In-house IT departments generally know more about the business they are working for and are usually more familiar with the systems and the requirements for the company. However, in-house IT usually requires a hefty price tag to start and maintain. Not all businesses can afford to look at this overhead.
For small- to medium-sized businesses, outsourcing IT support is usually a more cost-effective way to maintain support and ensure network security. By outsourcing your IT support, you can focus on running your business, while leaving the IT support to someone you can trust. Using a managed service provider (MSP) has numerous benefits for companies. Here are a few.
More effective cost management
Startups are increasing in number and they usually have a set budget allotted for IT services. They can get more support and more thorough service using an MSP than with in-house support staff. They don't have to worry about equipment malfunctions or replacing a server when it stops working. The MSP handles these issues.
With a set budget each month, they don't often want the expense of extra training, the cost of new training when an employee quits, or the expense of a server crashing out of the blue. One big expense such as this can break a smaller company.
An outsourced team can easily absorb these expenses as a cost of their day-to-day business. When one of their employees leaves, you still have consistent, reliable services and no extra expenses.
Top-notch security
You have a business to run. Most likely it's not an IT firm. Hiring an in-house IT team may sound like a good idea, but the mistakes that they make while learning your servers and systems could put your company at risk.
Security breaches are all too common today, costing companies $1.67 million per attack, and hackers are waiting for the little mistakes made so they can slide in the back door. Using an MSP gives you an added layer of protection. They monitor the servers 24/7, ensuring there are no breaches. They have highly trained personnel that know exactly what they are looking for, and they have the resources to keep these employees up to date on the latest technology and viruses.
A complete IT solution
IT professionals are usually highly specialized individuals, each with their own set of skills. Imagine having to hire five or six IT professionals to accomplish your goals or realizing you can't continue on with your dream project because your IT professionals don't have the needed skills.
When you outsource your IT solution to an MSP, they have a team with the skills you need. While taking on multiple clients, they understand that various skill sets are needed, and already have these people employed and at their fingertips.
Disaster recovery
In the event of a fire, tornado, cyberattack, or other issues, your business will need its data to survive and prosper. Most companies take weeks, or even months, to recover from some of these events. Some never recover. Between 40 percent and 60 percent of small businesses close their doors if they are struck by disaster. With an MSP, it's oftentimes mere hours before you are up and running again.
Catastrophe can strike at any moment and outsourced providers have backup plans in place to address both your survival and theirs. They can respond and have you back up and running whenever you are ready for them to move forward.
Resources
When you own a small or medium-sized business, you don't want to spend your resources on IT issues. You can’t afford to waste time handling IT-related problems while your competitors are moving ahead and marketing to your customers.
When you outsource your IT support team, you free up your company resources so you can develop new products, market them, and come out ahead. MSPs also have the money to increase their resources through training, conferences, and seminars, allowing them to stay ahead of the next cyberattack waiting to happen.
