If your company is considering using a IT managed service provider (MSP) for technical support or other IT needs, there are several things you should take into account before outsourcing essential aspects of your company’s daily operations.
Outsourcing IT services to managed service providers can take a lot of pressure off your internal IT team and help your business make sure that every aspect of its mission critical technology needs are met by qualified, experienced professionals.
In today’s technology marketplace, managed service providers deliver far more than just help desk support. The right technology partner can help your company overcome a lack of internal expertise and implement IT solutions that deliver desired business outcomes.
What are the Benefits of Outsourcing IT Services?
Flexibility & Access to Cutting-Edge Technology
Information technology evolves at a rapid pace that staying on top of the latest developments can be a full-time undertaking. New cloud services, security practices, software, systems, and hardware products come to market faster than ever before, and identifying their potential benefits, let alone how to implement them effectively, requires a level of expertise that most companies don’t have internally.
In order to stay relevant in a dynamic business environment, companies need to be able to adapt as quickly as possible. Through outsourced professional IT services, the development, implementation and management of leading-edge technologies has become easier and more affordable than ever before.
Technical Expertise and Experience
By outsourcing your company’s IT needs to a managed service provider, your business benefits from their accumulated IT experience and expertise. Instead of asking your employees to take on an IT project that might be beyond their skill set, leveraging your MSP’s intimate knowledge of IT systems to get solutions to deliver the desired business outcomes.
Improved Security & Network Reliability
Network and data security should be high on every company’s priority list because hackers have become more sophisticated and more brazen than ever before.
If your business lacks internal cybersecurity expertise, you increase your organization’s risk for data breaches or ransomware attacks. These could potentially cripple your operations and cause long-term damage to your brand’s reputation and image.
By outsourcing network monitoring and data security responsibilities to a MSP, you can greatly reduce operational hurdles, such as network downtime, and prevent potential disastrous data breaches.
Cost Savings and IT Budget Certainty
For most companies, the costs associated with managing employees, training and skill development of IT personnel, employee turnover and maintaining infrastructure, is in many cases greater than the fees charged by MSPs.
Outsourced IT can also help provide long-term IT cost certainty, as managed service providers can help develop and forecast an accurate technology budget that will take into account your evolving needs to save you time and money when it is time for upgrades or improvements.
Increased Business Focus for Greater Efficiency and Productivity
Every company has limited resources, so it’s important to have your focus where it is needed most; maintaining daily operations, keeping employees and clients happy are the keys to running a successful company. When companies outsource their IT, it frees up employees to focus on these pressing concerns.
What are the Drawbacks of Outsourced IT?
Outsourcing IT responsibilities has a variety of advantages, but it is not a magic wand that will make all IT problems disappear. In fact, going with the wrong managed services provider could actually be a costly misstep.
The potential drawbacks include:
Misaligned Business Goals
You should have a mutually beneficial relationship with your managed services provider. If a potential outsourcing candidate lobbies for systems and processes that don’t seem to be the right fit for your company, they could be more interested in reaching their own sales targets instead of helping you reach your business goals.
Loss of Control
One of the risks that comes with outsourcing is that the delegation of responsibilities can be a slippery slope towards a loss of control over IT systems and procedures. In situations where
an IT services company insists on using their proprietary software, you risk becoming dependent on that provider, as the potential hassle with changing providers can feel quite daunting.
Before outsourcing any aspect of your business, make sure that your provider can respond to this kind of concern with a variety of solutions.
When in Doubt, Contact an IT Services Specialist
When looking for dedicated and trusted IT Services, look for a partner who always takes your business’ security and goals seriously. Book a consultation with a Commerx IT services specialist today and get started on IT managed services you deserve.
