Key Advantages of Outsourcing IT Support
Computers and technology are growing increasingly complex. They are also becoming increasingly necessary for nearly all businesses. With needs that range from managing a complex network of printers to maintaining security across multiple devices, a number of issues can arise in any given day. That’s why many businesses today are outsourcing IT support.
For many, maintaining an in-house IT team is not a practical solution. Outsourcing IT support through managed service providers can provide you with the service you need and benefits you may not expect. Here are the key advantages of outsourcing your IT support through managed services.
Should I Consider Outsourcing IT Support for My Business?
Outsourcing IT support is often considered for one of these five reasons:
Your IT department is too busy or needs additional help.
You don't have ample time or resources to manage an internal IT department.
Your existing IT department isn't producing the results you expect for the investment you're making.
You are ready to reduce your overall technology support costs to achieve better results.
You're worried about cybersecurity threats or you need to ensure that your compliance stays up-to-date.
Cost Savings
In-house teams might seem inexpensive at first. However, once you take into account salaries, software licenses, maintenance costs, cloud service subscriptions, and hardware expenses, outsourced solutions start to look more and more attractive. While price is not the main advantage of outsourcing, it can be a deciding factor, especially if you are working with a limited budget.
One of the most surprising benefits to outsourcing IT support is that it can actually save your business money in the long run! That's why the most apparent benefit of outsourcing IT services is cost savings.
In-house IT teams can be costly to hire and train and may not be used efficiently since an Information Technology workload can vary significantly from month to month. Outsourcing IT support converts fixed IT costs into variable costs, which allows you budget effectively. Outsourcing your IT to a managed service provider will give you the support you need exactly when you need it. This means that you only need to pay for the services you use. This can save your business a significant amount of money in the long run and help you budget more effectively.
Likewise, hiring and training an IT staff can be very expensive, and temporary employees don't always live up to your expectations. Outsourcing IT support allows you to focus your human resources where you need them most. In essence, you can get your job done at a lower cost without compromising quality.
Expertise
If you're not trained in IT, how can you ensure that an employee is qualified? While certifications like Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) are essential, so is experience. By investing in a dependable outsourced IT solution, you are harnessing the collective technical expertise of several top-tier specialists.
Few problems are new for leading IT service providers, which see related issues several times. An in-house IT employee ultimately leads an isolated existence, no matter how much they train. Just like we would all rather have an experienced doctor, the same is true for IT.
Your in-house IT team only sees the problems that have already arisen in your company. However, when you are outsourcing IT support, you are hiring experts who see a wide variety of IT problems every day. This means that when a new problem arises, your provider already know how to fix it for you quickly and at a lower cost to you. IT professionals at a managed service provider continually undergo training in the latest technology to provide you with the best service possible.
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Enhanced Security
Cybersecurity is a vital topic when discussing IT services. Your network has vulnerabilities you must protect against. Unless your in-house team specializes in IT cybersecurity, your team's efforts could put your company's sensitive data at risk sooner or later.
Outsourced IT services will specialize in protecting against digital threats like hacking. By keeping up-to-date on the most advanced security methods and tools available, third party IT providers can effectively safeguard your digital assets.
IT outsourcing allows you to tap into the comprehensive knowledge of experts trained in this field to provide you with security solutions that will work for the needs of your business. Likewise, your managed service provider can help keep your software and security up to date for your protection.
Security is another aspect of the cost-effectiveness discussed earlier. Your business needs the infrastructure to guarantee adequate security compliance. Investing in cybersecurity also reduces the risks associated with data breaches, which can be quite costly.
Up-to-Date Compliance
Compliance is a critical aspect of both cost-effectiveness and security. Your company needs an infrastructure that ensures adequate security compliance. Investing in IT support reduces the risks associated with data breaches, which can be significant.
Today, many industries need to meet a variety of compliance standards. Without assistance from additional support, it can be easy to fall out of compliance. Unfortunately, this can have high costs for your business. IT outsourcing allows you to focus on doing your work, while your managed service provider helps you implement strategies that maintain compliance for your industry's regulations.
Is your firewall up to date? Have you installed a DMZ? Do you regularly audit your workstations and servers? Has your company implemented PCI security standards? If so, does your company work to maintain those standards? By outsourcing your IT services to a qualified professional who is familiar with PCI compliance standards, you can rest assured that your company is minimizing any risks associated with maintaining client data, credit card information, sensitive competitive knowledge, and any other essential information.
Scalability and Resource Optimization
If you are planning to grow your company, then you must also be prepared to scale up IT support. Scaling is often costly and often impractical with in-house IT teams that are fixed in size and scope.
Your company has limited resources. When you spend excessive amounts of time and energy making IT decisions on complex systems, you are taken away from your business's goals. IT outsourcing helps you focus on what you need for your business, while your managed service provider provides the IT support you need to get your business there.
If you are already employing an IT expert for another task in your business (for instance, building apps), you may want to take their time and effort into account. By having key talent in your company spending most of their time in IT support, you might be wasting their potential in doing different, more productive tasks. Outsourcing IT helps you optimize your human resources, which frees your employees to do what they do best.
If you run a small- or medium-sized business in particular, you likely do not have the same expanse of resources that larger corporations enjoy. However, IT outsourcing allows you to achieve the same level of expertise, equipment, and support as these larger companies. This will enable you to keep up with the more prominent companies while providing the excellent customer experience your clients expect.
By investing in an IT provider, you are leveraging a readily scalable IT solution that can expand seamlessly to cover your needs as your business grows.
Final Advantages of Outsourcing Your IT Support
One less obvious advantage of outsourcing is trust. Running a business can be an overwhelming experience, but it doesn't have to be. For instance, by partnering with a trustworthy technical support or IT services partner, you gain a powerful and knowledgeable ally.
Building a professional relationship with an IT services partner gives you insight into how to best conduct your business in relation to IT. This option also provides you with access to a company that has seen many companies like yours thrive.
Consider your options, weigh the advantages of outsourcing your IT support, and see what's best for you and your business. For instance, by working with an experienced IT provider, you no longer have to invest in expensive resources like training and software for your business. Providers like ARMA, INC take care of the resourcing needs with their pool of highly skilled resources.
Finding a reputable IT partner for your business who can provide you with outsourced IT support carries a number of obvious and indirect advantages. In essence, the advantages of outsourcing your IT support will provide you with an Information Technology solution that is scalable and cost-effective, which empowers your business to grow.
What IT Support Services Can I Outsource?
Today, almost any task that could be done by an internal IT department can be outsourced instead. The IT needs of today's businesses have changed. This makes outsourcing some or all of your IT tasks an attractive option.
You can outsource a variety of IT Services, including, but not limited to:
IT Strategy, Budgeting, and Technology Planning
24/7 Onsite and Remote End-User Support
Technology Recommendations
Network Administration
Help Desk Services
Reactive Support Services
IT Steering Committee
IT Project Management
Network Operations Center (NOC)
Patch Management
Web Filtering
IT Security Threat Prevention and Remediation
Spam Filtering
Network Installation
IT Management
On-site and Remote Support
Root Cause Investigation
Task Accountability
Infrastructure Upgrades
Technology Rollouts
Backup Management & Administration
New User Setup & Training
Secure Employee Termination
Best Practice Implementation
Cloud Computing
Network Management
For more information, please reach out to our team. With 30 years of experience in the industry, ARMA, Inc. is here to help you find your perfect IT support solution.