (IR)

In the following is a brief dicussion about each of them.

Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum

Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) uses a narrowband carrier that changes frequency in a pattern known to both transmitter and receiver. Properly synchronized, the net effect is to maintain a single logical channel. To an unintended receiver, FHSS appears to be short-duration impulse noise.

Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum

Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) generates a redundant bit pattern for each bit to be transmitted. This bit pattern is called a chip (or chipping code). The longer the chip, the greater the probability that the original data can be recovered (the more bandwidth required also). Even if one or more bits in the chip are damaged during transmission, statistical techniques can recover the original data without the need for retransmission. To an unintended receiver, DSSS appears as low-power wideband noise and is ignored by most narrowband receivers.

Infrared Technology

Infrared (IR) systems use very high frequencies, just below visible light in the electromagnetic spectrum, to carry data. Like light, IR cannot penetrate opaque objects; it is either directed (line-of-sight) or diffuse technology. Inexpensive directed systems provide very limited range (3 ft) and are occasionally used in specific WLAN applications. High performance directed IR is impractical for mobile users and is therefore used only to implement fixed subnetworks. Diffuse (or reflective) IR WLAN systems do not require line-of-sight, but cells are limited to individual room

Fully Managed Dedicated Server Hosting

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We have the options and expertise to create a perfect custom solution for your server hosting. Our on-demand configurations are truly single tenant and secure, and as always, backed by Fanatical Support from a dedicated support team.

Today, digital agencies are attempting to run their businesses much leaner. Designers and developers want the freedom to focus more on their core business. They want to create, not administer the infrastructure or manage the technology and data. That’s not what gives them passion and it’s not why they are in business. But hosting and infrastructure are what Liquid Web does best.

What is Managed Hosting?

Those in the digital space are familiar with Managed Hosting in one way or another.

This is a business model where a service provider leases hardware to a single customer. The service provider also provides management of the servers, software, and networks necessary for hosting for the customer.

If an issue arises, a managed hosting provider is there to help pinpoint the problem and rectify it.

What does a host server do?

In computer networking, a hostname (archaically nodename) is a label that is assigned to a device connected to a computer network and that is used to identify the device in various forms of electronic communication, such as the World Wide Web. Hostnames may be simple names consisting of a single word or phrase, or they may be structured.

Internet hostnames may have appended the name of a Domain Name System (DNS) domain, separated from the host-specific label by a period ("dot"). In the latter form, a hostname is also called a domain name. If the domain name is completely specified, including a top-level domain of the Internet, then the hostname is said to be a fully qualified domain name (FQDN). Hostnames that include DNS domains are often stored in the Domain Name System together with the IP addresses of the host they represent for the purpose of mapping the hostname to an address, or the reverse process.

saturn and jupiter may be the hostnames of two devices connected to a network named example. Within example, the devices are addressed by their hostnames. The domain names of the devices are saturn.example and jupiter.example, respectively. If example is registered as a second-level domain name in the Internet, e.g., as example.net, the hosts may be addressed by the fully qualified domain names saturn.example.net and jupiter.example.net.

In the Internet, a hostname is a domain name assigned to a host computer. This is usually a combination of the host's local name with its parent domain's name. For example, en.wikipedia.org consists of a local hostname (en) and the domain name wikipedia.org. This kind of hostname is translated into an IP address via the local hosts file, or the Domain Name System (DNS) resolver. It is possible for a single host computer to have several hostnames; but generally the operating system of the host prefers to have one hostname that the host uses for itself.

Any domain name can also be a hostname, as long as the restrictions mentioned below are followed. So, for example, both en.wikipedia.org and wikipedia.org are hostnames because they both have IP addresses assigned to them. A hostname may be a domain name, if it is properly organized into the domain name system. A domain name may be a hostname if it has been assigned to an Internet host and associated with the host's IP address.

Dedicated managed server

A dedicated hosting service, dedicated server, or managed hosting service is a type of Internet hosting in which the client leases an entire server not shared with anyone else. This is more flexible than shared hosting, as organizations have full control over the server(s), including choice of operating system, hardware, etc. There is also another level of dedicated or managed hosting commonly referred to as complex managed hosting. Complex Managed Hosting applies to both physical dedicated servers, Hybrid server and virtual servers, with many companies choosing a hybrid (combination of physical and virtual) hosting solution. There are many similarities between standard and complex managed hosting but the key difference is the level of administrative and engineering support that the customer pays for – owing to both the increased size and complexity of the infrastructure deployment. The provider steps in to take over most of the management, including security, memory, storage and IT support. The service is primarily proactive in nature. Server administration can usually be provided by the hosting company as an add-on service. In some cases a dedicated server can offer less overhead and a larger return on investment. Dedicated servers are hosted in data centers, often providing redundant power sources and HVAC systems. In contrast to colocation, the server hardware is owned by the provider and in some cases they will provide support for operating systems or applications

Using a dedicated hosting service offers the benefits of high performance, security, email stability, and control. Due to the relatively high price of dedicated hosting, it is mostly used by websites that receive a large volume of traffic.

