As many business owners will tell you, relying on an in-house IT team may not always make sense.
For example, let’s say you’re running a small or mid-sized enterprise. If you want a reliable in-house IT helpdesk, you’ll need to hire or train IT experts. This can have a big impact on your budget, especially when you’re starting out.
In this scenario, having outsourced IT support is often the superior choice. For starters, you’ll be able to focus on your niche without worrying about IT issues. Plus, you’ll have access to the same level of IT expertise as larger companies.
Of course, the list of potential advantages doesn’t end there. Here are the 5 main benefits of outsourcing your IT support.
1. Peace of Mind
These days, one of the biggest reasons for business failure is the lack of a unique selling point (USP).
First things first: what is a USP? In simple terms, this is a business quality that separates your company from your competitors. This could include having the lowest prices, being a pioneer in your field, or making a brand promise.
Once you discover your company’s USP, you’ll need to keep developing it. If your business fails to grow and innovate, it will stop being relevant. In other words, enhancing your business’ USP should be your primary focus.
As we’ve mentioned, maintaining an in-house IT team can be an obstacle in this regard. The more resources you allocate to IT, the harder it will be to work on what truly matters.
This is why IT outsourcing makes a lot of sense for growing companies. If you’re not sure why your technology is breaking down, you can have the professionals deal with it.
2. Improved Security
If you’re training an IT team, chances are they’ll make mistakes along the way. Some of these mistakes can lead to a security breach.
Why is this important? Well, a security breach means that your company’s sensitive information is at risk. Hackers are often able to steal it by using social engineering and similar black hat techniques.
The easiest way to combat this threat is to use outsourced IT services. Most professional IT companies have a lot of experience with hacker attacks. If your company is having security issues, they’ll know how to shore them up.
The same applies to recovery from natural disasters. Most businesses are ill-equipped to deal with them, which can lead to a halt in operations. Again, having outside professionals on your side can help you get back on your feet.
Also, keep in mind that prevention is the best medicine. With IT outsourcing, you won’t have to worry about installing a DMZ or keeping your firewall up to date.
3. Increased Efficiency
Another big advantage of IT outsourcing is having your system run in a more efficient manner.
Imagine that adding numbers was the most complicated mathematical concept you’ve ever encountered. All of a sudden, you’re required to subtract, divide, and multiply. You’d find yourself flabbergasted, right?
This hypothetical example is a lot like dealing with IT-related tasks. If you or your crew don’t have much experience in IT, these tasks will take a long time to solve. In the worst-case scenario, they may even interrupt your workflow.
By comparison, an IT support company is able to deal with these tasks in a far easier fashion. Thanks to their experience, they’ll locate issues and get your users up and running much sooner than you’d likely be able to.
Other than their background, most managed service providers have access to state-of-the-art technology. This helps them automate tasks and upgrade your equipment in no time.
4. Better Cost Management
Here’s something that a lot of people don’t know about IT outsourcing: it can actually save you money!
To begin with, having an in-house IT team can get quite expensive. What’s worse, most of these expenses pop out of nowhere. This includes training, maintenance, upgrades, and equipment purchases.
These surges can be a lot for a small company to deal with. With volatile expenses, managing your finances becomes difficult. This is particularly true if your IT team isn’t handling the issue in an efficient way.
Needless to say, outsourcing your IT support minimizes most of these problems. Most managed service providers are capable of giving you a consistent monthly expense. As your company grows, this expense will increase as well.
It’s also worth noting that you can choose which IT services you want. In many companies, your own IT team should be able to carry its share of the workload.
5. Risk Reduction
In today’s modern age, compliance standards are a big deal. Many industries come with their own regulations, and keeping track of them is not easy.
For instance, look at all the different forms of payment available to us. Debit and credit cards, e-checks, wire transfers, gift certificates — the list is endless. However, using them requires staying on top of PCI compliance standards.
As you may know, that isn’t always an easy task. Rules, regulations, markets, technologies, and financial conditions can all change in an instant. If you’re not sure what to look for, it’s very easy to miss something of key importance.
This is where professional IT outsourcing services providers can be of great help. Thanks to their specific industry knowledge, they can manage most of these risks for you. In fact, they likely know a thing or two about avoiding risk altogether.
More on Outsourced IT Support
As you can see, outsourced IT support is worth a closer look. All the benefits we’ve outlined above help you level the playing field.
What does that mean? Simple: smaller businesses can’t compete with large corporations in terms of resources. That said, there’s nothing stopping you from using similar technology and expertise.
As you can probably guess, hiring a third-party IT service provider is the best way to achieve that. That way, keeping up with the bigger companies in this regard won’t impact your customer experience.
Not sure which managed service provider you should choose? We can help you out! Contact us right here, and our specialists will get back to you soon.
Ludovic Levivier
Founder & CEO, LINC Project, INC. a Managed Service Provider in New York and San Francisco