Should you outsource IT support?

Outsourcing IT support is growing in popularity, with technology leaders and business owners, a trend not expected to change soon. Outsourcing IT involves partnering with a managed service provider (MSP) to fill various IT needs which are not currently being met internally. In the world of technology, companies outsource their some / all of their technology support needs through managed IT service plans, cybersecurity or specialized project support plans from managed service providers.

Today, fewer IT teams are “doing-it-all” on their own, but rather are working with strategic technology partners to supplement areas of specialized support or additional needs. This hybrid approach is becoming the solution for organization’s growing IT needs and shrinking technology budgets.

“Outsourcing is smart because it provides an easy way to get the exact amount of support you need quickly, professionally and cost-effectively. It is the next natural step for businesses who need professional technology support, but also need to watch their spending.”

– Daniel Stockman, COO & President, i-Tech Support

An estimated $800 billion dollars is spent annually on technology expenses by businesses with less than 1000 employees. To get the most mileage for their budgets, these businesses are balancing their IT needs between internal resources and various levels of outsourcing, including:

• Select Support – Organizations partner with an IT firm to roll out a specific project which requires special expertise and certification, such as a network upgrade, cybersecurity or implementation of new technology. The company gets the advantage of having qualified professionals roll out their project, while their internal team stays focused on daily needs
• Partial Support – Organizations who need continuous technology support, such as healthcare, finance, educational institutions, often partner with IT firms to get the additional support they need to help their team keep up with daily workloads, as well as after-hours, holiday and weekend support.
• Full Support – Organizations without internal IT teams utilize full IT support. Partnering with an IT firm gives them the advantages of having full support without the costs involved in recruiting, qualifying and managing a technology team.

Why outsource?

Outsourcing has been growing in popularity over the last decade for four major reasons:

• Leverage expertise – If an organization lacks certain expertise internally, such as cybersecurity, collaboration or virtualization, they can partner with an IT firm with the expertise to fill the gap.

• Save money – Outsourcing tends to be cheaper than performing the same tasks inhouse. Often when companies choose to outsource, they save on their overall IT expenditure.

• See results faster – Organizations who need results faster, choose to outsource at least some of their IT support needs. MSPs have trained professionals ready to begin supporting networks with little ramp up time. In addition, the MSPs are held to strict standards for performance so they are personally invested in producing results for the organization’s investment.

• Get more done – Outsourcing allows multiple projects to be completed simultaneously, which means projects, such as upgrades, are completed much faster, without having your team miss a beat.

Is outsourcing right for your organization?

Knowing if outsourcing IT support is the right step for your organization depends on how well your team is keeping up with its workload, what resources are available (finances and space) and the financial impact of the areas of IT that are not getting a priority focus.

Here are some of the questions you need to ask in determining if you should outsource IT support:

• Is my team not keeping up with their workload?

If your IT team is constantly behind, taking too long to complete projects or respond, or experiencing the same issues constantly, some additional support may be needed. Outsourcing some of your organization’s IT responsibilities can make a difference in your bottom line.

• Would I save more by outsourcing or hiring more staff?

Often, keeping things inhouse may appear cheaper, but incur hidden management, overtime and unforeseen costs. Get a full picture of what costs would realistically be involved in recruiting/training and managing more staff and weigh it against the costs of outsourcing before making your decision.

• Can I afford more staff?

Factor your organization’s resources, including time, personnel and finances against your IT needs. Some organizations have the resources to add more team members. For others, outsourcing some IT support needs can make more financial sense.

• Do we need additional expertise?

Technology is s big world that is constantly changing. Not keeping up can result in errors that cost time and money. Discuss with your team which areas of expertise may be lacking internally, then seek IT partners that can fill these specific needs alongside your team.

• What is getting overlooked?

Technology is a big world. Knowing how to prioritize the important areas is key. Sometimes businesses overlook critical areas of IT like cybersecurity because it isn’t a priority. Get a full understanding of your network and of the things that are getting prioritized and what isn’t.

• Do I need after-hours support?

Business today runs on an always-on model. Because business can happen anywhere and at any time, they also need to be always supported. Outsourcing can provide the additional support you need to supplement your team after-hours, on holidays, during vacations and on their days off.

A professional IT firm like i-Tech Support can help assess your needs and explore if outsourcing can help your organization save time and money.

Does your company need technology support?

i-Tech Support is a Total Technology Support firm dedicated to Managed IT Services, Advanced Technology, Cloud Services and Information Security Business Services.

407-265-2000  info@i-techsupport.com