Should we outsource our IT? The advantages, benefits, and what you need to know

At FoxNet, our approach to service delivery revolves around truly getting to know our customers and the challenges they’re facing. This has led to answering quite a few questions over the past 18 years, but one of them that continues to come up is, “why should we outsource our IT?” If that’s a question on your mind as well, this blog was meant for you.

Let’s begin by putting some definition around “outsourcing your IT.” From a high-level, it’s all about removing time-consuming or challenging tasks from your IT team’s plate so they can focus on what drives revenue for your organization. Some organizations may need to outsource their entire IT operation, while others may choose to combine the strengths of their internal team with the expertise and tools of a proven managed services provider (MSP) like us here at FoxNet.

Although there are many reasons for an organization to consider outsourcing their IT, we find that the need usually maps back to one of the following. Are any of these needs or challenges for your organization?

1. You’re striving to lower your overall technology support costs.

2. Your IT department is too busy, but recruiting and hiring another resource isn’t an option.

3. Your IT team isn’t producing results to justify their expense.

4. You’re lacking internal competencies or skillsets in certain areas (like security.)

5. You don’t have the IT leadership to stay ahead of technology trends.

With advancements in platforms and process, there aren’t many IT tasks, duties, or functions that can’t be outsourced. And whether you choose to outsource some or all of your IT, there are plenty of benefits in working with an MSP as opposed to trying to do everything internally:

• IT is their core competency:

   

  Rather than expecting an IT generalist that you hire to handle things like security, MSPs have expertise in many disciplines that you can tap into for all of your technology needs – including creating and driving the overall IT strategy for your organization.

• Less downtime, more consistency

  : Resources can be put on a problem as it happens – and with the monitoring tools that most MSPs use, many problems can be identified before they affect your employees, customers, or operations.

• Predictable costs and service

  : Instead of facing a surprise bill from an outside contractor when a need arises, you have predictable service (and predictable costs) from a trusted partner who understands your business needs and priorities.

• Financial incentive for results

  : The MSP that you choose will work on a contract basis, so they are financially motivated to deliver results and keep you happy.

• Rapid scalability

  : MSPs have scalable resources, which means they can help you handle multiple problems or projects at once, and support your growth in a more predictable fashion.

This blog isn’t intended to be a plug for our own managed service offerings. But, if you’re looking for a proven partner that has mature processes, a highly-trained staff, and a dedication to service excellence, check out our offerings. We also offer a Network Scan that was built to help you identify the gaps that exist throughout your network infrastructure so you can better understand where you could use some help.

Have questions? Reach out today to chat through email and schedule a live or virtual meeting.