Many companies today are outsourcing services such as IT Help Desk Support instead of handling these services internally. This is because the benefits to outsourcing usually outweighs the advantages of having your own IT department. The biggest advantage, especially for small to medium sized businesses is the significant cost savings. If you are looking for a managed IT service provider that will offer you the best security for your data and the expertise and experience you require, contact Digital Service Consultants today.
Should You Outsource Your IT Services Such as IT Help Desk Support?
To outsource or not to outsource – that is the question on many business owner’s minds today. The answer may not be an all or nothing decision. Depending on your particular situation you may choose to keep all of your IT services internal, you may decide to outsource all of them, or you may choose a solution somewhere in between with having only certain services such as IT Help Desk support outsourced. The following will help you with your decision by giving you a break down of the advantages and disadvantages of both an In-house IT department and outsourcing to a managed IT service provider.
Advantages of Having an In-House IT Department
They Will Know Your Company the Best:
If you have an IT department that is actually a part of your company, they know your company better than any outsourced IT department can because they are actually on site. They will be familiar with your company’s culture, products, and customers because they are working within that culture, with the actual products you make and the clients you serve. They will better understand how you do business and what you require because they are a part of your business.
They Can Be Trained the Way You Want Them To Be:
Because your in-house IT personnel are a part of your staff, you are in charge of their training. This means that you can tailor their training so they are able to specifically meet the unique requirements of your company.
They Are Exclusively Available for You:
If you have your own in-house IT department, you will have exclusive rights to their time. Your IT personnel are only responsible for your company’s needs; you do not have to share their services with any other company so they are always available when you need them. Because they are located on site, they will be available to solve problems quickly and efficiently.
Disadvantages of Having an In-House IT Department
Having an In-House IT Department Cost A Lot of Money:
The biggest disadvantage of having your own in-house IT department is the price tag.
Salaries: You will need to pay your staff a regular salary. IT personnel are highly skilled and highly trained, which means that their compensation packages should reflect that.
Training:
Not only will you need to do initial training with your staff, you will also have the added cost of ongoing training. With the constant changes and innovations in technology, IT staff need to always be upgrading and learning continually.
Holidays and Sick Days:
If you can only afford an IT staff of one or two, then you may run into problems when they need to take holidays or they are sick. In addition, you will have difficulty covering IT problems that occur outside of their regular working hours. If you are a large corporation and can afford a large IT staff then this is less of an issue. However, most small to medium-sized businesses will find it difficult to be able to pay for such a big staff.
You May Find It Hard to Find the Skilled Staff Required:
People with the specific skill set required to work in and or run an IT department are in high demand and are not easy to find. Because of the high demand for this type of employee, they can ask for a higher wage as well.
Advantages of Outsourcing Your IT Services
Your Overall Costs Will Be Lower:
The monthly fees that you will pay for a managed IT service will be significantly lower than if you have your own IT department to support. You won’t have to pay high salaries to multiple personnel as well as their ongoing training to keep them up-to-date with the latest technology.
You Will Have Access to Experienced IT Personnel:
Hiring a managed IT service provider means that you will have access to IT personnel that are experienced with a wide range of hardware and software platforms and have expertise in areas that your own IT staff may be unfamiliar with or unable to solve.
Your Cost Will Be Predictable Each Month:
When you use a managed IT support service you will be charged a regular monthly fee. This means that you won’t encounter large, unexpected costs, which makes budgeting much easier. Managed IT service companies will bring their own tools and resources such as laptops which means that you don’t have to purchase these either.
You Will Enjoy Remote Monitoring and Maintenance for Your Remote Sites:
Managed services are a good option if your company has more than one physical office. They will be able to provide remote monitoring and maintenance, which means that your IT personnel will not have to leave the main office location in order to carry out a repair or maintenance task.
You Will Get Access to Technical Support 24/7/365:
When you use outsourcing for your IT services you will have access to technical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Unlike having your own IT department, you don’t have to worry about not getting support if your staff is sick, on holidays, or if it is outside of regular working hours.
Disadvantages of Outsourcing Your IT Services
An IT Help Desk Cannot Know Your Company as Well as Your Own Staff Does:
If you outsource your IT services to a help desk or managed IT service, that company will not be able to understand your company as well as an internal IT department. You may encounter cultural or communication issues. Therefore it is important to choose an IT service provider that will take the time to get to know your business as best as it can to be able to provide you with the specialized service that you require.
It Will Take Extra Time to Set Up Your Service:
When you begin working with a managed services partner, there may be extra time and effort involved in the initial set up to put in place the monitoring tools and systems required to manage it properly. Even though it takes time, it is worth it in the long run as it will greatly reduce the number of technical issues going forward.
Tips for Deciding on the Right Balance Between Internal vs Outsourcing
1. Outsource Your Standard Software Applications and Infrastructure
Any programs or processes that are standard to most businesses are usually the best ones to get looked after by a managed services provider. These programs are also usually more mundane and can take up valuable time that your staff could use in innovation or developing programs or processes that are unique to your sector.
2. Key Core Technologies and Initiatives are Best Handled Internally
If you have technologies that require input from many different key people in your business or are highly sensitive such as fundraising applications for non-profits, industry specific point of sale, claims systems for insurance companies, then these are best handled internally.
3. Make Your Decision Based on Your Business’s Specific Needs
You know your business best. If you are constantly struggling with IT issues and lack the staff to deal with your issues then a managed IT provider for most of your IT services could be the best answer for you. If however your business needs a wide range of custom IT elements and has the resources, both of finances and staff, to support an internal IT department then you may choose to only outsource some more mundane tasks.
4. Find a Well-Known, Established IT Service Provider You Can Trust
Your information is important and vital to the smooth running of your business, so don’t trust it to an unreliable provider. DSC has been a trusted name in the IT industry in Atlanta for more than 30 years. We also provide a full range of internet- related services including cloud backup, system monitoring, software hosting, dedicated email, website development and implementation, web hosting, e-commerce, security, and a variety of related products and services. We also provide network support for Linus, Microsoft server and workstation platforms, Fortinet firewalls, and Cisco Systems. Contact us today for all of your internet-related requirements.
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DSC Gives Back To The Georgia Community
DSC is proud to be part of a thriving Georgia Community and we care enough about our community that we want to give something back. That is why we started the “Next Generation” training days. During the training, our students learned about the history of CPUs and GPUs. The training focused on the performance and success of different models and brands and which ones excelled during their various time periods. You can access an audio recording of the training on the DSC website for free. Click here to listen to this informative podcast.