Does your small business lack adequate IT support and guidance?

If so, you’re not alone. Or are you a larger company with an in-house IT department in place? If so, you may want to look into outsourcing IT services…

Businesses can no longer rely on substandard IT support in the wake of the pandemic, which has increased the importance of technology in modern business. IT experts who aren’t proactive, reliable, and experienced can cause productivity losses and serious security breaches that could harm the company’s reputation and result in significant financial losses.

Your company’s goals, needs, and challenges will determine whether or not you should use an outside IT service provider. However, we’ve compiled the most important benefits and drawbacks of using an external IT team versus building your own in-house IT department in this article. With this information, you can make informed decisions about your IT setup and be ready for a successful 2022.

It’s also important to keep in mind that outsourcing IT doesn’t necessarily entail full IT management. Co-managed IT is an option for some businesses that have both an in-house IT team and an external IT service provider. In this article, we’ll go over some of the unique advantages of this, as well.

A look at the benefits of outsourcing IT services:

Expertise

It is likely that most IT firms will have a large number of skilled IT engineers on staff who are used to dealing with difficult technical issues. They will also have their own certifications and adhere to best practises like ISO, Cyber Essentials and CREST. They may be able to help you achieve your goals or fill in any gaps in your current team’s knowledge.

Reduced risk

IT outsourcing not only provides greater capabilities but also reduces your company’s financial risk. Your IT support provider is likely to offer you a contract for a set period of time that is paid monthly and does not require you to make any capital investments. Furthermore, you’re not obligated to hire full-time employees who require holiday pay, sick pay, office space, and other resources.

Project support

IT service providers will be able to handle a wide range of business and industry-specific technical projects. As a result, they’ll be able to handle projects that an in-house team might struggle with. Everything from office relocations to cloud migrations can fall under this umbrella. Customers want to know that you’ve done your best to minimise risk, prevent disruption, and provide a seamless experience for them during their transaction.

Scalability

With an IT support company, you’ll have the resources and manpower to support your company as you grow or shrink. It would be time-consuming and expensive to hire more high-quality IT staff if you were to expand rapidly. Hiring a large enough team may be delayed due to the recruitment process and possible notice periods, putting your IT infrastructure and cyber security at greater risk.

The drawbacks of using outsourced IT support

Cultural fit

External IT engineers may be stationed in your office permanently to provide support and advice if you use outsourced IT services. As a result, these employees will become a part of your team and contribute to the culture of your business. As a result, it’s critical that your company’s culture match that of your IT partner. Check out their Google and Trust pilot reviews, as well as testimonials from previous clients, to see if this is true for yourself. Do they get positive feedback from their customers? Is the staff friendly, helpful, and quick to resolve any issues? To see if your business values match theirs, check out their website’s “About Us” section. Then again, does their group work well together to overcome challenges and achieve goals?

Onsite vs remote

It’s likely that if you have an in-house IT department, they’ll be on hand whenever something goes awry. When it comes to outsourced IT services, this isn’t always the case. Instead, they may support you remotely. A local IT provider with the resources to come to your office if/when needed is the best choice for businesses in need of on-call IT engineers. Instead, consider working with an IT partner who provides co-managed IT services, allowing you to benefit from both in-house and outsourced technical support.

Co-managed IT support and fully managed IT support

Co-managed IT support is an option if you can’t decide whether to use an internal IT team or outsourced IT services. In a co-managed IT environment, you can take advantage of both outsourced and in-house support, with external IT specialists working side by side with your team to resolve IT issues, complete projects, and meet your objectives.

The IT support we provide at Symantronix is flexible and based on your company’s specific requirements. With our fully managed IT support options, we can alleviate the burden of managing IT and cyber security so that our clients can devote more time and resources to achieving their business goals.