Over the last three years, we’ve seen dozens of puzzling economic trends and new obstacles to conducting commerce. Scores of small to medium-sized businesses that just underwent a stage of rapid growth have recently seen their revenue figures plateau, and many company owners are asking if now is a good time to switch to managed IT. If your existing technology department struggles to keep up with unexpected challenges, this is a good indicator that you should consider implementing a managed IT solution.
Remember, you don’t need to outsource your IT requirements entirely to benefit from a managed service provider. PCH Technologies provides companies with innovative co-managed solutions, allowing them to outsource specific IT services while maintaining their in-house IT staff. This abbreviated guide will help you identify the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing your IT and make an educated decision about which managed services are right for your unique business.
Why outsource your IT services?
Growing businesses that rely upon a handful of IT professionals (and perhaps even yourself, alone) place their operations in imminent danger of having their IT requirements eclipsed by their existing technology resources. Outsourcing your IT to a specialized team with decades of experience lets you focus more on product development and strategic growth initiatives. You will find yourself less concerned about exterminating complicated IT fires, downtime, and other unexpected technology costs.
If you retain some aspects of your IT department, a reputable co-managed service partner alongside your existing team to provide continuous training, knowledge, resource planning, and the latest infrastructure. Expert, CIO-level consulting services help you develop a long-term, scalable approach for managing your IT to keep your systems current and optimally functioning for years into the future.
The hardware and software required to keep your business operations compliant and efficient are ever-changing. Even the most sophisticated companies discover themselves challenged to keep up with this newfound accelerated rate of change. Managed IT providers have long-standing relationships with the nation’s leading technology suppliers. They can often access the solutions your business needs at a wholesale cost.
The pros of managed IT
Outsourcing your IT lets you cut overall operating expenses while helping regain the time needed for more productive manners like enterprise resource planning and strategic business development. Let’s take a closer look at how:
Enhanced security
Managed service providers (MSPs) let you take advantage of the latest and most effective cybersecurity solutions. Your business benefits from the newest security products along with the software and network administration that makes the most sense for your specific industry. Depending on the subscription package, you can have 24/7/365 remote monitoring support watching over your critical networks and systems.
Continuous monitoring services mean MSP subscribers realize an ROI worth mentioning after significantly decreasing employee downtime. Robust cybersecurity lets you plan ahead with confidence while increasing productivity across your organization.
Reduced IT expenditures and overall costs
Managed IT solutions help you reduce the cost of maintaining employees who require training, insurance, and employment tax payments. While facilitating a skilled IT team in-house sounds intriguing, perhaps even ideal, this option is simply not a reality for most small businesses.
When you outsource your IT requirements, many of the associated standard operating costs go away. At the same time, you gain the benefit of a highly skilled team of technicians, consultants, and engineers. For the price of a single internally hired IT professional, you have access to a range of technology specialists and scalable IT solutions.
Other benefits include:
- Predictable IT costs and billing
- Real-time incident response
- Improved customer satisfaction
- Strong regulatory compliance
The cons of managed IT
While the downsides to implementing a managed IT solution are few, here are a few points to consider:
- High onboarding costs
- Services that fail to deliver
- Unscalable proprietary software solutions
- The logistics of remote support
- Security and storage requirements
How to start outsourcing your IT
Once you’ve determined that managed IT solutions can benefit your company and improve your bottom line, it is only a matter of deciding when to make the transition. If you are preparing to migrate your technology requirements now, or are a smaller company with expanding IT needs, consider partnering with PCH Technologies. For more information on how managed IT solutions cut costs while promoting a keener focus on core areas of your business, complete a customer inquiry online now or call us today at (856) 754-7500.