Why is it better to outsource your IT support?

In the past, the typical choice of managers was to have an IT support crew inside the company. This way, they are always there if something happens, right?

No! They usually work 9 to 5, just like everybody else, unless specific night shifts have been put in place. As technology is always evolving, you’ll also need to send them on new courses and seminars so they can update their knowledge and skill set. And what about if they leave? You’ll need to search for a new addition to the IT support team, and who knows how long it’ll take to find the right fit?

But you do have another option: You can outsource IT support!

What is outsourced IT support?

Outsourced IT support, a.k.a. managed IT support, or IT outsourcing is the practice of hiring an external freelancer, a team of freelancers, or a company, to handle various aspects of the information technology (IT) of a particular company. It is an alternative to an in-house IT department.

What is usually outsourced in a company?

Multiple processes can be outsourced. Almost every department can benefit from additional help. These are the most popular uses of third party services:

• Outsourced billing services – an external company that will deal with invoicing, payment processes, revenue management, and more.
• Outsourced financial services – budgeting, financial reporting, and financial analysis can be performed by a 3rd party company.
• Outsourced accounting – you can hire a company to do the accounting for your company and not worry about it.
• Outsourced copywriting – freelancers or copywriting agencies can add a lot of value by providing excellent written content. You can use these services for your website, marketing, advertising, blogs, and more.
• Outsourced graphic design – just like in the case of copywriting services, graphic design can be outsourced too. Logos, branding, advertisements, website graphics and more can be done by freelancers.
• Outsourced HR – There are many HR companies out there that already have great pools of talented people. It could be faster and better to use such a company and delegate the task of hiring new people.
• Outsourced electrical services – find a contractor that can handle all your electricity needs. They can maintain and repair what is needed, upgrade hardware, and more.
• Outsource IT – Many aspects of IT can be outsourced. You can save a lot of money by dedicating IT tasks to multiple IT professionals.

Can you outsource IT?

Yes! You can outsource different tasks related to your IT needs. Network management, software administration, help desk support, cybersecurity, and more can easily be performed by a 3rd party company.

What can IT outsourcing include?

• Server management. Managing a server requires a professional system administrator that manages and maintains the system. Keep it up to date by performing regular updates, applying security patches, and performing backups. Even if you choose good servers like cloud dedicated servers, you will still need server management.
• Network management. Depending on your network infrastructure, you will have different needs, but the IT infrastructure needs managing, monitoring, and maintenance. The devices need to be up to date, they will need to be replaced, fixed, and so on. The goal is to have optimal network performance.
• Help Desk support. Tech support is needed. Both inside your company, and from the side of the clients. An outsourced IT desk support can be really useful in troubleshooting software and hardware issues, responding to employees’ and clients’ inquiries, and resolving various tech problems.
• Data Backup and recovery. You can dedicate the responsibility for backup and recovery to a third party IT company. You can put your data in the hands of data experts, that can ensure your information is always secured, and even if something happens with some of your devices, you will be able to use the recovery method. If you are interested in a backup solution, check out our Backup-as-a-service.
• Cloud services. There are plenty of cloud solutions that you can outsource. Managed servers or managed DNS servers, storage-based Software-as-a-service (SaaS), cloud computing, and much more. If you want to learn more about cloud computing read this article.
• IT consulting. It is often that one company doesn’t know what exactly it needs. This is especially true when the focus of the company is very different from IT and tech. In such cases, outsourcing IT could be extremely beneficial. From planning the IT needs, to implementing the tech strategy, many steps can benefit from IT experts. And what better to hire a competent team for the project, and later only require IT support, when needed?
• Software and Hardware procurement. This is a very particular IT consultation. Sometimes you may need IT assistance with a particular acquisition. You need to understand the IT infrastructure, compatibility between the tech of different companies, software, and more.

Why outsource IT support?

You should think well about what IT needs your company has. Many of the tasks can be done by external collaborators, but should you do it? It depends on the price, the quality of the service, and the sensitivity of your data. Do it when it makes sense for you and the needs of your company. Find which tasks can be done more cost-effectively by other companies, and which should stay in-house.

Advantages of outsourcing IT support

Cost saving

In general, it is quite complicated to have your own IT team inside the company and can be extremely expensive. Reduce the cost by choosing the right outsourcing plan. Even paying for a 24/7 plan will save your company plenty of money every month. Outsourcing IT can be much more cost-efficient.

24/7 support

You can rely on 24/7 help, no matter if it is a weekend or holiday. The IT support team will monitor and protect your system, and if a failure happens, it will be resolved as fast as possible. If you or some of your employees are experiencing any difficulty, you can easily contact IT support.

Latest technology and new knowledge

Using external experts will allow you to explore new technologies and tricks that the outsourcing company is applying.

These experts will be aware of new trends and will keep your system up to date. Why will external IT support have more knowledge? Because an outsourced IT team will work with many companies at the same time, and the staff will experience many more challenges and gain exposure to many new experiences. And learn new solutions that they can later apply to other companies.

They will also oversee your IT infrastructure. They can advise you on feature updates and how to scale it. Scaling your IT infrastructure is not an easy task.

Focus

Leave the IT in trustworthy hands and focus on what you do best, your core business. It is not the manager’s job to know everything about IT, he/she needs to find the right people.

Risk reduction

Taking investment decisions related to your IT system can be very risky. Technology is expensive, and a mistake can even kill your company. Let the outsourcing company help you with this kind of decision. They’re the experts in this field and know the industry and the trends inside out.

Scalability

You can easily hire more outsourcing IT staff. In contrast, it would be really hard to hire many IT specialists in a short time. Especially if you only need them for a project. You can scale up and down your virtual personnel with a few clicks and maintain the right number of workers at any time.

Disadvantages of outsourcing IT

Loss of control

Dedicating a task to an external company means that you will no longer have full control over it. The speed at which the task will be completed might not depend on you at all. The same goes for reporting and correcting actions.

Cost

While it is true that outsourcing, in most cases, is cost-effective, sometimes choosing the wrong service can cost a lot more. You may choose the wrong subscription plan, software, or hardware which can cause you trouble. Fully analyze your needs before you go search for external help.

Data privacy issues

The Internet is full of privacy issues. Giving tasks to external companies will involve a lot of potential privacy and data issues. What are you going to share with this company? Do you have the rights to do it? Can they use the data for another purpose? Make sure you fully understand the terms and conditions and sign contracts that are good for you.

How to outsource IT support?

These are the right steps that you must take to successfully outsource your IT support:

1. Assess your needs. The first step is to know what exactly you need. Check the specific areas where you might need support. Consider your current IT infrastructure and services that you currently use, and don’t forget to think about your budget.
2. Define the scope. Define the scope of work that you would like to outsource.
3. Research providers. When you know your needs and the scope, the next step is to check providers. Check reputable IT support firms that specialize in the tasks you need. Read reviews and testimonials from other clients. Make a shortlist of providers.
4. Get proposals. Send your needs and get proposals from the shortlisted providers. You can get their pricing, service level agreements (SLAs), time required to complete the project, and any other additional detail.
5. Review the legal aspects of the deal. Pay attention to the terms and conditions. Create a contract that well-defines responsibilities of both parties in the deal.
6. Transition and integration. Now it is time to combine what you already have with the new outsourced IT support. Make sure that everything is compatible.
7. Control. Even if everything works great, you still need to monitor the whole process. Establish control points and often review the achievements, and correct if needed.
   

   Conclusion

   Outsourcing your IT support is not an easy task, but in many cases, it can be very beneficial. First, you need to know your requirements and your current resources. Then find the right company that can offer the right expertise at the right price.