Using outsourced IT services offers numerous advantages for businesses of all industries. Regardless of your company's scale and services, technology is what fuels your business and keeps your doors open. Outsourcing your IT to the right provider can ensure you stay open and take your operations to a new level. Learn how your business can benefit from leveraging outsourced IT.
How does outsourced IT work?
Just as you may work with an accounting firm to help with your company's finances, you can turn to a third-party provider for assistance with your technology needs. If you're looking for business IT support, you would partner with a managed service provider (MSP). Brian Schlechter, Director of IT at Bit-Wizards, explains that working with an MSP to outsource your IT can give your business a much-needed boost.
"You can outsource any part of your company's IT needs, from investigating computer errors to handling software management tasks," he says. "Instead of depending on non-IT staff to manage technical tasks, you can outsource those responsibilities and let your employees focus on what they do best."
Some of the many services that can be outsourced to an MSP include:
What are the three most common IT outsourcing options?
It's vital to evaluate and prioritize your company's needs and goals when choosing the type of partnership you'll form with an MSP. While most outsourcing agreements can be customized to meet your industry and overall IT capabilities, they often fall into one of three general service buckets. Here are three of the more common IT support options you could receive from an MSP.
1. Fully managed IT
If you have little to no in-house IT support and want someone to handle it for you, you're looking for fully managed IT. This turnkey solution involves trusting every aspect of your technology needs to an MSP. No matter what specialties your industry faces or what support your employees require, your MSP partnership includes complete support for your network and overall infrastructure.
2. Co-managed IT
If you have some IT personnel but want to maximize their time and talents in a specific area, a co-managed IT partnership may be a better fit for your business. In this collaborative arrangement, you designate which aspects of your business an MSP manages. For example, your MSP can handle uphill support for your network while your employees manage everyday troubleshooting requests.
3. Special projects
If you have a specific goal in mind but lack the resources to achieve it, you can work with an IT provider on special projects. Outsourcing with an MSP for projects like an email migration can help you access expert advice on tasks where you don't have in-house experience or enough time to complete them. In this partnership, an MSP would not provide any other assistance outside of what they're contracted to do.
How can I tell if my business needs outsourced IT?
There's always
room for improvement in any area of a business, including those with an experienced team. If your company doesn't have any technical employees, it's more likely than not that you'd benefit from outsourcing some aspect of your IT. Even if you have a small team that handles essential maintenance and troubleshooting, there may be areas that need improvement without obvious red flags.
Your business could benefit from outsourced IT if you:
- Don't have any employees dedicated to IT tasks
- Have an IT team that's overwhelmed with responsibilities
- Worry about turnover with your IT personnel
- Have consistent issues with hardware and software
- Use free or personal services for enterprise purposes
- Fall victim to a cyberattack or other IT security failure
- Experience frequent service interruptions or downtime
- Rely on an IT employee or team that has a skills gap
- Suffer from lost productivity because of tech issues
- Experience significant data loss and cannot restore it
How can my business benefit from outsourced IT services?
No matter what your company's industry and services involve, outsourcing your IT offers operational and even financial advantages. With enhanced IT provided by an experienced MSP, your employees can deliver more consistent services and support to your customers. Here are 5 benefits your business can enjoy by leveraging outsourced IT.
1. Manage technical expenses
Hiring an IT professional for your business can be a considerable and worthwhile investment, but it doesn't always pay off. If you depend on a few IT staff, your company may need help but not have the budget to add another position, meaning you could be without support if personnel are sick or on vacation. Additionally, hardware and software costs can be unpredictable or excessive, even if you have someone managing an infrastructure optimization plan for your business.
While an MSP can't make IT expenses disappear, partnering with one makes it easier to anticipate your company's technical expenses. Whether you choose fully managed or co-managed IT, outsourcing that support offers fixed costs based on the number of employees you have. Schlechter says MSPs partner with major hardware providers, so they can especially help you make hardware purchases that meet your company’s long-term needs.
"Instead of buying devices that consistently need to be replaced, your MSP can direct you to better hardware options that cost more but last longer," he states. "While you may spend more upfront, you have a much better return because you're not buying the same thing over and over."
