Outsourcing Your IT Support

Why You Should Consider Outsourcing Your IT Support

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Today, any business seeking to grow and thrive should be aware of the significant role of technology in their company’s success. Given this, leveraging the best technologies and employing the most relevant strategies are essential. 

You’ll find that innovative technologies have helped optimize nearly every aspect of running a business ranging from operations to customer relations management. Furthermore, organizations can make data-driven decisions, as the best technologies allow them to store, analyze, and represent data. 

Benefits Of Information Technology

Information technology (IT) refers to the computer systems, hardware, software, and other technologies at the heart of your business operations. The IT team is generally responsible for managing these critical systems.

Utilizing IT in your organization gives you the ability to reap the following benefits:

  • Improve staff productivity
  • Streamline workflows
  • Facilitate effective communication across departments and with other organizations
  • Monitor the company’s health  
  • Comply with data security and privacy regulations
  • Mitigate cybersecurity risk and build customer trust 

When setting up your organization’s IT team, you must decide whether to outsource IT support or hire an in-house team. Knowing the distinct features of these two options is essential to determine which is more appropriate for your business. 

Difference Between In-House And Outsourced IT Support

Read on to get a clear picture of the difference between in-house and outsourced IT support.

  • In-House IT Support: Choosing in-house IT support means hiring your own set of IT professionals according to the needs of your organization. For instance, you may have a team of experts in cloud computing, data management, and cybersecurity. Building a team of in-house professionals requires understanding how to hire the best talent for your IT department and maintaining this team by providing regular training for their professional development.
  • Outsourced IT Support: On the other hand, outsourcing IT support involves working with a third-party service provider that will cover your IT-related needs. They come with their hardware, software, and a team of professionals. Furthermore, their fees may be based on an agreed rate or a per-use basis. Third-party IT service providers offer a wide range of services, from cloud computing to cybersecurity and compliance.

Carefully examine the advantages of each option to make an informed decision for your business.

Why Consider Outsourcing IT Support

Now that you have a better idea of the difference between in-house and outsourced IT support, it’s time to discuss the following points as to why the latter could be the better option:

  • It Gives You Access To A Wide Range Of Expertise

You’ll gain access to a wide range of expertise by outsourcing your IT support. There are various niches in the IT industry, such as cloud computing, cybersecurity, programming, data analysis, and systems and networks. Depending on your business, it may be necessary to have an expert for every specialization. Outsourcing IT support allows you to make the most out of every technology available.

For instance, you can’t expect a data scientist to be well-versed in cybersecurity unless they’re trained and certified. At any rate, multitalented individuals are challenging to find and may also be expensive to maintain.

On the other hand, when you partner with a third-party IT support service provider, you’ll find that they have a complete set of experts. With this, a competent and reputable service provider can cater to your organization’s IT needs.

  • It Allows You To Take Advantage Of Top Talent

On top of being able to work with various kinds of experts in the IT industry, you also get access to top talent who keep abreast of the latest technology trends. 

With outsourced IT support, you work with highly skilled professionals with extensive experience. The reason is that IT support companies invest in certifications and training to ensure their services are top-notch and reflect their reliability and expertise.

  • It Is More Cost-Effective

Another reason why outsourcing your IT support is beneficial is that it can be more cost-effective. Since IT service providers often come with their own complete set of professionals, hardware, and software, you won’t have to spend on procuring and maintaining these assets. 

The typical downside of hiring in-house is that you need to find the best talent and maintain them. Having an in-house team also means sending them to seminars and courses that will help them improve their expertise in various niches. On top of this, you’ll have to consider salary and benefits.

However, if you outsource your IT support, you won’t have to worry about hiring and training staff. You also won’t have to take care of their payroll and benefits, as the service provider is responsible for this. Instead, you’ll pay only for the services you require, usually at fixed monthly fees.

If you work with an IT service provider, consider paying close attention to their pricing structure to avoid being billed for services you don’t need. For instance, you may be paying for bundled IT services, but you’re only using some of the services in this package. This means you’re also paying for the ones you aren’t using.

  • It Lets You Leverage Advanced Technology

Another factor that will encourage you to outsource IT support is that it grants you access to advanced technology. It’s no secret that IT firms invest heavily in technology, such as hardware and software, so they can provide top-tier services. You can expect them to be thoroughly familiar with the latest innovations in cybersecurity software, servers, and so much more.

Furthermore, you’ll find that there are IT firms that can develop custom solutions to meet your organization’s specific needs. 

  • It Allows You To Focus On Growing Your Business

Another reason to choose outsourced IT support over hiring in-house is that you don’t have to worry about managing this team. Instead, you can focus on growing your business while leaving the IT service provider to do what it does best. 

In addition, IT firms can be entrusted to keep up with the latest technologies and trends in the IT field as this is their industry. When you partner with them, you’ll be advised of the latest trends and the most advanced technologies that you can leverage to boost your business productivity. Essentially, you don’t have to spend time trying to understand the complexities of cutting-edge technology, as they will do this for you. 

Moreover, the right service provider can anticipate the needs of your business. They can help you capitalize on innovations by being the first to adopt new or emerging technologies. With their expert guidance, you can gain a competitive advantage and become a leader in your industry. 

  • It Can Improve Your Company’s Compliance

Nowadays, cyber threats pose a danger to individual users and businesses, as they come with costly consequences. Users risk damaging their electronic devices due to malware and having their private information stolen and possibly leaked. 

On the other hand, companies that rely on technology for their operations face cybersecurity threats, such as data breaches, phishing, ransomware, password attacks, and more. However, it doesn’t end there, as failing to protect against cyber threats can also lead to reputational damage. You’ll lose the trust of customers who have entrusted you with their data and information.

This has become such a significant issue that federal and state data privacy laws were enacted, requiring companies to safeguard data security to protect consumers. Failure to comply with these regulations may lead to hefty fines, lawsuits, and other penalties.

However, if you work with a reliable IT services provider, you can be assured that they’ll strengthen your cybersecurity and ensure that you comply with data security and privacy regulations. These regulations may be updated, or new laws may be passed. Thus, instead of worrying about these, you may simply hire an IT service provider that can handle them for you.

  • It Can Provide 24/7 Support

A downside of working with an in-house team is that your staff will have to go home after working hours. If you wish to have 24/7 surveillance over your systems, you’ll have to hire additional team members, but this won’t be necessary if you outsource your IT support. 

Reputable IT services firms are prepared to offer 24/7 support, ensuring that your systems will be maintained and monitored around the clock. Some service providers are also ready to provide onsite support on short notice. 

Thus, when deciding on a service provider, consider working with one that offers this level of support to ensure that your IT systems are well taken care of.

Conclusion

The emergence of digital technology has quickly seeped into the systems of business enterprises, allowing them to achieve better productivity and gain more revenue. However, this can only be attained by approaching information technology with the best strategies for your company. 

Having learned about how information technology can benefit your business, you may choose between hiring in-house talent or reaching out to a service provider. You may also consider referring to the list above if you’re currently in partnership with a service provider to assess whether you’re reaping the full benefits of outsourcing IT support.