In this digital age, IT has never been so important.
With the post-pandemic move to remote and online working, plus the increase of digital touchpoints for customers and suppliers, a reliable and strategic IT support network is crucial.
Traditionally, many businesses have utilised in-house IT departments. But as technology moves faster than ever, it’s notoriously difficult to get the resource you need. Data shows 63% of companies are still finding it hard to secure IT talent, despite intentions to increase their IT budget.
Whilst IT is deemed essential, it’s also one of the more expensive departments.
As a result, many businesses are now outsourcing to a specialist outsourced IT support provider. It’s scalable, cost-effective solution to manage every aspect of your business IT requirements.
We explore why the move from internal to outsourced IT is becoming more popular and the benefits you’ll receive.
What are the disadvantages of internal IT support teams?
For many businesses, a closer look into efficiencies has demonstrated that internal IT teams are costly to manage. There’s an ongoing investment required to train these team members and keep their knowledge up to date, increasing costs further. It can also be quite difficult to get the right skills for your internal team, leading to shortages and recruitment headaches.
The team will be limited by their experience within your business. They’ll only know your systems and answers to problems you’ve already faced. The result is a team that struggles to be agile.
Response times may also be slower in internal teams, as they are not held to strict SLAs like external providers are. They often spend so much time fixing small, day-to-day problems that they are unable to focus on long-term effective IT strategies. This can significantly hinder business performance.
What are the benefits of outsourced IT support?
Cost-efficiency
By outsourcing your IT, you can alleviate the costs associated with recruitment and overheads. Without an internal team to manage, you’ll save money on wages, training costs, pension contributions, holiday and sick pay. You’ll also need less people in the office.
Most external IT companies will offer you a contract with a fixed monthly cost. This is attractive as it makes budgeting easier, plus gives you the ability to scale up or down your businesses IT needs as they change.
Specialist expertise
Outsourced IT support service desks have a wide range of specialist expertise across a multitude of the latest technologies. They’ll likely work with numerous clients, meaning they’ll have dealt with a variety of problems and developed their knowledge as a result. This diverse experience is often impossible to find in an internal team.
IT procurement partners are continually trained by the vendors they partner with, enabling them to provide advice on the latest IT technologies. They’ll also be up to date with their training, at no cost to you. In many cases, they’ll even be accredited to work with specific systems and tech to offer you extra peace of mind.
Strategic approach
Outsourced IT companies sit outside your company, allowing them to have an objective view. They’ve also worked with countless other businesses, so they know what works and what doesn’t.
This allows a strategic approach to the issues their customers are facing. They will look at your IT needs in a different way than an internal team.
By finding an expert, trusted IT partner, you can therefore benefit from a stronger IT strategy that offers increased innovation and efficiency.
Fast response times
The scalable nature of outsourced IT support means that you can have as much help as you need when you need it.
If your company is experiencing multiple problems, they can all be targeted at once. This results in less downtime and increased productivity.
You should also seek an IT partner who has a fast SLA and 24/7 service in the case of emergencies. This will enable a swift response, even outside of typical office hours.
Internal teams are often unable to be as agile, due to working set hours or being limited in resource. When you add in annual leave or sickness, it can lead to chaotic issues where you cannot get the fix you need immediately.
Flexibility
Typically, an internal IT department will cover every part of your IT setup. However, you might find them limited in their expertise and resource, leading to some areas being neglected.
With an outsourced partner, you can get support for specific areas or your whole IT – whichever suits your needs. If you do have an internal team, you can even use an external partner to fill the gaps. It allows you to build an approach that is customised to your needs.
Security
A reputable IT support provider will monitor the overall health, performance and security of your IT network. They’ll make sure all your preventative measures are up to date and conduct a maintenance plan that keeps you safe.
Because of their varied expertise and strategical approach, they can detect and eliminate online threats before they occur while levelling up your security as new technology emerges. They’ll also give you an IT disaster recovery plan should the worst happen.
Why choose Infinity Group for your outsourced support?
Infinity Group has a large UK-based service desk that pride themselves in fast response times of under 1 minute. Our customer service efforts have won us the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award 2022 for the outstanding customer reviews we have gained.
We can also provide support across a range of IT areas, covering your various needs and systems.
If you are interested in outsourcing your business IT or switching IT support providers, please get in touch for a quote.