2. Improve flexibility and scalability
Businesses can only succeed if they roll with the punches thrown by industry and market trends. With a handful of in-house IT personnel, there's only so much you can do to be resilient and agile. If your operations need to pull back during off-season periods or expand during increased customer demands, your business will consistently be behind the curve and struggle to catch up when accommodating major changes.
With outsourced IT support in your arsenal, your company can stay on top of new trends without drastic personnel adjustments. An MSP can provide the right amount of support for whatever you need, whether your one-person team is taking a vacation or your business is preparing for a busy season. Schlechter emphasizes that the increased flexibility and scalability from an MSP don't come with significant added costs, either.
"Adding a few new IT employees to meet demands can mean there's not enough work for everyone you've hired, and experiencing a slow season could mean you need to let people go," he says. "With outsourced IT, you can make adjustments that come with minor cost changes and no staffing issues since your MSP handles everything internally to support you."
3. Boost cybersecurity measures
From phishing attacks to insider threats, cyberattack trends and risks that can ruin your business loom around every corner. While it's easy to learn lessons from major cyberattacks and apply them to your business, it's a whole other issue when combined with daily maintenance tasks and larger projects. Without the proper measures, tools, and personnel in place, your company's data can be a sitting duck targeted by hackers.
MSPs that provide outsourced IT services pay special attention to cybersecurity best practices, and their approach to IT security
extends to you in a fully managed or co-managed partnership. By outsourcing your IT in some way, you connect your company with enterprise-grade security measures. Schlechter believes this benefit is especially invaluable for businesses that employ a smaller number of IT personnel.
"If you have a one-person IT team, they will likely miss a potential threat or make a mistake that creates or expands a vulnerability," he says. "With IT outsourcing, your business gets the attention of multiple people, so the chances of making sure everything is correct increase exponentially."
4. Leverage a team of experts
Even if you have a handful of experienced IT employees on your team, there's no guarantee that they have the combined expertise needed to help your business run smoothly. Identifying a hole in your team's experience is one thing, while filling it with a new hire who sticks around is another challenge. Your business may be at a standstill until you can find the right employee for the job or train your current team members.
By outsourcing at least part of your IT, you empower your company's operations with a team of experts that's capable of providing the solutions you need. MSPs are fueled by several IT professionals, meaning your business can access a greater breadth and depth of knowledge and experience. Schlechter believes this advantage is critical for day-to-day IT support, special projects, and anything in between.
"MSPs have teams of IT professionals with certifications, experience, and training to meet the needs of most situations and industries," he says. "Outsourcing your IT needs to the pros allows your business to adopt more holistic solutions where you'd traditionally be limited to single-prong approaches or temporary fixes."
5. Minimize operational disruptions
Technology issues and outages are practically inevitable, and the impact they have on your operations directly depends on your team's ability to respond. If your IT team can't fix a specific issue or is stretched thin with maintenance tasks, the support you provide to employees and customers will likely suffer. Depending on the duration of an outage, your business could lose significant revenue and trust.
When you partner with an MSP for outsourced IT, you join forces with a team that uses redundant solutions to prevent or minimize downtime. If you outsource an IT help desk, any minor issues that could interrupt your employees can be quickly resolved before they become major interruptions. Schlechter underlines the value of outsourced IT support in situations where a vital piece of equipment goes haywire.
"If your office's firewall goes down and you can't buy a replacement quickly, you're stranded until you can install a new one," he says. "If you've partnered with an MSP, they can lend you equipment that gives your business a temporary solution until you have a new device in place."
Get outsourced IT and magic with Bit-Wizards
Forming an outsourced IT partnership is a critical decision, especially when technology can make or break your business. It's vital to choose an MSP that knows how to deliver results and provide reliable support. With Managed IT Services (MITS) from Bit-Wizards, your business leverages a team with experience and a 25-year track record of client success that goes beyond the technology you depend on.
Ready to learn how to boost your business with next-level IT outsourcing? Get in touch.