Tired of sitting in freezing, noisy server rooms trying to get to the root of that stubborn issue?
Perhaps your disaster recovery plan just isn’t up to scratch, or you have a dire server hosting need? If so then you need outsourced IT support.
We could spend all day listing the benefits, but we’ve condensed it down to the top 9.
The Best Reasons to Use Outsourced IT Support
Utilizing outsourced IT support and other professionally managed services offer a host of benefits. We’ve gathered 9 of the most impactful and listed them below for your viewing convenience.
1. Reduced Risk
Running any business in today’s fast-moving, online-centric world comes inherently with risk. Utilizing outsourced IT support shifts some of that risk to the 3rd party.
Your IT systems are important, perhaps critical to your business. Outsourced IT support reduces the risk associated with the collapse of your infrastructure. Professional IT support will be on hand to resolve issues for you immediately.
2. Decreased Cost
Running a fully staffed IT department is not cheap. We did some research on Payscale to work out the average annual cost of running a fully staffed IT department. This is working with the minimum staffing requirements for functional IT support.
- IT Manager – $86,000
- Systems Administrator – $83,000
- Help Desk Support (at least 1 required) – $51,000
- Total annual salary cost – $220,000
Then there is the ongoing expense of training to factor in. Outsourcing your IT support eliminates all these overheads by giving you a team of professionals at your fingertips with none of the salary or training costs.
3. Better Disaster Recovery
If you are a small or medium business just getting off the ground, the chances are that you don’t have a fully fleshed-out disaster recovery plan. This is even true of some large businesses.
Disasters can take the form of anything from naturally occurring events through to cybersecurity incidents. A professional IT support company will be equipped to deal with all eventualities. This includes responding to the initial disaster and helping your business recover should the worst happen.
4. Compliance Guarantee
One of the often-forgotten implications of running your own IT department is the need to be compliant. This includes everything from the way a company stores its data to the way it processes payments. For businesses managing their own IT, there are a huge number of data security laws.
By working with an outsourced IT support company you can ensure there are no more compliance issues. Choose a company with impeccable standards of data protection and full compliance will all state and federal data security laws.
5. Enhanced Security
The disasters we spoke of on our 3rd point on this list can often arise from a breach in security. If your IT support is in its infancy then its common to make mistakes that might leave you open to a cyber attack.
Outsourced IT support will not only offer enhanced digital security but may also be able to offer some best practice tips to your staff. This can help prevent things like social engineering by training your staff on the things to look out for.
6. Guaranteed Support Specialists
Outsourcing your IT to a professional company guarantees that your business receives the support of a specialist. No two computer systems are alike, but IT support specialists understand the most efficient way to support your IT needs.
A consultation with your chosen outsourced IT company will ensure that the needs of your business are understood and met by a consummate professional. You can then be certain that the service provided will be customized and tailored to suit your business needs.
7. Saves Time
During a period of heavy load, or in the midst of some unforeseen IT trouble, speed and response times are often critical. The uptime of IT services often has a direct impact on profitability, so minimizing downtime or responding quickly to customer inquiries makes all the difference.
A professional IT support company will have experience in many different industries. Companies that specialize in IT support know how to get to the root of a problem quickly and efficiently. This ensures they prepared to deal with any problems your business has in the most expedient and cost-efficient manner.
8. Availability of Resources
Have you ever run into an issue on a Friday night and then had trouble contacting your staff, who have all gone home? That is not a problem you will run into with dedicated, outsourced IT support. Resources are available 24/7 to resolve all of your IT support concerns.
A resource in this instance doesn’t just mean staff either. A professional IT support company utilizes redundancy in their IT infrastructure. This means that their systems have an almost guaranteed 100% uptime.
Combine this with the 24/7 availability of IT support and a savvy business can free up their own resources by utilizing those provided by outsourced IT support.
9. Reduced Scope of Concerns
For a small or medium business, there is enough going on without adding in the concern of staffing and managing an IT support department. We’ve already mentioned the associated costs and risks, but one thing you can’t put a price on is peace of mind.
Outsourcing your IT support can help to improve the focus of a business. Less time is spent worrying about the maintenance and upkeep of IT systems. This allows a company to spend more time focusing on what makes it great and unique.
Final Thoughts
Lower costs, reduced risk, and enhanced security to name but a few. It’s hard to deny the benefits of outsourced IT support.
Still not convinced? Check out some of our other great articles or get in touch with the ColoCrossing Team or email us at sales@colocrossing.com to discuss all your IT service needs!
