In-House IT Vs. Managed Services (Comparison)

Technology is an essential need for any company’s day to day operations. Being up to date with the latest advances in technology is important for any business to remain competitive. With this in mind, companies are continually looking for ways to meet their IT requirements by getting a dedicated IT team.

Some companies will opt to employ an in-house IT team while some may decide to outsource the IT services. While both of these options present numerous benefits to a company, the IT support for your company will depend on the specific IT needs of the business.

Internal IT Services: This form of IT service only utilizes the IT staff of your company. The company’s IT department is tasked with maintaining, monitoring, and updating all the company’s IT infrastructure.

What Are The Benefits of Having an In-House IT Team?

You Have a Team That Understands Your Company: The main advantage of using internal IT service is in having an IT team that understands the systems, strategies, and objectives of the company. This better understanding of the company gives them an upper hand in resolving technical issues quickly.

You Have Full Control of Your Data: For markets subject to a lot of regulations such as healthcare and finance, using an Internal IT team gives you more control over your data.

Disadvantages of Having an In-House IT Team:

You May Lack 24/7 Support: With your internal IT team, you are not guaranteed of 24/7 support. Your employees may be sick, take a vacation, and be on leave. If you’re working with an in-house team, you have to ensure that they are there day in and day out.

You Have Limited Resources: Your in-house IT team is limited to the resources that are provided by the company.

Outsourcing IT Services: By outsourcing IT services, you are partially or entirely delegating your IT department to a third-party organization. Outsourcing enables an organization to complement or replace their internal IT team.

This way, companies can meet their IT needs without investing heavily in hiring full-time IT personnel. Companies of all industries and sizes are turning to outsourced IT services. According to sherweb.com,  in a typical year, approximately 75% of SMBs outsource their IT services to a solution provider, MSP, or VAR.

What Are the Benefits of Outsourcing IT Services?

1. You Have Access to a High Level of Expertise: A reputable IT company will offer you a team of experts with years of experience and qualifications, as most IT companies are known to hire a multitude of professionals with different specializations. This way, you can get assistance for whatever project you’re working on.
2. It Is a Cost-Efficient Way of Attaining IT Services: Compared to hiring a full-time IT department and paying their salaries, benefits, and insurance, outsourcing IT services is more cost-effective. IT companies also provide flexible payment methods in terms of a fixed monthly or per-user fee.
3. You Can Easily Move Your Data to the Cloud: The demand for data on the go is increasing as businesses continue to operate remotely, leading to a rise in demand for cloud computing services. Your IT support company will provide you with experts in cloud computing services that will move your data to the cloud, update that data regularly, frequently test the integrity of your data, and manage the platform for you.
4. You Get Data Backup, and Disaster Recovery Solutions: With your data already on the cloud, your IT company offers you a data backup and recovery system and ensures that your data can be recovered in case of a disaster. This recovery system will enable your business functions to continue to run.
5. You Get 24/7 System Monitoring and Support: When you outsource from an IT company, you are guaranteed of 24/7 support throughout the year. You do not have to worry about your IT team taking holidays or getting sick. The company will offer a dedicated out of working hours helpline service that ensures you get IT support when you need it, your needs are quickly addressed, and your IT stays up and running at all times.
6. Your Security Is Improved: The cases of cyber-attacks keep on increasing every day. An IT support company continually monitors your systems, conducts risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities, and provides long-lasting security solutions to intercept attacks.
7. You Get Access to the Latest Technology: Many businesses struggle to keep up with the latest advancements in technology. An IT company gives you access to this technology at a lower cost, allowing you to remain relevant and competitive in your industry.
8. You Can Quickly Scale Your Company: As your company grows, so do your IT needs. An IT company offers the flexibility of switching your products or services to the new ones that you need as you scale.
9. Your Staff’s Workload Is Reduced: Outsourcing minimizes the workload of your tech-literate staff and allows them to focus on more pressing issues of the company.
10. You Get Compliance and Auditing Services: Depending on your Service Level Agreement (SLA), you have the option of offloading the burden of compliance to an experienced compliance expert from your IT support provider.

Disadvantages of Outsourcing IT Support

Lack of Organizational Knowledge: An external IT team may not have the passion and understanding of your company and, therefore, not offer the same quality of service to your clients resulting in negative customer experience.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Between an In-House and Outsourcing From an IT Company

It is essential for a company looking to improve its IT capacity to carry out extensive research and understand what’s vital to their business before choosing which arrangement works for their company. The company will need to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of both forms of IT support and choose one that favors the company.

Here are some questions that will help you during the assessment process:

• What are the IT needs of your business?
• What are your company’s current IT capabilities?

Are you currently thinking of outsourcing IT support? At HRCT, we offer over 20 years of experience and expertise in providing outsourced IT services to businesses in Hampton Roads, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and surrounding areas. We also offer reliable and cost-effective cloud computing, data security, and data backup services to help your business remain competitive.

Click here to get in touch with us and book a consultation to get customized solutions that fit the needs of your business.