Regardless of the size of your business or the industry you are in, you need IT support to streamline your operations, increase your efficiency, and improve your bottom line. Some business owners may think that having an in-house IT team will ensure their IT support is always functioning. This may be true for some time, but you can overcome limitations and costs with outsourced IT support.
However, you have to be careful since not all IT support companies offer the same level of services. It’s important to look for reliable, experienced IT support companies that offer comprehensive IT solutions.
What is Outsourced IT Support?
The simplest definition of outsourced IT support is a service that makes your life easier and your company more profitable.
Technically, outsourced IT support is an inexpensive investment in IT leaders that:
- Reduces risk
- Improves efficiency
- Improves revenue
They do so by:
- Protecting data
- Optimizing IT infrastructure performance
- Leveraging the full benefits of your IT capabilities
- Tailoring systems to departments and users
An outsourced IT support professional does this by first developing a solid understanding of the business operations and its needs. Subsequently, the IT professional learns the system's design and business needs to maximize the organization's benefits.
What Support Services Do Outsource IT Support Provide?
It can be shocking to know the total amount of services that an outsourced IT support company provides because most of us don't know the full extent of what goes into this essential component of top companies. Just some of the offerings include:
- Device and inventory management
- Network security and industry compliance
- Network management and server management
- Applications and cloud management
- Backup and disaster recovery
- Storage
- Virtualization
- Data monitoring and insights
- Telecommunications and phone systems
- Improved customer service systems
- Reliable technicians
- Employee on/off-boarding
- Real-time support
- Network monitoring
- Response planning
- Software updates and installation
- Hardware configuration
- Hardware swaps
- Managed services provider
- Technical support
This list could no doubt keep going, but you get the idea. Your business has a tremendous amount of IT needs to address to keep it running smoothly.
Benefits of Outsourced IT Support
1. Reduced IT Costs
When you outsource your IT support, you may reduce your costs in the following ways:
Reduced cost of IT equipment
You may not always need some IT equipment. And you shouldn’t have to buy equipment and software for seasonal use. Fortunately, having outsourced IT support means you can rely on what the IT support team has to reduce the cost of new IT solutions, software, and equipment.
Besides, technology is advancing rapidly, rendering some IT equipment and solutions obsolete. Your IT support providers may help you upgrade your software and equipment without purchasing brand-new versions.
Reducing in-house hires
It will cost you less to outsource than to hire in-house IT teams. Once you hire, you will have to incur costs in paying salaries, benefits, bonuses, and more. Outsourcing may be less costly since you agree on the charges with the outsourced IT support provider.
Pay only for IT services rendered
Most IT service firms offer flexible packages. You pay only for the services you receive. This means your costs may increase or shrink depending on your needs. This is less costly than in-house hires whose payment is fixed regardless of the amount of work they do.
2. Round-the-Clock Surveillance
Your in-house team will be on duty only during their working hours. They are also entitled to leave, off days, and vacations. They may also have a limited workload. However, an outsourced IT support team may be available 24/7 and put in more hours during a crisis to improve your uptime.
As technology advances and businesses increasingly depend on IT, you cannot afford prolonged IT downtimes. You need a reliable team that you can call even on short notice without feeling like you are overstepping their rights as workers.
Moreover, you require diversified expertise to keep an uninterrupted flow of functionality and end-to-end networking for your intranet, extranet, and internet. Your in-house team may not have this expertise—and upgrading them may require costly training sessions.
3. Enhanced Efficiency
You will be confronted with a variety of IT issues needing intervention experts in different IT fields. It may be hard to keep calling these experts. If you outsource your IT support, you will have only one number to call and explain the problem. The team leader will then determine the kind of intervention you need and assign the right experts to sort out your IT problems.
This will increase your efficiency since you will not waste time calling experts who may not be available. Instead, you can trust your IT provider will address your concerns in a timely manner.
4. Maximized Security
With the current explosion in cybercrime, you need to maximize your cybersecurity. Unfortunately, your in-house IT team may not be familiar with current threats since your business may not have fallen victim. So, they’re unlikely to know how to prevent and address such issues.
An outsourced IT support team has wider exposure since they handle threats and intrusions of varied nature and magnitude. This helps them be better prepared to offer advanced cybersecurity solutions to ensure your business is secure.
Reduced risk of downtime or cyberattacks
Constant remote monitoring by a managed service provider means that responses to cyber-attacks and security risks are immediate, while ongoing employee training results in prepared employees that know what to do in such events. That same training helps prevent employee behaviors that can open the door to hackers by helping employees understand the importance of password management or how to detect phishing attempts.
5. Better Focus
When you have an independent team in charge of your IT support, you can focus your time, resources, and in-house team efforts on other business operations. Currently, your in-house IT team may be over-involved workstation issues and IT support. This limits the time they dedicate to technology advancement, proactive strategy, and business continuity. Outsourcing helps in offloading time and resources so that your employees can concentrate on the strategic growth of your business.