Operating system support

Availability, price and employee familiarity often determines which operating systems are offered on dedicated servers. Variations of Linux and Unix (open source operating systems) are often included at no charge to the customer. Commercial operating systems include Microsoft Windows Server, provided through a special program called Microsoft SPLA. Red Hat Enterprise is a commercial version of Linux offered to hosting providers on a monthly fee basis. The monthly fee provides OS updates through the Red Hat Network using an application called Yum. Other operating systems are available from the open source community at no charge. These include CentOS, Fedora Core, Debian, and many other Linux distributions or BSD systems FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD.

Support for any of these operating systems typically depends on the level of management offered with a particular dedicated server plan. Operating system support may include updates to the core system in order to acquire the latest security fixes, patches, and system-wide vulnerability resolutions. Updates to core operating systems include kernel upgrades, service packs, application updates, and security patches that keep the server secure and safe. Operating system updates and support relieves the burden of server management from the dedicated server owner.

Enjoy fully Managed Dedicated Server Hosting plans

Today, digital agencies are attempting to run their businesses much leaner. Designers and developers want the freedom to focus more on their core business. They want to create, not administer the infrastructure or manage the technology and data. That’s not what gives them passion and it’s not why they are in business. But hosting and infrastructure are what Liquid Web does best.

What is Managed Hosting?

Those in the digital space are familiar with Managed Hosting in one way or another.

This is a business model where a service provider leases hardware to a single customer. The service provider also provides management of the servers, software, and networks necessary for hosting for the customer.

If an issue arises, a managed hosting provider is there to help pinpoint the problem and rectify it.

Fully Managed Dedicated Server Hosting is an isolated hosting environment where the provider handles the setup, administration, management, and support of the server or platform application. The resources are specific to the user ensuring that your data alone is hosted in your environment without being affected by the issues that arise from sharing resources.

Shared Hosting

Shared hosting is the most popular example of multi-tenancy. This is where many sites or applications exist on the same server. Quite often, shared hosting divides the server resources among customers. This would include storage and bandwidth and in some cases RAM and CPU cores.

Think of shared hosting as a home with renters all sharing the same living space.

Managed Dedicated Server Hosting

Dedicated hosting would be an example of single-tenancy. With this type of environment, a single customer hosts their site(s) or application(s). With managed dedicated server environments, the server hardware and resources for that hardware belong to that single customer.

To continue with the above analogy, think of dedicated hosting as a home with one occupant. This avoids “noisy neighbors” encroaching on your space, disrupting your space and the space of those visiting your site.

What does a managed service provider do?

Managed services is the practice of outsourcing the responsibility for maintaining, and anticipating need for, a range of processes and functions in order to improve operations and cut expenses. It is an alternative to the break/fix or on-demand outsourcing model where the service provider performs on-demand services and bills the customer only for the work done.

Under this subscription model, the client or customer is the entity that owns or has direct oversight of the organization or system being managed whereas the Managed Services Provider (MSP) is the service provider delivering the managed services. The client and the MSP are bound by a contractual, service-level agreement that states the performance and quality metrics of their relationship.

Advantages and challenges

Adopting managed services is intended to be an efficient way to stay up-to-date on technology, have access to skills and address issues related to cost, quality of service and risk. As the IT infrastructure components of many SMB and large corporations are migrating to the cloud, with MSPs (managed services providers) increasingly facing the challenge of cloud computing, a number of MSPs are providing in-house cloud services or acting as brokers with cloud services providers. A recent survey claims that a lack of knowledge and expertise in cloud computing rather than offerors' reluctance, appears to be the main obstacle to this transition. For example, in transportation, many companies face a significant increase of fuel and carrier costs, driver shortages, customer service requests and global supply chain complexities. Managing day-to-day transportation processes and reducing related costs come as significant burdens that require the expertise of Transportation Managed Services (or managed transportation services) providers.