In today’s technology-dependent world, your company’s IT is a vital part of your daily operations. As such, it’s necessary to have an IT environment that runs smoothly and efficiently. The way to achieve an optimized infrastructure is through proper management and alignment of your technology. While this can be done internally, a simpler solution most businesses tend to lean towards is outsourced managed services.
How To Outsource IT
Outsourced IT solutions offer a variety of benefits that companies of all sizes can enjoy. From managed cybersecurity to real-time support, there are many reasons to invest in these services. Despite the benefits, however, leaving your infrastructure in the hands of another company is a big decision that deserves consideration. It’s necessary to spend some time and take inventory of your resources so you understand exactly what you need.
Before we get into the how, let’s first take a moment to discuss what outsourcing is and when it’s the best option. Since the technical demands of your organization are different from others, you have to decide what’s the best choice for your business. Understanding these factors can help in the decision.
What Is Outsourcing?
The word outsourcing refers to when you use sources from outside of your group to procure goods or services. In terms of information technology, this means hiring a third-party vendor that specializes in IT. These vendors are known as managed services providers (MSPs). Insourcing IT, on the other hand, is when you have your own internal IT department that manages your infrastructure for you.
When Is the Right Time To Outsource?
Deciding between insourcing vs outsourcing IT services depends on a few variables. Not having your own in-house IT team is an important factor, but there are other signs that can tell you if outsourcing is the better option. Here are a few situations that can tell you if outsourcing is right for you:
- You’re being held back by your IT: IT can become a hindrance rather than an asset if it’s not optimized and aligned with your business. An MSP can adjust your environment for you so it’s always working the way it should.
- A lack of certain skills: If no one in your office has the knowledge to carry out an IT-related task, an MSP can step in and provide the skills you need.
- You want to lower costs: For smaller businesses, it can be difficult to afford IT personnel, let alone an entire team. Outsourcing allows you to receive IT support at a fraction of the price.
- Unlimited IT advice: If you don’t know what the best IT solution for your business is, an MSP can help. Through their advisors, they can provide advice to steer your infrastructure in the right direction.
- Frequent network issues: Downtime can be costly for any business. Monitoring services offered by an MSP can catch issues before they affect end users. This means your employees can continue to work without disruption.
The Third Option: IT Team Augmentation
It’s important to know that when it comes to IT services, you aren’t limited to only two choices. There is actually a third, more flexible option called hybrid managed services. Also known as staff augmentation services or co-managed IT, this is a service where the MSP acts as part of your existing IT department. Essentially, you bring the MSP on to provide supplemental support to your in-house IT analysts.
Staff augmentation has its own unique benefits and works best when:
- You need to bolster your team, but you’re unsatisfied with the local talent pool.
- If your existing IT department is overwhelmed and there’s no end in sight given the current work rate.
- When you have a short-term IT project, but you don’t want your staff wasting too much time on it.
- If you want an objective opinion on an IT project or the state of your infrastructure.
- If you need a technician with a certain skill set, but no one on your internal team has that skill.
Choosing the Best IT Provider
Whether internal, outsourced, or hybrid IT service is the best option depends on the needs of your business. But, now that you know the different types of IT support available, we can dive into how to find the right IT support company. Here are a few tips to help make the process easier:
- Find a provider in the area: It’s not a deal breaker, there’s a big benefit to having a provider that is based in the same area as your headquarters. That benefit is onsite support. Sometimes it helps more to be able to talk with an IT specialist face-to-face and a local MSP can provide that service.
- Verify they have experience working with your industry: The technology you use for your work is probably different from the equipment used in other industries. Make sure the vendor is familiar with working with businesses in your sector.
- Determine response time: The ability to respond quickly to requests is crucial to how fast you can get your business back up and running. The vendor you choose should be able to provide service within a feasible amount of time.
- Scalability: As your business grows, you need a solution that can keep up. You need a provider that can continue to deliver on all the needs of your business.
- Check for certifications: Certifications and partners are proof that the company you’re working with is reputable. Additionally, individual staff certifications show the expertise of the company’s employees.
We’re Dedicated to Your Success
The best IT providers are the ones that care about their clients and do everything in their power to help them succeed from a technical standpoint. That’s exactly what you get at Reverus. As your partner, we work closely with you to understand your business and optimize its functions through innovative IT solutions.
