Maintaining an information technology team can be costly in both time and resources, but today it’s non-negotiable. From the looming threat of cyber criminals to the constant drumbeat of news around artificial intelligence, innovation and automation, even small and mid-sized businesses need access to reliable information technology expertise. While it might seem like the cost of an in-house team is too much, there are other options. An outsourced IT team can provide the same advantages of an in-house team, like advanced cybersecurity protection, round-the-clock threat monitoring, and incident response management from experienced, specialized professionals, but often at a fraction of the cost.
What is IT Outsourcing?
IT outsourcing refers to the practice of hiring external companies or individuals to handle certain IT functions and tasks for a business or organization. This can include IT operations such as server maintenance and support, network management, cybersecurity, help desk services and more. Businesses can outsource their entire IT department or supplement an in-house team with outsourced services. One-off, individual projects, such as a server migration and digital transformations can be outsourced. Outsourced IT teams can also serve long-term needs, such as management and maintenance of network infrastructure or ongoing help desk support for your employees.
Why Companies Outsource IT Services
Small businesses outsource IT services when they lack the IT infrastructure and expertise to handle complex IT tasks. By outsourcing, business owners gain access to a team of professionals with specialized skills and knowledge. Businesses also have more freedom to scale their IT services based on their current needs without the hassle of recruiting, training or laying off employees. Some companies find they have more flexibility managing a remote, outsourced IT team while still enjoying the benefits of an in-house team, such as increased cybersecurity and ad-hoc expertise.
Advantages of IT Outsourcing
Outsourcing IT services to a third-party provider can offer several advantages. If you already have an in-house team, outsourcing IT or help desk services can allow your internal IT staff to focus on big-picture projects while your IT service provider handles smaller issues. An outsourced team could provide the following benefits:
Enhanced Business Efficiency
Outsourced IT services can enhance a business’s efficiency and productivity as it frees up internal resources to focus on strategic work like improving profitability and scaling the business. Quick response times from your outsourced team helps get your business back on track after a technological mishap while enhanced cybersecurity protection helps prevent costly and lengthy delays in business. Working with an IT outsourcing firm can also grant your company access to advanced technologies you may not have been able to support in-house.
Access to Specialized IT Talent
Companies that outsource also have access to highly skilled and experienced teams of IT professionals without the financial burden of hiring and training them in-house. Look for an outsourced IT team with a variety of specialties that you don’t have in-house, including network management, cybersecurity, server monitoring and maintenance, cloud computing, automation and analytics, among others.
Improved Cybersecurity
By outsourcing, you’ll have access to a team of experienced professionals who specialize in cybersecurity. Your outsourced team can monitor your network for potential security breaches while improving your current cybersecurity strategy, including updating antiquated firewalls, reviewing and implementing endpoint protection measures, enforcing multifactor authentication and other network security best practices.
With extra eyes monitoring your systems, cyberattacks can be quickly identified and mitigated to prevent additional unauthorized access or malicious activity. The team can also help in the event of a successful cyberattack by minimizing the damage, identifying the hacker’s entry point and fortifying your network’s defenses through disaster recovery.
Cost Savings
IT outsourcing companies can be cost-effective. Firstly, outsourcing staff eliminates the need to hire or expand an in-house team, negating the need to budget salaries and benefits for additional staff. Through outsourced IT, it’s even possible to hire executive professionals such as CIOs.
Training costs are also made obsolete since your outsourced team will already have the skills required for their assigned tasks. Furthermore, IT outsourcing services can scale easily and flexibly. If you find you don’t need a team of five or your priorities shift throughout the year, you can reduce the numbers without laying off employees.
Secondly, there’s no need to invest in expensive technology or equipment that may become outdated or underutilized in the future. Instead, you can rely on the tools provided by your outsourced team. This gives you the freedom and flexibility to allocate your resources more efficiently according to your organization’s overall business plan.
Cutting-Edge, Industry-Leading Technology without the Training
IT outsourcing providers give their teams funds and opportunities to stay on top of new technologies and strategies. Rather than having to trial and error different technologies and train your own team on each new program, leveraging an outsourced team already trained on the latest programs can give your company a leg up (and save your budget and team’s time).
As a business practice, outsourced IT gives small to mid-sized businesses a competitive advantage by granting access to the same level of expertise as large companies at potentially a fraction of the cost. By working with an experienced outsourced IT team, you’d be able to focus on other business functions meant to move your business forward while trusting your team to handle the day-to-day.
Our Anders Technology advisors are ready to help business owners like you establish technology safeguards for your company’s information while also leveraging the latest technology to increase efficiencies within your teams. If you’d like to talk to our team about fully outsourced IT services, feel free to contact us.
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