Serving as an essential part of any business, technology plays a key role in research & development, sales, marketing, and many other aspects of daily operations. Being such an important aspect, companies are faced with the choice of keeping their IT in house or outsourcing to a third party. There are pros and cons of outsourcing IT and one can decide which option best fits their needs using the information below.
Pros and Cons of Outsourcing IT:
Before we dive into the pros and cons of outsourcing IT, we have to remember that every organisation is unique when it comes to technology needs. Apply this information as it relates to your business specifically.
Pros
1. Ability to Focus
When partnering with a Managed Services Provider (MSP) to outsource your IT, you lift a heavy weight off your shoulders. You no longer bear the responsibility of worrying about your data, systems, software, etc. Rather, your company can focus on what you do best rather than spending time, money and resources on IT.
2. Save Money
In the long run, a third party managed service provider has the resources and experience to manage your technology with efficiency and effectiveness. You will not have to hire full-time employees, contract professionals for projects, or spend money on system upgrades. An MSP handles all IT related tasks and has the workforce to back up any project needs.
3. Reduce Risk
Cyber security has not only been on the rise, but has also cost companies more money than ever as a result of phishing attacks, ransomware, and more. If your systems go down and you have in-house employees working on getting it back up and running, the clock ticks as your company struggles to fix the problem. An MSP has backups in place in case of any problem. Tip: Work with an IT outsourcing company that has a proactive approach towards technology and identifies problems before they occur rather than taking a break-fix approach.
4. Team of Experts
Because managed service providers specialise in providing IT services, they have a team of experts with a variety of certifications and years of experience. Larger MSPs have expert technicians that specialise in various technology integration, implementations, software, and more.
Cons
1. Unexpected Costs
Outsourcing IT leaves management in someone else’s hands which means that they can charge you when things go wrong. To mitigate this risk, work with an MSP that provides fixed-fee pricing so that you know exactly how much you will be spending and there are no surprise fees.
2. Security Risk
You are granting third party access to your systems and sensitive data. To be cautious of who you are working with, we recommend speaking to previous clients of your potential MSP and doing your due diligence to ensure that they are trustworthy.
Keep these pros and cons of outsourcing IT in mind when deciding which is best for your company.
If you’re in the Brisbane area and would like to find out more about this or other IT topics, please don’t delay Contact QCS Group, at 1300 858 723 or by sending us an email to: marius@qcsgroup.com.au
