When decisions are being made about who is managing their network, there is sometimes debate whether in-house is a better option than using a trusted IT partner. In this post, we’ll help you determine which side of the grass is greener.
Network Outsourcing is the forming of a relationship with a 3rd party IT Provider (such as SandStorm IT) for managing, maintaining, enhancing, and supporting network infrastructure. This can include a wide variety of services, depending on the contract. This can allow your organization to focus on issues that are more important to your core business goals, such as business growth, customer satisfaction, and staff education/development. In today’s post, we’ll dive into the pros and cons of network outsourcing and how it can benefit your business.
Advantages
Potentially Lower Costs
In-house IT teams are a fixed cost. If you have newer, more reliable equipment, there will inevitably be times when the IT team isn’t cost-effective. Alternatively, if there’s a real emergency and you only have 1 or 2 IT guys, it may be more than they can handle. 3rd party support is infinitely more scalable.
Hands-off Management
Managing IT networks and infrastructure takes time. IT firms also have access to software that checks every device for configuration, performance, and patch status updates constantly and can close any holes that might otherwise go undetected. Your IT can be handled without you constantly needing to mess with it, allowing you to focus on what’s truly important: Your Business.
Cutting Edge Industry Knowledge
If you outsource to a reliable IT partner, that’s all they do is tech. They are aware of new technologies, patches, buzz around the industry. This cutting-edge knowledge might not be possible if you are trying to maintain everything as well as run the business. This could potentially leave room for security holes.
Allows You To Achieve Goals
While allowing for your network management to be outsourced won’t directly allow you to achieve goals, it does take one additional task off your plate so you can focus on things that are more vital to your business’s success, such as growth & customer satisfaction.
Disadvantages
Variable Costs
As stated above, with a 3rd party, there may be months when you need very little assistance and management at all. During outages and problems, you may require more assistance. The variable cost can surprise you if you have unexpected issues. This can be both positive and negative.
Loss of Control
Any time you work with a 3rd party, you relinquish some of your control for them to take care of the things that they’re hired for. This can be a deal breaker for some companies. Having trusted partners and fully trusting those partners makes the path to growth and scalability much simpler.
A Third Option?
It doesn’t have to be one or the other. Some of our customers like a mixture of both options. Need a new desktop printer installed on a computer? Your in-house IT guy has it covered with speed and efficiency. If a server hard drive crashes, we can move the data to the cloud so you can keep on trucking.
No matter which way you end up going, the fact that you’re deciding on who supports your business network is a big step. If you do end up needing assistance with your network, we’re always here for a chat.
At SandStorm IT, we’ve made it our mission to ensure that businesses can survive whatever IT issues come their way. We love partnering with businesses in the Greater Memphis area on their IT. Schedule a call to discuss how we help you with all of your IT needs. Together, we can pinpoint and assess how to get you from where you currently are to where you need to be.