To outsource IT support, or not to outsource, that is the question! Like many decisions, there are pros and cons to consider. Chewing IT, a Central Coast managed IT service provider, looks at the benefits of both in-house and outsourced IT support.
Benefits of internal IT support
If you need your IT support team to be on-site every day and very familiar with your day-to-day business, internal staff may be your best option. You will have complete control over their time and work. If they stay loyal to your company, your IT support people can grow with your business, contributing ideas and IT solutions along the way.
It is worth undertaking a cost-benefit analysis before committing to in-house staff. Employment costs include more than just a salary, with annual and sick leave, payroll costs, superannuation, real estate space and professional development to be considered.
Benefits of outsourced or managed IT
Cost savings – Outsourcing IT usually means retaining a managed service provider on a monthly plan. There are no salaries, leave or workspace costs involved with outsourced IT support. Just a simple flat fee.
Continuity – Managed IT support does not take holidays or sick leave. Of course, that’s not entirely true, but with a whole team of experienced IT professionals on hand, there will be no interruption to your IT service support because of an individual’s personal circumstances.
Knowledge and access to solutions – Managed service providers have staff who are skilled in multiple platforms and IT systems. This is particularly useful if staff are working from home and using non-work devices. The current trend of hybrid working, where staff split their time between working from home and at the office (head office/regional office/co-working premises) also presents ongoing challenges of IT compatibility. Managed service providers have access to a wide range of vendors and products to tailor IT solutions for your Central Coast business. People also need to access their files from different places. A managed IT service provider can provide collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams and file sharing.
Remote support – Managed IT providers are used to dealing with issues remotely whereas in-house staff are more used to walking over to someone’s desk and fixing the problem. Talking somebody through fixing a problem over the phone is not for everybody!
No long-term commitment – You are the client. If you are not delighted with the services you receive, you can terminate the relationship. This means that the IT provider will work diligently to keep your IT systems in top shape.
Cloud migration experience – there are long term advantages of migrating to cloud IT services. It should be done by experts who know how to set the pace of migration that will suit your business. Managed IT providers will have helped many companies with cloud migration and will know the pitfalls to avoid.
Higher security – A managed IT service provider will proactively stay up to date with the latest virus and malware threats. They will know when to install the latest software and when to wait for known bugs to be ironed out. Your Central Coast business data will be regularly backed up so that any disasters can be averted.
There are pros and cons to outsourcing and it will be a unique decision for every business. If your Central Coast company has more than five computers, outsourced managed IT support is certainly worth considering.
Please call the Chewing IT experts on 02 4339 4789 to discuss managed IT support for your Central Coast business.