As your business grows, you’ll need to consider ways that allow for sustainable expansion. One way to strategically expand your business is to invest in outsourced IT solutions. Outsourced IT can help your business by cutting costs, providing additional support and security, and giving you extra time to focus on building your company.
What Are Outsourced IT Solutions?
Outsourced IT solutions is an all-inclusive term for the proactive and reactive management of a company’s technology infrastructure with a managed service provider. This can include anything from managing and maintaining servers to providing desktop support for employees.
An outsourced IT provider will work with you to determine what your specific needs are and then tailor a plan to help you meet those needs. Also, these solutions are great for companies that already have an IT department that needs additional support and help. Outsourced IT providers are also a strategic partner for small or medium sized businesses that can’t afford a full in-house IT department.
Here are a few of many solutions that an outsourced IT provider can offer your business:
- Managed Services: Proactive maintenance of servers, workstations, and network equipment. Management of software updates and security patches. Monitoring of systems to identify and resolve potential issues before they cause downtime. Help Desk Support for employees with technical questions or issues.
- Backup and Disaster Recovery: Implementation of a reliable backup solution to protect your data from loss or corruption. Planning and testing of a disaster recovery plan to ensure that you can quickly and easily recover from an unforeseen event.
- Cloud Solutions: Migrating your on-premises data and applications to the cloud. Hosted Exchange for businesses that need a reliable and cost-effective email solution.
- Security: Assessment of your current security posture and implementation of solutions to close any identified gaps. Monitoring of systems and networks for unauthorized activity.
- VoIP Solutions: VoIP phone systems for small and medium sized businesses.
Signs that You Need to Invest in Outsourced IT Solutions
Outsourced IT may not be a great fit for every business. But, if you experience the following signs, then outsourcing IT can offer great solutions for your challenges.
- Your IT department is overwhelmed
- You want a more affordable option for your IT infrastructure
- You need more resources for cybersecurity or other capabilities
- You’re a rapidly growing small business
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then now is the time to start researching the pros and cons of outsourced IT solutions.
Pros
1. Reduces Business Costs
Having in-house IT means that you need to spend money and time on recruiting, training, and onboarding. You will also need to provide a salary as well as benefits and bonuses. All of these things add up quickly and take up a huge portion of your business’s earnings.
By hiring an outsourced IT company, you will not only know what to expect to pay each month, but only need to pay outsourcing fees. This leaves extra money in your budget to invest in other needed areas.
2. Reduces Risk
One of the best things about outsourced IT companies is that they offer year-round, 24/7 data monitoring, protection plans, and regular backups. On the other hand, in-house IT employees finish their work with everyone else—which means your data stops being monitored when you close up shop for the day. Your data should always be protected, especially when no one is in the office.
3. Increases Flexibility and Scalability
IT outsourcing companies have the ability to quickly respond to your company’s changing needs. They can quickly and easily scale up or down as needed. This is a lot harder for in-house IT departments to do since they need to go through the process of recruiting, training, and onboarding new employees.
4. Provides Access to New Technologies and Skills
When you work with an IT outsourcing company, you get access to their team of experts as well as the latest technologies. This can help you keep up with the latest trends in your industry and improve your competitiveness. Additionally, in-house IT employees might not have the same skills or knowledge since they only work for one company.
5. Allows Your Company to Focus on Core Values
You already have a lot to focus on in your business, but adding technology issues can set your company back. When you don’t have to worry about your IT infrastructure, you can focus on other areas of your business that need attention. And, studies have shown that businesses that outsource often see an increase in productivity.
Cons
1. Onboarding Costs
Signing with an outsourced IT company may mean updating your company’s equipment and software. If your business uses older equipment and software that is not compatible with the services an outsourced IT company may offer, then you might have to pay to upgrade your infrastructure in order to have a compatible partnership.
Solution: Instead of investing in outsourced IT right away, focus on updating your company’s equipment and software first. Updating early can alleviate high onboarding costs and make the switch more affordable.
2. Remote Support
Immediate service from an in-house IT service seems unbeatable, and remote support means jumping through more hoops to get help. To add, the pandemic taught us that in remote work there are time zone issues, potential missed messages, and technological issues via video that are frustrating to work with.
At the end of the day, both in-house and remote IT services function on a ticketing system, so if there is a long line in front of you, then you will need to wait your turn.
Solution: Choose an outsourced IT company that prioritizes 24/7 customer support and has a track record for quick response.
3. Security Risks
Having a third-party with control to your company’s data will always pose a risk. When data breaches happen, it is often due to human error from employees. Whenever you form a partnership with a third party company, you want to ensure there is a mutual commitment to trust and transparency.
Solution: Research the security protocols of any potential outsourced IT companies. Ensure that your outsourced IT company has a security data protocol you can trust.
Do You Want to Upgrade Your Business to Outsourced IT Solutions?
If you’re still not sure if outsourcing your IT is the right move for your business, then contact us today. We would be happy to answer any of your questions and help you find the best solution for your company.