6. Scalable Services
As your business grows, your IT needs will also change. Hiring new IT talent may turn out to be too expensive for your business. However, outsourcing your IT support guarantees you scalable services.
The team you outsource to will be responsible for providing the services you need when you need them. That means you can get state-of-the-art IT solutions and equipment without needing to hire new IT talent.
7. Increased Customer Satisfaction
With outsourced IT support, you can look forward to an enhanced user experience on your customer engagement platforms. This may come in the form of a faster loading website, easier accessibility of your services with one-click connectivity, reduced website and internet downtime, and faster response to customer concerns.
When you offer a better user experience, you will have happier and more satisfied customers. This is significant in earning and sustaining their loyalty, which contributes to the growth of your business.
8. Access to Highly Qualified Professionals
In the world of tech, one mistake can have your whole system crumbling down. This can lead to huge data losses and increased vulnerability. Having a team of reliable IT specialists behind you eliminates such massive risks.
9. Resource Optimization
Outsourcing IT support services give you access to the best people with a vast network of specialists. Providers have an extensive knowledge base that is more than sufficient for every need and requirement.
A team of professionals who are constantly working on resource optimization can help you manage resources in such a way as to ensure maximum output without compromising any performance or quality standards.
They will be able to do this by leveraging their expertise across all areas, such as software development, while also ensuring they develop new strategies and techniques where necessary.
10. Improve employee performance
Systems tailored to the needs of employees and departments mean utilizing the full functionality of your IT solution, resulting in tremendous efficiency gains. An employee that might have repeatedly been performing a single task gains valuable time when shown how a system can perform bulk actions.
Often automation is part of your software solutions and not leveraged to carry out minor tasks that allow employees to focus on higher-value aspects of their jobs. Putting that automation into place gives employees time and reduces the mistakes that often happen in minor and repetitive tasks.
11. Keep technology up-to-date
Technology's functionality and benefits are constantly increasing, but companies not focused on keeping up with the changes and enhanced functionality miss out on the benefits. It's much easier to keep doing things as always if there isn't a professional looking out for new changes and helping implement them.
Having an IT support professional to keep the business up-to-date with software and infrastructure maintenance means the company's performance grows in lockstep with its technology improvements.
12. Maintain a competitive edge
Not only does the full implementation of your technology solutions result in internal efficiency gains and cost savings, but it puts you ahead of competitors. Your customers like it when you're utilizing tech solutions that make their lives easier.
Removing barriers to their interaction, scheduling, or outreach through tech solutions can be a tremendous competitive edge. Saving customers time, improving service, and reducing hassle result in return customers.
Cons of Outsourcing IT Services
Yes, anything with a long list of pros must have a few cons. Not every business need is the same, and there are times when outsourcing your IT support can have drawbacks over keeping an in-house IT department or dedicated support team.
Potential downtime
Outsourced IT support responds immediately, but some companies might need the quickest response possible, which would come from a IT department. If the company is heavily tech-dependent and every minute counts, a full-time support staff that can confront the issue on-site and at any time could be necessary to reduce downtime.
Security issues
While your outsourced IT support is a trusted partner, businesses handling sensitive information might have requirements for in-house IT with specific clearances. The conditions could be due to satisfying client needs, meeting insurance requirements, or just internal protocols for the protection of valuable intellectual property.
Misaligned objectives
Not everyone outside of your company will be on the same page or able to understand the company objectives and inner workings. Outsourcing can sometimes produce outcomes that don't match your intent, and it's no different if the outsourced party is for marketing or IT support.
Limited flexibility
Outsourced services also mean competing for time with the services provider. You aren't their only client, resulting in limited flexibility for them. If your needs always need an answer right now, an in-house employee or team might be the way to go.
How Do I Get Started With Outsourced IT Support?
The first step is to call a qualified and expert company for an assessment of the business, its infrastructure, and needs. An IT support professional will interview, assess, and take a preliminary inventory and then craft a plan that best addresses the company's needs.
When starting to work with an outsourced IT support company, ask for references and take the time to call them. Look at reviews online and don't base an assessment on price but excellence. There's a lot at stake and tremendous earnings and efficiency gains ahead; look for experts that get results.
Outsourcing IT Support is an Excellent Option
Businesses are becoming more reliant on IT to streamline operations, increase efficiency, and improve their bottom line. While you may have an in-house IT team, outsourcing your IT support has more benefits to your business than an in-house team alone.
As a reminder, some of the benefits of having outsourced IT support include reduced costs, scalable IT support, maximized IT systems security, and enhanced efficiency. Outsourced IT support will also give you round-the-clock surveillance to ensure the continuous running of your IT systems and equipment. This reduces your downtime, giving your customers a better user experience, which leads to improved customer satisfaction.
Outsourced IT support also allows you to concentrate on your business operations to bring growth to your business. You also focus resources, time, and in-house teams on your core business that involves your business's strategic growth.
Learn how to stay productive longer with professional IT support from IT Management Solutions.
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